Midnight Secrets (23 page)

I stood frozen in place, stooped over and twisted around the potted tree. My back wrenched and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out in pain.

“Come along.” He motioned me over.

“Whoever are you speaking to, Viscount Blackmoor?” Andromeda asked, leaning heavily to the side to see.

Viscount Blackmoor!

The moment Andromeda caught sight of me, she gasped, started to rise, but tangled her foot up in between the table cloth and fell to the ground.

“Miss Andrews!” The men all shouted simultaneously as they jumped from their seat and rushed over to Andromeda.

In seconds I saw my whole investigation unravel and I couldn’t let that happened. I forced my feet to move, then my mouth to follow suit. “Oh, milady! Are ye hurt? Beggin’ ya pardon, milord. ’ere ya can ’ave the flowers, ya can. Just don’t go
tellin’
anyone. I canna loose my job, I just canna! Please don’t tell!”

Andromeda sat straight up, mouth hanging open as she stared at me. The three men knelt at her side.

Gemini stood, turning over her teacup. “Why Ca—”

“I’m all right,” Andromeda shouted loudly. “Flowers! Do get some flowers, Gemmi.”

I blinked, forcing my mouth to stay shut. They were both going to get more than a piece of my mind. Cavorting with men at sunrise, drinking spirits! God in heaven, my sisters were as near to ruin as I! Where was Aunt Lavinia? Why hadn’t she called a halt to such a shenanigan?

Gemini caught on and must have seen the murderous glint in my eye as well. She didn’t say a word but walked unsteadily over to me. “These are beautiful,” she said, her eyes doing their best to apologize. I couldn’t say anything to her, for the viscount walked up, causing a storm to whirl inside of me. He was so like Sean, yet I knew he couldn’t be Sean. So part of me responded, my heart sped, my stomach tightened, but another part of me yearned for the familiarity of Sean’s gait, or a hint of Sean’s unique scent. When I took the pound note the viscount pressed into my hand, I felt some heat, but not a raging fire.

“I believe in honest pay for honest work,” he said. “Keep that and we’ll not mention this incident to your employer.”

“I think Miss Andrews has turned her ankle, Blackmoor. Why don’t you carry her inside while James and I send for the doctor?” one of the men said.

The viscount frowned. “She barely fell, Colin. Let me take a look.” He returned to Andromeda.

Gemini stood, glancing warily back and forth from me to Andromeda, who had completely forgotten me. She was looking at the viscount touching her ankle as if he were, well, Zeus! I jolted, unable to believe she’d let a stranger touch her, even to check an injury. Her gift of touch had forced her to keep others at arm’s length for years.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t walk on it until the doctor sees it.” The viscount scooped Andromeda up into his arms before I could form a protest. “We should have returned these ladies to their aunt a long time ago.”

“I hope Dr. Luden doesn’t have a dyspeptic attack when he finds me suddenly on his doorstep again. A grim reminder of the past, I’d say,” one of the men said, then laughed uncomfortably.

The look on the viscount’s face changed from irritation to stark pain, maybe anger. The intense emotion drained the blood from his face. “If that was meant as a joke, it isn’t remotely humorous.” Then he turned on his heel and stalked inside with Andromeda in his arms.

I thought I would swoon. In public, in broad daylight, the man planned to carry my sister to her room? Andromeda didn’t seem the least bit unsettled by the situation. In fact, she had her arms wrapped around the viscount’s neck, and had this awed look about her that had remained undaunted by the viscount’s fierceness.

Gemini looked at me, as if asking what to do.

“Go with her!” I said shortly, forgetting that one of the other men was still near. He turned sharply as Gemini dashed for the inn.

I cleared my throat. “Should I get more flowers fer the lady?”

The man shook his head. “Not today, but I daresay the way Mr. Drayson has been conspiring to put Blackmoor and the ladies together, I think there will be a number of opportunities to sell flowers in the future.”

“Don’t be setting the onus for this venture completely on my back, Ashton,” the other man said as they walked to the door. “You agreed with me that Blackmoor wouldn’t be able to walk away and I think we may have been right. Now, if we could only get Sean here and interested in the other sister, they’d eventually
have
to speak to each other.”

