Sinclair and Raven Series: Books 1-3

by Wendy Vella

  James had thought of many scenarios—this, however, was not one of them. Did they honestly expect him to believe this tale?

  “I can see the skepticism in your face, Raven, and frankly whether you believe us or not is of no great concern to me. Yet you have accused my family of a serious crime, therefore I must show you that I speak the truth, as I have no wish for any of us to end our days in a jail cell.”

  “I would not send you to jail, Sinclair.”

  “Your earlier words led my siblings to believe otherwise.”

  James remained silent, as he had threatened them and the guilt settled heavily on his shoulders.

  “Eden, love, go outside the room.”

  James watched Eden rise and approach her brother.

  “I have promised to keep you safe, Eden. Have faith in your big brother.”

  She nodded solemnly and then took the plugs out of her ears and handed them to Devon. Without looking his way, she walked to the door opened it, passed through, and closed it behind her.

  “I would ask you to walk to the end of the room, Raven. Once there, face the wall and say something that only you will hear, but sound must leave your lips.”

  Every hair on James’s body rose as he looked into the solemn eyes of the remaining Sinclairs. Could they be speaking the truth? Suddenly everything that had niggled at him filtered through his head. The ability of the siblings to hear those men intent on robbing their carriages on the journey to London. Eden hearing things James had not. Cam sniffing the poison and Essie tasting it.

  “If you wish answers, then you must do as I ask,” Sinclair said when James didn’t react to his order.

  Moving to the rear of the room as requested, he softly spoke. He then returned to Devon, who called Eden back into the room. Once again she did not look at him, her body tense, face fearful.

  “Recite the words, Eden.”

  James watched her hesitate.

  “‘Tis all right, love, say the words,” Devon said, bending to brush a kiss on her forehead. “I will keep you safe.”

  James wanted to tell her to stop; her obvious distress was making his stomach ache. She was so unlike the woman who had stormed into his library earlier this day. The spirit had left her eyes and they appeared subdued, beaten.

  “Eden, I—”

  “When forty winters shall besiege thy brow, / And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field, / Thy youth’s proud livery so gazed on now, / Will be a tattered weed of small worth held.”

  Eden recited the Shakespeare poem word perfect yet her voice held no inflection. Emotionless and precise, she finished then once again fell silent.

  “Go and sit beside Cam now, love,” Dev said, handing Eden her earplugs.

  His head still reeling, James watched her push them back into her ears, then reclaim her seat. Cam wrapped her in his arms and hugged her hard.

  Was it true, could she have heard him? Yet surely the facts spoke for themselves. She would have had no idea that he would quote Shakespeare. God, he couldn’t take it in, was it possible?

  “Cam, what can you smell?”

  “Whoever does the laundry uses lavender in the wash and the Duke uses a scent combined with lemon and sandalwood. Before we arrived, he had coffee with honey tarts followed by a brandy. In the kitchens the cook has mutton cooking and is baking a fruitcake.”

  James fell into the seat opposite the sofa the three Sinclairs occupied. He wanted to clap his hands over his ears as Devonshire Sinclair cleared his throat and began to speak.

  “The spine on that book on the highest shelf closest to the wall reads, The Pilgrim’s Progress From This World, To That Which Is To Come, First Edition 1678.”

  James knew that book was at least thirty feet away and on the top shelf, which he needed a ladder to reach. He also knew it was The Pilgrim’s Progress, just as he knew every book on his shelves and where it was located.

  “Call for tea and biscuits or cakes, Raven, and Essie will tell you what the ingredient in everything is,” Devon said.

  “Enough.” No one moved as James spoke quietly. “I knew there was something about you all, yet never did I see this coming. It must be both a burden and a pleasure to have such talents.”

  Eden finally looked at him, and he couldn’t be sure, but thought there was relief in her eyes. Had she believed he would expose her, that he was the kind of man to do such a thing to people who had saved his life? The answer was yes, she had, and the thought was not a pleasing one, but no less than he deserved.

  “We have lived with it for a long time, Raven, it is merely a part of who we are.” Cam said the words in a solemn tone. “We believe our heightened senses are a result of our ancestors’ duty to your family.”

  James tried to make sense of what he had learned.

  “You believe your heightened senses are a direct result of what happened in 1335?”

  The elder Sinclair nodded. “We can find no other reason.”

  “And are there others?”

  “Others?” Cam questioned.

  “Others with heightened senses.”

  Devon laughed, but it held no humor. “We believe there were other Sinclairs, yes. But as you can understand, this is not something one brings up in general conversation, Raven, because if we did, we would be locked up. But for all that, we would be arrogant to believe we were the only ones gifted in such a way.”

  “Gifted,” Cam scoffed. “Cursed, more like.”

  “I would advise you not to give the matter too much thought, as all you end with is a sore head,” Dev said, ignoring his brother. “What we have told you is the truth, and besides us, you are now the only one who knows. You will understand how unsettling that is for my family. You now have the power to cause great and unimaginable harm to us should you choose to do so.”

