by Rebecca King
He knew exactly how they were going to end up – married. But now was not the time or place to talk about marriage and happy ever afters. Elspeth had, after all, buried her brother just over a month ago. She needed time, and a little space to grieve and come to terms with her loss.
At the same time, though, Aaron could see no reason why she should not come to terms with the fact that she was not alone, and never would be.
“What now?” Elspeth asked. “What do we do about the investigation? Do you think there is any merit in the thought of Frederick and Voss working together to try to get their hands on this house?”
“I do. We have to find out what is so important about the house, though.” Aaron frowned at her. “Do you know of any village gossip about new people coming into the area?”
Elspeth shook her head. “I confess I have neither had the means nor the will to venture into the village much at all.”
Aaron winced. He knew it was because she had no money to purchase anything from any of the shops, most of whom wouldn’t sell her anything anyway because of the unpaid bills.
“Well, I think we have to go and have a word with your cousin. He will have to tell us what is so damned important about this house,” Aaron sighed.
“I am sorry,” Elspeth said suddenly when she heard his heavy expulsion of breath.
“You didn’t ask for any of this. I am hardly going to leave you to deal with it. I have nothing else to do. This kind of investigating is what I have done for the last several years. It is a damned rum deal if I am prepared to spend so much of my life investigating criminals to protect the innocent lives of others, but don’t do anything to protect the woman I l-” Aaron broke off and mentally winced at just how close he had come to declaring his love for her. “Care about.”
Elspeth’s gaze sharpened. Her heart did a funny little flip upon hearing his swift change of wording. She wanted to believe he had intended to say the word ‘love’ only for something to change his mind. The last thing she was going to do was ask him about it, though. She couldn’t face the humiliation if he denied it.
“Thank you,” she murmured gently.
“Thomas was my friend, Elspeth. I have to find out why he died so suddenly,” Aaron replied.
“You don’t think it was an accident?” Elspeth asked. She felt sick at the thought that someone might have intentionally hurt him.
“I think the timing is odd. Thomas dies unexpectedly, then Frederick and Voss start making their lecherous intentions toward you known, and their desire to get into this property swiftly becomes evident,” Aaron murmured and slowly shook his head.
“It’s murder then,” she whispered in horror. It wasn’t a question.
“It looks like it,” Aaron said sadly. “It is important you do not do anything that will put you in any kind of danger. I know what I am doing and have the men at my back. What you did tonight was probably wander into a killer’s house. What would you have done if he had stepped out of the shadows with a gun, or a knife? Screaming inside his house isn’t going to bargain for your life. If Voss is a killer, he would have no hesitation in murdering you.” Aaron felt a white-hot rage build deep inside. The very thought of that scenario being played out was enough to make him want to tear his hair out. He shook his head at her. “From now on, let me and the men go out on the nightly forays. Please?”
“But I cannot just sit here and do nothing,” Elspeth protested.
“Maybe you should be thinking about this house, and what might be so appealing about it that Voss and Frederick are prepared to murder for it,” Aaron suggested. “I don’t care what you do, go through everything, search everywhere, look at all of your father’s old papers, we have to check the attics, and old boxes, and cases for anything that might be hidden. We have to check everything, Elspeth, if we are to find out what they want. It isn’t just the bricks and mortar here, that much is certain. There is something more.”
“Do you think they might believe the three thousand pounds is here?” Elspeth gulped at the thought that she might have spent the last several weeks living in the house with so much money directly over her head, and not even realised.
“I think it might be hidden in here somewhere, yes. We haven’t checked the attic yet,” Aaron said.
“But Thomas left as soon as he had been to the bank,” Elspeth protested.
“No. Someone saw him leave, but that isn’t to say he didn’t come back when nobody was looking, or nobody noticed him returning to the house briefly. He could have come and gone without even you knowing, Elspeth. I mean, he is hardly likely to stroll in here with a bag containing three thousand pounds tucked under his arm, and calmly announce to you that he is going to stash it in the attic where it is safe, is he? You would have a conniption,” Aaron muttered.
Elspeth wanted to argue, but knew he was right.
“Do you think he came back?” she asked hopefully.
“I think we have to keep searching. Something is here because you are stunning, gorgeous in every way, and definitely marriage-worthy, but enough to kill for?” Aaron shook his head. “There is more.”
His gut told him there was a lot more to this mystery, and his gut was never wrong.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Night,” Aaron whispered at her bed chamber door. He bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
Elspeth gasped, and instinctively leaned toward him. “Promise me you will get some sleep as well?”
“I promise,” he smiled. It was wonderful that she was concerned for his welfare. “The men will too when they get back.”
“What is it?” she asked when she saw his hesitation. Her heart skipped a beat when his gaze fell to her lips. She was doomed to disappointment, though, because he began to speak rather than kiss her as she had hoped.
His smile dimmed for a few moments. “I have to go home to check my paperwork. I need to see if Thomas left me any note or parcels or anything. Would you come with me?”
He wanted to get her out of the house for a while, if only so the men could ransack the entire house without her being aware. If they went through everything with a fine toothcomb Elspeth would never know. They could also go after Voss and Frederick and challenge them, and Elspeth would be safe, and well away from the area.
