The Bet

“I don’t think it has anything to do with my uncle’s murder,” Myles murmured doubtfully. He wished he could put some heat in his words but he too had a nagging suspicion there was a link of some kind.

“How can you be sure of everything right now?” she gasped. She wasn’t. The tumultuous emotions coursing through her were downright confusing, especially given how focused they were on Myles and the affect he had on her.

“I think it would be wise for you not to mention this to anybody else for the time being,” he whispered. There was a hesitance in his voice that made her look at him.

She froze. “You saw them too?” she whispered. “The figures in the cloaks? Where? What were they doing? They were terrifying, weren’t they?”

“They didn’t approach me,” Myles replied, aware of the relief he felt at being able to confide in his own experience out on the road last night. “I think they are local because nobody unfamiliar with the area could walk around the Whispering Woods late at night in weather like that. They had to know the area.”

“But then for you to get those letters,” she whispered.

“I don’t know if they are related,” he said, reading her mind quite effectively.

“You do that a lot, you know,” she declared, trying valiantly to rub some warmth into the chilled flesh of her arms, and failed miserably.

“What?” he murmured, aware of what could only be described as a sensual awareness growing steadily between them.

“Read my mind,” she replied.

Myles’ lips quirked because he knew it was true. “I don’t mean to,” he whispered.

“I don’t mind.” She didn’t. The slight discomfort she felt was because she was aware of the growing connection she had with this man only wasn’t sure what she should do about it.

“What happens now?” she asked quietly.

Her question could have been asked about anything. What happens now given that people suspected she was guilty? Or, what happens now with the investigation into finding the person responsible for Gerald’s death? Or, what happens now given the growing awareness between them? Whichever question Myles was considering, she suspected it had nothing to do with the way she was feeling right now. Deep inside, a molten pool of warmth began to expand, bringing with it an inner yearning for more of him. She had no idea what it was all about yet but was compelled to know more.

Myles sighed and struggled to ignore the urge to step closer. He knew it was foolish, especially given what had happened this morning, but he didn’t seem able to focus his attention on the matter at hand seeing as that matter at hand was not Estelle. This was the first time since last night that he had been alone with her. It was highly inappropriate but, given this was his home and no less than four of his relatives and an entire household of staff were close-by, he was prepared to ignore that.

“With what?” he asked politely.

“Your uncle,” she replied.

Myles sighed. “We need to find out what is in Gerald’s will next. What is important to me is finding out what happened last night.”

Estelle’s stomach sank. Immediately, the feeling of being closer to him evaporated. In that instant, it was replaced with a solid wall of restraint that seemed almost impenetrable. It put so much distance between them she wasn’t entirely sure she hadn’t imagined the last few decidedly more intimate moments.

“What about it? You know more about it than me,” she replied firmly. “This is a family matter. It is nothing to do with me.”

I don’t care how attractive he is. I am not going to get blamed for a crime I didn’t commit just because I am a stranger. I didn’t ask to be stuck here.

She scowled at him when a thought suddenly occurred to her. “Why did you bring me here rather than take me to a doctor anyway?”

“It seemed safest at the time,” he replied somewhat dryly. “If I had known then what I know now I would have dropped you off at the doctors. However, when I saw those cloaked figures I decided it was foolish to leave you with the doctor, especially when they followed us.”

“But the doctor’s house is in the village. Wouldn’t it have been faster for you to drop me off there and then come home alone, in spite of the risks? At least then I wouldn’t be stuck in this house in the middle of a storm with a killer on the loose,” she declared with a huff.

Myles struggled not to lose his temper. “I know, but I did what I felt was right at the time.”

“You wanted to get back to your father,” she said quietly.

Myles looked her square in the eye but didn’t deny it. “I also had a duty to look after you seeing as I was the one who injured you.”

“Not entirely,” she countered. “I hit my head in the woods, remember?”

Myles studied her. “I have been meaning to ask if you heard any of their voices?”

“Yes. Two of them had a whispered conversation just before they realised I was there. I told you. When another one of them arrived, I decided to use the path they used to get out of the woods and go home. They followed me, but they didn’t ask who I was. They just chased me.”