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December 21, 1819
Belle’s plan to not grow too fond of the captain hadn’t gone as anticipated, for he’d thrown himself into creating paper snowflakes yesterday without complaint. Even when Mathieu had run off with two of his creations. Now they were being hung on the ballroom ceiling with fishing line and tacks, for she wanted a magical effect for the Christmas Eve ball.
More decorations would be placed later today, which meant she would supervise the footmen and maids, but while she adored such work, a part of her wished to find Hawk and spend that time with him. Then she berated herself for a fool.
Once his mission is over, he will leave, Amelia. Best keep your heart aloof.
On her way to the study, the sound of books tumbling to the floor in the library caught her attention. What on earth was happening? She frowned and entered that room, only to discover Philip standing at one shelf and methodically removing volumes, flipping through them, and then dumping the books on the floor.
“What are you doing?” Already, a small pile of books lay scattered about, some opened, some closed, and others with cracked spines. “Some of those volumes are very old.” It was a tragedy, to be sure. Belle scurried over the floor and began retrieving as many books as she could hold.
“I am looking for something, and I don’t require your assistance.” Annoyance wove through Philip’s voice. He never once glanced her way but continued to search through book after book.
“Stop it!” She laid the stack of books on a nearby rose-inlaid table. “This is destruction of property, and I won’t have it.” To say nothing of the fact that her brother-in-law stunk of brandy. Not yet teatime and already he was well on his way to being inebriated. Perhaps that had prompted his behavior.
“I will remind you I am the lord and master here. That means I can do what I want with anything beneath this roof.” His tone brooked no argument. “Where is the treasure, Amelia?”
Oh, dear.The best thing she could do was pretend she didn’t know what he meant. “What are you talking about? At the risk of sounding trite, isn’t the treasure found within the books you have so carelessly thrown to the floor?”
“Spare me such drivel.” He half turned toward her with narrowed eyes. “The treasure allegedly hidden on this property. I have reason to believe there are great riches possibly buried on these grounds. It is here somewhere, and I am not convinced you are innocent in the knowledge therein.”
This was not a positive development, and even if she knew the location of the treasure, she wouldn’t have told him. Unease pushed down her spine. Instead, it was probably best that she attempt to distract him. “You are not here to take over the reins of this estate, are you? Perhapsthat’sthe treasure you should seek.”
He snorted. “And what? Wait years for a fortune to be made through the usual means? Collect rents that are never raised?” With a shake of his head, Philip waved his hand. “No. My brother was an idiot in that regard.”
“Becoming the Viscount of Ravenscroft is your heritage. It is your right as Laurence’s brother to take up where he left off. Why not grasp that honor and make something of yourself? Do something that leaves a lasting legacy?”
The look in his eye sent curls of apprehension into her belly. “I have certain debts that require immediate payment, and quite frankly the Ravenscroft coffers don’t hold what I need. That has been quite the disappointment over the years.”
Belle shook her head. “Then you shouldn’t have wagered what you didn’t have.” The feeling of unease continued. Surely, he hadn’t helped her husband’s death along merely to gain access to the estate, but Laurence had died of an infection, hadn’t he? Fear played icy fingers down her spine. Should she dig deeper and perhaps discover a horrible truth? She both wanted to know and didn’t. “I have taken care of this property for the past five years, Philip. If you have no intentions of tending to your estate or tenants, I respectfully ask you to leave. People depend on you, and quite frankly, you have a responsibility toward them.”
“That is your opinion.” The man moved so fast she hadn’t anticipated him. When he caught her wrist in one hand and tightened his grip, she whimpered as pain went through that limb. “It would behoove you not to tell me what I should do.” Anger flashed in his eyes. It lined his face as he invaded her personal space. “If you were clever, you would tell me what I want to know, for I think your sudden engagement to the captain is suspect and has nothing to do with love or romance.”
“How dare you.” Belle attempted to tug her wrist from his grasp, but his grip was like iron. Renewed fear shivered down her spine. Since she knew next to nothing about Laurence’s brother, she could only speculate if he was a violent man. “You know nothing of what my life is, for you have been absent from that as well these past five years.”
“Now you know how I feel.” For one terrifying moment, she could have sworn he would have either shoved her back against the shelf or slapped her, but instead, he stood there, with his fingers still encircling her wrist and fire in his eyes. “Laurence shouldn’t have cut me off when he took the title.”
“Ah, so that is the crux of your displeasure.” Again, she tried to wrench from his hold, but he was having none of it. “You do not care about your family; you merely want coin. That’s the real reason you came back.”
“And I expected that my meek and docile siter-in-law would have let me have the run of the house, but instead I find a woman with a backbone who questions everything.” Anger glinted in his eyes that were so much like Laurence’s. “I cannot help but wonder why that is.”
“Don’t be silly. I haven’t changed that much.” Had she? Heat infused her cheeks, for she’d become more outspoken and daring since she’d met the captain.
“Never try to con a man used to gambling, Amelia.” He quickly wrenched her wrist behind her back and yanked it upward, grinning when she cried out against the pain. “Something changed with you the second Captain Hawkins arrived.”
She snorted and hoped the fear circling through her insides didn’t reflect on her face. It wouldn’t do to give him the upper hand. “You weren’t even here when he came.”
“Do not think to protect him.” Another tug on her arm had more pain streaking up that limb. “Something odd is at play here, and as of yet I haven’t puzzled it out.” He put his face close to hers. The scent of brandy on his breath turned her stomach. “I don’t know why you and he are lying.”
“We aren’t!” Now she understood all too well why Hawk wished to pretend they were engaged. He must have sensed danger regarding Philip, and now here she was, in the middle of it. “The feelings between Montague and I are true.” It wasn’t quite a lie, for hadn’t they both succumbed to passion in that tenant cottage?
“Do you assume I am stupid?” His voice was low and menacing. “I will find out exactly why he is here, and if it’s due to the treasure, I’ll ferret that out too.”
“You are wrong about many things here, Philip.” She lifted her chin and tried to ignore the pain in her arm. “There is no treasure here. Wouldn’t you think I’d know it if there was? I walk these grounds daily and have yet to see anything odd.”
Please believe me.
“What the devil is the meaning of this?” The angry inquiry echoed off the library walls, and then the energy in the room shifted as Hawk came fully into the space and his faint scent of Bay rum reached her nose. Dark annoyance flashed in his ice blue eyes as he flicked his regard between her and Philip, took in her plight, and one of his hands curled into a fist.
