Estelle observed her fiancé leading her aunt to the dance floor. The two seemed amused at the opportunity to relax.
“Do not worry, my dear, your fiancé will not disappear. I do believe he is quite safe with your aunt,” the earl mentioned before continuing mid-turn. “Tell me how you met Lord St. John. It was my understanding that before the two of you were engaged, you had a bevy of suitors.”
A bevy? What on earth had the man heard of me? “I am not certain what you mean, my lord. Yes, I have had suitors before, but none that had any honorable intentions, or my papa approved. But of course, you are probably meaning your nephew. I had met him a few times and he had written to me. I’d been clear from the beginning that I had no designs on him.”
“Ah, so you do remember my nephew. Of course you do. What did you find so repulsive about him? Was it his unnatural affection for his sister? Did you know that she planned on leaving us to go to the country?”
Estelle found herself taken aback by the earl’s questioning. His insistence worried her, and made her wonder how much the earl knew of the murder and Helen’s unresolved death. Did he suspect why his niece planned on leaving their estate a year ago? Did he know more than what the investigators concluded? The Examiner had published that the Met didn’t suspect foul play, and it was nothing more than a tragic accident. Who tumbles out of window by accident…much in the same way Gabriel did?
Someone tapped Estelle on her shoulder, cutting the earl out of his position on the dance floor, and she soon found herself dancing with his son George. Estelle inclined her head. “My lord.”
“No need for the formality, sweetheart, the pleasure is all mine. It isn’t every day I get to dance with a beautiful lady such as yourself.”
Estelle felt her cheeks sear with embarrassment from the compliment. “I am sure you say that to all the ladies, but thank you.”
Estelle followed the earl’s heir’s lead and danced until the music stopped. The music had barely halted when Benedict appeared at her side and wrapped his arm around her waist.
George glared at him with an icy gaze, sending shivers up her spine.
Ben leaned into her and whispered in her ear, “I need to talk to you about something, let us leave the ballroom.”
Estelle nodded and curtseyed, but before she could pull away, her dance partner raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her gloved hand.
“It’s been a pleasure, Miss Humphrey.”
She didn’t even have the opportunity to thank him when Benedict pulled her away. He did not even say why they needed to talk, but his rigid form was indicative of him being cross.
I wonder what happened.
* * * *
Benedict had not meant to tug her along, but he could not stand the earl’s son. The way he’d seen the earl speaking to her during their dance made him curious to find out why Estelle looked horrified.
He found a door leading out to the terrace and walked into the moonlit garden until they found a secluded spot to sit. Benedict knelt before her and took her trembling hands into his, squeezing them to offer some comfort before their discussion. Yet, no matter how he proceeded, she would either hate him, or take her leave and return to her room.
“Estelle, you know I would walk through the pits of hell for you, right?”
She nodded, biting her lower lip.
“You have to promise to be honest with me, my dear. Why did you go to the attic the other night, and why did you take something that belonged to the earl’s late niece?”
“Ben, you must not think ill of me. There is something not quite right here. Besides, I wanted to see if I could find out more about what happened. We need to leave as soon as we can, Ben. This place is haunted, eerie, and the servants are just—strange.”
He understood Estelle’s fear, but there had to be truths uncovered before they left. Ben could not leave like this. He needed whatever she took from the attic returned, and to find out why Gabriel Templeton was targeted or if it was a suicide. To take his own life after being invited to the home of the woman he wanted to marry? Certainly that was how the law would ascertain what occurred here. However, he suspected there was more to the story.
“Will you give me what you took from our host’s attic, please? I will see that it is returned to Lord Cuthbert, and once I have settled and satisfied Scotland Yard’s curiosity about Gabriel’s death, we shall leave.”
“Do you swear it?”
Benedict cupped her cheeks and pulled her closer toward him. “I would never lie to you, my dear. I only want to protect you. Besides, the faster we return to town, the sooner we’ll be able to protect my father from the earl and be married. Come now, let us walk to your room and I will collect the item you borrowed.”
“But what of my aunt? We left her behind in the ballroom.”
“I am certain she will not object to my escorting you.”
She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around him. Lord, how he loved the way she smelled, and the more they stood this close together, the more he wanted to take her to his bed again.
Benedict crushed his lips to hers only to be interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
“There you are. I have been looking all over the place for you two,” Aunt Margaret exclaimed, standing by the door with her arms crossed.
“We were just heading indoors. Estelle expressed an interest in retiring early, so I thought I would talk to her privately before escorting her to her chambers. Would you like to join us?”
“No. I think I will return to the festivities, my dear.” She focused her quizzical gaze toward Estelle. “We will be joining the countess for breakfast with several other guests at eight o’clock sharp. Do be sure to tell your maid that you need to be ready and downstairs by a quarter to eight. We should always arrive before the actual scheduled time. It would be rude for us to keep her ladyship waiting.”
“Yes, Aunt Margaret. I will be down in time in the morning. I shan’t disappoint you.”
Her aunt returned to the room where some lady friends were waiting eagerly to chat with her, while Benedict and Estelle continued on their way up to her room.
