Are you warning me off?Gabriel remembered his brash dismissal of his friend’s advice. And what had Stanton replied in response?
Damn straight I am.
He ought to have heeded Stanton’s warning.
* * *
Olivia noticeda change in Gabriel immediately after he kissed her. Her dear friend, the man who’d called her beautiful and touched her so tenderly only moments before, had suddenly been replaced with a cold and distant stranger. She did not imagine it. The very air between them turned brittle and cold.
Neither spoke until he pulled the horses to a halt at the mine. “It doesn’t look like much, does it?” She made an attempt to lure him back to her.
Two imposingly hefty gentlemen stood outside the boarded-up opening that protruded from what seemed like nothing more than a mound against the hill. Large metal contraptions with wheels were parked around in an orderly fashion, and she could hear the sound of trickling water in the distance.
“The work takes place inside,” Gabriel answered in a stilted voice. “Can you excuse me a moment?” And then he strode away from her to discuss something with the men who appeared to be standing guard.
Olivia shivered but decided to explore on her own.
The ground was uneven, and as she approached the mine itself, the dirt was damp and then outright mud. At least she’d worn proper footwear today.
She glanced toward Gabriel again.
He’d regretted kissing her. One moment, she’d been wrapped in the cocoon of his embrace, and the next, she’d been… alone. More alone than she’d thought possible.
Had she done something wrong? Or did his change in demeanor have something to do with the mine?
Or the curse?
She chastised herself.There is no curse.
As she watched him speak with the men, he gestured toward the opening, pulled back a few boards, and all of them disappeared into the dark cave.
This structure was nothing more than a manmade project. It had nothing to do with a curse, hex, or anything remotely supernatural.
And yet men had died for it. The lure of the gold seemed more powerful than life itself.
A gust of wind swept up the hillside, causing her to grasp hold of her bonnet and dress. Had Gabriel wanted her to follow them?
He hadn’t said anything.
She glanced from side to side and another tremor swept through her. She would take a quick peek through the opening. They probably hadn’t gone very far.
“Gabriel?” she called tentatively as she picked her way through the mud.
No answer met her, so she peeked into the dank cavern. Voices echoed through the rocks and although she could make out their words rather clearly, the darkness wrapped around her eerily.
“The duke said he didn’t care if the workers were swimming in mud. Said he wanted to see movement up here first thing in the morning.”
“Did he come inside? Did you show him what we’re dealing with?” She could easily tell Gabriel’s voice apart from the others. He spoke in a commanding tone that he’d never used with her.
She’d thought she knew him. He’d shared his concerns with her, his fears…
“He wouldn’t come in, My Lord,” the other man answered. “Just marched around all angry like, how he usually does.”
“Blasted fool.” And more muffled curses followed in Gabriel’s voice.
Olivia stepped to the side so that some daylight might shine in, and what she saw seemed unimpressive at best.
Dirt, rocks, and wood. No goblins, ghosts, or curses in sight.
