Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

" H e's here." Terror flooded her. "Please, you have to let me go ? —"

"No," her beloved said. "I will protect you."

"You can't," she said miserably. "No one can."

"Go and hide where I showed you. You know how to get in."

"I can't leave you." A sob hitched in her throat. "I'm scared…scared of the darkness."

"Don't be afraid, my love. Darkness can be a sanctuary."

" You are my sanctuary," she whispered. "I cannot lose you."

"Don't come out until I tell you it is safe." He kissed her. "Trust me, my darling Rose."

Shivering, she did as he asked. Even curled up in her hiding place, however, she didn't feel safe. Her enemy's footsteps made ashes rain from the walls, his rage reaching her through the bricks. She wanted to go to her beloved and fight by his side, but she'd given him her promise to stay safe and protect their future ? —

A shot blasted.

"Die knowing this," her enemy hissed. "The little whore is mine."

She stuffed her fist in her mouth to stifle her scream.

The run-in with Alice and the Corrigans and the lack of sleep the night before took their toll on Xenia. Exhausted, she'd nodded off during the short carriage ride home. Lady Blackwood insisted that she take a nap, and when Xenia protested that she had too much to do, the marchioness pointed out that she would be far more efficient rested. Relenting, Xenia decided to have a short lie-down and asked Mrs. Johnson to wake her in half an hour.

But the cook didn't need to; Xenia woke herself up screaming.

She didn't have a chance to speak with Ethan as he didn't return until suppertime. The nightmare lingered with her as she worked behind the scenes to help Brunswick and the staff serve the meal. She had other distractions too: namely, the Abbess's demand to meet this evening. The idea of running away—of leaving Ethan—was impossible to fathom. Thus, Xenia would have to deal with the problem head-on and confront the bawd.

After supper, she was in the stillroom, taking stock of her supplies, when Ethan entered. Her heart thumped when he closed the door and took her into his arms, kissing her until she was swoony.

"I missed you, pet," he murmured.

"I missed you too." She inhaled his scent, letting it soothe her ragged nerves. "But you shouldn't be here."

He nuzzled her neck. "I wanted to invite you to drinks in the drawing room."

While she liked his family very much, she couldn't imagine sitting through an evening pretending all was normal when she had a meeting with the Abbess looming. She still had to figure out a way to protect herself—and Ethan—from the bawd's extortion.

"Could you make excuses for me?" she asked. "While I would enjoy your family's company, I am rather tired."

"Understandably." He tucked a loose curl behind her ear, his eyes warm. "Mama shared your exploits over supper. While you and I are going to discuss your recklessness, you've certainly won Mama over. She called you a heroine."

Xenia was relieved that she hadn't ruined her chances with the marchioness.

"As it turns out," he added, "you were not the only ones to tangle with the Corrigans today."

Ethan told her about his discovery that Gill had likely been a member of the gang. He had also spoken to other lodgers who'd described Gill as a loner and not well-liked. Gill had been a braggart who thought he was better than everyone else, and this got worse when he was in his cups. The night before he died, he'd apparently boasted that he had valuable information that was going to make him richer than Croesus.

"Given the timeline of events, I no longer think that revenge is the motive behind these hoaxes," Ethan concluded somberly. "I think someone wants me to leave this place because there is something hidden here—something valuable."

"If there is some sort of treasure hidden in Bottoms House," she said, frowning, "surely we would have found it by now. We've cleaned the place top to bottom and done renovations."

"We shall have to conduct a thorough search." Ethan cupped her cheek. "In the morning, though, after you've rested. Sweet dreams, my love."

My love.

She didn't know if he meant anything by the endearment, but three words slipped from her heart, sticking in her throat. She was not yet free to say them. The dream from earlier constricted her chest and filled her with determination: unlike poor Rose, she wasn't going to hide while her beloved died trying to slay her demons.

Tonight, she would battle them herself.

From a nearby wingchair, Ethan watched as Papa and James got trounced in a game of whist by Mama and Gigi.

"Someone is cheating, lad," Papa said to James. "Obviously, it is not one of us."

"Perhaps Lady Fortune favors Gigi and me tonight," Mama said demurely.

"I cannot argue with that." Looking amused, Papa said, "You are my lucky Penny, after all."

