The Vanishing at Loxby Manor Read online

  “Curse it if I know. She pulled him off to the side. Whatever it was, it wasn’t pleasant. There was a great deal of”—he imitated his sister’s movements—“flailing arms and whatnot.”

  “An argument?” I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice. “You don’t think she told Lord Kendal what happened with Miles Lacy?”

  Avery shrugged. “I certainly hope not. She’d be a fool if she did, for I saw his announcement in the Post earlier that very day, along with the rest of Britain. Lord Kendal is engaged to Miss Honora Gervey. Can’t get out of it now.”

  The room fell motionless around us, except for my eyes, which inched their way painfully toward Piers.

  He seemed a bit stunned for a second, his face freezing in place, but he managed to straighten his shoulders and say rather passably, “It is a relief to know that Miss Gervey will be happy and taken care of. You know very well there was never anything official between us, and I have always hoped the best for her.”

  Avery gave a breathy laugh. “Still a bit ironic how she ended up with Kendal though.”

  I saw Piers’s hand clench and release, and my heart twisted. What exactly had transpired after I left for Ceylon? Piers had always indicated to me he’d never been in love with Honora. A match between them was a fantasy of his mother and hers.

  I leaned forward. “Kendal’s engagement could certainly be a motive for Seline’s sudden flight.”

  The boys looked to me, and I said quickly, “I know for certain Seline still harbored a tender for Lord Kendal. She was worried about how the scandal with Miles Lacy might affect her chances.”

  “The little nitwit.” Avery returned his empty glass to the sideboard. “Who knows? But does it really matter now? What’s done is done.” His arms fell loose at his sides. “Maybe Uncle Charles will come up with them after all. Either way, I ought to get out of these clothes and go check on Mother.” A shrewd glance at Piers. “She never handles these things all that well, and she’s bound to have heard I’m home.”

  Piers rose. “I need to dress for supper as well.”

  Moving quickly, I held out my hand to delay him just long enough for Avery to depart the room.

  His eyes looked strained as he glared back at me. “What is it?”

  I matched the severity of his countenance. “Clearly your mother and Avery believe Seline is on her way to Gretna Green, but do you, Mr. Cavanagh—the scholar, the scientist—honestly think that as well?”

  His gaze drifted to the window. “I’m not certain what to believe.”

  “Piers.”

  His focus snapped back to me at the mention of his Christian name. I was already tired of keeping things formal between us.

  I went on quickly, “I’m only asking you to weigh the evidence. When Seline came to my room that night, she told me she had a plan, but I am quite certain it did not involve the likes of Miles Lacy. She fled the house to see Lord Kendal, not for any elopement. Avery said so himself. You see, we saw a light on the hill at Kinwich Abbey. She must have known Kendal was the person who lit it. She said something to that effect, then left at once.”

  “What about the note she left?”

  I stroked the armrest. “I’m not certain, but I didn’t see a note when I entered her room that night before it was discovered. Maybe she wrote it, maybe she didn’t. But I cannot help worrying she is in some sort of terrible trouble. I waited for her to return to my bedchamber for hours. I knew she was coming back, and now she’s vanished. Wouldn’t she at least have told me? She used to tell me everything.”

  He grasped the far side of a slat-back chair with both hands. “You’ve been gone . . . People change . . .” He lowered his head. “Yet I must confess, I, too, noticed inconsistencies in regard to the letter.”

  “Then why didn’t you—”

  He held up his hand. “I kept silent at the time in hopes of sparing my mother. She doesn’t handle anxiety well. Goodness knows I’ve given her my own share of trouble. I don’t want her knowing there could be more to this business than a simple elopement to Gretna Green. Not yet at least. And I certainly don’t want my father catching wind of it. The shock could very well kill him. He has taken a turn for the worst over the last few days. Mother and I decided this morning that it’s best to keep as much as we can about this business from my father.”

  “But you believe me and will look into it?”

  “Once I hear back from Uncle Charles, yes. He may yet come upon them on the road.”

  “That could take weeks.”

