Leo released a wry laugh, slowly turning the wineglass in his hand.
Lord Roberts frowned. “Is something amusing?”
“’Tis nothing of importance.”
Lord Roberts glanced at her, obviously uneasy, and then his gaze was back to Leo. “No, please, share.”
Leo’s gaze turned hard. “It seems that is all you English do is try and contain the wild and unruly.”
Lord Roberts focused on her, his eyes helpless and pleading. Ella resisted the urge to reach over and pinch Leo’s arm, as Lady Buckley’s eldest daughter use to do her when she’d first arrived.
“I’m sure your grandfather meant nothing by his remark.”
His gaze, dark and hooded, met hers. “Of course not, they never mean anything they say.”
“Well then, Leo, why don’t you pick a topic of conversation?” Ella snapped, finally having had enough of the man.
“Fine.” His gaze swung to his grandfather. “Why not discuss why it is you didn’t search for me in India?”
Lord Roberts paled, and Ella’s worry grew. “Leo—”
Lord Roberts lifted his hand, stopping her. “No, it’s all right. I did not go to India because your Uncle Geoffrey traveled there and found no sign of you.”
Leo’s fist hit the tabletop, and the china rattled. “He lied.”
“And now we resort to calling my father a liar,” a deep voice mocked.
Ella’s gaze jumped to the dining room doors where Leo’s cousin Henry stood with a woman and young boy. The attending butler shifted back and forth next to them, wringing his gloved hands.
“It’s all right, Kips. You may go back to your post,” Lord Roberts said. Kips gave a quick bow and disappeared.
Henry sauntered toward the table, as if completely unaware of the awkwardness hanging in the air. “Kips, silly boy, wanted to announce us, but I explained that we are family and with family there is no need to announce. Perhaps I should have allowed him the opportunity and saved us from overhearing a damning conversation.” He took a seat at the end of the table, opposite his grandfather.
A footman rushed to the table, pulling out a chair for the woman and boy.
Not bothering to worry over his wife or child, Henry picked up a wineglass and drank deeply.
“Henry’s wife, Berta, and son, Stanley,” Lord Roberts introduced.
Ella smiled at Berta. She was surprised when the woman smiled back, shy but friendly. Not the shallow, vapid woman she’d expect Henry to be married to, but a rather sweet and beautiful lady with blond hair and soft blue eyes.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t say the same about the boy. At around age six, he wore a dark green jacket with a high collar that matched his father’s. He also wore his father’s arrogant smirk. The child threw himself into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest like he’d been in the middle of a tantrum. Sensing her attention, young Stanley looked at Ella and stuck out his tongue. Ella pressed her lips together, resisting the urge to stick out her tongue in kind.
“Do go on, Leo,” Henry said. “Do not stop on my account. Really, I’m on pins and needles waiting to hear what you’ll say about my father.”
“Where did he search?”
“I have no idea. I was in France with my mother.” He waved his hand impatiently at the footman for a plate.
“Really?” Leo’s eyes narrowed. There was a hardness to his voice that made Ella uneasy. Almost as if he knew something they didn’t. What secrets did he keep?
Henry frowned. “Yes, really.”
“Well,” Leo continued. “They mustn’t have looked very thoroughly. I stayed by our camp for months.”
Ella’s breath caught in her throat. Months? How long had he been in the jungle? Dear God, she thought days, maybe weeks, but months?
“You’ll have to take that up with my father, dear cousin. I can show you where he’s buried if you’d like.”
“Leo, what is this about?” Lord Roberts demanded.
“Absolutely nothing.” Leo stood, tossed his napkin on the table, and stalked from the room. She wanted to call to him, to demand answers, but it wasn’t her place.
“Ella, dear,” Lord Roberts pleaded softly.
She nodded and started toward the door, more than eager to escape Henry and his sarcastic comments.
“Run along, Ella,” Henry called out. “Your ward is getting away.”
