The Masked Baron

by Anneka Walker

  “Snooping again, were we?” Thankfully, his tone was more teasing than angry.

  Andalin lifted up the blue book as her answer. At first Ellis looked confused, but she saw recognition slowly cross into his eyes.

  “May I?” Ellis asked reverently.

  “Of course.” She handed him the book. A lump formed in her throat as she watched Ellis gently stroke the cover. He slowly opened it and took a deep breath of the scent left on the pages. Andalin hadn’t noticed any distinct smell when she had read it, but it was clear Ellis had only to draw on his memory to recreate a bit of the life he had once known.

  Guilt plagued her soul. She had been eager to throw question after question Ellis’s way and demand the story behind the Cadogen secrets. Seeing Ellis with the diary felt like an intrusion.

  Ellis began reading as if Andalin weren’t even there. She was encroaching on his privacy once more, and it was time for her to leave. She quietly stood and walked past him toward the door. He grabbed her hand to stop her.

  “Thank you,” Ellis whispered. He brought her hand to his mouth, paused to meet her gaze, and then pressed his lips against her skin.

  The whole world seemed to stop moving. He slowly released her hand, but his eyes did not leave hers. Her skin burned where he had kissed it, and her arms erupted in gooseflesh. She took one last glance at the diary and left him alone.

  Hannah was sitting at Andalin’s desk, knitting a scarf, when Andalin opened her bedroom door. “Please, make yourself at home,” she joked, still not used to someone waiting on her.

  Hannah grunted, stood, and tossed her sewing into her large apron pocket. “I didn’t want to waste me time while I waited for ye to be ready for bed.”

  Andalin’s laugh came out louder than she intended, her emotions still piqued from Ellis’s touch. “Are all servants like you?”

  Hannah put her hands on her hips and scowled. “What do ye mean?”

  “It’s not an insult,” Andalin said, grateful for a distraction from her thoughts of Ellis. “We’ve only ever employed a boy or two to help with my father’s shop, and while our neighbors helped a great deal, servants still feel like a foreign concept. I’ll never adjust to needing someone to help dress me.”

  “I’m too old for this,” Hannah muttered.

  Suppressing a giggle, Andalin said, “It appears as if neither of us is happy with the situation. Next time I see Lord Cadogen, I will speak to him about employing a young lady’s maid. If he refuses, I will demand to wear plain clothes without as many buttons.”

  Hannah started unhooking the long line of buttons down the back of Andalin’s gown and undoing her stays. “I don’t think his lordship will agree, but he’s a sight more likely to listen to ye than he is to me.”

  “I highly doubt that,” Andalin said. “However, I can be very assertive if I want to be.”

  Hannah chortled. “You’re cheeky.”

  Andalin climbed out of her dress and sighed. “I would normally be affronted by such a comment, but since I am trying to act more ladylike, I will let it pass.”

  “Nay,” Hannah countered, “yer spirited side is what endears me to ye. Can’t endure life at Braitwood Hall without it.”

  Andalin turned to face Hannah, a little taken back. Did this normally gruff woman actually like her? A feeling of kinship flooded her heart. She thought about all the residents at Braitwood Hall. They were hardworking, but she would never have thought about Mr. Lewis or Mrs. Lewis as spirited. Each of them had an inner strength despite the loneliness and seclusion Braitwood Hall seemed to breed. They all seemed to belong, but did she?

  ***

  Andalin found herself alone the next morning at breakfast. For many weeks she would have preferred to dine alone rather than eat with Ellis. But today she was eager to hear his thoughts about the journal and about Eliana. The journal had altered Ellis from just a distant, troubled man into someone real, with strengths and weaknesses. It was another character witness she’d been searching for.

  She was on her way out for her riding lesson when she heard a noise come from Ellis’s study. The room was so seldom employed; she wondered if she’d imagined it. As she came closer, she noticed the door slightly ajar. Her curiosity took over. She peered through the crack before she could think to do otherwise. The sight surprised and angered her. She swung the door open wide.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Brennan?” She demanded in her most authoritative voice.

