Chapter 24
Verity was not in her feather room when Alaric went to find her. That was strange, as she had hardly left that space for days.
It frustrated him. It angered him. It brought feelings of deep suspicion – as if she might be hiding on purpose. Alaric wanted answers; he was certain that his sister held them, and that she was nowhere to be found implied that she was keeping these answers from him on purpose.
With that in mind, Alaric swept from the feather room and started back through the castle. He walked purposefully, like a storm ready to break, determined that this day would not end until he got from Verity what he needed.
He was halfway to Verity’s bedroom when he heard the scream.
A blood-curdling cry tore through the castle like the screech of a banshee. Alaric felt it in his chest; a hand reaching through and tearing out his heart. He started, almost fell, then searched for its source as a dawn of realization set upon him.
Miss Kavanagh …
Alaric sprinted in the direction he thought the scream had come from. Down the corridor, deeper through the castle, his heart racing with rising fear because he was certain who that scream belonged to. What was more, he thought he knew the cause.
The noise had come from his wife’s reading room; not a huge surprise, as her death had been the cause of much pain these past two years, and even more this week. So why not continue with the horror?
“Miss Kav –” Alaric started as he burst into the room.
He came to a sudden halt when he found Miss Kavanagh standing frozen by the window. Her eyes were wide, her face was drained of color, and Alaric exhaled with relief because she was not hurt.
“Oh, thank God!” He strode toward her. “I thought …” Then he trailed off as the realization struck him a second time.
His gaze switched from Miss Kavanagh’s fear-struck face to the window where she stood. A coldness descended upon him. And that scream …
“I do not know what happened,” Miss Kavanagh stammered. “Lady Verity … she was by the window … she slipped. Oh God, she just fell.”
“No …”
The relief Alaric felt at seeing Miss Kavanagh alive and well vanished, and he raced to the window. There, he grabbed hold of the windowsill and leaned over the drop; the wind harried him, whipping his hair and face, almost warning him to stay back.
It was Verity who had fallen. She lay sprawled in the hedges that lined the walls of the castle.
Her body was limp, her limbs were bent at awkward angles, and for the briefest of seconds, Alaric felt the world crash and burn as if the end of days had arrived and nothing might drag him from this nightmare.
Then, blessedly, he saw movement.
“Verity!” he cried. “Verity, are you …” Alaric considered for less than a second. The fall was great, the danger was real, but he simply did not care. “Stay here,” he said to Miss Kavanagh as he stepped to the edge of the window.
“Lord Thornwyck, what are you –” Her question was cut short as Alaric leaped from the window.
The ground rushed at him quickly, as the sky fell away.
Alaric braced, knees bending with his fall as he landed roughly in the hedges.
The twigs and the leaves scratched his face.
The fall was jarring, and the wind was knocked from his lungs.
He landed, tumbled, and rolled onto his side, but quickly scrambled to his knees.
“Verity!”
“Alaric …” She spoke in a pained whisper. “What … oh …”
He was on her then.
His sister had fallen, and it would have been life-ending were it not for the hedges that softened the blow.
Her face was scratched and bleeding. Her arms were sprawled, and while her legs were bent, on closer inspection they were not in a position that suggested a break.
Most importantly, and this was what Alaric focused on, she was alive.
“What happened?” Alaric crouched down by his sister and gently took an arm and draped it over his shoulder. “Verity? Speak to me!”
She was dead weight, and his knees trembled as he lifted his sister into his arms. But as he did, she moved her other arm over his shoulder, and while her breathing was ragged, the fact that she could move at all was something for which he was grateful.
Thank God. If she had died … I do not know what I would have done …
Alaric had sought his sister earlier because he had questions. He had felt anger toward her, great suspicion, and all he had wanted was for her to finally speak the truth. But now …
Such thoughts swept through Alaric’s mind as he held her close. He had lost somebody who he loved already in this life, and Alaric did not think he was strong enough to lose another.
“Come on.” He gritted his teeth as he stepped back from the hedges. “Let us get you somewhere safe.”
As Alaric readied for the walk back into the castle, his sister in his arms, he looked up at the window where he found Miss Kavanagh watching. How had she been alone with his sister? What was she doing in his wife’s writing room? And why did tragedy always seem to follow her?
Alaric carried Verity through the castle. As he did, the staff fell upon him. They heard the scream and were desperate to know its cause.