She ignored his chuckles and raced down the hall, past curious servants. Breathless, Ella didn’t stop until she reached the gardens. Brilliant rays from the setting sun struck her face, warming her skin. Shading her eyes, she scanned the area.
Leo stood in the midst of the rose gardens. So strong, he seemed out of place amongst the delicate blooms. He gazed into the distance, resembling a gent deep in thought. But underneath his refined clothing, she knew his body was tense and his mind in turmoil. The crunch of gravel under her feet surely alerted him to her presence, yet he didn’t turn, didn’t react in the least.
“Did my grandfather send you again?”
She stopped beside him. “Yes.”
He released a wry laugh and nodded.
“What’s so amusing?”
He finally looked down at her. “Your honesty is refreshing, is all.”
Confusion clouded her mind, and she realized that somehow she’d missed the importance of his question.
He looked away again. “England is so tame. There is nothing to fear here but other men. So confined, so innocent.”
She didn’t speak. She wasn’t sure what to say, for she’d always been rather nervous about what lay beyond the walls of Lady Buckley’s estate. At the same time, she craved the freedom she knew that distant horizon represented.
“Altogether, six years,” he said.
Her brows furrowed, confused by his words and even more confused by his blasé mood. “What do you mean?”
“Akshay and I were in the jungle for four years the first time.”
Her stomach tightened. “I don’t understand.” She shook her head, sure she had misheard him.
“My mother sent me to the village to get help, but everyone in Akshay’s village was killed. Most likely by the same men who killed my parents. We were scared; we had nowhere to go, didn’t know who to trust. We stayed in the jungle for four damn years.”
Blood rushed from her head and dizziness made her swerve on her feet. “But you were boys, mere children. How?”
“We used objects from the campsite. Knives to hunt, the tent to sleep in, the pans to cook. We even had food, for a short while. When that ran out, we found another village. We would steal from them; we were too afraid to ask for help.”
Ella sank onto a hard bench, her heart racing in her chest. Those images she’d seen when she first arrived held new meaning. Death, destruction, blood…memories of a boy who’d had no one to turn to. “How did you survive? How did you stay sane?”
He laughed, a harsh sound without mirth. “I’m sure there are many who would say I lost my sanity.”
“Leo—”
“A mere jest. Are you always so serious, Ella?” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. When she didn’t respond, he sighed. “I taught Akshay how to read and write. We hunted. We stole. Although frightening at first, it was a game of survival after a while. We became men; then after years of fighting for survival, we became almost animals.” He looked down at her. “So what do you think of me now, Ella?”
She couldn’t keep the tears from slipping down her cheeks. With her heart thumping madly in her chest, she stood and reached for his hand, wrapping her fingers around his. She didn’t give two figs who noticed their interaction. “I think you’re amazing.”
He shook his head and looked away. “You wouldn’t think so if you truly knew what I had done to stay alive.”
She didn’t think she wanted to know. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more truth at the moment. Closing her eyes, she tried to push aside the images she’d seen the first night she stayed in
this cursed castle…jungles…death…fear. Instead, she focused on the soft wind that blew off the ocean.
“He lies,” Leo said. “My cousin. I know he lies.”
Ella opened her eyes. “About what?”
Leo met her gaze, and the coldness there frightened her. “He was there.”
“Hello,” a soft voice called out. Ella spun around to see a small blond girl in a bright blue frock. The child smiled, and dimples appeared on either side of her bow-shaped mouth. She held a book in her gloved hands as if just coming from lessons. What in the world was she doing here near this house?
“Good evening,” Ella replied.
The child’s large blue eyes focused on Leo. “Are you my cousin Leo?”
“Apparently so,” Leo replied.
She sat on the bench, her gaze pinned on him. “You don’t look like an animal.”
Ella managed to hold back her gasp.
As if sensing her shock, the child turned her attention to Ella. “Who are you?”
“Ella,” she got out.
“Oh, are you the woman hired to teach my cousin to be civilized?”
Ella didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Apparently. What’s your name?”
