Prologue

“Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.”

Aristotle

Lord Aidan Abbott, the honorary Baron of Abbott and heir to Viscount Moreland, carefully wiped his riding boots before entering the family townhouse from the back garden. Riding Valor had been a boon to his recent turbulent thoughts, and his spirits had been lifted by the invigorating air.

Striding down the hall, and contemplating if he needed to change before he went out again, he entered the entrance hall. Where he found Lord Moreland frozen and staring at the letter in his hand while an unknown footman awaited a response.

Aidan frowned in consternation. His father was a composed gentleman of the highest order, and little could shake his exemplary demeanor, but his pale complexion spoke to troubling news.

“Father?”

The sound of Aidan’s voice seemed to jolt Lord Moreland from a trance. Drawing a deep breath, his father looked up at the waiting servant. “We will be arriving at Ridley House as soon as our carriage is readied.”

The servant nodded. “Yes, milord. I shall inform Mr. Michaels of your arrival.”

Once they were alone, Lord Moreland turned to Aidan. “It is your sister. One of the footmen at Ridley House held Lily hostage and attempted to abduct her after she uncovered his involvement in the late baron’s murder.”

Aidan’s knees went weak, and he grabbed for the banister. “Is she …” He could not bring himself to complete the sentence, overcome by the nightmarish images racing through his head.

Is she dead?

“Their butler informs me that she is well, but the servant is … no longer with us.” Lord Moreland waved the page in his hand, but despite his reassurance, he was still pale and distracted. His concern for his young daughter was evident.

Aidan drew in a shaky breath at this news, not realizing until that moment that his lungs had stopped working at the thought that his little sister might be harmed—all because he had been a selfish cad and left her alone when he had promised his parents to take care of her.

“This is my fault!”

Lord Moreland shook his head as if to gather his own wits. “Nonsense. This is the fault of the man who murdered Lord Filminster. I … must find your mother, so we may depart for Ridley House.”

Aidan nodded, but he was unconvinced. His selfish behavior the night of the King’s coronation was the reason that Lily had been alone in their home. It was the reason she had witnessed Brendan Ridley entering the widow’s home across the street. Why she had fallen asleep in the drawing room window seat, and then later witnessed Ridley’s departure from the widow’s home in the early hours. It was Aidan’s neglect that was the reason she had felt it necessary to step forward and provide a scandalous alibi to save Ridley from the hangman’s noose when the young man had been suspected of patricide. There was no denying that Aidan’s actions had forced Lily to marry Ridley to save herself from scandal.

“I am not waiting for the carriage. I shall see you at Ridley House.”

His father raised his brows in surprise, but Aidan ignored him to run out of the Abbott townhouse, leaving the door ajar to head down the street away from Grosvenor Square with his long legs eating the distance. He did not care if he appeared a lunatic running as if the hounds of hell were chasing him. He must confirm for himself that Lily was unharmed. This entire situation was his fault, and it was time he took responsibility for his part in the risks that his innocent sister had undertaken to save another.

This is my fault, this is my fault, this is my fault.

The litany in his head beat in time to his pumping heart as he reached Ridley House. Bounding up, he raised a fist and pounded loudly on the wooden door. Soon it swung open to reveal the butler, Michaels. His eyes flickered in disdain over the sweating Aidan, who had no time to worry about his appearance.

“Where is she?” he demanded.

Michaels sniffed before standing aside. “The drawing room at the top of the stairs.”

Ridley House was a behemoth, stuck in the mists of time. Faded carpets and wallpaper framed looming furniture darkened by lacquer and the patina of age while austere barons and their wives glared down from moody paintings.

Aidan made for the dim stairs, not bothering to acknowledge the butler in his haste. His need to see his little sister safe and sound was the only issue his racing thoughts could focus on in the moment, and etiquette was the furthest thing from his mind as he bounded up the stairs two at a time. Arriving on the first-floor landing, he swung his head about, inspecting the doors available.

Where is she?

Determining that the drawing room would likely overlook the street, he rushed over to the far door with no concern about waiting for the heavy steps of the butler on the stairs behind him.Aidan grabbed the handle, throwing the door open to look inside. Across from him, Lily and her husband sat on a settee, his tiny sister pale and shaking with the new baron’s arm around her waist.

“Lily!”

She looked up at him as Aidan strode in. He knew he must be a sight, his face flushed with the exertion he had expended to reach her.

“Aidan? How did you get here so quickly?”

Even from afar, he noted the redness around her neck. The blackguard must have held her by her throat. Aidan wished to throw his head back and howl in distress. Lily could have been killed because of his perfidy.

It is my fault!

“Ran here … as soon as we heard the news … Left our parents … to take the carriage … Terrifying … to hear you had been attacked. I …” Aidan raked his hands through his damp hair before crossing the room to drop on a knee by her side. Taking her hands up in his, and shaking his head as he sought words, he exhaled sharply. “This is my fault! If I had taken care of you that night, instead of abandoning you to carouse with my friends …”

Lily frowned, reaching out to pull on his lapels before lifting her arms to hug him. “It is not, Aidan. I am well. Gracious! You must have run like the wind to arrive here so quickly.”

“I should never have left you alone.”

“But you did, and now I am married. Life goes on.”

Aidan groaned, his chest tight with the burden of culpability. “Until it does not.”

“I am safe. See, you are speaking with me at this very moment. The entire matter is settled.”

Aidan pulled away. His sister was so small that even lowered to one knee, they were practically eye level. From this close, he could see the marks of abuse on her throat. If the offending footman had not been killed, he would spring to his feet to beat the man to death himself. How could anyone be so craven as to attack a lovely young girl like his sister?

“Is it over? Was the footman the one who committed the murder?”

Brendan Ridley, the new Baron of Filminster now that his father had been killed, cleared his throat. “No, I am afraid not. He claims he was paid to conceal the identity of the killer. At least we know now that it was nobody in the household.”

Aidan jumped to his feet. “How do we know it is true?”

Lily’s husband must have felt uncomfortable with Aidan towering over them. He rose up, walking into the cleared space in the middle of the room. Filminster finally replied. “I suppose we shall search his things to find evidence of the payoff.”

Aidan’s nostrils flared. “If it is true, then there is still a killer out there. Someone who might harm my sister!”

“We will keep our guards to patrol the house?—”

“What?”

Filminster glanced over at Lily, who had straightened up with a look of dismay. “They do not need to shadow you. Simply take care of our home until we know we are safe. In addition to that, we will have a new housekeeper and maids at the end of the week, so Ridley House will be properly staffed, along with a new lady’s maid. It will be far more difficult for any attempt at intrusion once there is a full staff on duty.”

Lily turned her gaze to Aidan, who was only mildly mollified by her husband’s assertions.

“See that you do, Filminster. My sister is irreplaceable.”