Chapter 10
Devil had only just settled himself in his usual chair in the library before rising to his feet again at the first sound of the shouts from outside. He arrived in the entrance hall in time to see Newcomb being carried inside by several of the other gentlemen who had left for the shoot earlier with their host.
The growing red stain on the front of Teddy Newcomb’s white shirt and gray waistcoat would seem to indicate that one of those shots had gone awry.
Devil had hardly begun to take in the significance of that when Alys rushed past him to her brother’s side. Devil’s eyes narrowed as he realized Alys was wearing only a robe which clung indecently to the dampness of her body. Indeed, several of the younger gentlemen’s attention was diverted from their host’s dilemma to instead stare at Devil’s bride with frank appraisal.
Maxim also appeared in the hallway at that moment, no doubt also brought here by the noise and commotion. Devil had not seen hide nor hair of the other man this morning. No doubt the earl was suffering from their overindulgence of brandy the night before. A suffering Devil had dispelled in himself by taking a walk outside earlier to clear his head.
“Take Alys back to her bedchamber,” Devil instructed his friend harshly. “Just do it, Maxim!” he grated as the other man seemed set to argue. “I do not want her to be subjected to any more of Newcomb’s unpleasantness,” he added grimly.
A silent message passed between the two men before Maxim nodded abruptly and moved to Alys’s side. “Let me take you back upstairs.” He took a light grasp of her arm.
Alys appeared uncomprehending as she turned to look at Carlton, her eyes blank of all but the shock she obviously felt at seeing the blood on her brother’s clothing.
“You cannot remain downstairs in that state of undress, Alys,” Newcomb roused himself enough to admonish. “And for God’s sake, could someone send for the bloody doctor,” he added with a pained wince.
“Go with Maxim, Alys,” Devil instructed firmly as the butler hurried from the room to do his employer’s bidding. “Your brother is correct, you are not clothed appropriately to be in the presence of male company,” he added decisively as Alys looked set to argue further.
Alys stared at Deveril blankly for several more seconds before glancing down at herself. A hot tide of embarrassed color swept over her as she realized she had left her bedchamber wearing only her robe, and the material was now clinging obscenely to her wet body. Her rose-colored nipples were clearly visible against the white material, as were the dark curls at the apex of her thighs.
Hysteria welled up inside her. Duty dictated she remain at her brother’s side whether he wished her there or not. Decency demanded she go back to her room and dress before appearing in public again.
Decency won, as she allowed the Earl of Carlton to escort her from the room and back up the stairs.
Alys had managed to regain some of her scattered wits by the time they stood together in the hallway outside her bedchamber. “It would seem someone has shot my brother.”
Carlton raised a blond brow. “Someone?”
Alys drew in a shaky breath. “Teddy was particularly obnoxious yesterday evening. Deveril could not be blamed if he took exception—”
“I have no idea what transpired this morning, but whatever it was, and however much your brother may deserve it, I assure you Devil did not shoot him,” the earl stated emphatically. “And if you do not know him better than that, perhaps you should not be marrying him this afternoon,” he added aloofly.
Alys knew she deserved Carlton’s admonition. But surely it was too much of a coincidence that Teddy had been shot only hours after Sebastian threatened him?
She moistened her lips before speaking. “What do you think happened?”
“Until I know more of the details, I have no idea,” the earl answered her coolly. “But my belief in Devil’s innocence will not change in the slightest after I learn what those facts are.”
Impossible not to hear the censure in Carlton’s tone. A merited rebuke, considering, as the earl had said, Deveril was to become her husband later today.
Her gaze avoided meeting Carlton’s cool gray one. “I will rejoin you downstairs just as soon as I am dressed.”
He nodded. “I will inform Devil that is your intention.”
The earl could “inform” Deveril of exactly what he pleased; it would make no difference to Alys’s plan to rejoin the gentlemen downstairs as soon as possible.
She needed to know exactly what had happened this morning that had resulted in her brother being shot.
“How is Newcomb?”
Devil stood at the back of the blue salon, where Teddy Newcomb had been carried and placed on the sofa while they waited for the arrival of the doctor. “Hamming it up for all he’s worth,” Devil answered Maxim with a distinct lack of sympathy. “From what I can tell, it is only a straight-through shot and not life-threatening. More’s the pity,” he added under his breath.