“Grace.”
“What a pretty name.”
“Yes, I know,” the girl replied, smoothing the skirt of her ruffled dress.
Ella hid her grin, feeling the insane desire to laugh. “What do you have there, Grace?”
The girl brought her book forward. “It’s for cousin.”
Leo didn’t bother to glance their way. He didn’t seem to hear them, almost as if he were oblivious to their presence. What held him so enthralled? Ella followed the line of his vision but noticed nothing in the garden.
“Here,” Ella said. “I’ll take it for him.”
“Well, all right. I guess so.” Reluctantly, Grace handed the book to Ella. “It was mine, but I thought maybe cousin Leo could use it. Father said it was a brilliant idea.”
Ella read the title, Proper Manners for Young Girls, and managed to get out, “It is very kind of you.”
She nodded, so sure of herself. “Father said I was to stay inside. But it’s much too nice this evening to be inside, do you not agree?”
“Yes,” Ella murmured, but her gaze remained focused on Leo. He turned, his brows furrowed, his gaze on the house. Then, as if not finding what he searched for, he turned again, this time to study the thicket of trees at the end of the garden.
“What is it, Leo?” Ella asked, heading toward him. Grace jumped from her seat and sidled up next to Ella, obviously not wanting to be left out.
Leo shook his head.
“Leo, what—”
“Get down!” he demanded. Before she had time to react, Leo wrapped his arms around her and Grace and pulled them to the ground. Over Grace’s cry of fear, Ella heard a soft swoosh penetrate the air.
They landed with a thud to the grass, flowers blocking them from view, Leo’s hard body pining them to the ground. Grace’s whimper broke through Ella’s foggy mind, but she couldn’t seem to catch hold of a rational thought. Leo rolled off them.
Ella took the child’s hand. “Are you hurt?”
Grace shook her head as tears pooled in her eyes.
Ella sighed in relief and wrapped her arm around the child, bringing her closer as much for her own comfort as for Grace’s. “It’s all right. Everything’s all right now.”
Leo pushed himself up. Hunched on his feet, low to the ground, he looked like a cat ready to pounce.
“Leo, what was that?”
He held up his hand for her to be quiet.
Slowly, Ella turned to face the direction he studied.
Behind them, embedded in a tree trunk, was a quivering arrow. Her stomach clenched and her body trembled, fear freezing her in place.
“Go!” Leo demanded in a hushed whisper.
“Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Yes,” he snapped.
Somehow, Ella managed to get to her feet and pull Grace up with her. Leo pushed them forward.
She had only a moment to glance over her shoulder as she stumbled toward the house. Leo still stood in the middle of the garden. “But, where are you going?”
“I’m going after the man.”
She stopped. “Leo, please, no.”
“Go!” he demanded.
She took in the hardness of his face and knew she wouldn’t win. With one last look, she fled toward the house, dragging Grace with her. They burst through the kitchen door, tripping over the threshold.
“Good eve,” the cook said, her bushy gray brows furrowed in obvious surprise.
Ella didn’t bother to respond. Clasping Grace’s hand, she raced toward the front hall.
At the sound of their thumping feet, Kips pushed away from the wall. “Miss Finch, what is it?”
She took in a great gulp of air. “Send out footmen, whoever you have.” She released Grace’s fingers and pressed a hand to her racing heart. “An arrow. Coming from the north woods. Leo went after him.”
Kips nodded and rushed off. Grace pressed to her side, her whimpers turning into cries. Ella wrapped her arm around the child, the only amount of comfort she could manage at the moment.
“What’s the commotion?” Lord Roberts asked, stepping out of the dining room. His gaze swept over them, and he sank against the wall. “What is it?”
“Someone…someone shot at us,” Ella said.
Lord Roberts swerved on his feet. Henry and Berta appeared next to the old man, their faces pale. They’d obviously heard the discussion.
“What the hell happened?” Henry demanded. “Grace, were you hit?”
