Betrayal (8 page)

Elizabeth fought to keep breathing in and out. The pain in her head spread to her neck, and she stretched trying to relieve it. “He knows we are here, Reece. He knows, and he is warning us or trying to scare us.”

“But how does he know?”

Mr. Homes stared from one to the other. “Do you want me to remove this, sir?” He stepped closer.

“No. Don’t touch it.” She blurted it out. The symbol’s poison crawled up her skin like a million spiders. Pain increased and continued to her shoulders.

Reece touched her arm. “What is it, Lizzy?”

“You will have to trust me. I cannot say why, but I think it unwise to touch that symbol. I can feel the evil on it.”

“You are ill.”

She straightened and tried breathing evenly. “No. I am fine.”

“Mr. Homes, leave it for now. We need assistance. I will send a note to Lillian. She has recently dealt with such things. Perhaps she will know the best way to get rid of it.”

Homes muttered a “yes, sir” before stomping back down the path in a fading stream of murmurs.

* * * *

An hour later, the newly married Marquis and Marchioness de Montalembert arrived to inspect the mark on the stone. The couple preferred Mr. and Mrs. Lambert, yet no one seemed to let them forget they had titles. Even Reece’s butler announced them by title.

Lillian’s red hair was swept back from her face, and at the sight of Reece, she broke into a grin and dashed across the study into his arms. “You look so much better than even a few weeks ago.”

Reece looked across at her husband, Dorian, who only grinned and shrugged. Reece set her away from him. “I’ve been improving. You remember Miss Smyth.”

Lillian turned and hugged Elizabeth as well. “I’m so pleased you’re here, Elizabeth. I know Reece will certainly recover with you at his side.”

Surprised at the show of affection, Elizabeth returned the hug in spite of the pain that now reached to her arms and back. She found it remarkably rewarding to have someone happy to see her. “Thank you, Lillian. I will do what I can, but of course, it is Reece who will have to do the work. He’s already proved he is quite capable in battle.”

“Has there been a battle?” Dorian asked.

Elizabeth nodded. “At the school.”

“Spero Hall was attacked? Why haven’t we heard?” Dorian’s voice bit with danger.

“It has only been a couple days. Not really an attack on the school as the demons were still gathering on the property.”

Reece continued as if they’d been telling stories together for years. “Lizzy discovered them, and we made a preemptive strike.”

“Reece handled himself well. He was even offered a position at the school.”

Lillian stared from one to the other. “You’re not considering leaving the hunt, Reece?”

“Was that a question, Lilly?”

“I cannot believe you would give up.” Lillian fisted her hands and glared at him.

Her husband intervened. “There is nothing wrong with instructing a new group of hunters. It’s quite honorable.”

“Just because it’s the path your brother, Brice, has taken, does not mean it is the right choice for Reece. He was born to hunt. What does he know about teaching?”

“I appreciate you support, Lilly.”

“Oh, do not be offended. You know it’s true.”

Elizabeth’s neck grew hot, and she’d had enough biting her tongue. “Actually, Reece was well liked and very effective in the training sessions. The students idolized him. For both reasons, Brice offered him the job.”

Lillian faced Elizabeth, fists on her hips. “Then you think he should give up hunting and become an instructor.”

She should have been more intimidated by the great Lillian Dellacourt. Maybe the pain pushed her, but she didn’t like the limitations Lillian put on Reece. It didn’t matter that she agreed with her. The words, you are no longer a scullery maid, rang in her head, and she would not forget it now. “I did not say that. I said he would be very good at it.”

Reece cleared his throat. “Ladies, I have no intentions of becoming an instructor at this time. I shall only keep it as a last resort. If you remember, we have other problems.”

Dorian said, “Yes, we came for a reason, Lilly. Shall we go to the garden and see if we can help?”

“Of course.” Lillian turned and took the lead into Reece’s garden.

Reece grabbed Elizabeth’s elbow and kept her back a few paces from the others. “You are very pale. Are you certain you’re all right?”

Her heart raced and her palms were sweaty. The throbbing distorted her vision. “To be honest, I’ve not really felt myself since we found that thing.”

“Maybe you should go upstairs and rest.”