“Have a care who hears you say that, Devil,” the other man warned softly. “Did one of the other gentlemen misfire his gun?”
“From what has been said, I gather no one is claiming credit for firing the shot.”
“Devil!”
He drew in a deep breath and heeded Carlton’s warning by changing the subject. “How was Alys when you left her?”
“Upset and yet numbed at the same time. In shock, I believe.”
“Damn it to hell!” He turned away to stare out the window, his thoughts inward rather than on the view outside.
“She will rejoin us as soon as she is dressed.”
“I never doubted it,” he drawled.
“Where were you this morning, Devil?”
He arched a brow. “Excuse the black humor, but are you playing Devil’s Advocate, Maxim?”
The other man scowled. “From your avoidance of providing an answer, I gather you do not have a witness to confirm your movements this morning?”
“I believe you may have missed your calling, Maxim, and should perhaps have been a lawyer. It is worse than that, I’m afraid,” Devil admitted as the earl narrowed his gaze on him. “I went for a walk outside earlier, had only returned to the house a few minutes before Newcomb was carried into the house bleeding like a stuck pig.”
“Good God…”
“Indeed.”
“There is more than one person here, after your threats toward Newcomb yesterday evening, who will believe you are responsible for having shot him this morning,” Carlton continued grimly. “I am not one of them,” he assured as Devil raised his brows. “But you have to admit it does not look good, following on from Alys’s previous accusation you killed her father.”
Devil clenched his jaw. “Are you saying Alys believes that I have now shot her brother?”
“I am saying she does not know what to think.”
He snorted. “In other words, she is one of the people who believes I shot Newcomb.”
Carlton raised his brows. “Did you? I am only asking you the question every person in this room, except myself and the one really responsible for shooting Newcomb would like to ask you, but dare not,” he reasoned as Devil’s scowl deepened. “I have no doubt the local authorities will ask you the same question once they become involved. Which they will.”
Devil shook his head. “I did not shoot Newcomb. If I had, I would have made sure the shot pierced his heart, not his shoulder. Or better yet, his head. After his recent behavior, I am not sure he possesses a heart.”
“As would I.” Both men were excellent shots. “Then it must have been one of them.” Carlton turned to survey the other gentlemen gathered in the room. “Any idea which one?”
Devil sighed his impatience. “I do not know any of them well, and I have spent as little time as possible in their company since my arrival here.”
“I cannot say that I blame you.” The earl looked down his nose at the assembled company. “Not exactly the cream of Society, are they?”
“Neither is Newcomb.”
“Which makes your decision to marry his sister somewhat suspect,” Carlton reasoned.
Devil straightened. “My reasons for marrying Alys are my own.”
The other man quirked a brow. “You cannot believe the wedding will still take place after this.”
He clenched his hands at his sides. “I shall insist that it does.”
The earl shrugged. “I doubt you can make your bride say ‘I do’ if she no longer wishes to do so. And she may not wish to when her brother is not well enough to stand at her side.”
Devil turned to glare across the room at the man lying on the sofa surrounded by all his cronies. “I need to speak with Alys,” he muttered. “Explain to her that I did not—”
“Too late,” Carlton murmured at his side.
Devil turned to see Alys sweeping into the room, her maid following closely at her heels. Alys was now fully clothed, thank goodness. Her hair was pulled back into an untidy cluster of curls at her crown, evidence she had hurried her grooming.
Alys saw no one else in the room except her brother as she hurried to his side. Teddy lay prostrate on the couch, his face pale. His jacket and waistcoat had now been removed, but all that achieved was to reveal the blood soaking into and staining the front of his white shirt and no doubt the sofa beneath him. Not that Alys cared about that. After all, the couch and everything else within Newcomb Manor belonged to Teddy, and he might do with them what he wished.
She moved down onto her knees beside her brother and took one of his bloodstained hands into her own. “How do you feel now? Did someone send for the doctor? Are you in a great deal of pain? What hap—”
“How am I supposed to answer any of your questions if you do not even pause for breath before asking the next?” Teddy scowled his irritation.
“Of course.” Embarrassed color warmed her cheeks. “Did Holmes send for the doctor, at least?”
“I believe so.”
“Go and enquire, would you, Woodcock?” she requested of the nearest gentleman before turning back to her brother. “How did this happen, Teddy?” Alys had found time to consider the situation while washing and dressing, and she now had her own thoughts as to what might have transpired. But she wished to hear what her brother had to say on the subject before making her final judgment.
