“What trick, exactly?” Roxanne asked, as she dipped an oar in the water.
Sophie said, “I don’t know. Maybe he’ll finally have to admit his vampireness is his jest on society.”
“If,” Roxanne said, “it is a jest,” and waggled her eyebrows.
Sophie threw a cupped hand of water at her.
Once they found their rhythm, they rowed smoothly to the middle of the lake. They brought in the oars and sat back to enjoy the quiet rocking of the boat, the sounds of the birds, the occasional silver streak of a fish rippling through the calm water.
“This is lovely,” Sophie said. “Not like that blasted house. There is so much bad feeling boiling right beneath the surface. Well, with Richard, it’s all out there for anyone to see. But the baron? And the daughter, Victoria?”
“Actually, I was thinking about Corinne’s noises in her bedchamber last night. Corinne isn’t a wilting twit, Sophie; there was something in her bedchamber. Someone besides her and Barbie.”
“I’ll wager it was Richard Langworth. He probably was looking for Julian and found her instead.”
“Richard Langworth appears to be many things, but stupid he isn’t. He knows which bedchamber Julian is staying in, just as he knows which room is Corinne’s and which room is mine—now ours. She could have dreamed it, I suppose, it makes sense—a strange house, and all of it on top of that delicious dinner that tasted like grated ashes in that cold, stiff, very uncomfortable company.”
Sophie said, “The baron tried to keep topics light and amusing, but it wasn’t to be. Too many tangled emotions swirling about at that table. As for Victoria, like you, I asked her questions, very interested and polite I was, but she said nothing at all, or just gave me nods and an occasional yes. She never looked away from her brother and father. Do you think she was afraid Richard was going to leap over the table and try to kill Julian?”
A shout went up from the shore.
They turned to see Julian and Devlin standing on the end of the dock, waving to them.
Roxanne perked right up. “Ah, it’s Devlin, what a lovely surprise. He must have ridden like the wind to get here so quickly. You stay close to Julian, and I will get Devlin to row me back out to the middle of the lake. Perhaps I can get him to remove his shirt, display his manly self to the sun. That would be fun. I don’t see any horses. I suppose they must have walked here.”
Sophie laughed. “I hadn’t realized, but do you know, Devlin is nearly Julian’s size?”
“Mayhap he’s a bit taller than Julian.”
Sophie said, “Oh, no, Julian is by far the taller. But, you know, Roxanne, that’s only the outside. They really are quite different from each other.”
“As are we all.”
Sophie nodded. “I wonder how Julian would feel about stretching out without his shirt so I could, well—hmm, observe him.”
“That is rather shameless of you, wishing to see your older kindly uncle unclothed.”
Sophie laughed. “Only his upper parts, and only for scientific reasons.”
“Are you lying to your aunt, Sophie??
??
25
Devlin was wearing a wide-brimmed black hat.
Roxanne smiled widely as she stepped onto the dock, flung out her arms. “You are a glorious sight, Devlin—you look like one of those Puritan preachers I’ve seen in books. Shall you open your mouth and chastise us sinners? No? It is about time you got here.”
“I rode like the Devil,” Devlin said, and took her hands between his. “I came as quickly as I could—consider me Julian’s protector, to ensure that base scoundrel Richard doesn’t try to throttle him, or the baron, either one, truth be told. As for Victoria, who knows? As for Julian, he wasn’t even at the manor to welcome me, didn’t arrive until I was on my way to find you two. All out of breath he was, but he won’t tell me why. Since he’s more stubborn than Cannon, I’ll never know in this lifetime.
“You and Sophie look in fine spirits. I see you managed to row yourself very competently, which means there is no reason for either of you to ask me to do the work.”
“But I should like to show you the magnificent water reeds on the other side of the lake,” said Roxanne. “Won’t you row me back out, Devlin? I’m really quite fatigued.”
Devlin eyed Roxanne, lightly touched his finger to her cheek. “Young one, you do not dissemble well. Perhaps you’d best not try it again with me.”
“I am your age, and very nearly on the shelf. Indeed, my years are beginning to wear on me, since I am, indeed, really quite tired from all that rowing.” She began to rub her arms.