Secrets 03 - Shattered Secrets

by Lana Williams

  Lucas had never seen her move so quickly. He grabbed a book and ran forward, hoping to kill one of the creatures.

  “No.” Addie rushed into the room, her braid bouncing behind her. “Don’t hurt them. They’re our pets.”

  Amelia arrived in a more stately fashion. “Addie, I told you this was a terrible idea.”

  Lucas paused in his search to address them. “You are both in serious trouble.”

  Addie scowled in response. “Amelia, you are not helping. Look for the mice, please.” She carried a basket and searched under the couch on her hands and knees.

  “Girls, I am quite disappointed in your behavior,” Mrs. Tollers said, her voice trembling as she continued to glance about.

  Lucas shook his head. While he’d kept a mouse or two as a pet when he was little, he was surprised to learn that Addie and Amelia did.

  How could the pleasant, well-mannered little girls he’d met two days ago have turned into these trouble-makers? He could not convince them to behave for the life of him. No wonder the previous governesses had quit.

  “We’re terribly sorry. Truly we are,” Amelia said as she shared a look with Addie that warned Lucas next time they’d try harder to disrupt his day and not be caught.

  He knew what part of the problem was. He’d overheard the girls speaking in their room yesterday. What to do about it was another issue entirely.

  Indulging them would mean further risking his own sanity and peace of mind. Dare he?

  “There’s one.” Addie scrambled after it. Much to Lucas’s amazement, she snatched the squirming creature by its tail. “Got it.”

  Amelia searched behind the settee then lunged forward. “I have the other.”

  Within a few short moments, the girls had both mice stowed in the basket with the lid tightly in place. It took several more minutes before Lucas could convince Mrs. Tollers to step down from her post. When he finally handed her down, she was shaking.

  “You both owe Mrs. Tollers an apology, then you will clean up this mess.”

  “But—”

  Lucas held up his hand as Addie began her argument. The girl argued about everything. It was exhausting. In all honesty, he was surprised his brother had tolerated such behavior. Perhaps he’d been more indulgent with his daughters than he’d been with Lucas. Or maybe he’d tried to keep Lucas out of trouble with their father and Lucas hadn’t realized it at the time. That was an interesting thought to ponder at another time.

  “Did I request a response?” Lucas cooled his voice and leveled them a stare that had them both dropping their gaze to the ground. He did his best to hide his grudging respect for the pair. “This type of behavior is unacceptable. You will place the mice in their cage and return immediately to clean the library. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, Uncle.” Their voices sounded in unison, and their unhappy expressions matched. They trailed after one another out the door, whispering furiously.

  “I’m terribly sorry, my lord,” Mrs. Tollers said. “They are normally so well behaved.”

  “So I’ve been given to understand.”

  As Mrs. Tollers departed toward the kitchen, Tiago appeared in the door and studied the disaster.

  “Your filing system needs additional organization, señor.”

  “It needs less disruption from two little girls.”

  Tiago nodded. “Their efforts are quite impressive. And resourceful.”

  “They also set mice loose in here. Neither Mrs. Tollers nor I cared for it.”

  Tiago chuckled, his dark eyes sparkling with humor.

  “I fail to see anything humorous about the situation.” It annoyed Lucas to no end that his glare never worked on Tiago.

  “Come now. Even you must see how clever the twins are. Each one is intelligent and creative, but together they are a force with which to be reckoned.”

  “If you admire them so much, why don’t you keep watch over them? That would solve many of my problems.” Lucas paused, hoping Tiago would agree. Surely the man could keep the girls occupied and out of trouble. He owed Lucas his life—the care of two young children should be more than a fair trade.

  Tiago flashed his most charming smile.

  Lucas scowled. He knew all too well what that smile meant.

  “I am sorry, señor, but I must decline. While it is my pleasure to serve you, there are some things I simply cannot do. Playing nanny to two little girls is one.”

