by Vella, Wendy
“Good lord, is it possible, Dev?”
“I don’t know... I mean, that’s not the same, and yet it would suggest he is in his own way. And considering Lilly....”
“Tell us about the dream you had that led you to believe the child is alive,” Dev asked him after he and Cam had confused him with their words.
“I did not say I believed the child is alive, Cam.”
“You would not have gone to see that woman if you did not believe there was a grain of truth in what your housekeeper said, Nicholas.”
True.
“Let’s hear it.” Dev waved a hand at him.
“I saw a baby swaddled. It was being held by a woman.” He swallowed, not wanting to disclose exactly who that was. “Ah... the thing is….” There was no way he could say this without sounding a fool, so he simply said it. “The baby conveyed to me that it wasn’t dead, and that I should find it.”
“Conveyed to you how?” Cam asked. He did not look as if he was about to bundle Nicholas off to the nearest asylum; in fact, he looked deadly serious.
“Through the woman who held it.”
Dev’s eyes had suddenly changed, they were so bright it was almost hard to look at them, and his pupils were dilated.
“Dev?”
“His color is normal.”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t smell anything on him, no alcohol or any other substance.”
“I beg your pardon?” Nicholas glared at Cam after these words. “I no longer drink to excess, nor do I inhale anything.”
He had once however, and Cambridge Sinclair had been caught up in Nicholas’s web of greed and self-destruction. It was still a miracle to him that the man had forgiven him.
Cam shot him a small smile. “Apologies, I had to check.”
“What?”
A look passed between Cam and Dev.
“He would never tell; besides, no one would believe him,” Wolf said.
James and Max simply stood, silently listening to the Sinclairs.
“We will need to discuss it with the others, but Lilly has been wanting to tell him for years.”
“Tell me what?” Nicholas was getting angry now. “You are talking in circles, and I have no idea why.”
“They constantly speak like that,” James said. “Have you ever thought there was something different about them, Nicholas?”
“Other than you’re entirely addled and have no idea how to conform to society’s rules, do you mean?”
“Other than that.” Dev smiled.
“There are one or two things that I find odd,” Nicholas conceded.
“Excellent. We shall discuss this no further tonight, but soon. For now we will think on this matter you have broached. If it is true, then a heinous and grave crime has been committed and it must be rectified,” Dev added. “My fear is that it is not the first child to have been taken from its mother.”
“What have you been whispering furtively about?”
“All will be revealed, Lilly, my love.” Dev dropped down beside her on the sofa.
Nicholas sat, unsure what had just happened, and around him others gathered like hens settling in to roost. Cam on the arm of Emily’s chair. Dev lowered his arm around Lilly, and Wolf sat with Rose at his side.
Connected, Nicholas thought. They always made those they loved aware they were close. Aware that they were loved. Did he ever want that feeling? He refrained from looking at Alice Sinclair.
Chapter Seven
“Come, we are ready for our performance.” Alice looked to the doorway where Samantha had appeared. “It will be brilliant.”
“So modest, sister.” James laughed.
Alice listened as Dev spoke with Nicholas as they once again regained their feet to walk to the music room.
“We will discuss this more later, especially the visions, as your sister will want to speak on the matter.” Dev clapped Nicholas on the shoulder. “Fear not, we shall get to the bottom of this other matter.”
“It is for me to investigate, but I would appreciate any input.”
“Why is it for you to investigate? Do you believe you alone have been chosen to do so?”
“No... yes.” Nicholas sighed. “I’m not sure what I believe—or understand, for that matter. Only that I must do something with what has been presented to me.”
“And you will, and we will assist you as best we can.”
Alice watched Nicholas look around the room after the conversation with Dev. She tried not to stiffen when he elected to take the seat next to her on the sofa.
She decided to speak first. “Did you speak with the midwife after we met earlier?” The words were spoken out the side of her mouth so only he could hear.
“I did, but I’m not sure how you heard that conversation from across the room.”
“I have excellent hearing. I’m pleased your housekeeper had someone to speak to. Will you tell me about your visions?”
“No. Will you tell me why you were in that lane tonight?”
“No.”
“Let me rephrase that. Tell me why you were in that lane tonight.”
“No.”
His eyes were facing forward, watching her family perform. Dorrie and Samantha playing violins, Warwick the cello. Somer playing the piano.
“Your brother quite clearly has no idea where you were, or it’s my belief his reaction would have been a great deal more severe. The lending library, I believe was your falsehood.”
“This is none of your concern, my lord.”
She couldn’t tell him about Barty. Couldn’t tell him, as she had yet to tell her family.
“I have no wish to alert him of course, but if something were to happen to you while you were in such a place, I would be a guilty party as I had knowledge of your location—”
“Are you threatening me with exposure if I do not tell you why I was in that lane... saving you from certain death, this evening?”
Alice’s words were now a furious whisper.
“Come now, certain death? I’ll have you know I’m agile as a cat. I would have survived that fall.”