  He opened his hands. “What other choice do we have? Seline has been reckless before. She never should have . . .”

  My ears buzzed, drowning out his words. The disapproval written on his face was obvious enough. What woman would go out alone at night? Whatever happened to Seline was inevitably her fault. She deserved it.

  Tears welled in my eyes as memories flashed through my mind.

  I deserved what happened to me in Ceylon as well.

  * * *

  I know Piers never would have disparaged Seline if he’d had the slightest idea of how his words would affect me later that night. In the small hours, when the darkness ruled the recesses of my bedchamber and scaled the walls of my mind, I could no more stop the barrage of memories than I could cease breathing.

  Back I fell into the past, to the year I moved to Ceylon, to the last cool night of the summer. The sounds of the ballroom still echoed in my ears. I’d become restless with the crowds and never even stopped to question my moonlit stroll alone in the tea fields. I’d not had cause to do so before, and I craved the beauty of silence and the simplicity of nature at rest. I had been missing home, missing Piers. A gentle breeze tugged me into the rolling hills bursting with the lush green tea plants.

  My attacker must have been watching me when I left the house, because he timed his arrival perfectly. Thick rows of tea plants stretched out in concentric circles around me. As I crested a slight hill, I paused to admire the breathtaking view, unaware the estate had disappeared into the darkness behind me.

  The man had a lazy air about his movements. He was a commoner, yes, but British and handsome. He said he was working as a groom for one of our government officials. I had no reason to distrust him, yet a wave of disquiet washed over me the minute he arrived with his sharp gaze and easy smile. He was so very friendly, and I’d always loved learning about people from every walk of life.

  The house slipped farther and farther beyond the hill.

  And my world was never the same. Though he was interrupted by the call of a farmworker before the whole of my dignity was taken, he still escaped with a great deal of my innocence and all my hopes for any sort of future. Besides my mother, I told no one. And neither did he.

  Chapter 5

  Mrs. Cavanagh gathered her scattered wits long enough to join us for supper the next evening. Avery was in rare form, seeing to all her needs. It was “Yes, Mother,” and “Can I send a servant to get that for you, Mother?” throughout the meal. However, when we retired to the drawing room and the men to their port, her attention snapped to me.

  Resting comfortably on the scrolled end sofa, she instructed me to place a blanket across her lap.

  “Yes, dear, that is much better. With my nerves as they are, I wouldn’t wish to catch a chill.”

  After ensuring the fireplace screen was just so, I took a hesitant seat at her side, conscious for the first time of an uncomfortable tension between us. I straightened my skirt. “How long do you believe it will be before we hear word from Mr. Charles Cavanagh?”

  She expelled a huff. “Gretna Green is a full five-day ride from here. I cannot imagine we shall hear anything within the week.” She toyed with the edge of her lace cap. “In the meantime”—a well-placed pause—“there is something I should like to discuss with you.”

  “Oh?” My mind scrambled for what she could possibly be alluding to. Piers had warned me to keep my concerns about Seline to myself, so I affixed a light smile.

/>   She popped open a tortoiseshell fan and spoke from behind it. “Did your mother tell you that Mr. Cavanagh has not been well these past few years?” She tapped the side of her head with the corner of the fan. “He suffers greatly, and it has only worsened over the last few days.”

  I narrowed my eyes. Mr. Cavanagh had certainly seemed lucid when I overheard their argument, but I nodded. One never did know a person, not really. Besides, it was quite unlikely I would encounter Mr. Cavanagh often during my stay.

  Ignorant of my confusion, Mrs. Cavanagh went on, fanning herself as she spoke. “Avery and I have decided it would be best not to tell him too much about Seline’s elopement. He knows she’s left, but I don’t wish to give him further concern.”

  I seemed to remember Piers being the one to make the decision regarding his father, but I said nothing to that end. “Don’t worry. I won’t say a word.”

  She pressed her lips together. “Thank you, dear, but I would even take it a bit further.”

  My smile fell.