  “How convenient.” Lucas had yet to determine the exact nature of what Tiago would and wouldn’t do. As far as he could tell, Tiago chose his list on a whim.

  “Obviously, you must contact Miss Dorsey.”

  Lucas lifted a brow, surprised Tiago had drawn the same conclusion he had. “Why do you say that?”

  “She is the reason the girls have taken such action. They have decided she is the one they want in their lives. You must make this happen.”

  “You think I need only hire Miss Dorsey as a governess and the girls will behave and be happy?”

  “Life is never that simple, as you and I both know. But it’s a good place to start, no?” Tiago shrugged.

  Lucas sighed. Tiago could be trusted to tell the truth even when Lucas didn’t want to hear it. “I’d rather not involve Miss Dorsey.”

  Tiago smiled again, his teeth bright in his dark face. “That is truly a shame. She is a beautiful, unattached woman. Smart, lovely, and quick. A good match for you, actually.”

  Lucas felt darkness descend over him like a wave, smothering all light. “Damn.”

  Tiago’s smile faded. “Señor, I meant no harm.”

  “I know.” But he couldn’t push away the despair that rolled through him so completely. This was one more side effect of the aura reading, or perhaps a result of the electromagnetic blast that he’d endured ten years past. One more reason he feared he was slowly, inexorably, losing his mind. The bouts often occurred without warning and took a terrible toll on Lucas, exhausting him inside and out.

  Lucas sank to a nearby chair and breathed slowly as his head pounded, threatening to split in two.

  “May I get something for you, señor?

  “No.” Lucas rubbed his temple, realizing his plan for the afternoon had just changed.

  With a sigh, Tiago reached for the door. “I will check on Mrs. Tollers and the girls. Then I will return to assist you.” He shut the door behind him with care, quite used to Lucas’s bouts.

  With slow, careful movements, Lucas rose to pour himself a brandy from the decanter on a nearby sideboard. Any sudden movements would send a sharp pain through his skull. Sometimes alcohol helped. Other times it made the pain and darkness worse.

  He dearly hoped it was the former today.

  *

  Moira sighed. She finally had some time to herself. She should be enjoying it or catching up on correspondence or paying a visit in the village. But no. She sat at the little desk in her father’s study, staring out the window, wondering how Addie and Amelia fared.

  She’d spent several hours with them yesterday and knew they were fine. Perhaps not completely happy, but doing well. Luckily, she hadn’t caught sight of Lucas when she’d paid her visit. That was no surprise, really. With his brother’s passing, he must have many details of which to take care.

  Now was her chance to focus on her own life. As she’d helped Markus with the girls over the past few years, she’d realized how much she wanted a family of her own. But thus far, she hadn’t met a man who caught her interest, at least not one with whom she could envision spending the rest of her life.

  Her father had told her she needed to make more of an effort. She’d been so involved with the twins, she rarely attended local social events. She’d lost touch with many friends as well.

  No more. While she’d been willing to help Markus, she was not willing to help Lucas. No matter how much she loved Amelia and Addie, she couldn’t do it. Nor would Lucas welcome her.

  Markus had been a good father, but his daughters needed a mother.
No one understood that better than she. Her own mother had died when Moira was only eight. Her maternal grandmother had moved in with them soon after and provided the nurturing Moira craved. Sadly, she’d passed away several years ago. ‘Death is part of life’ her father often told grieving people. That might be true, but the words made loss no easier to bear.

  Markus had dealt with his share of grieving as well, having lost his parents a few years after Lucas left, then his wife in child birth. He’d been busy managing his holdings, serving in Parliament, and other duties required as an earl. He’d finally decided it was time to find a new wife and had been spending more time in London with the hope of offering for a suitable lady.

  His senseless murder still brought tears to her eyes. How anyone could do such a terrible thing was beyond her. The police had yet to solve the crime and no one had an answer as to why it had happened. Most likely a desperate thief attempting to rob a rich lord, the police report had suggested. That answer was far from satisfactory to Moira, but there was little she could do to resolve it.

