“I’ve met the third girl. Joanna James?”
Caleb grinned. “Now we get to the real purpose of my visit.”
“You’re here about Joanna? Where is she? She was living in my woods, but her cottage burned down, and she vanished. We’ve been searching for her, and I’ve been frantic with worry.”
“Have you been?”
Caleb looked dubious, and Jacob said, “Ah . . . yes? I’ve been very worried.”
Caleb grabbed the decanter and filled both their glasses. He sipped his whiskey and studied Jacob over the rim.
“I started this discussion,” Caleb said, “by declaring myself surprised to find you in England.”
“Why is that?”
“It seems that your alleged friend and estate agent, Kit Boswell, told Joanna you had been recalled to duty. Apparently, you fled in a hurry, and he had no idea when you’d be back in the country.”
“Oh, for pity’s sake. Why would Kit even have been talking to her?”
“Not only did he talk to her, but he claimed that he’d decided to level her cottage and clear the meadow where it was located.”
“He . . . what?”
Caleb motioned to Jacob’s glass and said, “Drink up, Brother. This story goes downhill from here.”
“Were you able to listen in?”
“No. Jacob shut the door in my face.”
Roxanne was in the bedchamber in the manor that Kit had commandeered for his own use. He was limping and too wretched to walk over to his own home, which was a huge indicator of his deteriorated condition.
Jacob was down in the library, having a private chat with his half-brother, and Roxanne was aggravated. She didn’t like a single incident to occur in the mansion without her gleaning every detail.
“What could he want?” she asked Kit.
“How would I bloody know?”
“I don’t like him showing up like this.”
“As if I care.”
Kit was seated on a chair, the leg of his trouser rolled up to reveal his calf. A bandage was wrapped around the wound, and he was slowly unwinding it.
Once it was free, he said, “What is your opinion? It’s looks hideous to me.”
“I agree. It’s disgusting.”
“It’s definitely infected, and it would be nice if you could exhibit some sympathy. I received it because of you.”
“Me! Why would it be my fault? You’re mad to blame me.”
He’d warned Miss James that men would arrive to level her cottage, but he’d been lying. He hadn’t intended to bring any men, for he and Roxanne couldn’t have had any witnesses to her eviction.
She’d simply had to go without delay, so he’d snuck over in the middle of the night, the plan being to light a small blaze that would get her moving. She was precisely the sort of obnoxious snot who would have tarried forever, and they’d needed her to vanish while Jacob was in Scotland.
But as Kit had tiptoed toward the rear of the house, merely to set the grass on fire, Miss James’s dog had rushed up and delivered a furious bite that had torn his trousers and left a deep gash. In a panic, Kit had hurled his torch—through a window! He swore it was an accident, but as a result, the entire building had burned to the ground.
After a teamster had reported the inferno, Kit had acted concerned and had had some men search the rubble. Miss James and her niece’s remains weren’t there, so they’d escaped, but if they’d perished, Roxanne wouldn’t necessarily have mourned.
Kit’s injury was swollen and inflamed, the dog’s teeth marks clear, and Roxanne wondered if it might kill him in the end. She wrenched her gaze away. She wasn’t a nurse, and she wouldn’t pretend to be.
“Where do you suppose the little trollop is?” she asked.
“I have no idea, but Jacob is hunting for her everywhere.”
“I’m betting she took your threat to heart. I’m picturing her on the other side of England.”
“You better hope so. If he finds her, there’s no predicting how angry he’ll be.”
“I know, Kit. I know. Don’t lecture me.”
Their conversation might have erupted into a full-blown quarrel, but a housemaid stopped out in the hall.
“There you are, Miss Ralston,” she said. “The Captain needs you in the library.”
“I’ll be right there.” She couldn’t imagine what the servants would think of her being in Kit’s bedchamber, and she waved at his leg for her excuse. “Mr. Boswell has cut himself, and he had me check it for him. It’s very bad, so would you have the housekeeper send up an ointment?”
“I will, Miss.”
The girl glanced furtively at Kit, then she flitted off, no doubt to hurry down to the kitchen and gossip about what she’d observed.
“What could Jacob want?” Kit asked.
“Maybe he’s decided to introduce me to the high-and-mighty, Caleb Ralston.”
“He owns a gambling business in London, so he’s much richer than Jacob, and you’re such a mercenary. You might like him more than your fiancé.”
Roxanne didn’t reply to the taunt. “Good luck with your leg. It would be terrible if you had to have it amputated.”
As she strutted out, he muttered, “Castrating bitch.”
She grinned and marched down the stairs. She hadn’t been joking about his condition growing dire. When she thought of that dog’s teeth puncturing his skin, she shivered with distaste. Who could guess what disease the animal might have planted?
“Serves you right, you vain ass,” she mumbled under her breath, then she forced a smile and walked faster.
Jacob had followed Margaret to Scotland, and in the interim, Roxanne’s plan had been to travel to town, but once Kit had chased Miss James away, there hadn’t been any reason to leave.
Miss James had been the impediment to Roxanne’s happiness, but with the vixen gone, Jacob would forget her quickly enough. Roxanne was ready to proceed to the wedding, and she simply had to get him accustomed to the notion again.
She’d confronted him about Miss James, and he’d been incredibly embarrassed, and she would use his humiliation to her own advantage. He could likely be coerced into handing over numerous boons to wipe away some of his misdeeds.
She headed straight to the library, and the butler was lurking. He