“No. I will be fine.”

“Lizzy?” His beautiful blue eyes narrowed on hers, and he tightened his grip on her arm.

She straightened her shoulders. “We will see this small thing through together.”

The four of them looked down at the carving with Mr. Homes standing in the background, waiting for instruction and perhaps keeping watch over his garden.

Dorian turned to the gardener. “You say this was not here yesterday. Are you certain?”

Homes puffed out his chest and gestured as he spoke. “This is my garden, sir. I take care of it every day. I was down this very path before dark yesterday, and that abomination was not here.”

Dorian nodded. “This will sound quite odd, but can you have one of the maids go to the butcher and fetch some goat’s blood?”

Homes’s eyes widened and his skin paled. The gesturing, inherent in everything he said, stopped, and he stared. “Goat’s blood, sir?”

“I’m afraid so. Actually, sheep’s blood might do just as well. I know it’s a strange request, but we will need it before you can remove this from your garden.” Dorian’s voice carried a sympathetic message that must have appealed to Homes. He shook his head, turned, and headed toward the house.

Lillian said, “You have a problem, Reece.”

“Several, I would say.” Reece gripped his hands behind his back. “I’ve had demons on my property, and they know our movements. This was either a calling card or a warning, and we do not know which.”

The cook came running out with a pot in her hands. “Sir, I was to the butcher just today. I have a nice lamb for stew later. I’ve gone ahead and brought you what you asked for. Is this enough?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Brown. That will do nicely.” Reece took the pot from the red-faced cook.

She bobbed and rushed back toward the house.

Lillian tore a branch from a nearby bush and took the pot. She used the branch to paint the stone with a strange symbol of a three-looped knot.

Since finding the symbol, Elizabeth had been tense. Her stomach unknotted at the sight of the new mark and calm settled over her. Her pain eased as well. “What is it?”

Dorian answered, “The Triquetra of Harmony. It restores order where the master brings chaos.”

“Lizzy?” Reece’s tone pitched lower, and deep creases surrounded his frown.

It was both strange and wonderful to have someone care what happened to her. Hardly a person would have noticed her death a year earlier. Now she had Reece. “I’m better. Almost as soon as Lillian started her symbol, the pain eased.”

Lillian put down the pot and crossed to her. She touched her shoulder. “Are you ill?”

Perhaps more than one person cared what happened to her. The tightness in her chest eased. “I suffered some pain from the time we found the master’s symbol, and it was increasing until now.”

Lillian pressed her palm to Elizabeth’s forehead. “You are a bit warm. Have you experienced anything like this before?”

“The master appeared at the end of the battle on the grounds at Spero Hall. I had similar pain but only for a few moments.”

“Somehow you are sensitive to him.”

Reece put his arm around Elizabeth in a way that both warmed her and confused her. He’d been pushing her away, but now he protected her. “What are you implying?”

The gardener cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Homes. Go ahead and take this away. Perhaps it would be best if you’re able to break the stone up and dispose of it? If you need to enlist a few footmen, you have my leave to do so.” Reece pointed with his free hand before fisting it at his side.

“I’ll get right to it, sir.”

Lillian and Dorian stared at the embrace.

She eased away from him. “I’m fine, Reece. Let’s go in the house, call for tea, and let Mr. Homes go about his business.”

Mr. Homes mumbled about her being the only one with any sense. She almost laughed.

* * * *

Elizabeth grew tired of listening to Lillian and Reece argue. She sipped her tea and took a deep breath.

“I think you are wrong. That is what I’m saying.” Reece paced the room and threw his hands in the air.

Lillian stood across the parlor, hands fisted on her hips. “That much is clear. It is also clear you have been blinded by your affection for Miss Smyth.”

“You say affection as if I have done something inappropriate, Lilly. She is my partner, and I do not need affection to worry over her well-being.”

The smirk on his old partner’s face twisted her features. “You forget, I know you better than anyone, Reece. I know how distracted you can be by a pretty face and a light skirt.”

“That will do,” Dorian said.

“I beg your pardon.” Elizabeth put her tea down.

The two of them looked around as if they’d forgotten they were not alone.