He took Mama's hand, kissing it with enough warmth to make her blush and James and Gigi groan, Ethan along with them. Growing up, protesting parental displays of affection had been an act of solidarity amongst the siblings, and one was never too old to act like a child, he supposed. Owen had always objected the most theatrically, slapping his hands over his eyes…

However, Owen wasn't here. According to Gigi, he'd closeted himself in his room all day and opted to have supper delivered on a tray. Ethan couldn't quell a trickle of concern regarding his younger brother's behavior, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. Maybe he could extend an olive branch and ask Owen to help in the search for the valuables. With Parkhurst and Canning gone—they'd departed this morning for London, saying they didn't wish to be a fifth wheel to the family reunion—Ethan could say he needed more hands on deck.

He decided to talk it over with Xenia. She was a good listener, and he trusted her opinion. Moreover, she was getting to know his family and vice versa, and he wasn't surprised by how well they all got on. Xenia fit in like she was meant to be a Harrington…which was a good thing since he planned to make her one.

Around eleven, Ethan suggested it was time for bed. It was early, but everyone was tired from the day's events, and they had a day of treasure hunting ahead. Before parting ways, his mama pulled him aside for a tête-à-tête .

"Xenia is perfect for you," Mama declared. "She is different from the other ladies you've spent time with, dearest, and I mean that as a compliment."

"Truly, did no one like Constance?" Ethan muttered.

"Papa thought she was quite charming." Mama rolled her eyes. "If he has a flaw, it is that his honor blinds him to female machinations."

"An advantage for you, I'm sure."

He was teasing, but his mama's countenance grew troubled.

"The ability to hurt people you love is never an advantage," she said quietly.

Because he knew how much his parents adored each other and the unbreakable strength of their bond, he was surprised that she was taking his banter seriously.

He drew his brows together. "I didn't mean?—"

"I know, my dear. But you have a lot of Papa in you, and by that I mean you are a man of honor whose instinct is to protect those you perceive as vulnerable. You are like a knight of old, dashing to the side of a damsel in distress."

"Xenia is no damsel," he said.

His minx was no wilting violet, and he admired her resilience, bravery, and pluck.

"She is not," Mama agreed. "Yet she has vulnerabilities all the same. For instance, I get the distinct feeling that she does not think herself worthy of you. While that might be due to your differences in station, I have a sense that there is more to it. Is there something in her past, perhaps, that might cause her to feel this way?"

"I don't know all the details," he was forced to admit. "She doesn't like to discuss her past."

"Oh, my dearest." Mama took his hand in hers, a strange note of urgency in her voice. "If you mean to marry her, you cannot allow that to stand. You must get her to speak openly about her past so that whatever ghosts she may be hiding do not have the power to interfere with your future happiness."

Ghosts.

After bidding his mama goodnight, the word lingered with him. He wondered if his mama had been affected by the talk of Bloody Thom…if they had all been. He'd intended to leave Xenia to her rest tonight, but he found himself heading to her room, driven by an inexplicable need to see her. An eerie feeling of déjà vu came over him. As if he'd walked this path before…not as himself but someone else. He felt as if he were retracing another's footsteps as he made his way to the servants' quarters. Eagerness, desire, and anxiety pounded in his chest like an echo of another's feelings.

He shook off the uncanny sensation. The curse nonsense had obviously gotten the better of him, and if he wasn't careful, he would succumb to the phantom mania that had besieged the general population. Anyway, Bloody Thom was a distraction that he didn't need. He had to focus on convincing Xenia to disclose her past.

His parents were right. Without trust, there was no hope of building a future together, and he knew that the only future he wanted was one with Xenia in it. He evaded the patrolling guards and made it to the servants' wing. He was in the kitchen, about to head up the stairs to Xenia's room when a voice came from the shadows.

"She's not there."

"What the devil?"

Ethan nearly jumped as Owen emerged from a dark corner. Once Ethan's heart stopped racing, he straightened his lapels, doing a creditable job of acting as if he hadn't been startled out of his skin.

"Why are you lurking about?" he said irritably.

Owen shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. There weren't any servants about, so I came here to rummage for a snack. That is when I saw Mrs. Wood head out."

"What do you mean, head out ?" Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Have you been drinking?"

In the past, his question would have elicited a defensive, and likely belligerent, response from his brother. Now, Owen waved at a half-filled glass on the table.

"I've had milk," he said with a slight smirk. "Does that count?"

Bloody Owen. Annoying when he was sober and drunk.

"Where would Mrs. Wood go this time of night?" Ethan bit out.

"I didn't ask. From the dark cloak she was wearing and the stealthy way she dodged the guards, I assumed she did not wish to be seen."

A chill spread in Ethan's gut. "Did you see where she was headed? How long ago was this?"

"Ten minutes, at most." Owen shrugged again. "I can show you where she went."