“I will not let anything happen to you.” Alaric stood up, helped Catherine to her feet and scooped Oliver and Daisy into his arms. “Now, let us get you warm and dry.”
“And fed. I suspect you could do with some cake, and maybe a hot chocolate.” Catherine rested a hand on Alaric’s arm.
Oliver leaned against Alaric, and the three of them walked back to the castle. The warmth of Alaric was a balm against the cold seeping into Catherine’s bones. Relief washed over her, but it could not hide the gnawing feeling growing in her stomach.
What will happen now?
Marina Ashcroft was still out there, and as long as she was, none of them would be safe.
CHAPTER 24
“With the storm last night, I suspect a search for the woman will be pretty much useless,” Mr. Wilkins sighed.
Alaric nodded. It was the day after he had discovered the truth and they had searched for Oliver in the pouring rain. Alaric had lain awake most of the night, pondering the events.
His memories haunted him. The man he once was would never have made such a dangerous blunder; how had he failed to see the truth about the woman?
Perhaps if I had not been so blind, Catherine would have listened to her intuition, and this whole mess might have been avoided.He thought of the way Oliver had shaken in his arms, the whimpers he had made as he fell asleep.
Alaric’s eyes drifted upward in the direction of Catherine’s rooms, where he had left them both sleeping peacefully. Guardswere stationed outside the doors, and he had given instructions for regular patrols around the estate.
“I am inclined to agree, Mr. Wilkins.” Alaric drummed his fingers on his desk. “You have had words from the farmers and stables—no horses are missing?”
“No, Your Grace. Though several carriages left from the village yesterday.”
“And there is a chance she was in one of them. Or she wants us to think that and has remained close by.”Think, Alaric.His mind turned to Catherine, to her wide eyes and the fear in her voice as she had called for Oliver. “We must treat her as an active threat.”
“She tried to kill a duke, Your Grace. Once she is apprehended, she will be sent to the gallows.”
“Until she is, we must proceed with caution.” Alaric ran a hand through his hair. “I want men at every entrance until she is located. No one is to enter or leave this place without inspection.”
“I shall see it done, Your Grace. I assure you, no one will let her get within ten feet of the estate.”
“It is not the estate I am worried about.” Alaric’s eyes drifted toward the ceiling once more.
“Of course.” Mr. Wilkins nodded sagely. “No one will let any harm come to the boy or Her Grace. And they have you to protect them as well.”
“While they are near me, I fear they are in danger. So long as there is a target on my back, there will be one on theirs as well.” Alaric rubbed his chest, feeling the tightness grow as cold filled his body. “I will not risk them getting hurt by any attempt to get to me. We came dangerously close to that already.”
There was a knock at the door, and he looked over to see Catherine standing in the doorway. “May I come in?”
His heart sank, and he nodded. The scent of lavender followed her into the room, and he forced himself not to breathe deeply.
“Mr. Wilkins, you are dismissed. You know what you must do.” Alaric inclined his head toward the man who bowed low and left the room.
“Have you slept at all?” Catherine tilted her head toward him, her lips pursed. “I know that you are worried about the situation with Marina. I am too, but you need to take care of yourself as well.”
How is she still trying to look after me when my blindness could have seen her killed?Alaric caught sight of her reaching toward him and shifted so that he was out of arm’s reach, walking from the desk to the study window. He ignored the familiar invisible pull to Catherine; he could not indulge that side of himself.
His fingers twitched as he remembered the feel of her against him as they had returned to the castle the night before. “I rested a little. It was sufficient.”
“Alaric, you need more than a little rest. You spent hours in the rain yesterday, just look at you! You look... exhausted.” She took a step toward him.
He knew he should move out of reach, but he could not bring himself to. “You were in the storm as well.”
“I had not been poisoned the night before, and I have slept.” She folded her arms across her chest.
“I have too.” Alaric shrugged, the aches in his body reminding him of just how much of a lie the words were.
