Chapter One
Stanbury, Yorkshire, England
Voices, loud and frantic, woke Evie with a start.
Is it morning? She blinked and turned her sleepy eyes toward her window, the curtains of which had been left open to let in the moonlight.
But the earlier moon had vanished, and the night was as black as a cave.
A sudden shrill cry tore through the house, and she bolted upright, her heart pounding.
Am I dreaming? Then she heard Papa’s heated voice, though his words were inaudible.
A cacophony of male tones followed. What is happening?
Evie rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Can it be Alfie?
She had not heard her brother Alfred return home before she’d fallen asleep, but that was nothing unusual.
He was a young man of twenty, and ever since he’d finished his schooling at eighteen, he’d enjoyed the freedoms that came with his sex.
Unlike Evie, who’d just reached her eighteenth year, he could not be expected to sit quietly and sew or read until bedtime.
On most nights, Alfie, along with his best friend Hugh Hadley and many other local men, frequented the Olde King’s Head in the village.
He didn’t stay out late often—especially during the colder months when the days were short, and the wind whipped madly on the moors.
But it was early autumn yet, and although they’d had some rainfall over the past few days, the moon had been out when he’d left home, and the winds had been calm.
More than that, Alfie and Hugh would have been celebrating.
After all, what could be better than learning that one’s best friend was about to become one’s brother?
A storm swirled in Evie’s stomach, and despite her apprehension, she could not hold back her smile. She was secretly betrothed! And soon to be Mrs. Hugh Hadley.
The tumult coming from downstairs grew louder, and it did not sound joyous. The hairs on Evie’s neck and arms prickled. Fear climbed up her spine. Had Papa somehow learned of her betrothal early? Did he disapprove? Impossible! Hugh is already like family.
The Hadleys lived high up on Stanbury Moor in a stately hall.
Hugh had grown up alongside Alfie, and the two had been inseparable since childhood.
That is why he had chosen to reveal their betrothal to Alfie first—even before asking Papa for his blessing.
Alfie’s approval was equally, if not more, important than Papa’s—or so they’d thought. Now, Evie was not so certain.
Or perhaps it is Alfie who disapproves. Evie’s stomach clenched.
Hugh had been a constant presence in her life—a mischievous little boy and later a young lad who was forever at her brother’s side.
He’d always been kind to her, but it was Alfie’s company he’d wanted.
Until one day, he started looking at her differently, and she at him.
He was no longer the skinny, dark-haired little boy who hunted for tadpoles in streams and ran amok on the moors with Alfie.
He had turned, almost overnight, into a handsome gentleman with soulful dark eyes, a charming smile, and a muscular physique.
She had grown too—from Alfie’s little sister into a young woman.
And Hugh had made it clear to her that he’d noticed the change.
Since then, things had never been the same.
Evie’s life was transformed. Her days, once occupied by sewing, reading, and long, solitary walks on the heath, were filled with a thrill and excitement she’d never thought possible.
They’d kept their growing feelings for each other a secret for the longest time—not because they wanted to hide their love, but because the secret had been too delicious to share.
The months of furtive glances and accidental brushing up against one another had led to a kiss in the garden and were followed by several clandestine meetings on the moors during the warmer months.
Hugh had felt a certain guilt for keeping their romance from Alfie, but Evie had convinced him to hold onto their secret for longer than he would have liked.
She’d not experienced much excitement in her life, while Alfie had had a world of it—even trips to London.
It was selfish of her, she knew, but she’d never experienced such a whirlwind of emotions before.
She’d never known such happiness, such bliss, could exist.
Then one evening, as they lay together in a patch of purple heather, watching the moon, he’d asked her to marry him.
She’d answered by giving him all of herself—her chastity belonged to him.
That is how certain she was of becoming his wife.
And now, finally, Alfie had been included in their happy news.
And soon the celebrations would begin. Why then did she hear frantic shouts below?
You know why. A sinister voice in her head warned.
Evie shivered. “Go away!” she hissed.
You heard the phantom carriage of the ill-fated lover on the moors and the wailing of his grieving betrothed, the voice persisted. It’s a bad omen. It warns of separation. You tried to ignore it, but you cannot. You and Hugh are doomed lovers.
“No!” Evie whispered into the darkness.
Unable to take much more, she pushed her covers aside and stepped out of her warm bed onto her soft sheepskin rug, ready to go downstairs and find out exactly what was afoot.
