The Wild Baron (Baron 1)

“She kicked me in the ribs. No lady would kick a man of God in the ribs.”

“Tibolt, you are trying me sorely. Would you say that I’m a gentleman?”

“Naturally.”

“Very well. I hit you as hard as I could in your face.”

“That is different.”

Rohan rolled his eyes. “You amaze me. Now, if it would please you, I would be delighted to escort you to that miserable little plot out back that you call a garden and pound you until your brain begins to function again.”

Tibolt raised his hands. “No, I will do as you say. It is nothing to me, really.”

Then Rohan sat forward and said softly, “Now you will tell me about the map.”

He saw only confusion on Tibolt’s face. “Map? What map?”

“You know very well what I’m talking about. Tell me about the damned map. I know that George told you about it.” It was then that he saw the knowledge, but Tibolt held himself silent.

“Tell me, damn you!”

“George did mention a map to me right before he died,” Tibolt said slowly. “But George always had some map or another. They fascinated him. I thought little to nothing about it at the time. It had nothing to do with me.”

“You know Theodore Micah and Lambie Lambert, don’t you?”

“Yes, certainly. Mainly they were cronies of George, but I knew them as well. I was only two years older than George, remember. Why? What is all this about, Rohan? What map?”

“It was really only half a map. I have no idea what the full map leads to, but it’s something that these men want very badly.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

Rohan studied his fingernails, then the quill atop Tibolt’s desk, not looking at his brother as he said, “Either Lambert or Micah—or both—broke into Susannah’s house three times trying to find George’s half of the map. Then Lambert broke into Mountvale House once, failed again, and kidnapped Susannah.”

“My God, you aren’t serious?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Did you kill him?”

“No, actually, he was induced to join His Majesty’s Navy. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t tell us a thing. But he was committed to finding that map, Tibolt.”

Tibolt looked honestly shaken. The bruise on his jaw stood out starkly in the candlelight. “I had no idea,” he said, shaking his head, looking straight into his brother’s face. “No idea at all. I will tell you that Theodore Micah came to me just a week ago and asked me if I had any idea where George’s half of the map was. He had to remind me about it. That’s all I know, Rohan.”

“Where is he, Tibolt?”

“He told me if I remembered anything I could find him in Eastbourne. He said that there were certain men he had to avoid and thus he was disguising himself. He said he had moved in with a widow on the waterfront. As I said, that was a week ago. He wanted me to go to Mountvale House and search for the half of the map. I told him that even if I found it, it surely wasn’t enough, was it? He told me I wasn’t to worry about that. He also told me there was a tiny golden key. I remember saying that I felt uncomfortable about going to Mountvale House and asking about some map that had been in George’s possession. I told him what good would half a map do him? I asked him what it was to. I asked him who had the other half of the map. He just smiled at me—a very evil smile, Rohan.

“There’s nothing more, I swear it. Except, of course, that he would kill me if he knew I had told you where he was.”

“I want to know where he is staying. I want to know what he looks like. I will not have any more danger hanging over any of our heads.”

Tibolt sighed. “I beg you to be careful of him. He is an actor. He is quite good. What he looks like . . . he must be near thirty now. He is not at all tall, he is rather slender, and he usually dresses like a dandy—a big watch fob, high and stiff shirt points, loud waistcoats, and the like. His hair is black as midnight and his eyes are just as dark. They’re empty eyes, Rohan, flat and cold. I never liked looking him in the face. Even if he smiles, you know it isn’t really a smile, that he doesn’t mean it. He is detached from his fellow man, very probably dead inside. I don’t think you should go after him. But knowing you, you will try to find him. You’ve always managed to get whatever you wanted, haven’t you? I caution you again—if you find him, watch out for yourself.”

Rohan nodded, then rose. “If, Tibolt, I discover that there is more to this, and that you are involved, I will take measures to see that you are punished, even though I know it will hurt Mother. She is upset by what George did. Were she to know that you were aware of his perfidy, she would likely come here and kick you in the ribs herself.”

“Just like your wife, our mother is no lady either. She was never an appropriate helpmeet for our father.”

Rohan could only stare at his brother. He said not another word. He wondered if Tibolt was lying. Probably, but he still had no idea why or how Tibolt could be involved in this mess. He still couldn’t bring himself to believe that Tibolt was the man who had broken into Mountvale that first night. No, that wasn’t possible. But he knew there had to be more, much more. Damnation, he hated this.