  “I have given you my word, Sinclair. All of you,” James said, looking at each of the siblings. Eden did not meet his eyes. “You have saved my life on three occasions now, and your ancestors many more for mine. I promise you that your secret is safe in my hands.”

  “Thank you,” Essex Sinclair said, and he heard the relief in her words.

  “And is there more to these senses?”

  “Aye,” Devon sighed. “They have developed in different ways over the years.”

  James saw he was uncomfortable, but he wanted to know all the details now he knew the truth.

  “Different ways?”

  “Do you need to know everything?” Eden was finally speaking to him, or perhaps growling was the more accurate term.

  “I would like to know more, purely because I am interested. If that is a problem—”

  “As he knows the worst of it, we may as well enlighten him.” Essie shrugged.

  Eden said nothing further, instead lowering her eyes to the floor once more.

  “When we are together our senses are stronger, and when we touch, even more so. Eden can sometimes hear an unspoken word before it is said,” Devon added. “Cam can smell fear or distress, Essie can taste it and I can see long distances, Raven, and I also have the ability to see—ah—colors.”

  James was intrigued; he watched Devon look away and knew he was reluctant to discuss his own senses.

  “Colors?”

  “I don’t suppose you’d just take my word for it?”

  “You know me better than that, Sinclair. However, my interest is genuine and not intended to harm any of you.”

  Devon’s sigh was louder this time. “Everyone has a color. Essie is pink, Cam is orange, Eden is blue, and I am green. The colors grow stronger as you age. When a person is ill or near death they weaken. There is more, but I will not bore you with the details, and I do not use this vision often, as everything becomes vivid and it can be uncomfortable depending on the situation.”

  “Good God,” James said slowly. “Living in your family must have been a mixture of heaven and hell. There would have been nowhere to hide.”

  Surprised laughter filled the room at his words.<
br />
  “It was certainly never dull,” Cam drawled.

  “And your parents?” James looked at Eden, but she still would not meet his eyes.

  “Our father could see, but it was not strong,” Essie answered him.

  “I never believed you capable of harming me, you know,” James needed to say the words out loud. To ensure this strange yet amazing family understood they had nothing to fear from him, and most especially that Eden believed him.

  “Then why—” She finally looked at him, and he saw the fear. Unlike the others, it still had her in its grip.

  “I knew you were hiding something from me, Eden, and as you seemed to have been elected my protectors I wanted to understand what that something was. I apologize if I have hurt you in any way.”

  “I will kill you if you use this against any member of my family,” Devon said, not ready to forgive him.

  Reluctantly James turned from Eden to the eldest Sinclair. “The debt I owe you is large enough to ensure my silence even if I were not a man of my word.”

  “Annoys the hell out of you doesn’t it, Raven, being indebted to us?”

  “I can find several stronger words to express my unease at the notion. But now if you will all excuse me for a moment, I will order refreshments, as I know Cam cannot go more than an hour without them.”

  James left the family alone to talk about what had transpired, and reassure themselves that he would keep their secrets safe.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Eden looked at the closed door. Could it be true, would he really keep their secret safe?

  “I believe he will keep his word,” Essie said, as if reading her thoughts.

  “It is unlike you to trust on such a short acquaintance, Essie.”

  “I know, Dev, but he is a good man, I can feel it. What color is he?”

  Eden watched as her elder brother began to pace the room. He had definite ideas about the colors of people and how this affected their personalities. He also believed his siblings should marry only their color match, but as yet he’d had no reason to enforce this.

  “Dev?” Essie prompted.

  “Blue.”

  They did not look at her but Eden knew they wanted to. He was a match to her in color but little else. Especially now, after revealing what a strange person she was. He had given the appearance of understanding about their gifts, and yes she believed James capable of keeping his word. However, she knew that he would not want to associate with them in the future, and the twins would be kept away from his sister. Her father had told her often that she would end up locked away if anyone learned what they were capable of, because people like her and her siblings were fit only for a circus.

  Restless, Eden regained her feet and made her excuses, saying she needed a moment to herself. Her skin felt tight and panic had worn her nerves down. Closing the door behind her, she unclenched her fingers and removed an earplug to scratch her ear, and it was then she heard the cry. Samantha was calling out in her sleep. Pleased lamplight lit her way she hurried to the little girl’s rooms. Opening the door, Eden left it that way so soft light showed her the small body tucked into the big bed.

  “Sssh now, Samantha.” She stroked her hair.

  “James?”

  “It’s Eden, sweetheart, don’t be afraid.”

  “Eden? Why are you here?”

  “We are paying your brother a call to see his maps.”

  “I was dreaming.”

  The raspy little whisper tore at Eden’s heart. Climbing onto the bed, she lifted Samantha and resettled her on her lap.

  “Bad dreams?”

  “Y-yes.”

  “Do you remember what they were about, because sometimes it helps to discuss them.”

  “Eden?”

  “Yes, Samantha.”

  “My father was a bad man.”

  “My father was a bad man too, so we have that in common.”

  “Really?”

