lind alone with her thoughts.
Hawk.
Intense curiosity burned inside, and she wished Mary
were here so they could discuss the matter. Th
is wasn’t the
fi rst time the name Hawk had come to her in a vision. Just
this morning, when she had treated the stable boy’s cough, she
had read the lad’s mind and seen a faceless character. Rosalind
frowned. Th
e stable boy was terrifi ed of the mystery man.
Rosalind paced the length of her chamber, concentrating
on the two diff erent visions. Curious, that neither were clear.
She paused by the walnut dresser, then nodded abruptly.
Th
e solution was obvious. She needed to investigate
Hawk herself and discover the man’s identity.
181
X
Early the next morning, Rosalind watched Hastings trot
from the courtyard on Oberon. Alone again. Dejected,
she sighed before turning her attention to the chaffi
ng dish of
eggs on the side table.
“Gloomy pile of rocks,” she muttered. Th
e idea of staying
inside the castle all day brought on the urge to scream, loud
and long, until everyone knew of her displeasure. With Mary
missing, she wanted to walk to the village and question the
seamstress. Yes, she’d go, she decided, whether Hastings ap-
proved of the idea or not.
Th
e butler entered the room and hovered just inside the
doorway. After a pause, he coughed.
“Did you want something, Tickell?”
“I do not wish to disturb you, my lady, but there is a
THE SECOND SEDUCTION
boy from the village at the kitchen door. He refuses to leave
until he sees you.” It was clear Tickell was off ended by the
boy’s impudence.
Rosalind pushed her of plate of half-eaten food away,
unable to eat while her mind was full of worry about Mary.
Perhaps the boy had news. “I will see him.”
“In here?” Tickell’s voice rose in horror.
Rosalind took that to mean the boy from the village was
a dirty urchin with light fi ngers. Either that, or the thought of
Lady Augusta’s disapproval struck healthy fear in the butler.
Good point, she decided. “I will come to the kitchen. Let me
fi nish breaking my fast fi rst.”
“You will come to the kitchens?” Tickell sounded even
more critical of this decision.
“Give the boy something to eat while he is waiting,” Ro-
salind instructed. In an act of dismissal, she picked up her cup
of chocolate giving Tickell no further opportunity to object.
She grinned inwardly as the pause between his speaking and
moving to carry out her instructions lengthened. Finally, she
heard a sniff then slow, plodding footsteps as he left.
Th
e instant Tickell’s footfalls faded she leapt to her feet
and, after two wrong turnings, reached the kitchen slightly
out of breath.
Th
e cook, a thin woman with bright red cheeks and
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wisps of brown hair escaping from under her cap, looked up
from her pastry. “Oh, my lady! Are ye lost?” she blurted.
“No, I’ve come to see the village boy. Tickell said he was
waiting to speak with me.” Rosalind searched the smoky
room, but the only child visible was the one stacking logs
beside the hearth. He tossed a log on the blazing fi re, the vig-
orous fl ames sending off sweltering waves of heat. An older
boy turned a spit bearing a large joint of beef.
Tickell stalked over to direct orders at a minion pluck-
ing a chicken. When silence fell in the kitchen, he turned.
“Lady Rosalind. Th
ere you are.” His vexation at Rosalind’s
appearance was evident in his straight shoulders and com-
pressed mouth.
Rosalind smothered a smile. “I came as soon as I fi nished
my meal.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Where is the boy?” If he was in the kitchen, she couldn’t
see him.
“He is outside.” Pained infl ection this time as he glanced
at the door leading to the kitchen garden.
Rosalind betrayed none of her annoyance. “Has he
eaten?” she asked in a quiet voice.
Tickell allowed a slight sniff . “Yes, my lady.”
“Very well. I would like a pot of chocolate and two cups,
184
THE SECOND SEDUCTION
please.” Rosalind noted three stools in the far corner near the
door. “We will have our chocolate over there.” She swept past
Tickell and across the uneven fl agstone fl oor to summon the
boy inside.
Outside, a grubby boy scrambled to his feet. His nut-
brown eyes widened until they resembled the round buttons
on her best cloak. As she studied him, he swallowed audibly,
but stood his ground despite his obvious unease.
She smiled. “Hello. I am Lady Rosalind. I understand you
wish to speak with me on a matter of grave importance.”
Th
e child swallowed again.
“Come inside. I have sore need of a cup of chocolate. I
expect you’d like one too.” Rosalind made her way back into
the kitchen, past the disapproving Tickell and the gaping
cook to the group of stools. Th
e hesitant footsteps behind
told her the child followed as instructed.
“Sit,” she said to the boy, promptly following her own
instruction. “Ah, here is the chocolate now.” Rosalind smiled
encouragement at the young maid. A footman arrived with a
small wooden table and the maid set down the tray with the
chocolate pot, cups, and a plate of jam tarts.
“Would you like me to pour?” she asked Rosalind.