“Send for a doctor!” he demanded as he carried Verity through the halls. “Now!”
He reached Verity’s room and carried her to her bed. Verity had not spoken once since he found her, and while her eyes were closed, her breathing was steady.
Gently, he laid her on the bed …
“Oh …” She winced as he peeled his arms free. “What … Alaric …” Slowly, she opened her eyes, and a smile found them when she saw him standing over her. “It seems I took a fall.”
He nodded, and even managed a smile to see his sister in reasonable spirits. “Is that what happened, Verity? How on earth did you manage such a thing?”
Before she had a chance to answer, Verity’s eyes flicked over Alaric’s shoulder, and a shadow passed behind them. Alaric heard the floorboards creak, and he spun, not surprised at all to find Miss Kavanagh by the door.
“Is she …” Miss Kavanagh’s face was pale, and her body trembled.
“She is fine,” Alaric said. There was no warmth in his voice, and no relief at finding Miss Kavanagh in the room.
Once, there would have been. Not so long ago, she was a source of light in the darkness that was his world.
But something was wrong here, and Alaric sensed his sister’s silent warning.
“Mr. Carrow has sent for a doctor, and he bid me to tell you that he will arrive shortly.”
“Crispin.” Verity’s voice croaked.
“What?” Alaric turned back.
“Crispin.” Verity reached for Alaric; her grip on his arm was weak. “He was attacked by that wretched dog. Wounded, no doubt.”
“He was?” Alaric frowned in question at Miss Kavanagh. Miss Kavanagh looked away, the guilt on her face undeniable. “How? Why?”
“He will need tending to,” Verity continued weakly. “Please, Alaric. Whatever you may think of him, have the doctor attend to his wounds.”
Alaric scoffed. “His wounds should be the least of his concern, Verity. And certainly, the least of yours. You require aid.”
“I am fine.” She grimaced and pushed herself to sit.
Her face was scratched and bleeding, her hair was a rotten mess of twigs and leaves, but she did not appear nearly so broken as she could have been.
“Please, Alaric. Crispin first.” She widened her eyes at him as if in warning, before directing them at Miss Kavanagh.
Alaric had no idea what was going on, but he knew his sister well enough to infer what she wanted.
“Yes, you are right.” Alaric gritted his teeth, with no desire to send help to his cousin, but understanding the true reason. “Miss Kavanagh, tell Mr. Carrow to send the doctor to Lord Crispin first. I will stay here with my sister until then.”
“I …” Miss Kavanagh hesitated as she glanced between Alaric and Verity. There was deep concern in her eyes, but not for Verity’s health or well-being. “As you wish.” She bowed once, looked pleadingly at Alaric, then turned and hurried from the room.
Once Miss Kavanagh was gone, Alaric sat beside his sister.
She remained sitting up, no longer frail, possessed of strength that should not have surprised him. Only she could have fallen from a window, almost died, and somehow managed to look as if the hedges that had broken her fall were lucky to still be in one piece.
“Verity.” Alaric took her hand and held it to his chest. “You scared me, Sister. Damn terrified me, in fact.” He shook his head at her but made sure to smile. “Please, do not do that again.”
Her smile was curt. “It is nice to know that you have it within yourself to care for me so, Alaric.”
“Of course I do,” he said. “How could you think otherwise?”
“Lately, it does not seem as if you do. All you seem to care for …” Her expression turned cold. “Is that woman. While everyone … those who have known you for your entire life, are ignored.”
He groaned. “Verity, can we for once talk about anything other than Miss Kavanagh? You almost died, and that you did not is a miracle. Why not focus on the positive, rather than searching for reasons to fight?”
“I am not searching, Alaric.” She snatched her hand back. “And were you not so blind, you would understand why Miss Kavanagh’s name has found my lips just now. What is more, you would know without having to ask.” She looked pointedly at him, and Alaric’s stomach fell as his blood turned to ice.
No … she cannot mean … surely not?
“Tell me what happened,” he asked her with a grimace.
“What is the point? You will not believe me.”
“Tell me,” he said again, his expression as dark as his tone.
“You know what happened,” his sister snapped. “You know it in your heart – I warned you about her, Alaric. Time and again, I have tried to make you see the truth. What will it take for you to finally listen to me?”
Alaric said nothing, because he was terrified of the answer that would come when he did.