Elspeth nodded without even realising she had moved. “I need to get out of here for a while, I think. Maybe we cannot see what is directly under our noses because we are so close,” she suggested.
Aaron nodded. “I think a bit of distance from here might make us see things a bit more clearly, I agree. It is important we go and find out if Thomas left me something. What we are looking for might be waiting for me at home.”
Elspeth smiled, and was suddenly flooded with unexpected excitement. She had never been to Aaron’s house before and looked forward to being able to see where he called home.
“I should like that,” she breathed.
Aaron smiled and couldn’t resist the urge to press another kiss to her lips.
“Get some sleep. We will go first thing in the morning. We should reach my house by mid-day if we set out early. The quicker we get there the sooner we can get answers,” Aaron urged softly against her lips.
Gently, after one last kiss, he slowly released her and made his way to his own bed chamber further along the corridor. He wanted nothing more than to follow her into her bed chamber, and claim her as his once and for all, so there could be no further doubt in her mind as to the solidity of their future together. A part of him wanted Elspeth to want more from him. For now, he was prepared to wait for her to realise the kisses they shared were not enough to assuage the growing hunger between them. Until that time arrived, he had to be patient, and remain content with the knowledge that he was at least several steps closer to persuading her to take a chance on a future together.
Elspeth let herself into her bed chamber and closed the door behind her. Alone, in a cold and empty room was the last place she wanted to be right now. It remind
ed her of the bleak days of her life between Thomas’s death and Aaron’s arrival. She couldn’t bear to even contemplate how desolate her life had been then.
With a sigh, she found her thickest shawl and let herself back out of the room. Quietly, she made her way back downstairs to Thomas’s study. At his desk, she sighed heavily but picked a handful of the closest papers and began to read.
At some point during the night she must have fallen asleep. Whatever it was that woke her made her jolt instantly to awareness with the distinct knowledge that something was wrong. She was not alone. It was odd because when she opened her eyes there was nobody else in the room. But Elspeth knew she was being watched, and it wasn’t the welcome, comfortable feeling she usually had when Aaron was near. Frozen, Elspeth blinked sleep out of her eyes and listened to the frightened pounding of her thundering heart. She struggled to contain her nerves. Her mind raced for something she could use to protect herself from whoever was standing behind her. Elspeth knew someone was nearby. She could feel their presence. Besides, the small hairs were standing up on the back of her head, and there was a cold breeze flickering across her bare shoulder.
Closing her eyes, she began to pray that it was all a figment of her imagination. She was still asleep, she had to be. But she wasn’t. She knew she was wide awake, and this was no dream.
In one smooth motion, she gasped, vaulted out of her chair and spun around. Lunging toward the hearth she lifted a heavy poker and held it aloft only to whirl around and find nobody there. What she did see, but only for the briefest of seconds, was a figure, dressed entirely in black, standing on the other side of the window. It wasn’t the figure that drew a scream from the very depths of her soul – it was the face she recognised instantly: Thomas.
Aaron vaulted out of bed without even giving himself the opportunity to blink sleepily. He bolted for the door only to realise he hadn’t got a stitch on. With a curse, he staggered around for a few moments while he viciously tugged his breeches on, and yanked the door open with such violence it ricocheted like gunfire around the house. Minutes later, he slammed to a stop outside of the study door with his gun in his hand.
“What?” he demanded of Oliver, who was already in the room with Elspeth.
Elspeth was staring blankly at the window, her face as pale as the moon outside. She lifted a shaking hand at the window, but without uttering a word, slithered to the floor in a dead faint.
“What in the Hell?” Aaron dropped his gun and lunged across the room to catch her before she hit her head against the solid stone of the fireplace. Cursing virulently, he slowly lowered her to the floor.
“It looks like she was terrified into a dead faint,” Oliver muttered.
Jasper lifted the window and peered outside, his frown heavy. He swore when his gaze dropped to the ground beneath the window.
“Wait a minute.” Jasper hurried out of the room, oblivious to the fact that his chest and feet were bare. Minutes later, he was back.
“Someone was out there. There are boot marks in the soil,” he warned them.
Quickly, he closed the shutters. Everyone then turned their attention to the still unconscious woman before the fireplace.
“Elspeth?” Aaron murmured. He gently lifted her into his arms. “Elspeth?”
Elspeth moaned when she woke up. She didn’t want to leave the comfort and warmth of the place she was in. It protected her from something that was hidden just out of sight; something that had shocked her to her core and left her stunned, horrified, and confused all at once. But Aaron’s voice persistently calling her name compelled her to fight off the darkness and blink her eyes open.
“Thank God,” he breathed when he saw her regain consciousness.
Elspeth’s gaze flew to the now shuttered window. Tears stung her eyes. All she could do for a moment was blink tearfully for several moments while she tried to make sense of what she had seen.
“Where are you going?” Aaron asked when she wriggled out of his embrace.
Rather than answer, Elspeth awkwardly pushed to her feet, hurried over to the window and slid the shutter open so she could look outside.
“What did you see?” Aaron’s voice was harsh.