“I don’t know. I’m beginning to think it was a mistake. The chits may all be too much like Lady Helen. Their golden hair, their lovely blue eyes, their laughter and innocence. It is almost uncanny to find them here…”
 

The men went inside, cutting off the rest of their conversation. Heart pounding, I dashed for the servants’ entrance with a whole nest of bees under my mop cap. God in heaven, what had my sisters gotten into?

Instead of confronting them immediately, I had to huddle in a dark corner for nearly a quarter hour until the viscount exited my family’s rooms. Then I slipped inside to find Aunt Lavinia in an uproar, Gemini chattering excitedly, and Andromeda propped like a queen on the settee in the sitting room.

Aunt Lavinia flapped around like a wet hen. “Has anyone seen my smelling salts? That man just carried you in his arms in public! My sister will never forgive me for allowing you to engage in such a familiarity with that kind of man.”

“He’s a viscount, Auntie. Whatever can you possibly think is wrong with him?” Gemini asked.

“Why, he’s soooo…male! Nothing like the refined gentlemen in London or Oxford. It’s utterly unseemly.”

Andromeda saw me standing in the doorway and jumped up, running across the room to grab my arm. “Cassie, quick, go hide. The viscount will be back in just a moment.”

Andromeda sounded as if God was expected. Since when had any sort of a title impressed her? Gemini was the one caught up in such nonsense.

“You’re not hurt,” I accused.

Her rosy cheeks went nearly purple. “Well, I might be just a little. Now hurry.” She shooed me toward a room and then ran back to the settee. A sharp knock on the door made me duck into the closest room.

“Miss Andrews?” the viscount called out. “May I come in?”

“Yes,” Andromeda said.

The door opened. “Dr. Luden will be here shortly. Perhaps a cool cloth on your ankle will help.”

“I’ll get it,” I heard Gemini say.

Biting my lip, I kept my ear pressed to the door.

“So, you say you and your sisters are from Oxford?” he asked.

“Yes,” Andromeda’s voice sounded breathless.

“And your older sister—”

“Cassie.”

“Is a journalist?”

“A very important one.”

“I see. And your father?”

“A professor of Greek history. He’s close to discovering the temple to Apollo that Alexander the Great had built during his march to conquer the world. Currently, I am cataloging all of his finds.”

“Something my father and mother should have hired someone to do. There are several family estates filled with things and nobody knows all that is there. They traveled extensively before her death.”

“I’m sorry to hear of your loss.”

“I never knew her. She died birthing my brother and me.”

The door opened. “This makes twice in as many days you’ve called me, Killdaren. Though this patient looks a great deal healthier than yesterday’s.”

“I beg your pardon?” the viscount said. “What are you—?”

“My apologies, your lordship. The resemblance between you and your bother has grown over the years. I’ve not seen you in a long time.”

“May I speak to you a moment over here?” the viscount’s voice sounded ominous. “How is my brother? Has his condition improved?” They had moved near the door I listened from and had lowered their voices.

“Remarkably,” said the doctor. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw him yesterday. He can only be out for a short time, but it is more than we ever expected.”

“And his leg?”

“That will never change, but you can’t blame yourself for it.”

There was a long pause before the viscount answered. “I’ll always blame myself. I’ll wait outside for a report about the lady’s ankle and will take care of your fee.” I shivered at the cold dismissal in his voice, even as I wondered what had happened between Sean and his brother.

I heard the doctor sigh as the viscount left the room. “Well, milady, let’s see what the problem is?”

Andromeda cleared her throat. “Since resting, my discomfort has improved greatly, so I might not be in dire need of your services.”

“Yes, we all thought Andrie was more injured at first,” Gemini added.

“Ah. No amputation needed then,” the doctor said.

“What?” Andromeda squeaked.

The doctor chuckled. “I think I can make you more comfortable with a bandage. It wouldn’t hurt the viscount to feel compelled to inquire about your condition for a day or two, now would it?”

I’d have been more scandalized about the doctor’s suggestion, except I kept thinking that if the viscount were around, I’d learn more about Sean Killdaren, his condition and why the viscount held himself responsible for it.

“This is utterly unbelievable.” I marched across the floor after hearing my sisters’ explanation for their scandalous breakfast, as well as a number of other activities. They’d been gadding about with the viscount, Lord Ashton and Mr. Colin Drayson. A picnic. Dinner at the inn. And an archeological excursion to see the Merry Maids, another circle of druid stones with a less lurid legend behind it than the Stone Virgins.