“Th
ank you, but I will do it.”
“What is your name?” Rosalind asked, when the doubtful
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SHELLEY MUNRO
maid had left them alone. She poured the chocolate into the
two cups and noted that after sharp words from Tickell, the
routine in the kitchen gradually resumed. After adding a
spoonful of honey to sweeten the chocolate, she handed the
cup to the boy. She placed two tarts on a plate and gave that
to the child as well.
“Billy. My name is Billy.”
“Well, Billy, how can I help you?”
Th
e boy’s hand trembled. To give him time to gather his
courage, Rosalind picked up her cup and took a sip.
“‘Tis my brother,” the boy mumbled. He picked up a jam
tart and took a cautious bite.
“Is something wrong with your brother? Is he sick?”
Billy nodded vigorously while stuffi
ng the rest of the jam
tart in his mouth. He swallowed loudly, then coughed.
Rosalind hid her smile and refi lled his cup with choco-
late. “Take a drink before you tell me more.”
A slurp sounded. Th
en, Billy placed his cup down and
leaned toward Rosalind. “Bin shot,” the boy whispered.
Rosalind drew in a shar
p breath.
“In the leg,” he said. “He can’t work at his job in the
stables. Ma cries. I heard how you be a healer.” Billy looked at
her with childish hope. “You will come?”
Shot. Rosalind glanced over her shoulder to see if any of
186
THE SECOND SEDUCTION
the servants were listening. Satisfi ed none were close enough
to hear, she whispered, “Who shot your brother?”
“Excise men chasing the smugglers.”
“Smugglers!” Rosalind slapped a hand over her mouth.
Another glance over her shoulder reassured her no one had
overheard. “Your brother is involved with the smugglers?”
“Aye, lady.”
Hawk. “I will come and see your brother. Finish your
chocolate while I collect my bag of medicines.” Rosalind stood.
“Wait for me here.” Th
e perfect opportunity to ask questions
about Mary’s disappearance and the mystery man, Hawk.
A loud grinding rumble sounded without warning. Th
e
ground shook beneath her feet. Billy gasped, his eyes huge in
a terrifi ed face. A scream from the cook echoed through the
kitchen. Th
e rumbling increased. Copper pots and stoneware
thumped to the ground. Iron pans clattered across the fl oor
before rattling to a noisy halt on the fl agstones. Th
e stack of
logs by the fi re toppled over.
“Lord save us!” a maid screeched.
Rosalind heard another praying at the top of her voice. A
footman tripped over a log and cursed.
Tickell shouted for quiet. His hand lashed out, striking
the nearest maid across the face. Her piercing screech sub-
sided into noisy weeping.
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SHELLEY MUNRO
Rosalind grabbed Billy’s upper arm. “Run outside. Wait
in the garden and don’t come back inside. Hurry!”
Billy stood, but hesitated. Impatient, Rosalind shoved
him in the middle of the back. “Hurry, Billy.”
Dust and smoke fi lled the air, partially obscuring vision,
making her eyes water. Another piercing scream rent the
air. Rosalind whirled to see a maid disappear from sight.
Her scream echoed eerily for a long time after she vanished
through a hole in the fl oor.
Th
e fl oor shook again and the fl agstones lifted like a pot
of stew bubbling on the fi re. Th
e beef roasting on the spit
toppled into the fi re. Th
e meat hissed. A shower of hot embers
shot out onto the hearth.
“Tickell!” Rosalind grabbed hold of a sturdy table and
inched toward the butler. “What’s happening?”
Th
e fl oor shifted, sending Tickell lurching. An iron hook
tumbled from the table where a maid had left it, striking Tick-
ell on the head. Blood gushed from his temple. At Rosalind’s
shout, Tickell looked up, his face full of dazed confusion.
“Tickell, go outside into the garden. Take Winifred with
you.” Rosalind grabbed a sobbing Winifred and shoved her
at Tickell. “Go.” Her words were a sharp order and the butler
obeyed without hesitation.
Th
e rumbling ceased. A nerve-wrenching groan sounded
188
THE SECOND SEDUCTION
to her right. Rosalind edged closer to the huge, gaping hole
that had appeared in the kitchen fl oor. When the dust cleared,
she saw the sparkling blue of the ocean.
Rosalind patted the maid on the shoulder, intending to
comfort. Instead, she relived the maid’s memories of her friends
toppling into the hole. Horrifi ed, she wrenched her hand away.
Her breathing sounded harsh and loud to her ears. Her heart
thundered, the fearful image replaying in her mind.
Fretful cries and hysterical sobs galvanized her to action.
“Are you hurt?” she demanded of the maid.
“No, Lady Rosalind.”
“Go and fi nd Lord St. Clare or Mr. Soulden. Tell them
I need their help.”
Th
e maid sniff ed and wiped a dirty hand across her tear-
stained cheek. “Yes, Lady Rosalind.”