“And what of those men? Would you have survived that attack also?”
“Very likely.”
“How conceited of you to think—”
“Just tell me why you were there, Alice. Are you in some kind of trouble? Perhaps I can help if you feel you cannot approach your family.”
“No.”
“Then I must speak with your brother, as I owe this family a great deal and would never harbor a secret of such magnitude from them.”
She turned and looked at him. He did the same, his dark eyes steady on her face. This was a disconcerting man. A man who could easily make a woman forget a rational thought, as he had today. His eyes went to her mouth, and her lips tingled. She knew what his kiss felt like.
“What do you owe them?” Alice asked, hoping the change in subject would stop him asking her questions. It didn’t work.
“That is neither here nor there. The matter at hand is why you were in that lane at such an hour.”
“It was not late.”
“Late enough to be dark, and you were alone, which you should not have been at any time of the day. Anyone could have come upon you and....” His words fell away.
“Taken advantage of me?”
“Forgive me for what transpired in that lane today, Alice.”
“Forgive me also,” she said quietly.
“No, it was my fault alone.” His face looked grave.
“Because you are experienced in... in areas of life and I am not, what happened must therefore be your fault? How magnanimous of you to take the entire blame.”
“Are you mocking me?” His looked down his noble nose at her, and Alice knew it was the look he used to quell those he believed needed subduing. She was immune. Her brother tried that look on her regularly.
“Yes.”
“I am apologizing.” The words were clipped and said under his breat
h.
“By taking the blame for what happened, yes, I understand that. But I was equally to blame for what took place today.”
“It can never happen again.”
She nodded, yet inside, the part of her that had been awoken today wept.
“Please tell me why you were in that lane today, Alice?”
“Will you tell Wolf?”
He was silent for too long, which told Alice all she needed to know. He would tell Wolf. The man clearly had an annoying sense of honor.
“You cannot expect me to hold something from him if you are recklessly throwing yourself into danger.”
“I am not recklessly throwing myself into danger. Do I look like the sort of person to do such a thing? Good lord, I cut my meat into matching squares and calculate large numbers for enjoyment.”
“I’m not sure what that has to do with anything? Do people who like symmetry and calculations not take risks then?”
“My point is that I’m not reckless.”
“Your brother clearly thinks so.”
“I wish you would be quiet and let the matter alone.”
Her words surprised him.
“Clearly you are not used to people speaking in such a manner to you, Lord Braithwaite.”
“You live in this family, Miss Sinclair. Surely you know they would and do speak that way regularly to me.”
“And yet my words surprised you, which would suggest you are not used to women such as I speaking that way, then.”
“You cannot know that about me.” He looked annoyed.
“Cam said you are glib-tongued and women worship you but rarely censure you.”
“What has that to do with anything?” His brows were drawn together now. “We are straying from the point, which is your behavior.”
“Will you sing for us, Alice, with Eden... please?”
“Gladly!” Alice leapt out of her seat and away from the disturbing Lord Braithwaite and his demand to know why she had been in that lane today. She would not tell him and doubted he would speak with Wolf. For now, she was safe.
Looking at the large, dark male, she didn’t know for how long, however.
“I shall play, and Eden will stand and look beautiful,” Alice said, taking a seat at the piano.
“Thank you, darling, but you are the beautiful one. I’ve had children, can you not see the gray hairs and lines?” the duchess drawled, moving to stand beside Alice.
“There is little doubting her beauty has dimmed, it’s true,” Cambridge said.
“Positively whey-faced,” Essex Huntington, Eden’s sister said.
“Don’t listen to them, darling. You’re as stunning as the day I first saw you,” the duke assured.
Alice fussed with the music as she thought about what he’d said to her. It can never happen again. He was right, of course. She was no trollop to carry on as she had with a man who was not her husband, but there was also little doubt she felt drawn to Nicholas Braithwaite in some way.
Distance, Alice realized. From now on, she would need to keep away from him.
“We shall begin,” Samantha declared grandly, interrupting Alice’s thoughts. “Ready?”
She nodded.
With her hearing, she could detect each note clearly, and knew if an instrument needed tuning or if a person hit the wrong key.
Her eyes shot to Nicholas Braithwaite; he was looking at her, his dark eyes focused intently on her face. She could read nothing in his expression.
“You sing too,” Eden whispered, and of course Alice heard.
Alice knew that together they sounded good, possibly better than good, and the faces of her family and Nicholas Braithwaite told her that was the case. The applause at the end confirmed it.
“And now I must depart, but thank you for a lovely evening.”
Alice exhaled slowly as Nicholas got to his feet to say his goodbyes.
“Good evening, Miss Sinclair, and thank you, I enjoyed the musical interlude.”
“Good evening, my lord.” She acknowledged his bow with a curtsey.
“I will expect an answer when next we meet.” He whispered the words, and then he was gone, leaving the room in a purposeful stride not dissimilar to her brother’s. They weren’t men who strolled or dallied, they went from A to Z, and never stopped at B on the way. Alice sometimes wished she had a purpose.
