Chapter 5

Irritating as it was, Jack had to admit he’d played that whole thing foolishly. He very rarely did that; and the fact that he’d done so with Cassandra Priske was more than frustrating. Instead of enjoying her company over dinner, he’d had to watch from another table as she conversed with her overly serious cousin all evening while he found himself between the Marchioness of Halesworth and one of the new Earl of Banfield’s daughters. He wasn’t certain which one she was, and he didn’t particularly care. He did, however, care a great deal that Lady Cassandra hadn’t looked even once in his direction during dinner. Damn it all.

If he could just take back those last few words he’d said to her. Who would have known she was so sensitive about the whole subject of ghosts? She seemed like such a reasonable, levelheaded girl, honestly. The fact that she very clearly believed in such things should give him pause, but it didn’t. He just needed to find a way to remedy his misstep and get back into her good graces.

It was a relief when dinner came to an end and the ladies excused themselves. All Jack had to do was find a way to avoid port with the gentlemen and go in search of Lady Cassandra to smooth the feathers he’d ruffled.

To that end, he pushed out of his chair, prepared to make his excuses when Anthony Beck, Viscount Redgrave, clapped a hand to his shoulder and pushed Jack back into his seat. Bloody perfect. Redgrave was hardly a jolly fellow on his best day and the man had spent all of dinner talking to his cousin Cassandra. A very stiff warning was about to be leveled on Jack, not that he hadn’t experienced his fair share of stiff warnings in the past, but…Well, any time he spent in Redgrave’s company was time that would be better spent in reclaiming his lost ground with the man’s cousin. “Now—” he began.

But Redgrave cut him off, “I’m headed over to Hollybrook Park tomorrow.”

Hollybrook Park? That did sound familiar. “Oh?” Jack eyed the viscount, trying to sort out the man’s game.

“Thomas Vail’s funeral services. I thought you might want to join me.”

Damn it all. Jack released the breath he was holding. Now that he thought about it, the Vails did live in Hollybrook Park. That’s why the place sounded familiar. But funeral services? “Thomas Vail has died?”

Redgrave nodded. “Received a missive from Adam Vail upon my arrival. Thought the fellow could use a friendly face or two.”

Thomas Vail was dead? Jack hadn’t thought about the lothario in a million years. Once upon a time, he’d been a right jolly fellow who’d cut his swath through London, at least until he’d become too ill to do so any longer. Jack had almost completely forgotten about the man. Out of sight, out of mind and all that. Still, he had gone to school with Adam Vail. They weren’t the best of friends, but he’d liked the man well enough. “Haven’t seen him in years.”

Redgrave shrugged. “No one has. Came back to Cornwall when his brother took ill.”

And stayed? In Godforsaken Cornwall? Jack would have gone stark raving mad. “Well, of course, I’ll be happy to attend the services with you.”

Redgrave narrowed his eyes slightly on Jack and said, “And in the meantime, you can steer clear of Cassandra Priske.”

Damn it all. Redgrave had sidetracked him with the whole Thomas Vail funeral service thing. “Shouldn’t you be focusing your concern on Lady Charlotte instead? She is your sister, after all.”

“True.” The viscount raked his eyes across Jack. “Benjamin Priske should be the one keeping an eye on Cassandra, but since he’s in Scotland…”

Since Priske was in Scotland, Redgrave would take over for his cousin in dolling out warnings to scoundrels and rakes alike. “The lady has nothing to worry about from me.”

Redgrave didn’t look convinced. He heaved a sigh. “Yes, well, see that she doesn’t.”

With Redgrave at his side, it was impossible for Jack to make his escape, and he had to suffer through port until the gentlemen decided to rejoin the ladies.

As soon as he stepped into the great room, he scanned the place, looking for his quarry, but Lady Cassandra was nowhere to be found. Damn it all. He felt Redgrave’s eyes on him, but Jack made his way to Lady Charlotte’s side anyway.

She smiled up at him in greeting. “My lord.”

Jack tipped his head toward her oldest brother. “I do hope you were able to have a bit of fun this afternoon, Lady Charlotte, and that certain prison wardens didn’t thwart your plans.”

Her grin widened. “Indeed I made it all the way to the gypsy camp without any of my brothers being the wiser.”

“I am glad to hear it.” Jack grinned in return. “From one secret keeper to another, would you mind terribly pointing me in the direction of Lady Cassandra?”

At that, Lady Charlotte’s brow scrunched up a bit. “Cassy said she wasn’t feeling well and retired early, my lord.”

