Page 29 of Black Widow

“Good God.” The pounding in his head retreated to the background. He swallowed heavily. “Is she allright?”

“I believe so. Lord Westcliff was most apologetic. He put her in another room with a footman stationed outside to guard all night. Her maid was roused to share her room as well. In fact, most of the women elected to have a maid in their room lastnight.”

His mind was reeling. “I can’t believe I didn’t hear athing.”

“Well, the library is in another part of the house,” Manning said with a little grimace. “Mrs. Montgomery was understandably unsettled. Lord Worthing escorted her and another lady back to town early thismorning.”

A knock sounded at thedoor.

“That should be the breakfast tray I ordered. I assumed you wouldn’t want to go down to breakfast thismorning.”

“Thank you. Start packing; we will be leaving within the hour,” he said as Manning let the maid inside with thetray.

“Are you sure that is wise?” Manning asked once the girl had left. “Riding with a sore head will be mostuncomfortable.”

“My own fault,” Gideon muttered in between bites of toast. He had let his temper get the best of him last night. In a fit of self-indulgence, he had incapacitated himself during an actualcrime.

“I’m going to have a look at the door that was damaged. Then we’releaving.”

“Yes, my lord. I’ll have everythingready.”

A few minutes later, Gideon was standing in the guesthallway.

“What the devil happened here?” He hadn’t been expecting an answer, but Westcliff came up behindhim.

“I was hoping you would tellme.”

Gideon swung around to face his host. “What the hell does thatmean?”

“Err…well, one of the servants mentioned that you and Mrs. Montgomery had a small disagreement last night. Perhaps you went to go see her last night after overindulging in some of the fine brandy I keep in thelibrary?

“This wasn’t me.” Gideon traced the splintered wood. A reddish dust lined the fissure. He felt the texture of it between his fingers, a considering frown on hisface.

Westcliff cleared his throat. “Are you sure you recall all last evening? Someone almost broke this door down and then tore through the garden.” He sounded almosthopeful.

Gideon held up his gloveless hands. “I admit I owe you a new bottle of brandy, but I don’t owe you a new door. You still have a housebreaker tofind.”

His knuckles didn’t have a single mark on them. If he’d been the one in the hallway last night, his hands would bear some bruises or cuts, so great was the violence done to thedoor.

“Oh, I see.” Westcliff’s face clouded. “Well…your boots did look a bit small for the prints wefound.”

Gideon paused. “You found prints? Are they inside thehouse?”

“No. They’re in thegarden.”

“Showme.”

The marks in the muddy garden were massive. He and Westcliff were leaning over them, marveling at theirsize.

“The servants are in an uproar,” his host confided in a murmur. “They are whispering aboutgiants.”

“I can see why.” Gideon shook his head. “But these prints are too large for anyman.”

Westcliff straightened. “You think these are manufactured? Someone fabricatedthem?”

Gideon rose, scrutinizing the marks in the mud with a critical eye. Even the tallest man he had met did not have feet on this scale. “I believe so. The scale is impossible. If a man this size was wandering the countryside, you would have heard of him. There is no way such a person could’ve escaped the localsnotice.”

“I suppose you are correct. But who would do such athing?”

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