Benedict could not ignore the niggling feeling that they were being watched. Yet, the halls were silent, and only the occasional servant passed them. All the guests were downstairs being entertained, while they were alone. He squeezed her hand a little tighter when they reached her door. When he placed his hand on the knob, Mary pulled the door open, nearly colliding into them.
“Oh! I am begging your pardon, Miss. I came to see the room prepared before you retired for the evening. Is there anything I can get you before you go to bed?”
Estelle shook her head. “No, Mary. That would be fine.”
The maid smiled and left them alone, which he found amusing. As inappropriate as escorting Estelle into her room was, he’d never intended to scandalize her, unless, she wanted it to go that far.
“I left it over here, Ben. Honestly, my intentions weren’t to rob the earl. I just wanted to see what belongings remained of Helen. If it isn’t too impertinent for me to say so, I have a feeling she knew of the troubles here. The last time I saw her, she behaved rather odd.”
Benedict closed the door behind him, ensuring he locked it so that they were free from interruption. Halfway across the room as he passed her bed, he felt a cold draft. He looked up to see the windows were closed and the drapes had not moved from their stationary position.
How can it possibly be drafty in here? The fire had been stoked. Something was definitely not right.
“Ben, are you all right? You look vexed.”
Benedict found himself in a daze. Something about this room did not sit well with him, and he could not quite put his finger on it just yet. His attention on the mystery of Estelle’s room broke when she handed him a book. “What’s this?”
“This is the book I took from the attic. It belonged to Helen. I am really sorry if this has caused you any undue stress and poor rela
tions, Ben. Honestly, had I known this trip would end up this way, I would have declined your invitation to accompany you.”
“Do not worry about a thing, dearest. Tell me though, how are you finding this room? There seems to be something off, and I cannot quite place my finger on it.”
She gave him a bemused look. Would she think him crazy for asking such a question?
“Darling, why don’t you come sit next to me on the bed and relax? You don’t look well, and I would not mind curling up next to you. I have missed you terribly since our second night here. Would you mind spending the night with me? That is, you’d have to leave before the servants got up.”
“You do realize if we are caught, your aunt will probably have you on the next coach back to London.”
“Mm-hmm, but I do not mind. We’ll be married soon enough.”
Benedict followed her to the bed, placed the book on the nightstand, and slid up next to her. While they were still clothed, the chill had not quite escaped the area. He reached for a blanket and covered their legs with it. Benedict pulled her into his arms and closed his eyes to rest.
He hadn’t realized how tired he’d been until now, what with the exhaustion from mingling with the others and running back and forth on this large estate. And yet, no matter how much running around he did, when Estelle stood at his side, he forgot all his obligations. How he loved her so.
He felt her breathing slow down; she had fallen asleep in his arms all too easily. If this was what he had to look forward to, Ben knew he had found his mate for life. He’d stay the night with her, giving her comfort in a way that they both needed.
This house began to weigh on him heavily in a psychological manner.
Was it any wonder why Scotland Yard insisted on interrogating everyone? Especially as it had been a year since the earl’s niece had died. He had heard the whispers of a suicide pact, but no one knew for certain.
This house had far too many secrets, and he would discuss with his remaining friends what he knew of the family. Duncan’s family knew the earl’s very well; perhaps he could add some insight to their trouble, finances, and maybe their son’s mischief abroad.
Benedict sighed and found himself drifting off. He knew not of how much time had passed since he’d closed his eyes the first time, but when he blinked them open briefly, the room had gone dark.
“Damn it!”
He heard an oath whispered, and a gust of wind behind him made him shiver. Blast it! I will have to find that draft. I will not have Estelle catching her death.
The room went silent again and Estelle remained asleep—her head neatly tucked beneath his chin—when he sensed they weren’t alone. Darkness shrouded the movement around them, and for a glimmer of a moment, he felt the presence before him at the bedside. A few seconds later, footsteps moved and he heard a door sliding.
Benedict leapt at the opportunity to turn and see the paneled wall next to the bed close. So that’s why it has been so drafty in here. A secret passageway. But where does it lead to, and who the hell is coming in here? It is time to get to the bottom of this.
He’d start immediately, by having Estelle moved out of this room and in with her aunt.
He had enough of all this intrigue. Whoever had given her the laudanum that first night had crept into this room via the hidden passage.
Benedict climbed out of bed and crossed the room to the hearth and lit a new fire. Satisfied with sufficient light, he grabbed a candlestick and placed it on a table near the passage entry. He scanned the wall for some kind of mechanism to trigger the release of the door. Nothing out of the ordinary stood out, but when he slid his palm over a raised etching, a swoosh at his feet and a pop above him alerted him that the panel opened.
He took the candle after opening the door, and lit the way before him, a dark and dank corridor masked in cobwebs, river-rock, and the remains of dead rodents. Lord, ’twas a sight that would frighten any sensible woman. What if the same person that crept into Estelle’s room did the same to Helen? Did the earl know of this passageway, and where did it lead to?
