Page 85 of Their Master

Her warmth disappeared and a hand gripped Smith’s hair and jerked his head up. The sneering face of John Turnbull, Moira’s music teacher, rippled and shifted before him.

“Well, look at you. All trussed up like a holiday goose.” He laughed harshly and then punched Smith in the gut.

“No!” Moira yelled. “What are you doing? You don’t have to—”

The next blow struck Smith in the jaw and his head exploded with pain and bright white spangles.

“Stop it!” Moira screamed

“Shut up, girlie!”

“No!” Moira shouted. “This isn’t—”

The fist struck him again and Smith’s head once again exploded with white stars. He was distantly aware of the sounds of scuffling, a woman screaming, and then darkness claimed him.

Chapter 20

“Are you sure you don’t want to go?” David asked Luke for the fifth time.

“I’d only sour the mood,” Luke said, yet again. “You go ahead—enjoy yourself.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

David sighed and shook his head. “You need to forget about him, Luke.”

“Justgo.”

“Fine.” David snatched up his woolly scarf and headed out the door.

Luke waited until the door slammed to sink down onto his bed. He’d been arguing with the other man for half-an-hour, after David had drawn the shift tonight and Luke had offered to cover him.

Mr. Smith had said only one servant was necessary—along with the four men on the doors—so Luke would be on duty alone tonight.

It was just as well since the last thing he felt like doing was joining the revels.

He doubted he’d be summoned tonight as Mr. Smith and Miss Moira had dined in the master’s chamber and Luke and a few others had already cleared away the heaps of remaining food.

Earlier that evening, as Luke had groomed and prepared Miss Moira for her night with Smith, she’d looked so downcast that he’d broken one of his own rules and asked her a personal question. “Are you not feeling well, Miss Moira?”

She’d smiled, but he could see it had taken effort. “No, just gathering wool. Are you going out to join the revels?”

At that point Luke had not yet convinced David to switch shifts with him, so he’d said, “Yes, miss, with several of the others.”

“I hope you enjoy yourself.”

After he’d finished dressing her, she had taken Luke’s hand and said the strangest thing, “Thank you for being so kind to me.”

It was just as well that she’d hurried from the room as he’d been too confused to reply.

He was still pondering her odd behavior hours later. Rather than look elated at the prospect of spending the evening with the master—who’d been away most of the past week—his mistress had looked almost… terrified.

Luke’s stomach rumbled, interrupting his pointless fretting. He sighed. If he wanted food, then he’d need to get his arse off the bed and get down to the kitchen. He could fret just as easily while shoving food into his mouth.

The house was strangely quiet as he made his way down the stairs. He reached the third floor and was about to descend when movement at the far end of the corridor caught his attention.

There was a man walking—no tiptoeing—toward Miss Moira’s room.

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