  “I want you to avoid him in the house if at all possible. He’s assisted from his room from time to time when he is able, and I’m quite cautious with his care.” She touched my hand. “You must understand, Mr. Cavanagh tends to get confused at times. He’s always been a bit volatile, but after the accident . . . well . . . When he learned of Seline’s disgrace with the stable boy, for example, he refused food the entire day. The doctor warned us not to get him excited, and after everything that has happened, I think it prudent for you to stay away as best you can.”

  I darted one last glance at the door. Since he was so often from home, I’d rarely spoken to Mr. Cavanagh in all my time growing up in East Whitloe. He certainly wouldn’t expect me to visit him now. “I’ll be sure to steer clear.”

  She clasped her hands together, the sharp clap striking my nerves. “Thank you, my dear. You relieve my mind.”

  I answered with a listless smile as Piers and Avery wandered into the drawing room. By their expressions, I couldn’t help but wonder if my presence at Loxby had been a significant topic of conversation. Goodness, Piers wouldn’t even look my direction.

  Avery walked straight to his mother. She answered his quizzical glance with a pert nod, his responding smile a curious one.

  He turned his focus to me. “Would the two of you care for a game of Whist?” A glance at his mama. “We finally have four players. What do you say?” He looked over his shoulder at Piers. “At least I assume we do.” He leaned in close to me. “Piers has been in a foul mood all evening. I shan’t be surprised if he means to put us off.”

  Mrs. Cavanagh sat up in eagerness of the idea, brightening in turn but then lowering her gaze. “My dear boy, you know just how to anticipate your mama’s pleasure; however, I must confess, this day has been a difficult one. There is no way I could possibly concentrate on a game of cards, not until Seline is safe at home.” She splayed her hand across her chest. “I’m afraid I expect little sleep this evening but shall be forced to retire to my room nonetheless. If you would but give me your arm.”

  Mrs. Cavanagh lifted a brave face to the room, but the strain was evident. The days of worry had left dark circles under her eyes, and her gait was unsteady as she walked. Her Turkish robe and sarsenet gown lacked her usual precision to detail. One sleeve was bunched up above her elbow and a ribbon remained untied at the hem. I wished somehow I could lessen the pain of the unknown. Piers had been right to caution me where his mother was concerned. She appeared to be at the breaking point. What mother wouldn’t?

  I, on the other hand, had questions. I pushed to my feet. “Avery.”

  He looked back as he supported his mother’s arm. Mrs. Cavanagh echoed his movement with her own startled glare.

  Oh dear, how had I already forgotten what I’d overheard from outside Mr. Cavanagh’s room? Such familiarity with Avery would hardly go unnoticed. I was playing into Mrs. Cavanagh’s suppositions. I regulated my tone to seem a bit more nonchalant. “If you have a mind to return to the drawing room after you’ve seen to your mother, I’d like a word with you, and Piers of course. It will take but a moment.”

  Avery’s eyebrows peaked, but he nodded.

  I watched them leave and returned to my seat on the sofa to find Piers in the strange humor Avery had mentioned.

  He was calm enough on the surface, but something simmered beneath his brooding silence. He took a long sip of his drink before addressing me. “Just a few days back in East Whitloe, and I see you’ve already managed to wrangle Avery under your thumb.”

  I stared at him, then frowned. Had his mother aired her concerns to him about me and Avery? “What nettles you tonight?”

  He didn’t answer, focusing his attention out a window and into the dark night. There was a crawling wind beyond the glass, which left the room almost edgy with anticipation, as if Piers and I were merely pawns on a chessboard waiting for the next play to determine our fate.

  “If you think my asking Avery for a quick chat is wrangling, I daresay you’ve been isolated outside of Liverpool for longer than I thought.”

  He waited a moment before scowling back at me, a bend to his brow, but then he opened his hands as if chastised. “As you say.”

  He sounded both aloof and cross, and I considered retiring for the night when his tone softened. “Forgive me. I don’t do waiting well.”

  “Neither do I, as you well know, which is why I asked Avery to return. I have a few questions for him about Seline.”

