me.”
Georgie’s naughty grin filled the room with laughter. The four of them were still laughing when a knock sounded on the door and Marcus stuck his head inside. He was covered in dirt and the look on his face brought a heavy weight into Pru’s stomach.
“What is it, Marcus?” Her voice shook ever so slightly.
“There was a cave-in during the night. At the dig site.”
Chapter 8
T he moon was a bright silver ball high in the sky when Chapel approached Pru’s dig site. Despite the lack of ambient light, he could see perfectly.
The night was his time to thrive and he felt the difference between darkness and day as acutely as the difference between sand and silk. As much as he sometimes wished he could feel the warmth of the sun again, he could not imagine ever giving up the joy of the night to do so.
It was like the difference between kissing Pru and being denied the pleasure. And that was one difference of which he was keenly aware.
He was also aware of the man standing beside a mound of rock on the crest of the hill. Even without his scent on the breeze, Chapel recognizedhim as Marcus Grey. For some reason he felt a kinship with this young man, despite his uncomfortable curiosity.
Marcus Grey was no threat to him. Few mortal men were. But Marcus might be a threat to Pru, and for that reason Chapel could not trust him completely.
If Grey betrayed Pru, it wouldn’t matter that he meant something to her. Chapel would kill him.
“You have put in a long day, Mr. Grey.”
The young man’s head jerked up. He looked tired, and disappointed. “Mr. Chapel. Yes, it has been a long day.”
Chapel climbed the hill to stand at his side. He looked into the hole and saw the rocks piled there. He frowned.
“That does not look like an accident.”
Marcus glanced at him, not the least bit surprised. “It wasn’t. I do not know for certain who did it, but it appears that someone decided that the entrance to this cellar should not be uncovered.”
Had that person been Temple? Yes, Chapel could feel his friend there. The feeling was faint, so Temple was either masking himself or had already moved on. He prayed it was the latter.
“Yet you intend to uncover it regardless.” The young man was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.
There was a pause, then a decisive nod. “Yes.”
“There are those who would suggest you not tempt fate, Mr. Grey.”
Marcus nailed him with a dark blue gaze that was almost black in the darkness. “Would you like to be the one to tell Prudence that we should give up?”
No. He wouldn’t. In fact, he would prefer to face Temple rather than that. “Why is this so important to her?”
“You will have to ask her that.” Marcus turned his attention back to the hole. His shoulders slumped. “She hasn’t given me leave to share that information.”
Fair enough. If Grey held Pru’s secrets this dear, perhaps he would hold Chapel’s as close as well. “Why is it so important to you ?”
Hands in his pockets, Marcus made his way down the hill to a small buggy. “May I offer you a ride, Mr. Chapel?”
Truthfully, Chapel could make it back to the house faster on his own, but he wanted to hear Grey’s story, so he accepted his offer and joined him on the padded seat. A flick of the reins and the two bay horses drew the conveyance into motion.
He didn’t have to wait long for Grey to speak. “Remember I asked you if you knew about Dreux Beauvrai?”
“ Ah, oui, one of your mercenaries.”
Was it his imagination, or did Grey shoot him an amused glance? It was enough to send a shiver of apprehension down Chapel’s spine. There was no way Grey could know about his link to Dreux.
“Yes. Beauvrai was one of Philip’s mercenaries. He was also a direct ancestor of mine.”
The information hit like a brick to the gut. Dreux’s blood ran in this man’s veins. Here, beside him, was a living, breathing part of his long-departed friend.
No wonder he felt a kinship with
Georgie’s naughty grin filled the room with laughter. The four of them were still laughing when a knock sounded on the door and Marcus stuck his head inside. He was covered in dirt and the look on his face brought a heavy weight into Pru’s stomach.
“What is it, Marcus?” Her voice shook ever so slightly.
“There was a cave-in during the night. At the dig site.”
Chapter 8
T he moon was a bright silver ball high in the sky when Chapel approached Pru’s dig site. Despite the lack of ambient light, he could see perfectly.
The night was his time to thrive and he felt the difference between darkness and day as acutely as the difference between sand and silk. As much as he sometimes wished he could feel the warmth of the sun again, he could not imagine ever giving up the joy of the night to do so.
It was like the difference between kissing Pru and being denied the pleasure. And that was one difference of which he was keenly aware.
He was also aware of the man standing beside a mound of rock on the crest of the hill. Even without his scent on the breeze, Chapel recognizedhim as Marcus Grey. For some reason he felt a kinship with this young man, despite his uncomfortable curiosity.
Marcus Grey was no threat to him. Few mortal men were. But Marcus might be a threat to Pru, and for that reason Chapel could not trust him completely.
If Grey betrayed Pru, it wouldn’t matter that he meant something to her. Chapel would kill him.
“You have put in a long day, Mr. Grey.”
The young man’s head jerked up. He looked tired, and disappointed. “Mr. Chapel. Yes, it has been a long day.”
Chapel climbed the hill to stand at his side. He looked into the hole and saw the rocks piled there. He frowned.
“That does not look like an accident.”
Marcus glanced at him, not the least bit surprised. “It wasn’t. I do not know for certain who did it, but it appears that someone decided that the entrance to this cellar should not be uncovered.”
Had that person been Temple? Yes, Chapel could feel his friend there. The feeling was faint, so Temple was either masking himself or had already moved on. He prayed it was the latter.
“Yet you intend to uncover it regardless.” The young man was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.
There was a pause, then a decisive nod. “Yes.”
“There are those who would suggest you not tempt fate, Mr. Grey.”
Marcus nailed him with a dark blue gaze that was almost black in the darkness. “Would you like to be the one to tell Prudence that we should give up?”
No. He wouldn’t. In fact, he would prefer to face Temple rather than that. “Why is this so important to her?”
“You will have to ask her that.” Marcus turned his attention back to the hole. His shoulders slumped. “She hasn’t given me leave to share that information.”
Fair enough. If Grey held Pru’s secrets this dear, perhaps he would hold Chapel’s as close as well. “Why is it so important to you ?”
Hands in his pockets, Marcus made his way down the hill to a small buggy. “May I offer you a ride, Mr. Chapel?”
Truthfully, Chapel could make it back to the house faster on his own, but he wanted to hear Grey’s story, so he accepted his offer and joined him on the padded seat. A flick of the reins and the two bay horses drew the conveyance into motion.
He didn’t have to wait long for Grey to speak. “Remember I asked you if you knew about Dreux Beauvrai?”
“ Ah, oui, one of your mercenaries.”
Was it his imagination, or did Grey shoot him an amused glance? It was enough to send a shiver of apprehension down Chapel’s spine. There was no way Grey could know about his link to Dreux.
“Yes. Beauvrai was one of Philip’s mercenaries. He was also a direct ancestor of mine.”
The information hit like a brick to the gut. Dreux’s blood ran in this man’s veins. Here, beside him, was a living, breathing part of his long-departed friend.
No wonder he felt a kinship with
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