While Eve wanted to be hopeful, she wasn’t. He could have been saying her name in any context and the fact that he was out of his mind with fever meant it was unlikely there was any comprehensible thought process.
“I’m concerned about you, Miss Doyle,” Pickmore said after a moment. “Kilsyth would have my head if you became ill due to exhaustion. You should allow us to sit with him while you rest.”
“I am fine, Captain Pickmore,” she assured him.
“I’m in agreement, Miss Doyle,” Ashford said with concern. “We should be taking care of our friend. Not you.”
“It is of no trouble, and I am his ward.” She took another sip.
“You know, getting up and down those stairs each day is an inconvenience. Once I go up, I’ll sit with him tonight and sleep tomorrow.”
“I agree,” Norbright said. “I’ll take a shift as well. Miss Doyle should rest.”
Eve set her tea cup aside and looked at the gentlemen gathered. They’d sat with Kilsyth before she had arrived then easily given up a seat beside the bed for her. They’d come to check on him a few times, but none hovered. Why the concern now? It wasn’t just for her.
She picked up the list of words and read them again. What did they note that she hadn’t?
What were they afraid of her finding out?
Hell, Pickmore, knew better, keep her, intelligent, good spy, Society, Eve, safe, devils, idiot, torture, Eve, run away, fool, eternity.
Hellmeant nothing to her and could be used in any context from the place to a curse.
Pickmore, knew better, keep her.
“Did you not think Kilsyth should have kept me?” she directed the question at the captain. “Who should have known better?”
“Kilsyth didn’t intend to keep you at first. In fact, he assumed your brother was there to try and fleece him. It was after he realized the grave circumstance that you were in that he decided to remain as your guardian.”
“But, did you think I should have gone?” Eve asked pointedly.
Pickmore rubbed his temples. “I can’t honestly recall, Miss Doyle. I had concerns, but I didn’t expect Kilsyth to throw you out on the street, either.”
They hadn’t known each other that first day and she could well understand why Pickmore may have urged caution.
Eve glanced at the list again.Intelligent. It was another generic word that could mean almost anything so she decided not to waste further time on it.
Good spy, Society.This time she frowned. Why would Kilsyth know anything about a good spy and what did it have to do with Society?
“Eve, I can assure you that most of those words meant something, as you’ve determined yourself,” Lady Norbright began. “However, you would not have given them further consideration had the gentlemen in this room not lacked subtlety.”
Eve glanced from one face to the next. There was real concern and she mentally reviewed the list and one word popped up. “Are you afraid that I’ll learn that Kilsyth is one of the Devils of Dalston?”
“Why would you think such a thing?” Keegan asked.
“I overheard his mother speaking of it with Pickmore one morning. She had hoped Kilsyth would be done with them.” A smile pulled at her lips. “With you. You are all Devils, aren’t you?”
At least they had the good sense to look away from her in embarrassment, though they didn’t fit the image of what she had in her head for an infamous Devil of Dalston. These were gentlemen who had been kind to her. Respectable even. Of course, they were injured so their rakish ways would need to be put aside until they recovered, but these men did not fit the image. Then again, many in Society wore a mask….Wore a mask!
She glanced at the list again.Good spy, Society.
Was Kilsyth a spy?
Goodness, perhaps she should rest. Her imagination was certainly getting away from her.
Lady Norbright took the list from Eve and handed it to Pickmore. “She’s begun to figure it out and she will the rest.”
“Not necessarily,” he grumbled quietly as if he were a chastised child.