  Mr. Brennan, the very man who had come snooping in the gardens weeks before, had returned. This time he was not a casual passerby, but he had invaded the house. Andalin instantly lost all respect for him.

  Mr. Brennan dropped the papers he was holding onto the desk in surprise. “Miss, please understand. I was searching for signs of treasure a highwayman might collect before I rescued you. Though, I don’t require any more incriminating evidence once I have you.”

  Andalin folded her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrow. “Pardon me, but do you hear me calling for help? Would a damsel in distress be on her way out for a riding lesson where she could easily steal a horse and ride in any direction she wanted?” Even as Andalin said it she realized all along she had been perfectly capable of escaping on horseback and yet never had. The reality stunned her, and for a second her thoughts strayed from Mr. Brennan and to what caused her to stay.

  Mr. Brennan didn’t let her think for long. He marched toward her and grabbed her arm. “You don’t have to play pretend with me, miss. He’s either made vile threats about what he’d do to you if you left, or you’re his light-skirts here for blunt. Doesn’t matter which—you’re still coming with me.”

  Andalin shrieked, but Mr. Brennan’s grip only tightened. She struggled against him. “Stop! You don’t even know him!”

  Mr. Brennan wrestled her toward the front door. “Know him? He cut off my brother’s right hand. He’s been terrorizing the people of Thornton Way for the last decade. I’m not going to stand by while another innocent is victimized.”

  “I demand you release me!” Andalin kicked at his legs, but her efforts were useless. “The only harm I’m under is because of you! Let me go!”

  Ignoring her pleas, Mr. Brennan led her out the door to a horse he had hidden in the nearby trees. Andalin silently cursed the lack of servants they had at Braitwood Hall. It was terrible to think such a person could ride up without being seen and waltz right through the front door.

  Mr. Brennan pinned her arms to her side in order to lift her onto his horse. The moment he released her, she gave him a swift kick to his chest. With one hand on her, he pulled a rope from his saddlebags.

  “Lay another finger on that woman and I will skewer you with my sword and feed you to the wolves!” Ellis’s raised voice penetrated the cool morning air. Mr. Brennan froze, fear evident on his face. He put his hands up and slowly turned toward Ellis, who was running toward them with his sword extended.

  Andalin didn’t wait for an invitation to put some distance between her and Mr. Brennan. She slid off the horse and dashed from Mr. Brennan’s reach. She stopped only when she was safely behind Ellis.

  Mr. Brennan growled. “Fool woman. It’s your own shame for staying if anything happens to you.”

  Ellis motioned toward the house with his head. “Go inside, Annie. Stay there until I come for you.”

  Andalin wanted to know what Ellis would do to Mr. Brennan. She had a feeling it would tell her a great deal about Ellis. But his words were full of angry undertones, and she didn’t dare question his order. After fleeing to the house, she left the front door partially open so she could still hear and see what was happening. She held her breath as Ellis brought the tip of his sword to Mr. Brennan’s throat.

  “Miss Durante,” a sharp voice behind her called.

  Andalin lurched in surprise and turned to see Mrs. Lewis motioning her to come away. Andalin r
eluctantly shut the door and followed Mrs. Lewis to the kitchen, where Matilda insisted she drink a whole glass of warm milk to settle her nerves.

  “Honestly, I am well,” Andalin said. “I’m only eager to know what happened and why it happened.”

  Mrs. Lewis shushed her. “It’s not a woman’s business. There is nothing his lordship cannot handle. He is a fine protector, is he not?”

  Andalin nearly rolled her eyes. Mr. Brennan could have left with all the silver in the house and no one would have been the wiser.

  “I hope he cuts his spleen out,” Matilda said.

  Mrs. Lewis let out a small gasp. “Matilda! Not in front of the girl.”

  “I’m getting old,” Matilda said. “I need a little action to keep me going.”

  Andalin covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

  Mrs. Lewis, on the other hand, shook her head and muttered something under her breath.

