his mind wandered over the last two months—the good and the bad.
Placing the body in the maze had been a mistake.
It cast suspicion, distrust he could do without at present. No, it wasn’t time. Not yet.
He picked his way through the ruins, stepping more confidently now that he carried illumination to light his path. He wove past pillars and crumbling walls, striding deeper into the old abbey.
They’d left the secret chamber open for him, which made his progress rapid. Once through the door, he took care to seal the doorway, shutting him away in gloom, only pierced by his flickering candle. He stalked down a long passage. The downward slope took him deeper into the earth, the rush of the nearby river becoming louder.
The monks had left a convenient legacy, perfect for their needs.
A scream, much weaker this time, rang through the dark. It was a pity he’d had other prior business. His loins tightened at the promise of the evening to come. He looked forward to the entertainment and relieving the tensions of his day.
An abrupt noise jerked Jocelyn from sleep. For an instant she froze, her heart pounding as she attempted to make sense of whatever had awakened her. Mother? She strained to hear, tension seeping from her muscles when she couldn’t discern the frantic screeches that signaled a mad fit from her parent. Not her mother then. Feeling more alert, she rolled over to find an empty space where she’d expected Leo.
Puzzled, she slipped from bed and strode to the window. She jerked the curtain aside to stare down at the gardens. A flash of movement caught her attention.
Leo? Squinting didn’t aid with identification. She watched until the figure disappeared from sight, before the cold morning sent her fleeing to her bed.
Something amiss in the stables perhaps. Jocelyn tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, fatigue weighing down her limbs. She must have dozed off at some stage because she woke to daylight streaming through the window.
Susan arrived with her tea. “Here you go, Mrs. Sherbourne.” Instead of her normal competence, her lips quivered and her hands trembled so much splatters of liquid sloshed over the rim of the porcelain cup.
“Whatever is wrong?”
Tears welled at her maid’s eyes. One trickled down her cheek, rapidly followed by another. Her shoulders slumped inward, and an audible sob broke free.
“Susan?”
“It’s my sister, Ella,” Susan said. “She went for a walk with Gavin, one of the footmen, last night after we finished our duties. They argued, and now Ella is missing. She didn’t return last night.”
Alarm shot through Jocelyn. “Has someone talked to Gavin?” Surely this was a misunderstanding. “Have the grounds been searched?”
Susan gave a miserable nod and another tear rolled down her cheek. “Some of the servants are saying Ella has run away, but she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t do anything without telling me she was leaving.”
“Help me get dressed,” Jocelyn said. “Has Leo been informed?”
“No one can find him.”
A chill skipped down Jocelyn’s torso, but she lifted her chin and grasped for confidence. There was a logical explanation for Leo leaving his bed in the small hours of the morning, a good reason for his absence now.
Jocelyn hurriedly dressed. “Leave the tidying,” she said, when Susan started to right the bed. “You’ll feel much better if you’re helping to search. We’ll consult with Woodley.”
Their search produced nothing except hoarse voices and sore throats. Jocelyn grew increasingly concerned, her gaze flitting from person to person. Where was Leo?
A new arrival spiked a spark of relief until she realized it was the vicar and his wife. Jocelyn forced a gracious welcome and ushered Vicar and Mrs. Allenby toward the steps leading inside the manor. When she noticed Susan wringing her hands, her stomach flipped in sympathy.
“Susan, please go and order refreshments from the kitchen, then I’d like you
Placing the body in the maze had been a mistake.
It cast suspicion, distrust he could do without at present. No, it wasn’t time. Not yet.
He picked his way through the ruins, stepping more confidently now that he carried illumination to light his path. He wove past pillars and crumbling walls, striding deeper into the old abbey.
They’d left the secret chamber open for him, which made his progress rapid. Once through the door, he took care to seal the doorway, shutting him away in gloom, only pierced by his flickering candle. He stalked down a long passage. The downward slope took him deeper into the earth, the rush of the nearby river becoming louder.
The monks had left a convenient legacy, perfect for their needs.
A scream, much weaker this time, rang through the dark. It was a pity he’d had other prior business. His loins tightened at the promise of the evening to come. He looked forward to the entertainment and relieving the tensions of his day.
An abrupt noise jerked Jocelyn from sleep. For an instant she froze, her heart pounding as she attempted to make sense of whatever had awakened her. Mother? She strained to hear, tension seeping from her muscles when she couldn’t discern the frantic screeches that signaled a mad fit from her parent. Not her mother then. Feeling more alert, she rolled over to find an empty space where she’d expected Leo.
Puzzled, she slipped from bed and strode to the window. She jerked the curtain aside to stare down at the gardens. A flash of movement caught her attention.
Leo? Squinting didn’t aid with identification. She watched until the figure disappeared from sight, before the cold morning sent her fleeing to her bed.
Something amiss in the stables perhaps. Jocelyn tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, fatigue weighing down her limbs. She must have dozed off at some stage because she woke to daylight streaming through the window.
Susan arrived with her tea. “Here you go, Mrs. Sherbourne.” Instead of her normal competence, her lips quivered and her hands trembled so much splatters of liquid sloshed over the rim of the porcelain cup.
“Whatever is wrong?”
Tears welled at her maid’s eyes. One trickled down her cheek, rapidly followed by another. Her shoulders slumped inward, and an audible sob broke free.
“Susan?”
“It’s my sister, Ella,” Susan said. “She went for a walk with Gavin, one of the footmen, last night after we finished our duties. They argued, and now Ella is missing. She didn’t return last night.”
Alarm shot through Jocelyn. “Has someone talked to Gavin?” Surely this was a misunderstanding. “Have the grounds been searched?”
Susan gave a miserable nod and another tear rolled down her cheek. “Some of the servants are saying Ella has run away, but she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t do anything without telling me she was leaving.”
“Help me get dressed,” Jocelyn said. “Has Leo been informed?”
“No one can find him.”
A chill skipped down Jocelyn’s torso, but she lifted her chin and grasped for confidence. There was a logical explanation for Leo leaving his bed in the small hours of the morning, a good reason for his absence now.
Jocelyn hurriedly dressed. “Leave the tidying,” she said, when Susan started to right the bed. “You’ll feel much better if you’re helping to search. We’ll consult with Woodley.”
Their search produced nothing except hoarse voices and sore throats. Jocelyn grew increasingly concerned, her gaze flitting from person to person. Where was Leo?
A new arrival spiked a spark of relief until she realized it was the vicar and his wife. Jocelyn forced a gracious welcome and ushered Vicar and Mrs. Allenby toward the steps leading inside the manor. When she noticed Susan wringing her hands, her stomach flipped in sympathy.
“Susan, please go and order refreshments from the kitchen, then I’d like you
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