“Very probably not.”
“Do you mind if I speak to Roxanne? She has a fine brain, and she will look at everything with a fresh eye. However, I will not say anything to anyone if you don’t wish me to.”
“A fine brain, you say?”
“One of the finest. Julian, you have suffered from this long enough. I will use my gift to see my way through this to the truth.”
Sophie thought she saw a movement from the corner of her eye and whipped about. A shadow, she thought, something. She called out, “Who is there?”
Julian was whirled about. Sophie put her fingers to her lips.
“Who is there?”
There wasn’t a sound.
But Sophie knew she hadn’t imagined the movement. She saw Julian’s eyes were darker than she’d ever seen them before. She smiled up at him—not all that far up—and said, “Do you know, my lord, I quite like that I am going to be your champion.”
29
Sophie went on a search for Roxanne, but neither she nor Devlin was to be found. Where had they gone? It was a fine sunny day. Had Roxanne finally managed to talk Devlin out into the sunshine?
Sophie paused, hearing humming. It was the baron, and he was humming under his breath, head down. When he saw her standing in the entrance hall, the front door open, he politely asked after her health, gave her an absent smile, and excused himself.
She didn’t have long to think about speaking to Roxanne, because at that moment, a carriage pulled up in front of the steps. From the carriage emerged her aunt Leah, all smiles and laughter. Richard Langworth came from around the side of the manor and started at the sight of Leah, then strode forward to welcome her.
Sophie watched Leah demurely present her gloved hand to Richard, watched him gently fold down her glove so he could lightly brush his lips over her bare wrist. He gave her an intimate smile.
“What a lovely surprise,” he said. Did he really think it lovely? Sophie wondered.
Leah nearly danced, she was so excited to see him. “I simply could not bear being in London without you, Richard. Ah, what a lovely home you have. I hope you do not mind I cam
e without inquiring as to your wishes?”
Richard was many things, but foremost, Sophie realized now, he was a gentleman. He said, “I should be an ungrateful sot if I objected to seeing you, my pet,” and kissed her wrist again. Sophie was impressed. He continued to speak quietly to Leah, then gave her his arm, and together, Elvira trailing behind, he assisted her up the steps into the manor. Her maid wasn’t smiling, Sophie wondered if she’d be smiling if she’d had to sit next to Leah for three days straight. No, Sophie would probably have strangled her, and buried her body behind an ancient Druid oak tree.
She had some more questions for Julian, but she’d seen him go into the library to speak to his former father-in-law, and how very odd that seemed. Had the two men reached some sort of accord? Would the baron try to dissuade his son from trying to cut Julian’s throat?
So many undercurrents in this house, she thought, walking to the nether reaches of the house to see if Cook had the teakettle boiling. There were shadows and secrets. Where were Roxanne and Devlin?
This is quite the oddest place I have ever seen,” Roxanne said over her shoulder, and walked up to a grouping of six big rocks, each carefully carved down to sharp edges and straight lines.
“It’s a hexagon,” Devlin said.
She rolled her eyes. “Thank you, my lord, for continuing my education. Look, there’s moss growing on the rocks, so all these groupings have been here for some time.”
Devlin said, “True. Now, my girl, turn around and face me.”
“Girl? Me? We are the same age, Devlin, and I shouldn’t dare call you a boy.” But she slowly turned to see him take off his hat and lay it carefully on a stone bench. He gave her a wicked smile as he eased out of his riding coat. She said not a word as he dropped the coat to the ground and pulled off his cravat. Indeed, she stared at him, mesmerized.
She pulled her handkerchief out of her cuff and began fanning herself. “Well, am I to see your manly self go up in smoke?”
Devlin paused, raised his face to the sun. He closed his eyes, groaned, and gave a mighty shudder. He quickly grabbed up his hat and plunked it back down over his brow. “I had every intention of pandering to your female curiosity, but alas, the sun is simply too strong for me today. Perhaps tomorrow.” He pulled his cravat around his neck and shrugged back into his coat, dusted himself off. He said, “I do not trust Richard Langworth, nor do I trust his father. I distrust the manor house itself. Its corners are cold and shadowed. There are lurking secrets making the air shimmer and darken.”
Roxanne was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. “Has Julian told you of any changes in the baron or his son? Or does murder still lurk in their hearts?”
“I plan to stick closer than plaster to my half-uncle. It is time for luncheon. Let’s go see what the Hardcross cook has conjured up for us.”
Roxanne said, “The sun has crept behind clouds. You’re quite safe now, Devlin.”