  “Really, Samantha, and it is all right to be angry with them. In fact I think it helps if you are. Sometimes I yell at my father even though he is no longer able to hear me. But the most important thing to remember is our fathers can no longer harm us, because we have others who will always love and protect us.”

  “James loves me, he said so.”

  “Of course he does, and he will always be there for you, sweetheart. Big brothers are very special people, Samantha; they take their responsibilities seriously, especially when it means protecting their little sisters.”

  Samantha’s giggle made Eden smile. Her fears had been chased away, and Eden wished hers could be so easily erased.

  “Why did your father not love you, Eden?”

  Eden felt the paralyzing fear of her youth. Breathing deeply, she forced it away; he could hurt her no more.

  “Because he made me be someone I did not want to be, Samantha.”

  “I hated my father, Eden. He was not a nice man.”

  “Well, as we both hated our fathers we shall be able to talk about it together,” Eden said. “We shall yell at them sometimes, and very soon you will hardly think about yours and I shall forget mine.”

  “I would like that.”

  Samantha yawned, so Eden settled her back on the bed and kissed her head.

  “Sleep now, and I shall stay until you are asleep.”

  “Thank you.”

  Eden did not have to wait long until the little girl’s breathing grew into a steady rhythm. Quietly she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

  James was leaning on the wall, his eyes serious as she started toward him.

  “She was restless, and I heard her call out, so I came to see if she was all right.”

  “Thank you, I was just about to check on her when I heard your voice.” He pushed off the wall to block her path as she drew near. “I know how she suffered at the hands of my father, yet I could do nothing to stop it.”

  “Because you did not know of her existence.”

  “I didn’t even know my father had remarried.” The words were cold and emotionless.

  “I’m sorry,” Eden whispered. She knew how a parent could destroy a child.

  “Do you know that he used to beat me for writing with the wrong hand. He broke two fingers once, and tied my left hand behind my back for days.”

  “I’m so sorry, James.” She felt helpless.

  “He caught me playing in the village with some of the children when I was ten. He had seen me as he drove by in his carriage. I was called to his office and beaten. He said, ‘No son of mine will associate with village children. They are beneath us. Now begone from this house and learn to be a Raven.’“

  “Oh, James.”

  His gaze went to his sister’s bedroom door. “I cannot bring myself to ask what he did to her, yet know I must.”

  “I think it would help her to talk about it.”

  He looked down at her then and she saw the turmoil in the brown depths. His words had been calm, yet the pain was still there. His father had wounded him deeply.

  “What did he make you do?”

  “Who?” Eden tried to step around him but he shadowed her, his hand reaching for one of hers.

  “What did your father make you do, Eden?”

  “It matters not.”

  “It matters to me, and as I have just unburdened myself, surely you can do the same.”

  “No.” Eden shook her head and tried to withdraw her hand. He enclosed it in his larger one. “What matters is that you keep your word and do not expose us for the freaks you now know we are.” She had needed to say the words to understand how he truly felt about her. His abhorrence for what she was would go a long way toward extinguishing the flames of her attraction for him.

  “You think I believe you a freak because you have heightened senses?”

  Eden nodded.

  “Don’t be foolish, Eden. Knowing what you are makes you special, and I do not think of you and your siblings as freaks. In fact, I’m insulted th
at you would even suggest it.”

  “I don’t believe you. Now let me pass.”

  “I’m telling you the truth, why is that so hard for you to believe?” He slipped his fingers up her arm, slowly pulling her closer.

  “Because he said people would turn away from us.”

  “Your father said that?”

  Closing her eyes, she tried to shut out her father’s face, the horrid twisted smile he would give her when he wanted to make her do his bidding.

  “I don’t want to talk about this and wish to return to my family.”

  “What did your father make you do, Eden?”

  She didn’t want to cry. She had shed so many silent, solitary tears over her father that she would allow him no more.

  “I had believed tonight’s revelations would force you to see me in a different light. That you would have no wish to see me again.”

  “It would take a great deal more than knowing of your gift to stop me wanting you, Eden. In fact, I’m not sure anything will do that. Now tell me what your father did to you.”

  “He made me go with him and listen to people talking so he could blackmail them, and I loathed him from the first day he forced me to do his bidding until the day he drew his last breath.”

  James swore beneath his breath, and Eden liked hearing his anger on her behalf.

  “And this is why you are closer to Devon than any of the others. He was your father,” James whispered, understanding what her siblings had not. “Yet I doubt you have ever told him why you turned to him, have you?”

  “My father said if I told anyone he would hurt them.”

  “Did he use the others at all?”

  His hands moved to her shoulders and then she was resting against his chest. Lord, he was warm. Eden closed her eyes as she absorbed his strength.

  “No, it was only me he took with him on his ‘outings,’ as he called them, and my siblings believed it was because he favored me, when in fact the truth was far different.”

  “And it hurt because you did not want to go.”

  “Yes.”

  “You told me I must talk with Samantha about our father, and you must do the same, Eden. Tell Devon. He needs to know what his father did to you.”