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“He also had a fairly extensive arrest record and a reputation as a strong body. None of the locals like him, since he had a nasty habit of not paying his debts. But they were all paid in full once he was hired on by Wardale. A few people assumed he was acting as Wardale’s personal lackey, even though his official position was gardener, something I’m told he wasn’t really qualified for. It caused lots of talk in the village. But I suspect Wardale valued loyalty above all else, even his landscaping.”
Rafe’s eyes widened. “How did you uncover all of this so quickly?”
Henry shrugged. “Hero status does have its benefits, especially around the local pub. Everyone wants to slap you on the back and buy you a drink. Once they start talking, it’s rather easy to bend the conversation as you wish.”
“And I gather no one said anything about threats or separatists.”
“Not a word. There were a few people who grumbled about an Englishman buying the castle, but nothing unusual. It was Brodie they focused on. Some thought Wardale didn’t know about Brodie’s past. A few others assumed he knew exactly what he was getting, and that made me suspicious. So I did some digging into the king of the castle. Did you know that for the last several years most of his building permits were blocked either by the local council or for violating some government ordinance? Sometimes the courts got involved, but in the end Wardale always got what he wanted. And quickly.” Henry gave him a pointed look. “It wasn’t surprising to me that a man of his stature would grease the wheels, but he never lost. Ever. Even when there was a clear case against him. That signaled that something else beyond mere bribery was afoot. I wasn’t terribly surprised when you mentioned the blackmail in your message.”
Rafe shook his head. “But the sheer scale of it, Henry. And the people involved. It’s…it’s a disgrace.”
“Yes, but it isn’t your mess to clean up,” he said gently.
“I can’t ignore it, either,” Rafe shot back. His chest had started to tighten again, just as it had while Sylvia was berating him. Why didn’t either of them understand?
“Of course not. But I don’t think that’s your only motivation here.” Henry paused and took a breath. “I think you’re protecting Gerard.” He held up a hand as Rafe began to speak. “I understand, in a way. Despite everything, he’s still your brother. But he sent you up here completely in the dark, knowing what Wardale was.”
“He was desperate,” Rafe protested. “Wardale intended to ruin him.”
“And why is thatyourconcern? If the tables were turned, Gerard wouldn’t lift his pinkie finger to help you.”
“Because I’m better than him,” Rafe growled.
“Yes,” Henry agreed. “And you don’t need to keep proving it.”
Rafe inhaled slowly until the tightness in his chest released. Henry was his friend. He’d had a hellish year. And Rafe valued his help. But he didn’t have to explain himself to him. To anyone.
“You’ve made your point. Can we move on?”
Henry watched him for a moment, but there was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. “Of course. Tell me what I can do.”
***
As Sylvia fled the library, she nearly knocked down a gentleman.
“I’m so sorry.” She reached out to help him, but the man’s hand wrapped around her arm to steady her instead.
“Careful, now. If you topple over, I’m afraid I won’t be much help,” he said with a wink and gestured to his cane.
Sylvia blushed and finally got a proper look at him. The man wasn’t much older than her, with a rangy build, dark blond hair, and a pair of arresting brown eyes. He wasn’t exactly handsome, but his angular features were striking, nonetheless. After a moment Sylvia realized she had been staring and blushed again.
“Thank you. I won’t keep you from Mr. Davies.” Her voice grew hoarse as she spoke his name, and the man’s eyebrows rose, clearly noticing her distress. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak Sylvia gave him a brief nod and continued on her way. That was enough embarrassment for a first meeting.
As she continued down the hallway, she met Georgiana, who shot her an accusatory look.
“I was just coming to meet you. Why didn’t you tell me you were going to speak to Mr. Davies?”
Sylvia shook her head, still distracted by her argument with Rafe. “It wasn’t planned. I didn’t know he was in the library. Then he came out and saw me standing there.”
Georgiana glanced past her shoulder toward the library. “Is it true? Is Captain Harris here?” That got Sylvia’s full attention. “The naval hero?” She’d never before seen the strange mix of apprehension and interest on her friend’s face. “I think I just met him now. You know him?”
“No,” Georgiana immediately burst out, then bit her lip. “Well, yes. But it was years ago. In London.”
That sounded awfully suspicious. But before Sylvia could say more, Georgiana tugged her into a nearby alcove. “Never mind about that. Tell me what happened with Mr. Davies. And Mr. Wardale. I assume there’s far more to the story than what I heard last night.”
Sylvia’s natural instinct to evade surfaced, but she pushed past it. She was so tired of hiding everything. She had done that for far too long. Sylvia explained most of what had occurred since she had received the first blackmail letter, but she couldn’t yet speak about Rafe. Not while her heart was still breaking.
By the time she had finished, Georgiana’s eyebrows had nearly reached her hairline.