  Moira knew her father had long ago given up hope that Markus would ever make her an offer of marriage. Not that she would’ve said yes. Markus had not been for her. She’d known that forever. But oh, how she’d hoped Lucas would be.

  Such silly childhood dreams she’d had.

  Now she was a woman grown and needed to forge her own life away from the shadow of the Stanby family. She’d been involved with them far too long. Separating herself from the girls was the hardest part. Lucas’s return had created a need for it though. Spending a little time with them every day eased the pain, and she hoped it did for the twins as well.

  “Miss?”

  Moira looked up from her musings to see the maid at the door.

  “Mr. Buttons is here to see you.”

  She rose in surprise as Nigel Buttons, her long time friend, entered the room. “Nigel, how lovely to see you.”

  “How are you?” His gaze darted about the room as though he was quite nervous about something.

  “Quite well, thank you. What brings you by?” He obviously had something on his mind.

  Nigel was two years her senior, tall and thin with blue eyes and blond hair. Though she enjoyed his friendship, his general indecisiveness was rather annoying. There seemed to be little point in exchanging further pleasantries when he was so distracted.

  “I heard you’d returned home from the manor so thought it the perfect time to pay a call.” He rubbed his hands together but didn’t meet her gaze. “How is Berkmond?”

  She hesitated. That was a complicated question, and one to which she had no answer. Lucas was nothing like before but she had no intention of speaking of him. “He seems…well.”

  “Moira,” Nigel said as he turned to face her. “You may remember that I mentioned my mother is most anxious for me to take a wife.”

  Nerves danced in her stomach at what she feared was coming. Or rather what she hoped was coming. Panic filled her as she realized at that moment, she wasn’t certain what she wanted. Marriage and a family had always been in her future plans, but did she and Nigel like each other enough to spend the rest of their lives together? Why did an image of Lucas fill her mind instead?

  “I wanted to ask…” As he paused, she frantically searched her mind for a response. “If you…if I should…”

  She waited, still uncertain what her answer would be.

  “I’ve decided to ask for Miss Thomas’s hand in marriage.” He turned to pace a few steps before facing her. “Do you think my offer will be welcome?”

  Moira could only stare at him as relief mixed with regret. Part of her envied Sarah Thomas. “I’m certain it will. She thinks very kindly of you.”

  He grinned and took her hand. “Thank you. That’s very helpful. You are a good friend, Moira.”

  She wanted to cringe at that word. What was there about her that caused men to think of her as a friend but not a potential wife?

  “She’s wonderful, don’t you think? I’m trying to decide the best way to propose. I want her to realize how very special she is.”

  Moira’s heart squeezed as Nigel went on about Sarah, wondering if anyone would ever feel that way about her.

  At last Nigel took his leave, wishing her a good day.

  “Moira?” Her father’s voice called from the hall. “Was that Nigel?”

  “Yes. He told me he intends to offer for Sarah.”

  Her father frowned at her for a long moment. “I thought he might offer for you.”

  “Apparently he thinks of me as a friend rather than a potential wife.” She smiled, hoping to hide her hurt.

  Her father’s gentle blue eyes held hers as he patted her shoulder. “You are a good friend to many. You’ve become everyone’s favorite sister.”

  Moira managed a smile. She was starting to think marriage was not in her future.

  Oblivious to her despondency, her father reached for his cloak. “I’m going to visit Mrs. Henderson as she’s feeling poorly. Would you care to join me?”

  His eyes crinkled at the corners, the lines there deeper than she remembered. He was only a few inches taller than she, his back already stooped with age. His gray hair was mere wisps across the top of his balding head. When had he aged so much?

  “Of course.” Moira had missed calling on the villagers with him. Spending more time with her father was one of the advantages to being home once again.

  “Perhaps you’d consider making one of your remedies for Mrs. Henderson’s arthritis.”

