Forty-four
Evangeline kissed Jonathan goodbye at dawn. It was hard to believe they had shared their wedding night in this room only a few hours earlier.
“Are you sure Uncle Charles should accompany you and Crispin?”
“We’re outnumbered without him, love.”
Jonathan wrapped her in his arms, hugging her tightly. The delicate scent of sweet almond oil lingered in the air, and she closed her eyes, wishing fervently to return to their earlier blissfulness rather than risking everything.
When he released her, he said, “Your uncle is stronger now.”
She nodded. He had regained much of his strength after several good meals. She was probably being overprotective. And perhaps he would be an asset when Jonathan had to face Lord Dominic.
“I’m sorry about Dom. You trusted him and considered him a friend.”
He turned away to collect the water bladder from the desk. “We were colleagues.”
His tone was even, detached. But she had seen his face when he read the letter. There had been a camaraderie between the men that went beyond simple colleagues. Lord Dominic’s betrayal must be a terrible blow. She understood Jonathan needed to close off that part of him now.
Once he had gathered his saddlebag, he smiled and walked up to her. “Show me your Wing Chun moves. I want to know you can fend off advances from admiring young men in my absence.”
“The only young man at the villa is four, and he won my heart long before you did.”
“Blasted Taavetti. Looks like I’m destined to always be second choice.”
“Never!” She pecked a kiss to his cheek. “You’re my only choice, and I love you.”
His playful smile faded. “I love you, too. Soon this will be over, and we can start our life together.”
“Forever.”
He pulled her close again, burying his face in her curls. “Forever,” he murmured and kissed her once more.
After the men rode out on horses from Lord Dominic’s stables, Evangeline couldn’t fall back to sleep.
She peered out of the window to find Sophia’s bedchamber across the courtyard aglow.
Her sister would be worried for Crispin, too.
Instead of fretting in isolation, they could keep each other company.
She dressed quickly and grabbed the oil lamp to find her way to the other wing without walking into a wall. As she reached the main staircase leading to the ground floor, the end of the corridor lit up. Sophia rounded the corner carrying her own lamp.
“You couldn’t sleep either?” her sister asked.
Evangeline shook her head. “I should be dead asleep. I’m exhausted.”
“An excellent wedding night then?” Sophia asked.
Evangeline smiled. “It’s memorable.”
“Yes,” Sophia said, sighing wistfully, “and partly for the wrong reasons.”
A sharp yip on the stairwell caused Evangeline to jump.
Cupid dashed up the stairs to paw at Sophia’s skirts.
Evangeline took her lamp, and Sophia scooped the tiny poodle into her arms. He wriggled until he could lick her face.
She sputtered, laughing as she turned her head side to side to avoid the onslaught.
“What are you doing here, naughty boy? You’re supposed to be guarding Aunt Beatrice.”
“Why do I need a guard?”
Evangeline jumped a second time. Aunt Beatrice was standing at the landing with one more flight to climb. “Auntie, where is your lamp?”
“Pfft! I can see perfectly fine.”
Sophia’s eyebrow arched, but she and Evangeline held their tongues. Their great-aunt was stubbornly opposed to wearing spectacles and probably couldn’t see a peacock if it landed on her lap even if she did.
“I heard footsteps overhead,” Aunt Beatrice said, “and I suspected my girls needed me.”
“We always need you, Auntie,” Sophia said.
Evangeline agreed and suggested they wait for the men’s return in Jonathan’s private sitting room.
“May I join?” a quiet voice floated up the stairwell. Regina appeared at Aunt Beatrice’s side. “My hunger growls were going to wake Xavier if I stayed in bed.”
“What a treat to have all my girls.” Aunt Beatrice linked arms with Regina to climb the last flight.
When they entered the sitting room, Evangeline opened the shutters. Muted sunlight peeked over the clay rooftops of neighboring villas, slowly erasing shadows in the courtyard.
Leda was stooped over the garden bed, pinching off herbs and dropping them into the basket hanging from her bent arm.
“It appears the kitchen is open,” Evangeline said while watching a groom fill a bucket of water from the cistern and haul it through the gate en route to the stables. How many horses did Lord Dominic keep?
She turned her attention back to her family. “I imagine Mrs. Georgiou can manage an early breakfast, Gigi.”
“I hate to bother her,” Regina said.
Aunt Beatrice clucked her tongue. “You need to eat, dearest. I’ve been told small meals eaten frequently prevent morning sickness.”
Regina patted their great-aunt’s hand resting on the sofa between them. “Fortunately, I haven’t been ill for nearly a week. I hope I am past it.”
Xavier stalked into the sitting room with the pistol holstered on his hip. His alarmed expression disappeared when he spotted Regina sitting next to Aunt Beatrice on the sofa. “I turned over in bed, and you were missing.”
