Page 62 of The Lady Glass
“Who is that?” Tansy asked.
Theresia let her hand drop and sighed. “The same person I thought I knew in town the other day. Now I am certain of it.”
A loud bang came from inside the broken castle, and a woman screamed.
Tansy and Theresia looked at each other, and without a word, they raced back toward the ruins.
Chapter 29
The resounding crash of stoneon stone echoed in Rolland’s ears. Had a ceiling collapsed somewhere? He and Marcus stared at each other in mutual horror for a brief second before making a mad dash to the staircase. They darted down, the anxious staccato from their steps fueling his speed and his fears. A prayer slipped through his lips for Theresia, his parents, Lewis, the women, and every other guest. “Let no one be hurt.”
The tower was much higher up than he’d noticed while ascending. Oh, why had he and Marcus thought it a good opportunity to discuss their plans while ignoring the others? They should’ve waited until they were home. After what felt like forever, they finally reached the ground and rushed back inside the keep. Lewis and Miss Yearsley were there, wide-eyed and breathless. Mr. Stewart was there, too, like he’d just come from a back room.
“Where are the others?” Rolland asked.
Lewis pointed to the stairs that went up to the roof of the keep. “They’re all still up there. I think that’s where the noise came from.”
Marcus beat Rolland to the stairs, but he was right on his heels, and Lewis and Miss Yearsley were not far behind. Up and up they went, time suspended.
Daylight flooded them when they hit the roof of the keep, the climb not nearly as steep or as long as that of the guard tower. Large pieces of stone littered one corner of the keep, but no bodies seemed to be beneath the rubble. His eyes found his parents, his mother in his father’s arms, worried but unharmed, and the Havershams, Lady Cadogen, and Lord Vernon. All were unscathed.
“What happened?” Marcus demanded.
“A part of the second guard tower collapsed,” Rolland’s fatheranswered.
Theresia! Where were she and Her Grace? Rolland moved to the half wall and cast his gaze downward, searching for what he hoped he would not see. Behind him was another commotion, and he turned to see the subject of his thoughts step onto the landing. Mr. Hawke came up behind the ladies. Where had he been?
“We heard the noise and came as quickly as we could,” Her Grace said, rushing to Marcus. “Was anyone hurt?”
“Miraculously, no,” Lord Vernon answered. “Though, if these ruins were at all unsafe, we ought to have been informed before coming.”
“They are called ruins for a reason,” Lewis answered, his annoyance shared by Rolland and probably others.
Rolland went to his mother. “Are you well?”
“Just a little rattled,” she whispered.
“We were standing there just moments before it happened,” his father added.
Rolland’s stomach dropped.
Marcus clapped his hands to quiet the sudden fervor of talking in the group. “If no one has been harmed, I propose we return to Ashbury Court. I am certain my housekeeper knows of a tea for settling nerves if anyone is still shaken by the time we arrive.”
Mutual nods passed around the group. Starting with Theresia, the group filed back down toward the main room of the keep. Rolland was last to leave, too curious about the accident to leave just yet. He stared up at the crumbling guard tower, now in far worse condition than the one he had just left. It was almost adjacent to the keep. He observed the portion of the wall that was newly missing and tilted his head. Could it really have broken off at such an unfortunate time, or had someone pushed the stones loose? With the distance it had fallen, the stone likely scattering when it hit, it was impossible to tell the exact spot ithad crashed against.
Rolland ran a hand down his face. Had someone just tried to kill his father, or was his paranoia making him jump to unnecessary conclusions? By the time he reached the carriages, everyone had climbed inside but Theresia, who stood at the last one in line. She was speaking to a footman, and curious, Rolland drew closer. By the time he reached her, the first carriage was already pulling away.
“Did he say anything else?” she asked the footman.
“No, miss. Just gave me that letter to deliver to you when it was time to depart.”
Rolland stepped up beside her, his hand naturally going to her back. “Is something amiss?”
She looked up at him, her eyes still as startled as when she’d come onto the keep’s roof. “You won’t believe it. I saw that old man from London again. The one you saved from being robbed. He left this for me.” She held up a sealed parchment folded small enough to fit in her palm.
He moved to the carriage window, noting the last conveyance was empty. It wasn’t exciting, like traveling in the barouche, but it would suit them well. “It looks like you’ll have the privacy to read it on the drive.” He offered her his hand and helped her inside.
Once they were settled across from each other, the carriage rocked forward. She broke the seal and opened her letter. He watched her eyes scan several lines and waited patiently for her to volunteer what she would.