“How can you accuse us of being scandalous, Cassie? We’ve dressed and conducted ourselves as ladies. Having breakfast on the dining terrace can hardly be called scandalous.”

“I’m referring to your inebriation. Cocktails?”

Aunt Lavinia sank into the nearest chair. “Good Lord! I definitely need my smelling salts.”

Andromeda bit her lip and winced. “Well, that was a slight miscalculation. Have you ever had one?”

“Certainly not. Did you not know they’re made with strong spirits?”

“Mr. Drayson mentioned that, but I told him we were quite used to strong spirits.”

“You lied?”

“It wasn’t exactly a lie. All Andrews are known for their lively spirits and stubborn traits. I just simply applied another meaning to his words.”

“Whatever for?”

“Well, Gemmi and I have discussed this and consider it our duty to help you in this investigation. Establishing an acquaintance with the gentlemen seemed the best way to ferret out important information. A venture that I daresay has already proved most useful.”

“How so?”

“Well. For one thing, I know that the accusations against the viscount in the murder eight years ago are completely false. His brother must have done it.”

“He didn’t.” My passionate denial was met by a bevy of arched brows. I even managed to shock myself over how strongly I felt about the matter. Andromeda must have discovered the viscount innocent when he touched her, which implied Sean guilty by default. My heart thumped. “He didn’t kill Helen Kennedy. I know it.” My cheeks burned.

Aunt Lavinia fanned herself. “Good Lord.”

Andromeda set her chin to a stubborn angle. “Cassie, listen to yourself. You’ve known this man a short time and suddenly you are one hundred percent sure he’s innocent of murdering a woman eight years ago?”

“Don’t ask me how, I just know,” I said stubbornly.

“Why?” Andromeda persisted.

“I just don’t…think the Killdaren is guilty. Because he’s…” I shook my head, unsure of how I knew Sean was innocent.

“See. You’re not thinking clearly,” she accused. “You’re going to have to admit, Cassie, that you need us. You aren’t the only intelligent person about. The investigation Gemmi and I are conducting by our innocent acquaintance with the viscount, Lord Ashton, and Mr. Drayson is just as important as yours, and a great deal safer. Besides, the experience has been rather liberating. I think I have spent too much time with books and antiquities. And speaking of time, you need to stop wasting what little we have by lecturing us, and tell us what you’ve discovered.”

Andromeda faced me fiercely and, I feared, rightly. But no matter how justified her argument, the situation sat ill with me. I could see no solution at this point, but wasn’t willing to concede just yet. “First. You’ll have no more cocktails at sunrise. Aunt Lavinia must be present at all occasions, and no there will be no more excursions to archeological sites, since Aunt Lavinia can’t accompany you every minute. You’ll all stay safely at the inn together.”

Andromeda planted her hands on her hips. “But, Cassie, that isn’t fair.”

“Your promise, or we pack and leave immediately for home.”

“And what about you? What about your safety? Are you willing to leave your post as a cleaning maid?”

Visions of Sean’s deft hands sliding open the buttons of my dress brought a strangling heat to my face. “I’ll not venture from the castle alone.” I guiltily knew that my greatest danger lay within the stone walls. Well, that wasn’t precisely true. I’d been alone when Jamie had taken me into the forest to the Stone Virgins.

“Andrie, I think you’re being a bit unfair about this,” Gemini interjected, surprising us both. “Cassie is scrubbing blisters onto her hands and living through untold hardships. She doesn’t need to be worried about us here as well. The least we can do is promise to stay together and stay at the inn. Now let’s not waste any more time.”

Glad to leave the subject of my activities in the castle behind, I settled into a chair. “We have more time today. I don’t have to be back until this evening.”

“Good. Then we’ll order lunch and a bath,” Andromeda said. I started to tell Andromeda that the bath wasn’t needed, but then decided the changes at the castle were too complicated to explain. It was easier to take the offered bath.

“Mary’s letters arrived,” Aunt Lavinia said. “I haven’t been able to open the box, though.” Her voice was tight with pain that I saw shadowed itself in my sisters’ eyes. I realized that, although everyone was putting on a brave front, inside we all deeply felt the loss of Mary.