Dominic's Nemesis

by D. Alyce Domain

  Not until he posed the question did she realize just how ravenous she was. She parted her lips to answer in the affirmative, when her stomach howled quite embarrassingly.

  “Ethan—” Dom began.

  “Yes, of course, I’ll alert someone from the kitchens about having a tray up for her.”

  Eden watched Dominic through tired eyes, turning the corners of her mouth to try for a smile. He must have enjoyed the effort, because as soon as she heard the doctor close the door behind him, Dominic was on the bed with her cradled in his loving arms.

  “Ahhh, cara, you gave us all quite a scare. I ought to throttle you.”

  “Are you back? From Italy, I mean.”

  “Yes.” His answer sounded tentative, as if he had more to say on the subject. “But that can wait.”

  Eden slid her cheek along his shirted chest, tilted her head back so that it rested on the crook of his elbow. The sluggishness was slowly receding. Her eyes blinked more readily, her vision clearer. For the first time she noticed the strain around his mouth, the worry lines marring the usually smooth olive of his forehead, his anxious gaze searching her face for any sign of distress or pain.

  “I am well now, Dominic. You can tell me.”

  His expression changed subtly, a vague sadness enveloping him. “No, cara…I don’t believe you are. I cannot ignore the truth any longer.”

  She frowned, but before she could ask what he meant, a firm knock came at the chamber door. Dominic’s body went rigid when Renfred popped his head around the door and begged their pardon. Sans his spectacles, Eden noted that Dom inclined his ear to the butler, but angled his face in profile.

  “Master Ambrosi, sir, there is a gentleman claiming to be here to investigate.” He hesitated, his distaste of the coming words apparent. “A rather rough-hewed lad with him insists that he has second-hand knowledge of certain ‘goings-on’.”

  Eden saw that Renfred’s watery eyes strayed to her for an instant. Surely, he could not mean…that she was the victim of some supposed cruelty? Depravity?

  Jaw set in granite; Dominic put her aside and was on his feet before Renfred finished speaking.

  “Your brothers are downstairs, sir, they sent me to fetch you.”

  “Where’d you leave them?”

  “In the foyer.”

  “Find a maid to sit with Miss Prescott. I don’t want her left alone.”

  Eden followed his movements with nervous eyes as he stalked to the pine wardrobe with purpose, yanked a dress jacket over the crumpled linen shirt and slept-in trousers. She’d turned her head without her vision swimming. But when she tried to sit up, every muscle in her body protested.

  “Sir, Master Ethan sent Nell to request a tray be sent up. I shall instruct her to come up directly and wait until she is relieved.”

  “Very good, Renfred. Is Ethan in the foyer as well?”

  “Yes, sir. There is some difference of opinion as to what is to be done with the gentleman and his companion.”

  “I would imagine so.”

  Eden became increasingly alarmed at the bend the conversation took. She recognized the name Montgomery as belonging to the fellow who’d turned up on the grounds and frightened her. Was he back to cart her off to Bedlam then? Now that she lay helpless in bed, unable to put up even the tiniest fight. A desperate sort of fear seized her.

  “Dom?”

  He motioned for Renfred to carry on and came back over to sit beside her on the bed.

  “Do not worry, cara, I will not let them take you from here.” His hand rested on her cheek as he spoke.

  “But he’s come back…with reinforcements just as he threatened to. How do you mean to stop him if he has the law on his side? You yourself do not think I am sane.” She snatched a fistful of her zebra-esque hair. “Now, I look the part of a lunatic.”

  He tilted his head, studying her appearance gravely. “Is there anything that can be done about your hair? I will try to avoid it, but it may be necessary for them to see for themselves that you are unharmed, and properly chaperoned.”

  “I meant to powder it before you returned, but it will be a laborious endeavor. Someone needs to fetch the vanity case from my chamber and—”

  “Have Nell assist you with whatever. And make haste.” He leaned in to plant a lingering kiss on her mouth before he stood to leave.

  * * *

  Dominic arrived at the bottom of the main staircase eyes shaded, freshly-shaven and coifed to face a bickering horde, Kathleen neck-deep in the fray. The foursome parted as he approached.