“Just my luck.” Jack blew out a breath.

“Better luck tomorrow.”

Hoping his luck would change was a damned frustrating place to be. “Thank you, my dear. And best of luck in thwarting your wardens the rest of the week.”

Cassy stepped over the threshold of her borrowed chambers. She couldn’t help but search the place over with her gaze, looking for any evidence of that black shadow she’d seen earlier. But there was nothing, nothing out of the ordinary anywhere. The antique armoire in the corner looked rather charming against the flickering candlelight and the walls did seem as though they’d been freshly scrubbed. There wasn’t a cobweb or stray shadow anywhere in sight, and Oscar was sleeping quite soundly in the middle of her four-poster.

Perhaps she had imagined that shadow earlier. Perhaps she had let the tales of Keyvnor get the best of her and turn her into a blathering ninny. Certainly, Lord St. Giles thought so. Not that Cassy should let anything St. Giles thought mean anything to her one way or another. He was devastatingly handsome. He was too charming for his own good. And just being near him made her heart pound and her breath catch. But, the truth was, he was also rather dangerous and she shouldn’t let his opinion on anything sway her in one direction or another. Even if he was very possibly right about the number of people who had died in any one place throughout the history of the world. If they were all ghosts…

A scratch came at her door and Cassy let out a yelp as her heart leapt to her throat.

Oscar woke up and barked at the sound.

Heavens, she was a ninny! Cassy placed her hand over her heart to help calm its pounding and called, “Yes?”

“Lady Cassandra.” Betsy, her maid, pushed the door open and looked at her as though she was a foreign species. “Are you ready to undress for the evening?”

A staggered breath escaped Cassy. Was she ready to sleep at Castle Keyvnor? Her pulse began to pound at just the thought. But she was being foolish again. “Yes,” she said softly. “I believe I am ready to turn in for the night.”

Betsy glanced toward Oscar and frowned slightly. “Mrs. Bray was quite stern with me about Oscar being on the furniture.”

Well, Mrs. Bray could take a flying leap from Keyvnor’s tallest turret. “What Mrs. Bray doesn’t know won’t kill her,” Cassy returned. Besides, Oscar slept with her every night at Widcombe Hall, and he’d never once caused any sort of damage.

“Yes, of course, milady,” Betsy replied, looking uneasy.

“What’s wrong?” Cassy asked, stepping closer to her maid.

But Betsy simply shook her head. “Mrs. Bray just doesn’t seem like the warmest woman and I’d rather not get on her bad side.”

“I met her myself today, Betsy, and I’m not certain if Mrs. Bray has a good side.”

Her maid did laugh at that as she crossed behind Cassy. “No, I’m not certain she does either.” She began working the fastenings of Cassy’s gown. “I’d never tell a soul about Oscar, I just wanted to warn you.”

“Have you spoken to many members of Keyvnor’s staff today?”

Cassy’s dress sagged at her bodice as Betsy made quick work of the fastenings and then the muslin pooled at her feet. “A few,” she replied in a way that sounded as though she was holding her tongue about something.

“And?” Cassy glanced back over her shoulder at the girl.

“And—” Betsy looked sheepish “—Mrs. Bray may be the nicest of the bunch.”

Heavens! If that was true, the staff at Keyvnor could probably scare away any ghosts who’d taken up residence in the castle. “A sennight,” she echoed her father’s earlier words. “We only have to survive a sennight, Betsy.”

“Aye, milady.”

After dressing for bed and dismissing her maid, Cassy and Oscar snuggled under the counterpane. Candlelight flickered against walls, but Cassy had no intention of blowing out the light. How was she to see about the room in the darkness? How was she to make certain there was nothing ghostly to be seen without the light for assistance?

Oscar burrowed against her and Cassy kissed the top of his little head. “Very glad you’re here, my sweet boy.”

Her poodle sighed as though he was quite content to be with her too and she couldn’t help but smile.

Cassy watched the flickering light against the walls even as her eyelids grew heavy, and then she couldn’t keep them open any longer. Sleep took her quickly and deeply somewhere far away where a handsome man with an endearing dimple in his chin didn’t think she was foolish and had her wrapped in his arms and…

A bone-chilling scream from somewhere in the castle jolted her awake in the middle of the night.

What in the world was that? Cassy sat bolt upright as Oscar barked. She clutched her poodle to her, struggled to catch her breath, and scanned her chambers once more. Heavens! She might never survive this sennight!