Page 30 of The Forsaken
Gabe put the list out of his mind and returned his attention to the attic, which hadn’t seen the light of day, or an electric lightbulb, for decades. There were countless pieces of broken furniture, Christmas ornaments from the Victorian period that were probably collectibles by now and might actually pay for some of the restoration, and boxes and boxes of ledgers and various other documents pertaining to the running of the estate. Gabe had been at it for about eight hours and he was ready to chuck it in. There were no plans.
“Damn it all to hell,” Gabe grumbled as he descended the rickety staircase and headed straight for the bath down the corridor. Even his hair was covered in dust and cobwebs.
“You’re a sight,” Quinn said with a chuckle as she came out of the bath, her hair wrapped in a fluffy towel. “Anything?”
Gabe shook his head and stopped as particles of dust flew in all directions and making Quinn sneeze. “Nothing. I’m filthy and hungry.”
“Would you like me to make some pasta?” she asked.
“Oh, no. We’re going out to the pub. I’ve earned a pint or two, and you’ve earned a dinner out.”
“And what have I done to earn such an honor?”
“You made love to me and did that amazing thing you do with your tongue,” Gabe replied without missing a beat.
“Did I?”
“Didn’t you?” Gabe asked with a wicked smile.
Quinn smiled back. “You know where to find me once you’ve bathed. I’m not touching you looking like that.”
“I would never ask for such a sacrifice, but I bet medieval ladies welcomed their knights home from battle with open arms, despite the stench from days locked in their armor and the muck of the battlefield.”
“And when you come to me clad in your armor after having taken the throne, I’ll be all over you.” Quinn giggled as Gabe smacked her bottom.
“Wait for me.”
“Oh, I will,” she promised.
Once they were settled in the pub with a pint in front of Gabe and a glass of mineral water in front of Quinn, she considered the problem with the house plans. “Have you looked online?”
“Of course I have. There’s some information about Berwick Castle, but nothing much about the other houses in the area.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll visit the library. They might have something. Will you be returning to the trenches?”
“I don’t know if it’s worth it. There’s so much rubbish up there, I can barely get around without having to create a path between the junk. If there’s any useful information up there, it might take me months to find it.” Gabe took a long pull of his ale. “Ultimately, it’s not that important. Our man was buried within the walls of the house, indicating that he wasn’t deserving of a Christian burial. But whoever buried him treated him with love and respect, so most likely he was buried by his family.”
“The poor lad must have committed some unforgiveable sin,” Quinn agreed.
“Can you tell me more about Guy?” Gabe asked.
“I’ve told you all I know so far.”
“I’m dying to find out what happened to him. I just can’t seem to reconcile what I know of Guy de Rosel to what we discovered, but I don’t want you to get upset or emotionally involved. I know what a toll it takes on you.”
“Gabe, I promise to keep a professional distance.”
He gave Quinn a look of such stunned disbelief that she burst out laughing.
“All right, I won’t,” she conceded. “But I need to know what happened to him. And don’t tell me what you know. Not yet.”
“Can you tell me about Kate then?”
Quinn shook her head. “I need more time with the rosary. Kate’s life turned upside down the moment her brothers stepped onto that battlefield. Their deaths changed everything, but so did her encounter with the de Rosels. I believe that her fate was intertwined with theirs, but I don’t yet know how the story played out.”
“It’s a mystery.”
“Not for long,” Quinn promised. “Ah, good. I’m starving,” she said as the waitress brought their food. “Want some chips?”