  “Kathleen, Eden has need of you upstairs.”

  “Oh, no ya don’t. I’ll not be sent ta tha tower rooms like a weak-willed ninny. Tha wee one—”

  Dominic scoffed. Kathleen…weak? He would have howled with laughter had the present situation not been so serious. “Madam, I do not now, nor have I ever considered you weak-willed or a ninny. At the moment though, Ms. Prescott is in need of a proper chaperon, as she is allegedly at the mercy of several lecherous noblemen. I do not mean to belittle, but please go to your charge. After our guests have departed, you may impugn me with whatever profanities fancy you.”

  “Humph!” The wisdom of his words must have penetrated her ire because she murmured something abrasive in her native tongue and stalked off up the stairs.

  Cael arched a brow akin to a salute.

  Ethan stared in awe at his retreating wife. “You know, Dom, for a recluse, you handle people very efficiently.”

  Stephan inclined his head in the direction of the study. “Have you a mind to send the pair on their way.”

  Though he delivered the words in a devil-may-care tone, Dominic sensed that his youngest brother championed unceremonious eviction as a solution to the two muckrakers.

  Dominic directed his gaze to the hallway struck off from the foyer, leading to the study. “I would like nothing more than to evict them, Montgomery especially, but we cannot afford to alienate Greyson. The man has an agenda or he would not be this determined to have an audience with me. What’s more, he is in a position to make life very difficult for all of us.”

  “A defensive move implies we have something to hide.” Cael stated.

  “We do.” Stephan countered, his liquid amber clashing with his brother’s warm amber.

  “True, but I have found the best place to hide is in plain sight.”

  “How do you aim to handle them?” Ethan aimed at Dominic.

  “I’ll talk to Greyson, see if I can discern what he really wants. This nasty business with Eden is obviously a ruse.”

  “Maybe not.” Cael suggested with a thoughtful expression. “What I mean to say is, maybe coming here wasn’t Greyson’s idea. Until now, his bid for your attention has been non-threatening. Why would he switch tactics and throw in with a brute like Montgomery? Casting a murky light on an innocent woman’s virtue as well as her sanity in the bargain…Unlikely, and a conflict of interest.”

  “Wasn’t Montgomery recently under investigation by Greyson’s own board?” Ethan fell in line with his reasoning, turning to address Dominic and then Cael. “Cael, didn’t you say that Greyson took a dislike to Montgomery that night at the lecture, ‘gave him the cut direct’ was your exact description of their parting exchange.”

  “Yes…” Dominic mused on this himself. “No matter. I won’t know what either’s ultimate goals are until I field them myself. Stephan will accompany me. Ethan, you and Cael assist Kathleen upstairs. If it becomes necessary to prove to the gentleman that she is not a captive victim, I want it to appear as if she is in bed recovering from her ordeal in the wine vault, which occurred last night. There will be no mention of entities and visions.”

  Chapter 36

  Dominic hesitated, his palm poised to depress the elegant brass door handle, knowing he had a daunting task ahead of him. Here he was, a hermetic eccentric who had always shrank away from scrutiny, strangers and confrontations. Yet, he was attempting to play the part…no, not just play the part, but
to assume his rightful role as patriarch of the Atherton-Raine-Ambrosi brood. Strange, how the brothers had naturally deferred to him, even Kathleen seemed to acknowledge his authority.

  At the moment though, having the respect of his family wasn’t sufficient. He needed to establish his authority with Greyson and Montgomery, convince them that he ran a wholesome household, and put them on edge enough to gain and maintain control of the situation. He needed a strategy, an approach…then, he remembered something Eden said. That people’s reaction to him would all depend on him, his expression and demeanor.

  A radical idea struck him. It would test his resolve and truth be told he wasn’t sure he had the polish to carry it off. He turned to Stephan who nodded his readiness.

  They entered the study, where a pair of near identical footman stood as stoic centuries on either side of the door’s threshold. Dominic checked his insecurities at the door, along with his spectacles. The persona he wished to emulate would not hide behind tinted glass.