He was full of fury toward Frederick and Voss whom he suspected had startled her by staring at her through the window. For a woman all alone in a room, being made aware of a dark shadowy figure encased in a cloak only a few feet away must have been a terrifying experience. Still, Aaron struggled to comprehend why it should upset Elspeth enough to make her faint.
“I don’t think I believe it myself,” she whispered.
Aaron wandered over to her. “What? Who was it?”
Elspeth looked at him with fearful eyes. “Thomas,” she whispered. “It was definitely Thomas peering through the window. He was wet, as though it had just been raining.”
“It has been raining,” Jasper warned.
His gaze met Aaron’s. Aaron struggled to contain his emotions and worked hard to keep his gaze impassive as he studied her.
“You are not normally taken to flights of fancy,” he said. “But are you sure it was him? It wasn’t just a figment of your imagination? Were you asleep?”
“Yes, but I knew I wasn’t alone. Something woke me. I felt someone watching me. When I stood up, I whirled around and saw him with his face pressed against the glass. It was definitely Thomas.” Elspeth cried openly such was the raw pain that coursed through her. “Why? Why would he do something like lead me to believe he was dead? How heinous could anybody be?”
“We don’t know if it was him yet, or someone you thought looked like him,” Jasper warned.
“We have to search the garden,” Oliver declared firmly. He turned to Aaron. “We will go. You stay here with Elspeth.”
The men left the room. Aaron turned to Elspeth and led her over to the chaise before the fire. Once there, he took a seat beside her and chafed her hands, not least because he had to do something with the energy that raced through him. He wanted to run in several different directions at the same time such was the state of his chaotic thoughts. What he did instead was force himself to remain perfectly still and calm. He had to gather facts that would lead them to a more logical conclusion, he was sure of it. It just wasn’t practical or reasonable to think Thomas might still be alive.
“Tell me, Elspeth? Did you see Thomas when he was brought back to the village?” Aaron asked quietly.
Elspeth jerked and looked at him. Slowly, she shook her head.
Aaron cursed. “Why not?”
“Word came from the doctor in the village where he was found that the casket wasn’t to be opened because the body was in a bad state. He had been killed in a carriage accident, Aaron, everyone advised me not to view him,” Elspeth replied.
“It’s understandable,” Aaron murmured absently.
Elspeth saw the doubt in his eyes and glared at him.
“I know what I saw.” Her voice hardened. “It was him.”
She was angry right then. Coldly, furiously, livid.
“If he is alive, I am going to bloody kill him,” she swore suddenly.
Aaron grinned at her. “Get in line because I will be right in front of you. We can beat him up together.”
“Why? Why would he do this?” Elspeth cried. She had to stand up and pace. She was so restless that sitting still was just not an option.
“It has something to do with Voss and Frederick,” Aaron knew. “I just hope to God he isn’t going about his own investigation.”
Elspeth looked sharply at him. “Do you think that’s possible?”
Aaron shook his head. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly.
“Are you still going home tomorrow?” Elspeth asked.
“Do you not wish to come with me now?” Aaron frowned.
Elspeth considered that. “Will you be able to get there faster if I am not with you?”
Aaron nodded.
“Go alone. I am going to stay here. If he does appear again,
I am going to bloody club my stupid brother to within an inch of his worthless life,” Elspeth bit out.
Aaron huffed a laugh because he adored this new feisty side to her. Despite her anger, Aaron began to understand why Elspeth had fainted. He was reeling from the suggestion that Thomas might still be alive, and he hadn’t seen the deathly faced of a supposedly deceased relative peering through the window, apparently alive and well. At least her discontent made her stronger, and less inclined to faint again should Thomas re-appear.
“Jesus. How could he do this to us?” Aaron hissed.
“For three thousand pounds and a property, anybody would,” Jasper announced from the doorway.
“But the money and property are already his. Why would he need to hide the money he already owned? From who? I can’t touch it. There is nobody else able to touch it. I just don’t understand.” Elspeth paced backward and forward with such resolute determination that Aaron stood and planted himself in front of her. She had no choice but to stop or walk around him.
“Calm yourself,” he urged. “You have to stay calm and think very carefully. Are you sure it was Thomas you saw, and it wasn’t just wishful thinking?”
He hated to have to be the one to break her belief that it was Thomas she had seen, but there was nobody else to do it. The last thing he wanted was for the men to look at the possibility that Thomas might still be alive only to discover he was dead, and that Elspeth was mistaken. He knew the false hope would redouble the depth of her grief, and just couldn’t do that to her.
“I will set out before first light,” Aaron yawned. “Just promise me that you will stay inside today. I will be back late, but I will be back.”
Elspeth nodded. “How do we go about finding out if it really was Thomas who died?”
Aaron sat thoughtfully for a few moments. “I would advise you against getting your hopes up. I want to say that it was him, but you are still grieving, were half asleep, it is still raining outside. Maybe you mistook the figure for Thomas because that is what you want to see? I am not saying Thomas is dead. We do, of course, have to check to make sure it was him. To do that, we need to speak to the doctor who signed his death certificate and see if he can remember him. Even if the descriptions match, we have to make sure there is a body in that coffin.”