  The three of them sat in silence, waiting for Ellis to return. Mrs. Lewis and Matilda both seemed to be under the assumption he would come to look for them in the kitchen, as if it was their usual meeting place. In Andalin’s opinion, a distinguished nobleman did not rendezvous in the kitchen with his servants. Braitwood was a different cup of tea, where the sitting rooms were rarely frequented but the kitchen was full of life.

  Just as predicted, after a quarter of an hour, Ellis returned. He went directly to Andalin. “Are you injured in any way?” He gently placed his hands on either of her forearms, giving her comfort she’d not realized she needed.

  “No.” She blinked at the intense stare permeating from Ellis’s eyes behind his mask.

  “Are you sure? Because if that blackguard so much as bruised you, I’ll—”

  “I promise I am well,” Andalin said, cutting off his threat. Now she understood why Matilda had worried over Ellis’s response to the scratch on Andalin’s cheek, which, thankfully, had healed without consequence. “Did he hurt you?”

  He shook his head and released her. Turning back to the door, he dropped his cloak on a hook and pushed both his hands through his hair. “Mrs. Lewis, see that your husband brings home a brood of dogs the next time he is in town.”

  “Dogs? We haven’t had dogs since . . .” Matilda’s voice trailed off.

  “I know, but I will not have people sneaking up on us while Miss Durante is here.”

  Mrs. Lewis stood to obey. “I shall tell him right away. He needs to stop at the smithy this afternoon anyway.” Mrs. Lewis excused herself to find her husband.

  The room was silent for several minutes except for the sound of Ellis’s boots pacing on the stone floor. Matilda cleared her throat loudly and made an excuse to tend to the garden.

  Andalin moved to follow her out, but Ellis blocked her path.

  “What happened?”

  Andalin sighed and returned to her stool. “I was on my way out for my morning ride when I heard a noise in the study. I thought it was you, but when I opened the door, I saw Mr. Brennan . . . ah, that man, pilfering through your papers. The next thing I knew, he was dragging me out the front door, insisting I needed rescuing.”

  Ellis’s eyebrows lowered, disappearing behind his mask, and he put his hands on his hips. “Mr. Brennan?”

  Why did she have to blurt out his name? Ellis was not going to like her explanation. “Yes, Mr. Brennan. From town.”

  “From town?” His eyes sparked with anger. “When were you in town?”

  Ellis would make an excellent general. One look from him would make an entire assemblage of soldiers cower. She was no exception.

  “Never, of course. He was here a few weeks back asking questions. I sent him away. I didn’t think it was of any importance or that he would ever return.”

  Ellis put his hands on his temples and rubbed them. Then he blew out his breath. “You probably want to know about his accusation against me. The part where I cut off his brother’s hand.”

  “You don’t have to tell me,” Andalin said, adamantly shaking her head.

  “I wish I could take credit for it. He was caught thieving, and I generously gave him a second chance. The next time it happened, I cornered him at the mill. While he was fighting me, he stumbled and his hand got caught. I will spare you the details, but needless to say, he received his comeuppance. My attempts to bring order to Thornton Way always does more trouble than good. The people fear me but do not respect me. They blame me for all of their problems.”

  Andalin looked at her lap. She had not been prepared for this sort of voluntary explanation. Ellis started pacing again, and she felt the need to offer him encouragement—to give him peace of mind. After all, she should have told someone about Mr. Brennan’s trespassing in the orchard.

  “The people cannot respect someone they do not know. Perhaps I could tell them—”

  “No!” Ellis barked, coming to stand in front of her. “Did Mr. Brennan listen to you? No. No, it is too late. I have chosen a life of seclusion, and I prefer it this way.”

  Andalin glanced at the mask. The townspeople were under the same misconceptions about Ellis as she had been. They held the same fear and the same anger.

  “You have to know I was not afraid of Mr. Brennan.”

  “Afraid?” Ellis questioned fiercely. “You should have been very afraid. Mr. Brennan is capable of all sorts of vile behavior. I would have run him through had he not lit off like a coward. You cannot trust a man who sneaks into another man’s house and then forcefully drags a lady away against her will.”

