“A fall, Lord Sinclair, down several stairs.”
His eyes suddenly changed, and the pupils seemed huge.
“A little healing and you will feel better,” he said, looking at his wife.
“They do look sore,” Lady Sinclair said, stepping closer as she pulled off a glove. She then lifted Beth’s face and ran a thumb along her chin. “We shall send Essex over with some salve for you tomorrow.”
Beth felt a tingling sensation, and then the ache in her jaw eased.
“Thank you, I would be grateful,” she whispered, unsure what had just happened.
“Do you see anything, Dev?” Lady Sinclair asked her husband as she pulled on her gloves.
“Not yet, my love.”
Beth shot Dimity and Abby a look. Both shrugged and continued searching the faces around them.
“I see two Devilles, but not your one, Miss Carlow. They are on the water’s edge that way.” He pointed right. “Two Devilles, plus a couple of lords I know. Intriguing, they appear to be staring intently at the water. I wonder what they are searching for?”
Beth stood on her toes to look but saw nothing. She moved closer to the water, eyes going left and right. She could feel it; trouble was coming.
Where is Nathan?
The king’s boat, colorful with flags fluttering, floated down the river toward them. People cheered and waved, but still, she did not see Nathan.
“Where are you?” Her eyes went to a boat on the opposite bank. A shiver of unease traversed her spine. And then she saw Nathan.
Chapter Thirty-Three
He’d told his brothers and the others of Alexius he would take the opposite side of the river, and that had been where he found Logan. He knew it was him because of Lady Carlow’s description. The scar slashing up from his mouth gave him away.
Looking through his telescope, he studied him, taking in the scratch marks on the faces of Logan and another. Beth had given them those while they’d terrorized her.
His instinct was to run at them, shoot whomever he could and kill the others with his hands. Of course, the flaw in that plan was they could shoot him first, and he had too much to live for to allow that to happen.
But retribution was strong motivation.
Think with your head, Nathan.
Moving his telescope, he searched the guests lining the edges of the water awaiting the king’s arrival. People walked and chatted. Women in bright dresses with elaborate bonnets. Men in bright and somber waistcoats, all oblivious to the danger that lurked nearby.
He found two of his brothers, Gabe and Zach. Standing slightly back and apart, eyes searching the water and banks. Michael would be in his position along the walk the king would take into the gardens, with the other men of Alexius. Swinging slowly back past the guests to his brothers once more, he stopped.
Surely not?
His heart started thudding hard in his chest. There, with Abby, were Dimity and Beth. His Beth.
What the hell were they doing here? He’d told her he wanted her safe, not standing where Logan could see her. He’d shoot her if he saw her; Nathan was sure of that. The man would not have liked that she’d gotten the better of him and escaped, taking Valentine’s book with her.
Damn you, woman!
He refused to acknowledge how bloody beautiful she looked in that dress. Her eyes were searching, and he knew she was looking for him and Logan.
He was going to shake her when he got hold of her.
In fact, he’d have words with all three of those women when this was done. Swinging his glass back to Logan, he watched as one of his men prepared to push the boat away from the bank. So far, it seemed they’d not seen Beth.
Pocketing the telescope, he bent at the waist and made his way down to the water to the stern of the boat. He knew the focus of everyone on board was the king’s vessel, which was drawing near. The monarch stood on deck, waving.
