Wesley turned around and cracked open the door.
He paused.
There were unmistakably two men standing there: Lord Valemount, and Dr. Wright, from the ship.
Wesley’s gaze darted from Valemount, to Dr. Wright, and then back to Valemount. “Oh,” he finally said.
Dr. Wright gave him a very tight smile. “Now we get to see howyoulike someone barging in.”
“What?” Wesley said inelegantly.
But Dr. Wright had already shoved his way in, with more strength than Wesley had expected. A moment later, an uncapped bottle was right under Wesley’s nose, a pungent ether-like odor in his nostrils.
“What the hell—” he started to say.
But his vision was going black around the edges.
And then the world was dark.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sebastian followed Lady Nora down the hall and into a different hall, and finally into a small study along the back side of the manor. “Close the door, if you please,” she said, as she stepped toward the study’s tall, narrow windows.
He did, pulling it shut behind him. “Are you feeling better?”
“Please. I’m obviously not sick. I needed to do some investigating.” Nora was staring out the glass, at the gardens and manor grounds. “I saw you.”
Sebastian froze, still by the door. Seen him what? WithWesley? “Lady Nora—”
“With the two strangers, one tall and one short, heading through the gardens toward the mausoleum.” She looked over her shoulder then, at him. “I haven’t told anyone yet,” she said, her serious gaze on him. “But I know those two are not among the guests. And I think you owe me an explanation of what you were doing and why they were here.”
Sebastian bit his lip. “We were searching for someone,” he finally admitted.
“I see,” Nora said lightly. “And did you find thissomeone?”
Sebastian weighed his next words carefully. They still didn’t know her motives, or her relationship with Dr. Wright, whoever the doctor truly was. But they needed an ally and Sebastian’s gut continued to think he could trust her.
“No. But we think we know where we’ll find him.” Sebastian swallowed. “In a grave.”
Nora’s eyes widened. Her gaze flitted over his face, like she was weighing his expression. “You’re serious?” She frowned. “Who?”
“A man from my past, a murderer and a torturer that I knew in very unpleasant circumstances,” Sebastian said. “But we think he may have been murdered himself, and that his murder could mean something even worse to come.”
“My word.” Nora looked shocked. “But who—wait.”
Her eyes narrowed. Then she abruptly strode forward, and Sebastian had to hurriedly sidestep out of her way as she went up to the door behind him and grabbed the handle.
She yanked it open, revealing Geoffrey, whose eyes went almost comically wide.
“Mr. Collins.” Nora stepped back, her own eyes still narrowed. “Do you make a habit of listening at keyholes?”
Geoffrey raised his chin. “Apologies,” he said brusquely. “But sometimes needs must.”
“Really?” Nora said flatly. “And what necessitated spying on a private conversation?”
“The need for some bloody answers.” Geoffrey glanced down the hall, then back at Nora and Sebastian. “May I come in?”
Nora huffed, but stepped back, letting Geoffreyenter and shutting the door behind him. He still wore his hunting coat, and Sebastian could see his revolver clearly holstered on his hip.