Lillian took a deep breath and dropped her hands to her sides. “I apologize, Elizabeth. Sometimes Reece brings out the worst in me. I only meant to say, your sensitivity to the master might be useful and might be due to your time held captive by demons.”

“Belinda was captive on two occasions and never had a reaction to the master before or after. Not that I am aware of.” Reece leaned against a chair before rounding it and sitting.

Lillian sat as well. “That is true. We should look at what they did to Lizzy. I cannot say for certain, but I think this is an opportunity we need to take advantage of.”

“How?” Elizabeth asked.

“You can sense him. That could be useful.”

“I’m not at all sure that is true. I saw him and felt pain. I saw a symbol of him and felt pain that increased. I do not know why, and I have no idea how we can use the affliction.” She held up her hand to stop Lillian’s words. “I promise you this. I will keep it in mind with everything else you have said. If my sensitivity to the master can be turned to our favor, I will not hesitate to use it.”

Dorian put his tea on the table and stood. “I think that is very fair. Come, Lilly, we have to get to the palace. We have an appointment with the prince’s personal guard.”

They all stood, Reece showed them out, but Elizabeth remained in the parlor watching her tea grow cold. His voice signaled his return.

“You should go and rest, Lizzy.” His soft touch warmed her shoulder.

Shaking off his affection, she put the tea down. “No. Let’s try some boxing. I need to get out some aggression, and you need to build strength.”

“It could wait until tomorrow.” He touched her cheek.

“Afraid I will whip you?”

His grin melted her heart. “I think not.”

In the ballroom, they each donned leather boxing gloves. Elizabeth went to the small bag and punched it once with her right hand, then followed with her left. She repeated right, then left until the bag blurred, bouncing toward and away from her fists. Once she found her rhythm, she stopped the bag and stepped away.

Reece came forward and lifted his arms. He winced but didn’t let the stiffness in the healed bite to his shoulder stop him. It took him a few tries to find a pace, but once he did, he doubled up each hand, punching the bag twice with each fist. He stopped the bag.

Donning a specially made head protector, she stepped on the mat.

Reece faced her.

“You do not think you need protection?”

He grinned. “I’ll take my lumps.”

“As you wish.”

Elizabeth circled and threw a left hook, which connected with the side of his face.

He backed up and shook his head. “That is quite a punch, Lizzy.”

“Are you going to talk or box?”

He laughed and danced from one foot to the other.

With her gloves up, she stayed on her toes. Bobbing one way, then the other, she jerked to avoid his right, and the left that followed she blocked with her forearm. She landed a right uppercut and his head snapped back.

Lack of practice and illness made him slow. His punches were strong but not quick enough to land.

After a few minutes, she called a halt. “I think we will return to this in a week or so. You are stronger than I expected but too slow. I really would prefer not to set us backward by beating you senseless.”

“You do wonders for my ego, Lizzy.”

“It is not my job to stroke your ego. My job is to get you back in hunting shape. I can see that between the walk this morning, the excitement with Lillian, and this short match, you are finished for the morning. I suggest a bath and a rest. Perhaps if you are up to it, we can go for a ride in the park this afternoon.”

“You are very bossy.”

She supposed she was, but what did he expect? “Do as you please then.”

Before she could leave the room, his hand reached out and grabbed her upper arm. He moved faster than before. “Do not be angry. I like you bossy.”

He pressed his chest against hers.

Her breath caught. “Do you?”

“I really do.”

“Why not just let me be angry with you, Reece? You are the one who wants nothing but hunting between us.” Her heart raced, and she longed to lift up on her toes to press a kiss on his full lips.

“I cannot bear your rancor.” He released her. “I will order two baths.”

She struggled to catch her breath. Should she tell him to only order one, and they could bathe together? It was what she craved. But he had been clear that he didn’t want to become involved. Silently, she gave a nod and left the ballroom.

Reece’s heart melted in the face of Elizabeth’s pretty bowed lips, flushed cheeks, and her whiskey eyes entranced him. The way she’d stood up to Lillian—he’d never seen anyone be so bold with his old partner. Even he understood there were limits to her patience. Yet, Elizabeth pushed them without showing any fear. Lillian valued bravery and loyalty above all else.