Pressing her lips together, Titania tried to simply accept all that Lord Carroway had said without reacting strongly to it, but her mind and body refused to do so. Her head was filling with so many thoughts and questions that she could barely keep herself from demanding answers to them, whilst her heart was hammering furiously in her chest. She swallowed again and closed her eyes, taking in a long breath so as to calm herself somewhat.
“You are overcome,” Lord Carroway muttered. As Titania opened her eyes, she saw him shaking his head before thrusting one hand into his hair in frustration.
“No, please,” she said hurriedly, not wanting him to stop his explanations. “I am quite all right, I assure you. Please, will you not continue?” She held his gaze firmly, her eyes still a little wide as she sought simply by her look to show him that she had enough strength to continue to listen to what he had to say.
Lord Carroway let out a long breath and then nodded. “Very well,” he murmured, looking a trifle relieved as though he himself was glad that he could speak openly to her. “Let me explain to you about Ravel and why he might be pursuing you for whatever reason.”
“Ravel.” The word sounded strange on her lips, and as she spoke it, Titania recalled something that struck at her mind hard. A gasp escaped from her, and she pressed one hand to her mouth. Lord Carroway stared at her, his eyes searching her face, evidently aware that she was caught by something.
“I have just recalled something of great importance,” Titania whispered, going ashen as she recalled what she had done that night she had been attacked and now realizing that it might be of very great value. “Do excuse me, Lord Carroway. I shall only be a few minutes.”
“But of course,” he muttered, as Titania rose to her feet in a flurry of skirts and practically ran from the room.
Chapter Eleven
Edward cleared his throat as Miss Titania Wells rushed back into the room, the door slamming noisily behind her. He caught a glimpse of Miss Merry Wells looking up from where she sat, having been avidly reading a book of some sort, only to be disturbed by her sister. A frown crossed her face, but she did not rise, much to Edward’s relief. There was still a good deal he had to say to Miss Titania Wells.
“Here.”
Miss Wells held something out to him, and after a momentary pause, Edward reached out and took it from her. His hand burned where their fingers touched, his heart jumping to life, but with an effort, he ignored it and returned his attention to the small item he held in his hand.
“I had quite forgotten about this,” Miss Wells said, sinking back down into her chair and appearing most apologetic. “It was the night of the murder. I awoke to find this still held in my hand, but I did not know what it was. I set it aside to ensure its safekeeping, but had very little idea of what I should do with it or where it should go, given that I had been told not to speak a word of what I had seen to another living soul.”
Edward fixed his gaze on the small vial that he held in his hand, not at all certain as to what it was and certainly not knowing what he ought to do with it. “And where did you get this from, Miss Wells?” he asked, glancing up at her and seeing her tight expression and the slight pallor in her cheeks. “Was it from the murderer?”
She nodded, pressing her lips together for a moment. “Yes, I believe so,” she whispered, as though too afraid to speak of it aloud. “When I fought him off, this was what I found in my hand thereafter. It must have come from him although I do not understand its significance.”
Everything began to fit into place, and Edward closed his eyes for a moment, letting his breath rush from him and a sense of certainty settled over his shoulders. “I understand now,” he murmured, opening his eyes to see Miss Wells sitting forward in her chair, her elbows on her knees and her hands held tightly together as she pressed them at her mouth. It was a most unladylike pose, but it told Edward that the lady was filled with nothing more than anxiety and he felt a rising sense of compassion for her, along with the knowledge that things were not easily going to improve for her.
“I think, Miss Wells, that Ravel and his men know that you have this vial,” he said, returning his attention to the object. “That is why they seek you out. They want to have this returned to them.”
“But why?” Miss Wells asked, her voice a little breathless. “What is it?”
“I do not know,” Edward confessed, pulling out a small knife from his pocket and running it over the vial, feeling something tug at his knife as he did so. Narrowing his eyes, he caught his breath as he saw a small stopper at the top of the vial, which, in the candlelight, he had not been able to see before. His knife began to work at it, taking great care not to break anything.
“The night that I pursued the man who was looking to break into this house, the unfortunate fellow told me that you ‘had it’ and that ‘Ravel wanted it back,’” he commented quietly, as he continued to remove the stopper. “This is what they spoke of, Miss Wells.”
Miss Wells dragged in a shaky breath; her face now even paler than before. “But I do not know what it is,” she whispered
hoarsely. “Nor did I know what to do with it.” Her voice was becoming a little higher, her worry evidencing itself all the more. “How will they know that I do not have it any longer, Lord Carroway? How can we show them that it is you who now carries this vial in your possession?”
Edward frowned, his jaw set as the stopper tugged free from the top of the vial. “I must be truthful with you, Miss Wells, I do not think that whether you have the vial or not, you will be safe.” He set the knife and the stopper down carefully before retuning his gaze to her. “You have seen a great deal and are aware of a good many things also. Ravel is a hard man. He will not hesitate to remove you from this Earth if he considers you to be a threat.” He did not want her to faint nor to collapse into hysterics but knew that he had a duty to be honest with her. “But I have an idea that will aid you in all this.”
Miss Wells closed her eyes for a long moment, her fingers now pressed tightly against her mouth. Edward hesitated with the vial in his hands, looking at her and wondering if she were going to collapse.
But Miss Wells had more strength than he gave her credit for. With another long breath, she opened her eyes, set her hands down and gave him a small—albeit jerky—nod.
“Very well, Lord Carroway,” she said in a quieter voice. “I shall do as you say.” She shrugged, her expression rueful. “I cannot blame anyone but myself for what I have become involved in, for it was my own foolishness that had me hurrying from the house in an attempt to prevent one man’s death.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes at her own idiocy. “I should have remained indoors as my sisters would have done.”
“I think it speaks well of your character that you behaved in such a manner, Miss Wells,” Edward told her, seeing a splash of color appear in both her cheeks. “It was foolhardy, I will agree, but you were acting in an attempt to prevent a man from killing another—and that cannot be considered to be wrongdoing.” A smile crossed his lips and, much to his relief, Miss Wells managed to smile back. “Now, let us look at what is within this vial. Mayhap it will give us a few more answers.”
Glancing towards Miss Merry Wells for fear that she was busy watching them both, Edward was surprised to see her with her head back against the chair, her eyes closed and her cheeks a little flushed. Apparently, she had fallen asleep which, he had to admit, was a good thing. It meant that they were in no danger of being seen.
Tipping the vial over, he gave it a slight shake in the hope that whatever lay within would remove itself from the vial, but nothing appeared. Frowning, Edward peered at it carefully, his heart bouncing in his chest as he suddenly saw a small piece of parchment appearing near the top of the vial.
“Good gracious,” he muttered, reaching for his knife and using it to encourage the paper out from the vial. “Look at this, Miss Wells!”
She leaned forward, just as he managed to spear one corner of the paper, tugging it out carefully. Setting the knife down, and with great care, Edward pulled out the paper and, with a breath of relief, now set down the empty vial and turned his attention to the paper.