  I must have sounded unsure of myself, for the look on Piers’s face transformed. He was a young man again, my first love, my only love. I swallowed hard.

  Willfully forgetting the feelings that had been a part of me for so long—the uncontrollable attraction that still churned beneath the surface of my scars—would take practice. However, Piers and I were different people now. I could not forget that.

  I looked up, straight into Piers’s sharp gaze. He, too, felt the distance between us—the impenetrable chasm neither of us meant to cross.

  But what if a bridge was possible—one of friendship and mutual admiration? Granted, I’d have to be extremely careful how I handled myself. If only I could find my way back to the carefree young lady I had once been, we might find a way to civility. After all, I could use his help to solve the mystery of what happened to Seline.

  “Piers?”

  “Yes,” he answered quickly and with complete control, which felt like a slap to the face after I’d been forced to work hard to control my own emotions.

  “Do you think it possible we might cry friends?” My heart thundered in my ears as I waited for him to ponder his response.

  Then a slight smile emerged, and he breathed out a laugh. “I suppose you’ve grown tired of my incessant ruminating. Goodness knows I have.”

  “I wouldn’t call it incessant.” I sat up and extended my gloved hand. “Friends, then?”

  He hesitated a moment, then grasped it. “Friends.” He settled back against his chair. “You know, I’m relieved really. Avery has already scolded me for behaving like a flat this evening. I told him I was only concerned about that temper of yours.”

  My brow shot up. “Of mine?”

  He covered his mouth to hide a grin. “We used to call you Captain Halliwell for a reason.”

  “I thought that was because I always knew the answers.”

  “Or were rather good at dictating them, one way or another.”

  “You brute.” I reached out to pop his arm as I’d done a thousand times in my youth, but I sobered all too quickly, memories flashing into my mind. Long strolls in the garden. The day he kissed me in the alcove. And then that letter. I would not be so foolish this time.

  He, too, shifted his position in his chair before turning to the door, his expression changing. “Avery, what impeccable timing you have.”

  Avery strolled into the room and flopped into the large wingback chair across from us. “Would you expect anything less? Now what’s all this about? I
must tell you, I’ve got a devilish headache.”

  The two brothers looked to me.

  “It’s about the day Seline disappeared.”

  Avery flicked his fingers in the air. “What of it?”

  “Would you mind explaining who else besides Lord Kendal was with you when Seline came upon you in the meadow?”

  He glanced up at the crossbeams in the ceiling. “Just a couple of friends—Hugh Daunt and Tony Shaw. The four of us had something important to discuss.”

  “And you saw nothing of Miles Lacy that night?”

  He shrugged. “No, why would I?”

  “What did Seline say when she arrived?”

  He tilted his head back against the chair. “Nothing all that remarkable. She said she’d come to speak with Kendal, and then he took her aside as she requested. Curst if I know what she was jabbering about.”

  “You didn’t hear a word? Not a solitary one?”

  “No. She just let in on Kendal for several minutes and then flounced off.” Avery pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen, as much as I’d love to stay and chat with you two lovebirds, this headache needs a dark, quiet room, and straightaway. I’ll be happy to answer anything else you can dream up tomorrow morning, when I’m up to snuff.”

  Irritated by Avery’s insinuation, I gave a pert nod.

  He sprang to his feet. “G’night, Piers, Charity.”

  Piers and I waited until the sound of his footsteps disappeared, and the imaginary rope of curiosity drew us both forward. I lowered my voice, a curious spark of interest christening my words. “He’s hiding something. Did you see how quickly he had to get out of here?”

  Piers dipped his chin. “Like a scared rat.”

  Chapter 6

  Avery was nowhere to be found the following morning, not in the house or about the estate. In fact, I didn’t see either brother until Piers came upon me at the back gate of the rose garden in the afternoon.

  He was a bit flushed when he appeared around the corner, and I wondered if he’d been running. A natural at evasion, he ignored my questioning look and motioned down the incline toward the River Sternway, tempering his voice. “Care for an afternoon stroll?”