But just as she took a step forward, the door to her bed chamber opened.
Mary, the housemaid, entered her room, a candle illuminating her terror-stricken face.
She looked like some sort of ghoul from one of Evie’s childhood nightmares.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Evie asked, her heart beating down the walls of her chest.
“I’m not sure, miss, but it’s summat bad. They are all downstairs. I knew you’d hear the fuss and thought you’d be afeard. That’s why I came to dress you.”
“Dress me? Whatever for? It’s…” She glanced at the black night outside her window. “What time is it?”
“Well past midnight, miss. But there’s gentlemen an’ farmers gathered downstairs. I shouldn’t want you down there in your nightgown.”
Her galloping heart suddenly skipped a beat. “Gentlemen and farmers? How many? Why?”
Hearing the sudden commotion of horses neighing and stomping outside, she didn’t wait for Mary’s answer and instead turned and ran to the window.
There she saw firelight bobbing about, coming from men on horseback, carrying torches.
They were heading out toward the moors. Still more men were mounting their horses in the yard, ready to join the party.
They’re searching for someone. A storm seemed to invade Evie’s body as she began to quake and tremble. Had something happened to…
“I think it’s summat to do with Mr. Hugh and Master Alfred, miss.” Mary sounded almost hysterical. “I don’t know for sure, but that’s what it sounded like. Mr. Hugh came here banging down the doors, looking like he’d seen the devil himself.”
“Hugh? He was here?” A mixture of terror and relief took hold of her. Hugh was safe. But what of her beloved brother? Had something happened to him? “Are you saying he came here without Alfred?”
Mary’s lip trembled, and she shrugged. “I think so, miss. I dinna see Master Alfred. I only heard a great ruckus. Then your papa came downstairs and ordered our Bertie out of bed. He told him to ride to the Olde King’s Head and round up some men.
Not long after, the men come flooding in, shouting something fierce.
I was worried for you, miss. Thought you’d be afeared and run downstairs in a state of undress… unmarried as you are…”
Evie had heard enough. She rushed forward, grabbed the candle from the maid’s trembling hand, then raced out of her bedchamber.
“Miss!” Mary shouted as she dashed down the stairs.
*
The men had all gone. Only her mama remained in the drawing room. She sat on the settee with her head in her hands, and Evie could see from the way her shoulders shook that she was weeping.
“Mama!” she cried, feeling very much like a frightened little girl again. Her beautiful, strong mama never wept. Never.
The panic that Evie felt transformed into ice-cold fear when her mama turned her tear-stained face to her and uttered the words, “They say a bog took him. A bog swallowed my boy.”
Evie’s body went rigid as her mind processed her mother’s words.
A bog? Swallowed Alfie? Impossible! Deep peat bogs could be dangerous traps, for both humans and animals.
Stepping into a large one could mean sinking fast. But Alfie knew how to navigate the moors.
Besides that, he hadn’t been alone. He’d been with Hugh.
And Hugh would never have let him go under.
Another heartbreaking sob escaped Mama’s throat.
Evie put down her candle, rushed to her mother, and wrapped her arms around her. “Don’t fret. They’ll find him, and bring him home safe,” she said. “I’m certain of it.” She had to be. There could be nothing else. Alfie was fine. It was all just a mistake.
They sat holding each other for a long while. Finally, Evie heard hooves and a horse whinnying outside.
“Someone is here,” she said, jumping to her feet. “Perhaps it’s Papa, returned with Alfie.”
“Alfred!” Mama cried. “Alfred!” she yelled again as she ran past Evie and out of the drawing room. Evie followed as Mama raced down the hallway to the front door and pulled it open. “It’s him!” Mama cried. “It’s really him!”
Evie’s heart lifted as she followed her mother outside.
Alfie’s bay gelding, Apollo, stood a few feet from the manor’s entrance.
“Alfie,” she cried, running forward. But her brother was not on his horse or anywhere nearby.
Apollo still wore his saddle, and his hooves and legs were caked in mud.
It was clear the animal had returned home without his owner.
Mama collapsed onto the ground beside the horse, sobbing.
Evie sank beside her mother and clung to her. “Don’t despair. Papa won’t leave Alfie out there. They’ll be home soon. You’ll see. It won’t be long now.” She buried her face in her mother’s neck and silently prayed.