“Ben, where are you? What in the—”
Benedict turned around to find his fiancée standing at the entrance to her room. Tears filled her eyes, and she clutched her chest. “Is…is this how someone got into my room?” she asked in a low, frightened whisper.
“If I had to guess, yes, although, now remains even more questions; who and why?”
“Where does this lead to?”
“I have no idea, but I am not wanting to find out just yet. Come along now, we’ll get you back to bed, and I will take this issue up with our host in the morning. As far as I am concerned, this room is not safe, and the culprit needs to be caught immediately.”
Ben led them out of the hall, and closed the door behind them.
I will find out who’s behind this, even if it is the last thing I do.
After ushering Estelle into her room, he made his way down the hall to find a maid to stay with her, and then he headed into the games room to ponder over his own findings. He couldn’t help but wonder why so many guests attended in honor of George. If they had any lick of sense, they would steer clear of this family, yet was it possible they too were in a similar situation? His own invitation appeared suspicious and if his hypothesis was correct, he was lured here to keep him from interfering with his father’s affairs. What the earl didn’t suspect was that he already knew of the demands made.
Entering into the solitude of the games room, Benedict closed the door and strode toward the massive windows facing south. He pulled back the heavy damask drapery and stared out into the bleakness of the night. A decision had to be made and, when he returned to his room, he’d write several letters and send them posthaste. Two of his friends would receive instructions if anything suspicious were to happen to him and Estelle. Another letter would be sent to his father with promise of his return, and he’d also send a query to the Met asking for an opportunity to meet in privacy, off the earl’s land and away from the deviants that lived in this abode.
If anything was certain, this family possessed the unique talent of putting on airs when there was very much awry. But one could suppose that summarization applied to all of aristocracy.
Chapter 10
Estelle barely slept a wink. For as much as she wanted to jump into conversation with her fiancé, she could not put herself at ease. She sat up in bed, pondering the events of the last few days, attempting to assemble some sort of proper explanation for who instigated this entire intrigue and why, while Ben paced the room until her maid came knocking in the morning. Ben let her in, but promptly locked the door behind her.
“Oh, my!” Mary exclaimed. “This is definitely a scandal in the making. Lord St. John, you shouldn’t be in here.”
“I will leave and return shortly to escort Miss Humphrey down to breakfast. Be sure to lock the door behind me, and do not leave her alone. Not even for a second,” Benedict ordered, rushing out of the room, but not before looking back at Estelle.
The maid nodded and locked the door behind him and turned to Estelle. “What has happened that he is most disturbed about?”
“I will explain later. Just help me into some clean clothing. I cannot believe I slept in this ensemble all night. I feel wretched, and I cannot breathe.”
Her maid made quick work of unlacing the gown, and easing her out of the bustle skirt. Left in her chemise and stockings, Estelle fell back onto her bed and closed her eyes.
“Mary, what do you know of the manor’s secrets and hidden passageways?”
She felt the bed dip with the maid sitting next to her.
“I am not sure I understand your meaning, Miss. What secrets and hidden passageways?”
“I remember being specifically told that the new addition of the house had been added to reclaimed remnants of the old manor.”
“Ah. Yes, now I know what you are talking about. The old wing that was salvaged is this one. The previous lord, Master Cuthbert�
��s grandfather, had the manor restored, but died before he could move the family in. When my master became of age, he inherited the hall and the family has lived here ever since. As for secret passageways, the only one I know of is the old cellar.”
“Where is that?”
“That’s the tricky part, Miss. When this wing was rebuilt, they knocked out the wall and resealed the entire south side of the building. However, I did discover one day there’s another entrance to the original lower level. I only happened upon the entrance as the cook asked me to go and fetch an herb from the garden last minute. I would even wager that to be the old kitchen in its day.”
Hmm. An old lower level. I have to investigate. “Mary, how about you and I go for a stroll later? Pack a picnic basket with a little food, and be sure to pack a candle and matches. I feel compelled that we should go exploring.”
“You’re mad! Explore? After Evan scolding us over a tour? I highly disapprove.”
“Yes, explore.” Estelle wanted to tell her about the passage she found in her room, but considered against it. Whoever came into her room did not want to be found out, and if the deviant had been the same person who killed Gabriel, then it would be best to not give something they’d be able to use against Mary.
“On second thought, Mary, tell me how to get there, and I will go myself.”
“I will not. You must have an escort, or I will not tell you at all.”
Estelle began to lose her patience. “What if I have Ben come with me?”
“Would you really risk everything to learn this manor’s secrets? If you do not mind my saying, Miss, I really think that it is probably best we never speak on this subject again. Now up with you, so I can finish dressing you. We have less than a half hour to get you ready for breakfast.”
Estelle winced as her maid refastened her corset, and stepped away to pull down a fresh gown from the armoire.
It truly had to be a record time in getting dressed, yet she could not stop yawning. Breakfast would not only be a bore, but she could not fathom how she’d remain awake. Her mind travelled over to the discovery of the hidden passage behind the wall.
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