Regina’s cheeks pinked. “I woke early and didn’t want to disturb you.”
“She is hungry,” Evangeline said, “but she doesn’t want to trouble the cook by asking her to perform her duties.”
Her older sister wrinkled her nose. “Why must you make it sound worse than it is?”
“By stating the obvious?” Evangeline shrugged. “Facts are facts.”
“I’m sorry, ma chérie, but I agree with your sister. I will visit the kitchen and blame my own appetite.”
“Ask if there are any sweets from last night,” Aunt Beatrice said as he headed for the door.
“The baklava,” Evangeline added. She never did satisfy her craving last night, not with the interruption.
Alone again, Evangeline asked about the journey from home. She’d been too caught up in her heartbreak to ask after her family, which was truly embarrassing now.
“There isn’t much to tell,” Sophia said. “We played a lot of whist.”
Aunt Beatrice cocked her head, raising her eyebrows in Sophia’s direction.
“And we did a lot of knitting. Auntie insisted we all need baby blankets.”
“A mother’s intuition,” Aunt Beatrice said with a satisfied nod.
Regina smiled and rested her hand on her stomach. Her pregnancy was just beginning to show.
It felt good to be with her sisters and Aunt Beatrice again.
“I really missed you both,” Evangeline said to Sophia and her aunt. “Being separated these past several weeks has me questioning whether I want to be far away for a dig. Perhaps my interests should be directed closer to home.”
“England is rich with history,” Aunt Beatrice said, “and I would love to keep my girls close.”
“Sir Jonathan is an antiquarian,” Regina interjected, “and so are you. I expected you would travel together.”
Evangeline reclined against the seatback, her feet propped on a footstool. “Someday, but I believe all this time abroad has made him weary. He’s ready to set down roots, as am I. When he wants to explore again, I’ll be by his side.”
“Hackberry found him a right gem, aye?”
She and her sisters gasped, whipping around to find a man blocking the doorway—the one who had chased her into the protestors at the market. Her heart sped.
Aunt Beatrice squinted at him. “Is that Lord Dominic?”
The man tossed his head back, cackling and displaying a mouthful of missing and rotted teeth.
Sophia screwed up her face. “Ew,” she said under her breath.
“Never been taken for nobility before.” He sketched a mocking bow. “Call me Lord Wolfe if you like, Miss Allred.”
“How does he know my name?” Aunt Beatrice whispered to Regina, but she didn’t answer. Her gaze was locked on Farrin’s man, mentally assessing for vulnerabilities like Uncle Charles had taught them.
“My husband will be back any moment.” Regina’s voice was strong, commanding.
Wolfe clicked his tongue sympathetically. “Afraid he’s not coming back, sweetheart.”
Color leached from Regina’s face, and she covered her mouth like she was going to be sick.
He was lying. There was no blood on him. Evangeline stood, drawing his attention away from her sister. “What do you want? Our uncle isn’t here.” She scanned the side table for a weapon, but it was clear.
He stepped into the room. A low growl rumbled in Cupid’s chest.
“I watched him leave, yeah? Thought Hackberry and Margrave were smarter than to leave their brides unprotected. Right nice wedding it was. Had a clear view from the doctor’s window.”
Evangeline grabbed a pillow, holding it in front of her like a shield. He sighed, cocking his head and frowning.
“You look just like my little sister. This ain’t what I want, yeah? But I have orders.” He withdrew a short dagger from his jacket. “Now don’t go thinking this is any of your faults.”
Aunt Beatrice snapped her fingers, and Cupid shot off the sofa. Evangeline flung the pillow in his face. The poodle clamped down on Wolfe’s ankle, and he yelped.
“Run!” Evangeline shouted, pointing toward the door leading to Jonathan’s bedchamber.
Sophia and Regina tugged Aunt Beatrice from the sofa.
Wolfe swung the blade at Cupid. The poodle dashed out of reach, and the knife sliced through Wolfe’s trousers, nicking his shin.
“Shite!”
Scrambling around the sofa, Evangeline ran toward the adjoining room with her sisters and aunt. Cupid whipped past to follow Aunt Beatrice.
Evangeline darted into the corridor last. Wolfe barreled through the sitting room doorway, slamming against the bank of windows.
“Go, go, go!” She urged her family toward the servants’ staircase, but Wolfe was on their heels.
Aunt Beatrice was faster than expected and led her sisters toward the back of the villa. Evangeline lifted her skirts out of the way and ran after them.
Wolfe’s heavier footsteps thudded behind her. He huffed with exertion, the stench of his breath assaulting her nose. She pushed herself harder. They were almost to the stairwell.
A hard yank on her skirts jerked her backward. Her feet flew out from under her.
“Not this time,” Wolfe growled.
She screamed.