“I beg your pardon,” Vincent began. “Clearly I’m interrupting a ... ah ... moment.”
“That’s a bit of an understatement,” Eunice muttered before she got to her feet, set her book down on the tree trunk, and settled a frown on Vincent. “I wasn’t expecting to see you at Mason Manor again.”
Vincent blew out a heavy sigh. “I wasn’t intending on coming here again, but I found myself at loose ends this morning. My house is far too quiet without Mother wandering around. When I found myself sweeping the kitchen floor for the third time, I decided I needed a better use of my time. I thought I’d come to Mason Manor and see if there’s anything I can do to make amends for Mother’s crimes against your family. The butler told me you’d gone riding, and I had a hunch you might head for the target field, perhaps to pay your respects to your grandfather in the place where he died.”
Eunice cocked her head to the side. “You didn’t care to wait at the house for me to return?”
“I thought perhaps if you’d gone to the target field that you’d enjoy the company of someone who admired your grandfather and could tell you stories about him that aren’t unfavorable. I’m sure you’ve been disheartened by the disturbing actions perpetuated by the man that have come to light.”
“Disheartened is putting it mildly,” Eunice said. “And while your offer of telling me favorable stories about Grandfather is considerate, I’m not ready to talk about my grandfather with anyone just yet.”
Vincent inclined his head. “Perfectly understandable, but allow me to return to the offer I mentioned earlier. Is there anything I can do to make the slightest amends for what my mother tookaway from you? Perhaps help you search the estate for that letter you mentioned last night?”
The hair on the back of Arthur’s neck stood up.
Eunice stiffened for the briefest of seconds before she gave a casual shrug of her shoulders. “I wasn’t intending on searching for that letter today. There’s not much urgency to find it, not after your mother confessed to the crime.”
“But if your grandfather named my mother in the letter, it can be admitted into court as evidence.”
“And while that’s true,” Eunice began slowly, “such evidence could see your mother locked away for the rest of her life. I wouldn’t think you’d want to lend your assistance to finding something that could see that happen.”
“James was a mentor to me. I looked up to him, and that my mother murdered him leaves me feeling unsettled.”
“And I’m beginning to find this conversation unsettling, because, again, she’s your mother.”
“Who murdered your grandfather. I think that’s explanation enough for why I want to help you. With that now settled, shall we commence our search?”
Given the gleam residing in Vincent’s eyes, there was little question that Vincent had an ulterior motive for volunteering to help locate the missing letter. What that motive was remained to be seen, but considering the hair on the back of Arthur’s neck was standing at attention yet again, he knew danger had arrived in the form of Vincent Wagner, just as he knew he needed to get Eunice removed from that danger with all due haste.
“While I find it commendable you’re willing to lend the Mason family your assistance,” Arthur began, drawing Vincent’s attention, “today is Eunice’s birthday.”
Vincent settled a smile on Eunice. “Allow me to extend my sincerest wish that your birthday is extraordinary. And to make certain you aren’t distracted from experiencing that extraordinary birthday because of lingering questions you must have about what your grandfather wrote in that letter, allow me to offer tosearch the estate for you so you may go off and enjoy your day. I’ll simply need to know where those secret spots are you mentioned last night.”
Before Arthur could voice his approval to that because it would allow him to get Eunice far removed from a threat he didn’t quite understand yet, Eunice shook her head.
“I’m afraid I don’t recall all the secret places from my youth.”
“Do you remember any of them?” Vincent pressed.
She tapped a finger against her chin. “There might be one in the barn.”
“Then to the barn I’ll go.”
“I’ll go with you,” she said before Arthur could suggest they repair to the house, her decision leaving him arching a brow her way, something she ignored as she glanced around. “May I assume you rode out here? I don’t see your horse.”
“I left him past the target field on the chance you were enjoying some target practice.”
“Behind that small grove of trees and over that slight hill that borders the target field on the right?”
Arthur bit back a groan when understanding struck.
Eunice had apparently figured something out and was now determined to ferret out answers to whatever questions were roaming around her brilliant mind, no matter that the ferreting could very well place her life in jeopardy.
Vincent narrowed his eyes on her before he smiled, although it seemed to be a forced smile with not a hint of amusement in it. “That’s exactly where I left him.”
Eunice smiled. “A prudent choice, especially if I had been practicing with my pistol, since it spares your horse being startled because the hill muffles the sound of a pistol firing.”
Trepidation began crawling up Arthur’s spine, but before he had an opportunity to give in to the urge to throw Eunice over his shoulder and dash off with her through the trees, she began walking in the direction they’d left their horses, looking over her shoulder.