Rosalind rushed to the side of the scullery boy. He lay on
the fl oor, his skinny legs protruding from under a butcher’s
slab. She felt for his pulse. Th
en swallowed. Th
e poor child
was dead. Rosalind moved on to the next. Th
is time when she
touched the undercook, she felt a tiny, unsteady pulse beat.
Lord St. Clare burst into the kitchen. “Rosalind, child.
What has happened?”
Charles followed a few seconds later. “What’s wrong? I
couldn’t make sense of the maid’s blathering. She said the
189
SHELLEY MUNRO
bottom had fallen out of England.”
Rosalind attempted a smile. “Not England. Castle St.
Clare. Th
e fl oor has collapsed. We need help. Some of the
servants are badly injured. We must move them in case more
of the fl oor disintegrates.”
“Rosalind, child. Let Charles and I deal with this. You
go outside with the rest of the servants.”
“No. I can help. I am skilled in healing. You need me here.”
“She’s right.” Charles assisted a pale, shocked servant to
her side. Th
e girl’s arm was bent at an unnatural angle. “Th
is
girl is hurt. Where’s Tickell?”
“He’s injured. I sent him outside with one of the maids.”
Th
e earl’s face paled in shock. “God, Charles. Look.”
Charles edged toward the gaping hole. Rosalind inched
forward too, even though gazing down the crevice made her
dizzy. Th
e chocolate in her stomach swirled in agitation, but
awed horror propelled her to look. Far below, wicked rocks
glistened with the sea spray. A briny tang fi lled her nostrils.
Th
e lifeless body of a maid fl oated in the water, hitting
against the razor sharp rocks with each fresh surge of the
tide. Another body draped over an out-hanging rock. Rosa-
lind squeezed her eyes shut. Th
e sick sensation in her belly
intensifi ed. She didn’t want to look, but she had to. It could
have easily been her down there. Or Billy.
190
THE SECOND SEDUCTION
Charles glanced over his shoulder. “Rosalind, we’re going
to need help. Summon the stable lads and send a servant to
bring Justin. He knows the coastline well. It may be easier to
climb up rather than risk dropping ropes down.”
Th
e meal that night was a simple one. Rosalind gazed down
at her plate and wondered how the others were able to eat.
Th
e thought of it made her ill — all those poor servants.
“Summon Tickell,” Lady Augusta said, after slurping the
last spoonful of game soup from her bowl.
“Tickell is ill,” Rosalind said. “I sent him to his quarters
to rest.”
“But, I want more soup.”
Rosalind knew the elderly lady was in cons
tant pain
from her aching bones, but that didn’t excuse her bad man-
ners. “Would you like more soup?”
“I said so, didn’t I?”
St. Clare sighed, looking old and tired. “Augusta, let the
servants be. Th
ey have lost friends today.”
Rosalind laid down her spoon and stood. She moved past
Charles, their guest Justin, and St. Clare at the head of the table.
“Where are you going?” Lady Augusta demanded. “We
191
SHELLEY MUNRO
aren’t fi nished our meal.”
“You wanted more soup.” Rosalind reached for the
tureen sitting near Lady Augusta’s right hand. “One spoon
or two?”
Charles chuckled. Justin grinned, but Lady Augusta let
out a screech of horror.
“Put that down,” she hissed.
Rosalind fi lled Lady Augusta’s soup bowl despite the
woman’s horror. “Anyone else?”
“I’ll have some, child,” St. Clare said. “Augusta, stop your
snarling. Th
e child is right. Th
e servants that are unharmed
have enough to do.”
With the soup served, Rosalind slipped back into her
chair. One thing preyed on her mind. Mary had burbled
endlessly of the treasure but hadn’t mentioned any tunnels
running beneath Castle St. Clare. “Did you know of the tun-
nels beneath the kitchen? Have they always been there?”
St. Clare stared at his soup. “Th
ere have always been
rumors handed down through the family of tunnels and lost
treasure. I searched as a young lad, as did these two scamps
along with Hastings when they were younger. None of us
found a hint of a secret passage. I thought the stories of the
lost St. Clare treasure were just that — rumors.”
“You didn’t fi nd any concealed passages when you were
192
THE SECOND SEDUCTION
looking?” Rosalind asked, scrutinizing faces closely.
Charles shrugged. “Not a thing.”
“We did fi nd the priest’s hole,” Justin said.
“Th
at’s right,” Charles said. “I’d forgotten about that.”
Lady Augusta chuckled without warning. “I remember
how disappointed you were when you found it led nowhere.”
Doubt and a hint of suspicion rose in Rosalind. How
could none of the family be aware of the labyrinth beneath
the castle? She peered at each of the men. Was one of them
responsible for the cave-in? “Someone knows about the pas-
sages,” she said. “Th
e digging is fresh. Our servants died
The Second Seduction Page 16