Prince of Ravenscar (Sherbrooke Brides 11)

As they drew near, Julian heard his mother say, “I found a folded note beneath the tear, Rupert. Let me show it to you. Sophie made several copies of it.”

He and Sophie came into the room even as his mother opened a small Chinese box atop a marquetry table, retrieved the paper, and handed it to the baron.

Julian said nothing, merely watched the baron’s face, aware of Sophie’s every breath. The baron looked interested, then excited. “Good Lord, Corinne, I had no idea. I mean, I saw the backing paper had torn away, but I didn’t wish to take the time to repair it, I only wanted to give it to Julian. Come, my dear, this puzzle from his grace, what does it mean?”

“None of us knows,” she said. “Julian, Sophie, do come in. I have shown Rupert the puzzle from your father.”

“Do you have any ideas what this can mean, Julian? Do you know where these spears of stone could be? Or what they are? Or what this magic jewel could be?”

“No, sir, I have no idea where this so-called magic jewel can be, or its purported magic. It will work for me but not my father? Did my father ever speak to you of this?”

“You’re speaking of thirty years ago, my boy. But I imagine I would remember if your father spoke of a magic jewel.”

Julian shrugged. “I understand Richard has escorted Lady Merrick back to Hardcross Manor.”

“Yes,” the baron said, smiling. “She is a charming lady. I believe my son has perhaps found his future wife.”

Sophie opened her mouth, then shut it.

“Would you care for tea, dearest?” Corinne asked, her voice carefully neutral.

“I must see to business, Mother, and Sophie and Roxanne have planned an outing. Sir, good luck with your houseguest.”

They heard the baron say, “Why would Julian wish me luck with Lady Merrick? She is Roxanne’s sister, is she not? Sophie’s aunt? A charming young woman, and I must say her husband left her very well situated, indeed.”

“Oh, dear,” Sophie said to Julian, as they walked from the drawing room. “I wonder what Leah is up to at this very moment?”

48

Julian was walking from the stables, flicking his whip against his boot, when he heard shouting. It was Sophie, and she was running to him, her riding skirts pulled above her ankles, calling his name over and over. He felt an awful fear. He grabbed her arms. “What’s wrong? What’s the matter? Are you all right?”

“She’s gone!”

“What? Who is gone, Sophie?”

“Roxanne. She is not in her bedchamber, she is nowhere, I’ve asked everyone. No one has seen her. Everyone is looking for her. Do you know where she is?”

He took her hands in his, rubbed his thumbs over her palms to calm her. “No, I don’t know. Here’s Devlin. Surely he knows where she is.”

“No, he doesn’t. He and I are riding to Hardcross Manor. I know Richard Langworth took her, I know it; so does Devlin. Now that you’re back, we can all go.”

“Wait a moment—you’ve looked here?”

“Yes, yes. Tansy came to me at seven o’clock this morning and said Roxanne wasn’t in her bed. At first I wasn’t worried. Ravenscar is huge, and Roxanne loves to explore, but I couldn’t find her. I asked everyone, then Pouffer told me Devlin was in the billiards room. He was losing to himself, and cursing, really quite mad about it. Oh, who cares if he or himself was winning?”

/> “I usually lose to myself, Sophie,” Devlin said, trying for calm even as cold fear nearly bowed him over. “Julian, we must go now to Hardcross Manor. I agree with Sophie, Langworth took her. It makes no sense to me, but he must be the one to have taken her. After his failure to burn Julian’s goods on the Blue Star, he must be getting desperate.”

In the nine years Julian had known Devlin, he’d never before seen him so afraid.

Devlin said again, “I know Langworth took her, I know it. He has gone too far. I fully intend to kill him.”

“Devlin, you said it makes no sense, and it doesn’t. Why would he take Roxanne when you are the one she—” Sophie stalled.

The two men exchanged a look that said clearly, If he wanted you to suffer all the way to your soul, he would not have taken Roxanne, he’d have taken Sophie.

“What?” Sophie turned from one to the other. “What are you thinking? What don’t you think I should know?”

Julian said, “If Richard wanted me to suffer, he should have taken my mother.”