  Ducking his head, he slid them deftly off his nose and stowed them in his breast pocket. Intimidation was the key, he reminded himself. Show no fear, no nervousness, no hesitation. With Stephan by his side, he stiffened his spine and summoned all the forgotten rules of protocol and etiquette he’d thwarted over the years.

  The stout figure of Matthias Montgomery turned to face them from his stance just beyond the barren fireplace. His already sour face grew sharp and predatory at the sight of Stephan. Interesting.

  At his host’s arrival, Greyson rose to a stately height from the sofa. His intelligent expression remained blank.

  “Gentleman, forgive me for keeping you waiting.” Dom executed a posh bow, for no other reason that to afford the two men a generous glimpse of his unusual eyes. “I do not believe we have been properly introduced. I am Conte Dominic Alessandro Giovanni Ambrosi di Castello, the 26th Earl of the region. And this is my brother Stephan.”

  Stephan inclined his head, keeping his hands twinned behind his back.

  “Davide Greyson.” Greyson strolled forth and took the hand he offered. His grip was firm and straight forward. Dominic knew the moment Greyson noticed his uniqueness. His mud brown eyes shifted back and forth over Dominic’s in an accessing manner.

  “I am loathe to make your acquaintance under such circumstances, but I am here in an official capacity on behalf of the social reform board at the urgings of…a concern citizen—”

  Montgomery chose that moment to clear his throat, demanding an introduction Dominic knew. The area around Greysons’ eyes tightened infinitesimally. It spoke volumes of Greyson’s opinion of the shorter man.

  Montgomery reminded Dominic of a greedy child as he wedged his squat frame between Greyson and himself to proffer his own hand. “Matthias Montgomery, at yer service.”

  As Dominic came away from the ham-fisted troll, he wished he had taken the forethought to steal a glance at each man’s essence. Of course, such a feat would have been impossible with both them and the two footmen in the same room. Not being familiar with either’s appearance on the astral he wouldn’t have been able to tell which essence belonged to whom, much less gleam any useful tidbits.

  Greyson stepped forward once more, offering an apologetic mien. “Again, forgive us this abrupt intrusion. I’m only glad I was able to dissuade the board from a full-scale stopover.”

  Dominic caught the asylum keeper’s glower out of the corner of his eye. He waved a solicitous hand urging the twosome to make themselves comfortable on the sofa. “Now, then, what moral turpitude is it you suspect me of exactly? Renfred’s idea of tact is to be vague beyond comprehension.”

  “Ahem, there has been talk of a gently bred young woman with a less than steady mind, being held on the estate against her wishes and subjected to…nefarious crimes against her virtue.”

  “How…theatrical.” Dominic shot the two of them a winsome smile, the picture of a carefree country gent. “You believe I have kidnapped a noblewoman and chained her up in my secret pleasure chamber, or rather in this case not so secret. Stephan, does it not sound like the plot of some insipid horror novel.”

  “A poorly written one, at that.” He concurred with a bored air.

  “Do ya deny then dat tha Lady Prescott is at dis very moment ‘oused in yer bed chamber an’ used a’bominably for yer pleasure?”

  “That is a distortion of the truth.” Dom let the words roll off his tongue like melted butter. “Miss Prescott is here on a visit and closely chaperoned by my brother Ethan’s wife. Her presence in my suites while irregular is temporary and due entirely to an unfortunate mishap that led to her spending a very frightening hour locked in the wine vault. Ethan and our other brother Cael are both physicians. They have been looking after her. My chamber is nearer to theirs and more isolated than the guest chamber that she normally occupies and thus more suitable as a sickroom. She is there merely for convenience sake. “

  “Why ‘is chamber?” Montgomery persisted, in a tone that rang with accusation.

  “I was away until recently.”

  “And how come she’s ‘ere at all instead of ‘aving herself a season in tha bosom of them rich grandparents of ‘ers. “

  Greyson obviously didn’t care for Montgomery’s crass inquires, but his resigned silence said that he needed a reasonable explanation all the same.

