AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Georgiana shook her head, marveling at the revelation. “But he’s made the same accusation of Mr. Davies. The guests are nearly ready to take up arms over it.”
Sylvia’s blood went cold. “Tell me.”
“He claims that Mr. Davies has been collecting information to blackmail the guests since he arrived and that the gardener found Mr. Davies accosting you in the labyrinth. The man was killed in the struggle.”
Sylvia stubbornly shook her head. “No. No, that isn’t true at all!”
But it would be much too easy for everything to be pinned on Rafe. Hadn’t he warned her about this very scenario mere hours ago? Wardale was giving her the chance to maintain the alias she had given up so much to create. To remain nothing more than quiet little Sylvia Sparrow, an unassuming lady’s companion. At the cost of Rafe’s life.
“Mr. Davies must be protesting this.”
Georgiana shrugged. “As far as I know, he’s refused to say anything until the authorities arrive.”
Sylvia pressed her palms against her face. Two weeks ago it would have been unthinkable that she would even consider destroying the meticulously crafted life she had constructed. And all over anearl’sson. But she sensed Rafe wouldn’t say anything that would implicate her, even if it meant saving himself.
So Sylvia would simply have to do it.
She shot up from her seat so quickly that she startled Georgiana.
“Where are you going?” she called after her.
“To save Mr. Davies. And make sure that Wardale gets what he deserves.”
Georgiana gave her a puzzled frown. “How are you going to do that?”
Sylvia paused by the doorway and looked back at her friend. “By telling the truth.”
“No, Sylvia. Don’t get involved,” Georgiana called after her. “You have so much more to lose. Mr. Davies can take care of himself!” But all her reasonable points faded in the darkness as Sylvia marched up the staircase toward the study, prepared to defend the man she loved.
***
For the second time in as many days, Rafe found himself tied to a chair but under much more unpleasant circumstances. He hadn’t even bothered trying to convince the men who surrounded him of his innocence. Each one looked prepared to tear him limb from limb—not that Rafe could blame them. Wardale had made a fine show of dragging himself back into the castle just as Rafe had emerged from the kitchen. A group of guests had found their host dirt-covered and bedraggled and throwing all kinds of accusations at Rafe, ranging from assault, to blackmail, to murder. The men had hustled the both of them upstairs into Wardale’s study, where he immediately produced the notes Rafe had given him detailing unsavory details of nearly every person in the room.
“I had my suspicions about him for days now and found these in his room,” Wardale had explained. “When I confronted him, he tried to escape. But poor Mr. Brodie went after him. What a brave man.” He then let out a theatrical sigh and cast his eyes downward.
It was an incredibly damning performance.
Wardale was now talking in a low voice to Lord Caldwell, who had proved to be the most levelheaded man in the room so far, as his only skeleton was a rather expensive penchant for betting on the ponies. But then Wardale glanced over and caught Rafe’s eye. His lips curved in the subtlest smirk, and a new wave of anger thundered through Rafe.
He inhaled slowly to calm himself.
His best chance was to remain silent in the face of Wardale’s accusations and wait until he could speak to someone who might actuallylistento him.
That is, if he even made it out of this room.
He tried to shake away the dark thought, but it stubbornly remained. Wardale had evidence that could support his claims. Unless Gerard decided to speak out in support of Rafe and implicate himself, it was his word against theirs.
Not bloody likely.
Just as hope began to seep from him, the sound of racing footsteps came from the other side of the study door, followed by furious knocking. Someone opened the door and Sylvia burst in.
Rafe’s entire body tensed. Dammit, she shouldn’t be here. He glanced over at Wardale, who looked only slightly perturbed. Some of his claims against Rafe depended upon Sylvia’s silence, but if she decided not to cooperate, he could just as easily destroy her.
“Miss Sparrow,” Lord Caldwell began. “We are all grieved to learn of what you endured at the hands of this brute, but you should be resting now. This is no place for innocent young ladies.”
Sylvia stepped calmly into the center of the room and raised an arm to point at their host.
“The only brute in this room is Mr. Wardale. He has been blackmailing me for weeks. I told Mr. Davies, and he helped me uncover the truth. When we tried to leave, Mr. Wardale stopped us. Then Mr. Brodie—”
