A raven landed upon the outdoor windowsill and proceeded to tap the glass with its beak.The constable sent a swift glance toward it and finally spoke, his voice grave as he said, “I regret to inform you that your sister, Miss Evelyn Croft, was discovered in St.Bartholomew’s graveyard a couple of hours ago.It seems she’s been murdered.”
Adrian’s first response was a startled laugh as the tension he’d experienced these past few minutes was released.“Forgive me, but I fear you’ve made yet another mistake.Honestly, as if your inability to catch the man behind those three murders last year isn’t enough, you now misidentify your victim.”
“There’s no mistake,” Kendrick said, his voice even.“I’ve seen your sister enough times in public to recognize her.”
A prickly sensation crawled over Adrian’s skin as apprehension returned.He held Kendrick’s gaze even as his gut tightened.“You’re wrong.We dined here together last night and shared a drink afterward before she retired to bed where I am confident she remains.”
“It might be prudent to check.”
Adrian flattened his mouth and stalked from the room with every intention of doing precisely that.Damn Kendrick for coming here before eight and disrupting what ought to have been a perfectly pleasant morning with a false claim.He’d looked forward to giving his ledgers a quick review before joining Evie for breakfast.His intention was to pack after that so they could depart for Deerhaven Manor after Miss Carmichael came to call.
He took the stairs two steps at a time, marched to Evie’s bedroom, and gave the door a soft knock.When no response came, he knocked again.Harder this time.
Silence.
Disquiet rippled through him.Ice curled over his shoulders.“Evie?”
The lack of response made him reach for the handle.He pushed the door open and looked to her bed.It was neatly made, as though it hadn’t been slept in.
A tremor raked the length of his spine as incomprehension transformed into fear.She wasn’t here, which meant…
He dared not think it.
Kendrick could not be right.
Evie would soon appear.
Perhaps she’d gone to grab a book before bed and had fallen asleep in the library.The desperate thud of his heart prayed this was the case.
“Elks!”Adrian ran from her bedchamber, nearly tumbling down the stairs in his haste to find her.Maybe her maid knew something he didn’t.“Emma!”
“What is it?”Elks asked, appearing behind him in the library doorway while he scanned the room.“What’s happened?”
“Where’s Evelyn?”Adrian asked, his gaze darting from corner to corner.
“Is she not in her bedchamber?”
Adrian shook his head.“I already looked.”
“Perhaps the music room then.”
Deep down, Adrian already knew he’d not find her there either.An ache tightened his throat.Breathing became a chore as his body grew heavy.Somehow, he managed to drag his weight forward, toward Emma, who’d just come to join them.“When did you see my sister last?”
“Yesterday evening, when I helped her prepare for dinner.”
It felt as though he were sinking beneath the weight of this revelation and what it implied.“You did not help her ready for bed?”
“She never called upon me to do so.”
Every inhalation he took stung his lungs.His vision blurred.This could not be.He refused to believe it.But as he pushed his way past his servants, reality started to grip him.Evie had gone out last night.Kendrick had come to inform him that she had been murdered.
When Adrian reached the garden gate moments later, the unlocked latch confirmed it.A sob of pure anguish squeezed at his chest.His sweet sister was dead, her lifeless body discarded somewhere while he’d rutted with a meaningless woman.He ought to be flayed alive for letting that happen.God help him, he should have died in her stead.
“I want to see her,” he told Kendrick stiffly, his thoughts in turmoil.He couldn’t even recall coming back inside from the garden.Wracked by indescribable pain and anger, he stared at the man who’d brought him the tragic news.
Kendrick inclined his head.“I’m headed to the coroner’s office myself.You’re welcome to join me.”
Adrian almost agreed, only to realize the last thing he wanted right now was to share a carriage with Kendrick.“I’ll meet you there.”