  If she couldn’t find personal happiness, at least she found satisfaction in helping others. Somehow, she had to make that be enough. Her grandmother had taught her much about healing, and she enjoyed preparing herbal treatments for the ills and aches of the people in their parish.

  “Certainly. Are her knees causing her problems again?” Moira retrieved her cloak from the peg in the foyer as they moved toward the door.

  The afternoon passed quickly as she and her father visited several villagers, mostly the elderly or those down on their luck. As vicar, her father offered encouraging words and prayer. While most seemed to appreciate it, one or two obviously wished for something more substantial.

  Her father’s income was slim, but she knew they could put together small baskets of food for several.

  “Perhaps you could mention to Lord Berkmond that Mr. Willers is in need of assistance. He is in a better position to help him than we are,” her father suggested as they left the old man’s small home.

  “Oh, well, I’m not certain I feel comfortable bringing up something like that to him.” Moira did not want to speak with Lucas anymore than necessary. Certainly not to ask a favor, even if it was on behalf of a villager.

  “Nonsense,” her father said with a wave of his hand. “You and Lucas have been friends since you were young. You’re the perfect person to speak with him. Mr. Willers needs repairs on his roof as well as some good meals. That would help him considerably.”

  Her father hadn’t noticed the change in her relationship with Lucas when she’d reached sixteen. But then, he’d been unaware of many things when it came to her. He assumed she was perfectly capable of working out everything on her own.

  She told herself that was true. She could do most anything she set her mind to. While reminding Lucas of his obligations was nothing she looked forward to, she had planned to visit Addie and Amelia this afternoon. Surely she could manage to have a casual word with Lucas about Mr. Willers’ needs.

  Never mind the idea of doing so made her stomach tighten with nerves.

  Soon after they’d returned home, she departed for the manor, her heart racing at the idea of speaking with Lucas.

  The autumn weather was unseasonably warm, and she smiled in appreciation. This was one of her favorite times of the year. The oak grove had turned gold and orange and red, creating a lovely backdrop for the small lake on the property.

  Had Lucas noticed the view? Had he missed it? She couldn’t i
magine living in a place like Brazil. She’d read quite a bit about the country and wondered what exotic plants and animals Lucas might have seen. What had he done over there all this time? His life must be quite different there. He was anxious to return, so he must enjoy it.

  The thought made her sad, for it seemed there was nothing that would keep him here.

  She let herself in the kitchen door, not wanting to bother any of the footmen by ringing the front bell. After greeting the cook, she came upon Mrs. Tollers in the hall.

  “The girls are at it again, miss,” the older woman advised her.

  Moira nearly groaned. “What happened?”

  As Mrs. Tollers explained, seeming particularly horrified by the mice involved, Moira sighed. “Those two are incorrigible. What did Lord Berkmond say?”

  “He was quite displeased. He wanted them to put the mice back in their cage then return to clean the mess they made.”

  “Good. We can only hope that will make them think twice before they decide to create such mischief again, although I’m not certain how well it worked last time.”

  “When they returned to the library to do as he asked, the door was locked. I’m not certain what to make of it.”

  “Odd.” Moira couldn’t think of why he’d order the girls to clean then not allow them admittance. “They can’t very well learn their lesson that way.”

  “Has his lordship mentioned if he’s begun the search for a new governess? The girls need someone to keep them busy and out of trouble.”

  “I need to visit with Lord Berkmond on another matter,” Moira said, already regretting her promise to her father. “I will ask him then.”

  “I’m not certain he’s receiving visitors.”

  Though tempted to latch onto that as an excuse to avoid him, she told herself it would be best to get her conversation with him over. “I’m hardly a visitor. I’ll speak with him before I go upstairs.”

  Moira turned the corner toward the library determined to speak with Lucas. The twins needed the supervision of a qualified governess who could engage their minds and energy. Not even Mrs. Sutfin, who’d left the day Lucas returned, had managed to do that. Now that he’d experienced the chaos Amelia and Addie could inflict, surely he realized how important it was to have someone who could engage their interests.