Page 48 of Black Widow

“What else?” He knew from the way she was avoiding his eyes that there wasmore.

“I keep finding things at the bottom of the stairs. Dead things. It used to be roses, but the last was a rodent of some sort.Gideon—”

“What?” he asked,perplexed.

“You’re hurting me,” she said, gesturing to the hand holding hers with a now-painfulgrip.

“Oh, good God.” He relaxed his hold, rubbing her fingers gently. He was losing control. He needed torefocus.

“Why did you say it was your fault?” he asked, aware he was holding hisbreath.

She frowned, her confusionapparent.

“I had your servants questioned,” he said, apologizing when her eyes flared. “When you found Martin’s body, you said it was your fault. That’s the reason I suspected you to begin with. Why would you say such athing?”

Amelia’s lips parted, and she began to speak before hesitating and beginning again. “I don’t recall saying it…but I do know what I meant. You see, I have often thought those words since thatday.”

She raised her eyes to his, the crystalline blue sparkling behind a pool of unshed tears. “If I hadn’t agreed to come back to England, Martin would be alive today. I didn’t want to return. This place—the peerage—had nothing but contempt for my father—a man who built a fortune out of nothing. My father was brilliant and kind. He had more nobility of spirit than any blue blood born to a title… but any fat slovenly lord thinks he can spit on his memory because he wasn’t titled.They’re not fit to even speak his name,” shehissed.

Gideon knew enough of the haute ton’s secrets to agree with her. He winced. “I know you may not believe this, given my recent ascension, but for some I’ve met, I am in completeagreement.”

Amelia snorted lightly and took a shaky breath. “My plan was to make our life in Italy near Isobel and her family. Although he missed England at times, Martin agreed. We were free on the continent in a way that simply wasn’t possible here. It was like I could breathe for the first time. He felt the same way…until hedidn’t.”

“Because Martin met Lord Worthing,” he said, filling in the blanks. “And the viscount had to return home to attend to his estates. He convinced the two of you to come withhim.”

“Yes.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. She squeezed his hand. “I know you don’t agree that what we saw is a demon, and maybe it isn’t, but whatever its true nature, itisevil. Perhaps there is a person behind all these incidents, but if so, then they are in league with something unnatural andoccult.”

Oh dear. She really believedthat…

It wasn’t her fault, of course; the villain had done his job too well. What Gideon had seen had made him question reality, too. But demons and mysticism was the realm of charlatans. “Whoever the culprit is, they are both ruthless and clever. But they are not magical—there are no supernatural forces at workhere.”

One corner of her mouth turned down and he moved to sit down next to her, giving in to his impulse to hold her in hisarms.

“I’m going to find this person, and I’m going to stop them. I promise youthat.”

Gideon waited for her to agree with him, to express some faith in his ability to take care of her. He was still waiting when they arrived inLondon.

Chapter 19

Amelia watchedin fascination as Gideon got down on his hands andknees.

“Was it here that youfell?”

She nodded mechanically, forgetting he couldn’t see her in his near-prone position on the floor of hersalon.

“Yes,” she confirmed as he felt along the ornate floral pattern of the Aubusson carpet. He appeared determined to touch every fiber of theweave.

Gideon had already examined the shelves and moldings. She had explained that everything appeared to have shifted and warped, but all had been righted before she woke the following day. There was no sign of what happened save for a bit of tell-tale streaking in the windows she was sure hadn’t been therebefore.

The earl was not convinced by the glass, telling her that the expense of the house did not always correspond with the quality of its glazing. He was certain she had been druggedsomehow.

Gideon had been determined to interrogate all the servants. He was convicted one of them had slipped her something, but she’d sworn she hadn’t taken a drop or eaten a bite after returning from the ball. He’d conceded poison by food or drink unlikely then, and instead began to look for toxic substances on every surface and in the individual threads of hercarpet…

Crispin had been delivered to his townhouse by an attentive Mr. Clarke. Amelia had insisted on stopping there as well, so she could make the arrangements for his convalescence. She had been prepared to organize the servants and to send for Crispin’s family physician, only to find that Mr. Clarke had taken it upon himself to coordinate everything to the lastdetail.

By the time she and Gideon had arrived, Crispin was freshly bathed and dressed in his night rail. He had been deposited on a makeshift bed in the library, having expressed a strong preference to be surrounded by hisbooks.

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