  Andalin surprised herself by not reacting to his anger. She calmly and bravely placed her hand on his forearm. “Ellis, I was not afraid because I knew you would come for me.” She added lightly, “Your reputation as swordsman is as strong as your nickname.”

  Ellis blew out his anger in a long breath. “I prefer the boomerang.”

  Andalin gave a short laugh, dropping her hand. “Wonderful! Then, you can play fetch with your new dogs. Maybe their company will pry you from this life of seclusion you have chosen for yourself.”

  Ellis didn’t laugh with her. Instead he looked away.

  Andalin was worried she had offended him when he suddenly asked, “What did you want to speak to me about this morning?”

  “Whatever do you mean?”

  Ellis frowned. “You were coming to see me in my study when you found Mr. Brennan. Were you not?”

  Andalin gave a small nod, afraid to broach the topic now. “Yes, but it can hold for another time.”

  Ellis sat down hard on a stool next to her. “This is as good a time as any.”

  This really wasn’t as good a time as any. Ellis’s eyes were narrowed and stormy. Andalin was afraid lightning would strike if she touched any sensitive topics of conversation, so she went another route. “Well, I was thinking about Lord Kerrigan.”

  Ellis’s eyes changed to reflect a pensive state. “Lord Kerrigan?”

  “Yes, it was suggested that upon his return he would accompany me to a ball. I know several country dances, but I assure you they are a far cry from Society dancing.”

  Ellis could no doubt see through her attempt to discuss something lighter, but he didn’t try to force the subject. “When Lord Kerrigan returns, I will see that he teaches you to dance.”

  “How mortifying!” Andalin said, shaking her head. “I would be far more comfortable learning from Mr. or Mrs. Lewis. Or maybe you could hire someone from town. Which reminds me, Hannah is getting on in years and it’s hard for her to help me in the evenings. Could we find a younger dress maid, by chance? We could hire out for a dance instructor and a maid at the same time.”

  Ellis shook his head. “I’m afraid the answer is no on both counts. I don’t want anyone getting ideas that my ward is not of high blood. Your reputation as a lady is crucial if you are to have Braitwood Hall someday. I don’t want the people to have any reason to
disrespect you. There are dangers enough for you simply because of the company you keep.”

  Andalin didn’t see any danger in a dance instructor. Ellis was overly cautious. “And what of a dress maid?”

  Ellis rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “I’ve never been very trustful of strangers. I wouldn’t want anyone spreading stories through town.”

  No wonder Hannah complained. The poor woman would never be allowed to retire at this rate. “What of Lord Kerrigan?”

  “You want him to be your dress maid?”

  Andalin rolled her eyes. “Heavens, no. Surely he has to have servants he trusts. What if he were to recommend someone? Or even to loan us someone from his household until . . .”

  “Until?”

  “Until you’ve married me off to the highest bidder.” Andalin practically spat out the words.

  Ellis grinned. “You have such a gentle look about you. I am always surprised how bold you can be.”

  Andalin folded her arms across her chest. “Speak for yourself. You have the looks of a lion lurking in the shadows but then act like we should all treat you like every other normal person.”

  The large grin slipped from his face and settled into a small smile. “Then we are agreed—looks can be deceiving.”

  Andalin broke her gaze away from his. “Yes, we are agreed.”

  “Good,” Ellis said, pushing himself to his feet. “Then, you won’t question my warning. If ever there is to be another stranger at Braitwood Hall, no matter how harmless they may appear, do not speak with them. Come find me immediately.”

  Andalin thought of Eliana and wondered if she had told anyone of her stranger. “And if you are not here?”

  Ellis opened the door to leave. “Then, find Mr. Lewis or Birks. Don’t trust anyone else.”

  Of course. Don’t trust anyone, but trust the Dark Rider. The irony almost made her smile. Surprisingly, she did trust Ellis. And even more startling was the fact that she was starting to think of him as a friend.