  “If you know her background, then you are also familiar with her circumstances. I sought an audience with the Duke and Duchess, and informed them of their Granddaughter’s plight. They suggested I apply for her a place at Bedlam. But by all means, speak with them yourself if you have any doubt of their indifference.” He invited generously. “Pray, mention having her to stay with them if you wish to see the full measure of their repugnance.”

  Dominic did not miss the quelling glance the taller man shot the asylum keeper before turning to ask, “How did your brother and sister-in-law become acquainted with the young lady?”

  He strolled about the room as he strung together a plausible story from fragments and half-truths. “One of his colleagues attended the birthing and subsequent death of her cousin, a Lady Millicent St. James. This colleague relayed the sad tale to Ethan, and well, Ethan and Cael both have rather tender hearts…cultivated by their profession. When he learned that her cousin’s widower along with the Duke and Duchess had spurned her, he offered refuge with he and his wife Kathleen. My sister-in-law is increasing and much favors female companionship.”

  “So ya struck while tha young miss was vulnerable, alone, out of ‘er head wit grief—”

  “She is as sane as you or I.” Stephan corrected Montgomery, a hint of something lethal edged into his voice.

  “What my brother says is true. Outside of some lingering malaise over the sudden loss of her parents, aunts and most recently her cousin, the young woman is quite rational. One can hardly fault her for needing a period of adjustment. All that she knew and held dear is gone. She’s had to assimilate into a whole new society.”

  “An’ I suppose, we’re ta take ya word for dat…as a gentleman.” Montgomery openly mocked his credibility.

  “Give your oath that you’ll do or say nothing to upset her, and I will allow a short visit with Miss Prescott. You may form your own opinion as to the state of her well-being.” Dominic made the offer as graciously as possible considering the idea of Eden being within a mile of either man raised a tumult of dread and protectiveness.

  * * *

  Cael surveyed her from the window. “That will have to do. I can’t imagine Dom can stall them much longer. Montgomery is not the sort to be reasoned with.”

  “Thank you, Nell. That will be all.” Ethan excused the maid, who scurried away as was her custom.

  Eden stared at the reflection in the silver-handled mirror Kathleen had given her. The layer of powder had leeched the two striped plaits to an impossibly pale white blonde. Thankfully she was supposed to be recovering from a terrible shock, because little else could account for her hollow cheeks and d
eath-pallor. Her eyes seemed different, darker, more almond-shaped. Or, was her mind playing tricks on her again.

  Looking away from the ghost woman she’d become, she handed the mirror back to Kathleen without comment. She was dying by degrees, but at least she’d regained a measure of mobility in the last twenty or so minutes. When the faint knock came at the chamber door, she was sitting up on her own, tense fingers gripping the counterpane.

  Kathleen laid a quelling hand atop hers. “Easy, lass. Remember ta keep ya bandaged hand beneath tha counterpane.”

  Eden nodded and did her best to calm her rioting fears.

  Stephan entered first, ushering in a tall, scholarly-looking gentleman and the stout balding Montgomery. Her jaw nearly dropped in shock when next Dominic strolled forth…sans his spectacles. Her slack gaze did not leave his face until the taller gentlemen addressed her directly.

  “May I present Drs. Ethan Raine and Cael Atherton. My sister-in-law Mrs. Kathleen Raine, and of course, Miss Prescott.” Dom gestured lastly to her.

  “Gentleman. Mrs. Raine.” The tall one inclined his head. “Lady Prescott.”

  “I much prefer Miss Prescott. I am American at heart.” She met his apologetic expression, and relaxed a bit more at the non-threatening manner.

  “Tha sight of her is supposed ta prove dat there’s been no breech of morals ‘ere?” Montgomery stalked closer to the bed, curling his lip at her. “Tha chit couldn’t pass for a week-old corpse. People ‘ould swear she’d been dead a fortnight at least.”

  Eden flinched.

  “Miss Prescott does not care for your tone…and neither do I.”

  Montgomery ignored Dom’s polite reproach. “Gads, Ambrosi, ‘ave the decency ta feed tha gel.” A note of relish crept in his voice like a secret lover. “Or, is dat how ya control’er, huh? Deny’ er food until she denies ya nothin’? Though why anyone ‘ould bother ta spread dat bag of bones, I’d—”