“No, Papa,” she whispered. She didn’t let go of Ella’s waist; if anything she tightened her hold.
Henry rushed toward them like a bull about to charge. “What the hell is the meaning of this?”
Berta moved around her husband and pulled Grace into her arms.
“I…I don’t know,” Lord Roberts whispered.
“Where’s Leo?” Henry said. “What happened? I demand to know.”
Ella didn’t bother to keep the harshness from her voice. “Someone shot at us. That’s all there is to say. Leo went after the man.”
“This…this is ridiculous!” Henry fisted his hands. His face flushed red. “I did not expect to visit my grandfather and have my daughter practically murdered.”
Grace whimpered, and pressed closer to her mother.
“My lady, why don’t you take Grace upstairs?” Ella suggested, worried Grace would not be able to handle much more and Henry was obviously going to be difficult.
Berta took her daughter’s hand, and they disappeared up the steps. Lord Roberts stumbled back onto a chair while Henry paced the hall in obvious agitation.
“What happened, Ella?” Lord Roberts asked, his voice weak.
She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Henry spun around to face her, his features pulled tight into a mask of furry. “How can you not know?”
Lord Roberts held up his hand. “Henry, please. Continue, Ella.”
She tried to make sense of the situation, but everything had happened so quickly. “We were in the gardens when Leo told us to get down. He pulled us to the ground, and I heard something whiz past. Apparently…an arrow. I didn’t see anything, anyone.”
Lord Roberts swallowed hard. “And Leo is out there now?”
Ella ignored the clenching of her heart and knelt next to the old man. She could not give in to hysterics now. She had a job to do. “He’ll be all right, my lord; I know he will.”
Leo burst through the underbrush, branches snapping and popping, his heart thumping. Hares and birds scattered through the trees in a burst of crashes and cries.
Someone had tried to kill him and he’d be damned if the man would get away. Too much, too soon. He was tired of the worry, the suspicion, the constant wonder if his life would end next, or worse, if someone he cared about w
ould die. No more. The arrow could have hit Ella. She didn’t deserve this life.
Had his cousin retired early only to sneak out and attempt to rid the world of him? No, Henry would most likely hire someone else to do the deed.
A thorny vine clung to his sleeve, ripping through the material and slicing his skin. He ignored the stinging pain. Reaching a trail, he paused. He held his breath, focusing on his surroundings, and listened.
Thundering feet ahead.
He bolted forward. Without slowing, he hurdled over a fallen tree. Ahead, a dark shadow sprinted between trunks, weaving through the vegetation as if he knew the area well.
Suddenly, there was a thud, a cry of pain, and the man fell toward the ground. A rush of satisfaction brought a grim smile to Leo’s lips. He jumped over a log and onto the man. His body crashed against solid muscle. Definitely not Henry, his cousin had never seen a hard day’s work.
The man lifted his knee and struck Leo in the gut. He didn’t loosen his hold on the man’s shirt. In the dim light it was difficult to make out his features, but Leo could see the typical pale English complexion, along with a wide nose and dark hair.
“Who sent you?” Leo jerked the man forward.
The man swiped his arm through the air. A sharp pain radiated through Leo’s side. He sucked in a breath and slammed his fist into the man’s face. There was a loud grunt as the man’s head fell back with a thud. Without missing a beat, the man lifted his leg and slammed his knee into Leo’s wounded side. He sucked in a breath and stumbled to the side. Within moments, the man was on his feet, bolting into the forest and disappearing from sight.
Leo blinked up at the dark branches, but focused on the deep, throbbing ache that pulsed through his body. Pain, exhaustion, the rush and desire to kill, familiar traces of a past life. The familiarity brought comfort, even as the realization that he’d failed pressed into the corners of his mind. He’d failed…again. In the jungle, failure meant death.
He hadn’t expected the knife. He’d gone soft living in Italy and England. He pressed his hand to his stinging side, the blood warm and sticky. He’d failed Ella. Slowly, he closed his eyes and gave in to the soft lull of the forest.