She listened as Nicholas spoke to Dev outside the room.
“Any investigating you undertake, I would suggest you do so quietly, Nicholas, so as not to rouse anyone’s interest. If there is something nefarious afoot, then it is the worst kind of depravity to do such thing to a woman who has carried that child for nine months.”
“Aye, and they must be found and dealt with.”
“Agreed. Good evening, brother.”
Dev returned.
“I have something to discuss with you all. Alice and Eden likely know what that is, so they’ll have to sit through me explaining it to the others,” he said, taking the tea Lilly handed him as the family settled around him.
“I saw you deep in discussion,” Essex said.
“Lilly, my love, has your brother ever exhibited any signs like yours? Anything unusual that would suggest he has a gift of some kind as we do?”
“I don’t think so. Why do you ask, Dev?” She looked perplexed.
“Nothing at all? I need you to think about this, love.”
Everyone was silent while Lilly thought.
“In later years, as most of you know, Nicholas and I had a tense and unloving relationship. I spent no time with him, but as children we were close. There were a few times when he would say something to me and I would wonder how he knew.” Lilly frowned. “But I have not thought about those moments again until now.”
What had kept the siblings apart?
“Why are you asking me this, Dev? Is it possible you believe he has some kind of gift? Surely I would have realized?”
“And yet he is not aware of yours, love.”
Lilly could heal with the touch of her hands. It was a rare and amazing thing to see, but she did not do it often, as it took a toll on her strength.
“You’re right, of course, but Nicholas....” Her words fell away, and Alice could see she’d remembered something.
“Nicholas would have been about eleven when our father told us one of the daughters of a tenant was found dead in the stream. Her father blamed a nobleman who lived in the village, stating he’d drowned the girl after he’d abused her. Apparently he was quite fixated with her. Father said the nobleman refuted that claim vehemently. Being of noble birth himself, he believed the man, as they had been acquaintances for some time.”
“Noblemen always stick together,” Cam said.
“The following day,” Lilly continued, “Nicholas told our father that he wanted him to question the farmer who owned the land the river was on, as he believed the nobleman was guilty.”
“And was he?” Dev asked.
“At first Father wanted to know why, but Nicholas simply said it must be done and that if he did not then he was doing the dead girl and her family a grave injustice. Eventually Father gave in and spoke to the farmer.”
“It was brave of Nicholas to speak up and your father to do as he asked,” James said.
“Our father was a good man, and he said later that Nicholas had no reason to lie about the matter. It turned out the farmer who owned the land had been too scared to speak up for fear of retribution from the noble families in the area. Father said he would ensure that didn’t happen, and the man bore witness that he’d seen the nobleman drown the girl.”
“Did you ask Nicholas how he knew, Lilly?” Wolf asked.
“I did, he simply said he just did.”
More silence while everyone digested this piece of information.
“Good lord, he’s one of us. It hardly seems possible.” Eden broke the silence.
“I think visions come to him in his sleep, visions that are the truth,” Dev said. “Wha
t has been, or what is to be.”
“Good lord.” Lilly fell back into her chair, stunned. “That must be disconcerting. I wonder how he has coped with that all these years?”
“Perhaps they could be part of the reason for what he became?” Cam said, frowning.
“Good lord,” Lilly said again, looking stunned.
“And he is of my blood and yours,” James said. “Another one.” He sighed. “We shall keep him away from Kate and Alice going forward, as tradition would suggest he’ll wed one of you!”
Everyone laughed; Alice’s was forced. They would never know what had happened between her and Nicholas Braithwaite in that lane today. She would make sure of it, as would he.
It can never happen again.
Chapter Eight
“My lord, if you have a moment?”
Looking up from his morning paper, Nicholas watched his housekeeper approach. Her face appeared to have aged in the last week. Sadness and anxiety were etched in every line.
“Of course, Mrs. Potter.” Lowering the paper, he nodded for her to continue.
“I talked to my Jane again as you suggested. She is adamant she heard her child crying.”
“Could you describe the man who took the child away, Mrs. Potter?”
“I only got a glimpse of him, as I wanted to get back to my Jane. But he was big, bullish I would say if I was describing him. And mean... it upset me that he was holding the b-babe.”
He gave her a moment to compose herself.
“And you say the midwife said the baby was badly deformed, Mrs. Potter?”
“Yes.”
“And your family believed her?”
“You have to understand they were distraught with grief, my lord, after the midwife delivered the news. They were not thinking clearly. It all happened so fast.”
Which Nicholas just bet whoever had taken that child was relying on.
“Of course, your family have my deepest sympathies, Mrs. Potter. If there is anything I can do for them, then please let me know.”
The worn face seemed to crumple.
“It’s very g-good of you.”
“There is something you wish for?” Nicholas did not like tears. They made him feel helpless, a very uncomfortable emotion as far as he was concerned.
