Page 38 of The Knight's Pledge
Effie’s eyebrows rose reflexively. “His parents reported himto be missing?”
“His grandfather did,” Lucan clarified, watching her too closely for Effie’s liking. “Years ago.”
She must be more careful. “Well, even if it was him, what crime could he have committed? A boy running away. It happens.”
“Like you did, you mean?” That piercing stare never left her. “You sound like Vaughn Hargrave’s defenders.”
“How dare you?”
“Why would young James Montrose have run away from a family that had just opened a very successful business in York? His future was promising beyond the vast majority of untitled youth. Why would he forsake all that to live in a cave?” His gaze swept around the hall, one long-fingered hand opened toward her in appeal. “If he’d only been lost, wandered away, he would have eventually come uponsomeoneand solicited help to be reunited with them. Unless perhaps someone prevented his return. Someone fromhere, perhaps?”
“You’ve no idea what you’re talking about. We in the Warren are a family,” Effie said evenly. “Not that you would know anything about what that means.”
“Very little, you’re right,” Lucan allowed. “My parents were killed in the fire that destroyed Castle Dare.”
“I know that,” Effie snapped, unable to keep the image from her mind of a young Lucan, his sooty cheeks streaked by tears, when it had always been his hatefulness of that night she’d remembered. “You seemed to have managed quite well under my grandfather’s wing.”
Lucan stared at her again, saying nothing, but Effie could tell that his mind was working, and it gave her a foreign feeling of wariness.
“Don’t threaten anyone in my care with your ridiculous theories, Lucan,” she warned. “George Thomas’s safe return is my priority now, true. But only just behind him are any one of the people who livein the Warren.”
“I’m not threatening anyone, Effie,” he replied quietly. “I simply don’t think you’ve been hiding away in this cave waiting for Thomas Annesley to return.”
She waited a pair of heartbeats. “See to your horse.” She turned and walked toward the arched passage that would lead to her and Gorman’s chamber, realizing she hadbegun to shake.
Effie Annesley had not been known to exist since the night that Euphemia Hargrave had disappeared. She had been a legend, a ghost, in the Northumberland forests. She’d never been born—her parents had never held her. No one could discover her, because no one had known ofher presence.
Tommy had fled Darlyrede House barely more than a boy more than thirty years ago. He’d gone into Scotland and eventually made his way to a remote fishing island where he’d lived in anonymity for most of his adult life. And yet, thirty years later, Lucan Montague had managed to find him.
And now that same investigating knight had managed to stumble into the midst of the deepest, darkest pit of evil that had all but consumed Northumberland—and it wasn’t the Warren. One he’d never even cared look hard enough to see and even now had no idea it surrounded him. From what Effie knew of Lucan Montague thus far, he would not rest until he had found what he was looking for.
Effie could only hope that he was lookingfor the truth.
* * * *
Lucan set the wooden bowl on the stone floor and rose from the stool, walking across the cavernous hall toward the upward sloping entrance passage. His footfalls were swallowed up by the echoes of commotion the inhabitants made while conversing and preparing for departure. No one paid him any heed as he leftthe cathedral.
He slowed halfway up the entrance passage, just as the walls curved to the left. Gorman’s voicecarried to him.
“—until we are well past. Tomorrow night.”
“Who is there that we should warn?” a voice unfamiliarto Lucan asked.
“None.” The single word spoken in Rolf’s voice was immediate and final. “If you think to raise alarm, never return here. I will cut you down myself.”
“Dad,” Gorman cautionedin a low voice.
Silence lingered for a moment.
“I meant no disrespect, Rolf. I only thought perhaps some ofthe servants—”
“There is no need to speak of it further,” Gorman intervened. “The plan is set. Only send word to the tavern if something goes amiss.Ah, Sir Lucan.”
Lucan had walked into the midst of them casually, not wishing to stymie the conversation, but he knew the group was wary of him already. Combined with Effie’s opinion that Lucan was interrogating her, Lucan couldn’t risk an accusation ofeavesdropping.
“Forgive my interruption,” he said. “Effie’s given orders that I should care for Agrios.” Everyone watched him as if waiting for him to continue. “My only other visit to this domicile occurred when I was largely unconscious, so I fear I wasn’t as attentive as I would normally be when one takes command of my mount.”
Rolf looked confused. “Lord?”
