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“And you say he was shot—by a thief.” Damen frowned. “How do you know it was a thief?”
The guard gave an uneasy cough. “We don't know anything, not for sure. No culprit's been found. Still, Knox's valuables were missing. So my guess is, it was a thief. Unless you have proof that says otherwise.”
“I don't.” Damen raked a hand through his hair.
“No attempt was made to break into Medford Manor,” Mahoney reminded him. “So I doubt it was the intruder we're guarding against.”
“Unless the intruder never got a chance to break ii because Knox scared him off first. Or unless he had no intentions of breaking in, but was just scrutinizing the estate, watching Breanna's comings and goings There are a dozen 'unlesses.' But none of them is worth a damn. They're pure speculation—not enough to get Bow Street to ride out here, much less to take action.” Damen began pacing about the entranceway.
Mahoney eyed him speculatively. “I've sent for a constable, sir. He'll take all the information and make arrangements for the body. If there's anything you think he should know—”
“No.” Damen halted, gave a hard shake of his head, “There's nothing. Nothing but a bad feeling. And that's not evidence.”
“No, sir, it's not.” Mahoney cleared his throat. “If you'll excuse me, I'll- get back to my post. I've got to calm everyone down, make sure the constable arrives—”
“Go.” Damen gestured for the guard to leave. “Do what you have to.”
“Did Mr. Knox have a family?” Breanna broke in, her fingers laced so tightly together, they ached.
“Yes, m'lady. A wife and two grown sons.”
“His wife... she's been told?”
A terse nod. “Her sons live nearby. They'll help their mother out, to the best of their abilities, anyway But they have families of their own and—”
“Tell Mrs. Knox we'll take care of her expenses,” Breanna interrupted. “ All her expenses, from a proper funeral to whatever she needs -clothing , food—anything. And please, tell her how sorry we are.” With a choked sound, she averted her head.
“I'm sure she'll appreciate that. I know my wife would.” Mahoney paused, staring down at the tips of his shoes. “Lady Breanna, if you'll forgive me for speaking out of turn, stop blaming yourself. Knox knew the risks of his job. We all do. Most of the time we beat the odds. But once in a while—we don't. The thief pulled the trigger, not you.”
Unsteadily, Breanna nodded. “Yes... the thief.”
A heavy silence descended.
“I'll be going now,” Mahoney said at last. “If you need me, send for me.”
Wells shut the door behind the retreating guard. “You don't think it was a thief,” he said to Damen, a statement rather than a question.
Damen's stare was brooding. “If it was, his appearance was extremely coincidental, wouldn't you say?”
“Yes, I would.”
Breanna spun around, faced the men. “You think it was ...he. Well, so do I.”
“I think it might have been he,” Damen corrected her gently.
“If it was, his message is clear,” Anastasia pronounced, worry glittering in her eyes. “He's showing us no guards can keep him away.”
“Then we're prisoners.” Twin spots of red stained Breanna's cheeks, and she looked almost as angry as she did fearful. “We can't go out, we can't protect ourselves ...” She shot Wells a purposeful look. “We certainly can't have that party. It's too risky. We'll have to cancel it.”
“Even if we do, that's still no guarantee we'll be stopping him from doing whatever it is he intends to do.” Anastasia's palm drifted automatically to her abdomen as if to protect her unborn child from harm.
Damen followed her motion, and felt his gut clench. Perhaps they were all overreacting, letting their imaginations run wild. But for his family's sake, for the sake of his own peace of mind, he couldn 't take that risk.
Abruptly, he made a decision.
“I've got to ride into Town.” He reached for his topcoat.
“To Town? Why?” Quick as a wink, Anastasia was beside him. “Damen, what are you planning?”