Teddy glanced across the room to where Deveril and Carlton stood silently watching the two of them. “I know I have always pooh-poohed your accusations toward Deveril in regard to the murder of our father. That I did so as recently as three days ago,” he spoke to her softly. “But evidence would seem to indicate you might have been correct after all. I now believe he shot Father and killed him, as he has now shot me, with less success.”
Alys released Teddy’s hand to sit back on her heels. It was what she had suspected, but even so, thinking something and hearing it confirmed were two distinctly different things. “What possible reason could Deveril have for doing such a thing?”
Teddy glanced pointedly at the guests standing close enough to overhear their conversation. “I believe we must talk about this later and in private, Alys.”
“Of course.” She lowered her lashes. “If you will excuse me, I must have a few words with Deveril about the arrangements for this afternoon.”
Teddy’s eyes glittered with malice. “Do not bother to let the bastard down gently.”
Alys gave her brother a brief smile before standing and crossing the room to where Sebastian and the earl both watched the proceedings through narrowed lids. Sebastian was noticeably tenser than the earl.
“Alys—”
She calmly cut through whatever he had intended saying. “Sebastian, are you particularly set on the wedding taking place today?”
As Carlton had suggested, and Devil had suspected might be the case, Alys intended to call off their wedding, probably indefinitely. “I am very set on it, yes,” he answered her through tight lips.
She nodded as if she had expected no other answer. “Then perhaps you might ask the vicar if he could bring the service forward several hours? I should then like to leave for Herefordshire, as planned, immediately after we are finished at the church.”
Devil frowned his confusion. “You still intend to marry me today?”
Her chin rose. “That is what we agreed, is it not? Unless you have changed your mind?” She met his gaze calmly.
Devil decided there was something not quite right about Alys’s calm or this conversation. He had been convinced she would return downstairs and demand to be released from both their betrothal and the wedding this afternoon. Instead, she was asking for the opposite, that the wedding should take place earlier than planned.
“Not in the least,” he answered distractedly.
Alys nodded. “Then so be it. As my brother is currently indisposed, we are in need of another witness besides the earl.” She glanced in Carlton’s direction as he stood guard to ensure their privacy while at the same time attempting to give every indication of not eavesdropping on their conversation. “I will ask the vicar’s wife. I am sure she will happily step into that role.”
“Alys—”
“If you will both excuse me now?” she continued as if Devil had not spoken. “I still have some last-minute details in need of my attention before I depart Newcomb Manor for good.” She turned to leave.
Devil reached out and grasped her arm. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded when she glanced back at him.
“Surely that is obvious.”
“Not to me,” he assured her grimly. “I felt sure, as your brother is…indisposed, you would wish to remain by his side until he is recovered.”
“Did you?” Alys maintained that coolness. “My brother has made it more than clear these past few days that my presence is not needed here. I see no reason— Ah, the doctor has arrived,” she said as a short, balding man was shown into the room by Holmes. “We will talk again later, Sebastian,” she dismissed before pulling out of his grasp and crossing the room to join the doctor at her brother’s side.
Devil was nonplussed. No other word for it. After tensely waiting for Alys to revile and then reject him, she had instead stated she still intended marrying him and had asked him to bring the wedding forward by several hours.
“Quite the surprise, your little bride.” Carlton echoed Devil’s thoughts.
He gave a dazed shake of his head. “I would call her unpredictable and incomprehensible, rather than merely surprising.”
The earl gave an appreciative grin. “You will certainly never be bored in your marriage, old chap.” He gave Devil a congratulatory slap on the back. “Talking of which… I should strike while the iron is hot, if I were you, and pay the vicar a visit.”
Devil had every intention of doing so.
“Sebastian,” he suddenly realized. “Alys called me Sebastian just now,” he explained impatiently as Carlton gave him a puzzled glance.
“Well, that is your name.”
“Yes, but—” Devil saw no reason to explain to Maxim that Alys only ever called him by his given name when the two of them were being intimate together. It was a distinction that did not need to be shared with a third party.
Devil decided he would wait until after the wedding to speak with Alys on the subject of her brother, and also as to whether or not she was a spy for Napoleon.
He might even be able to delay the latter as long as tomorrow.