The Vanishing at Loxby Manor, Abigail Wilson [best value ebook reader .TXT] 📗

My shoulders sank. I hated to carry on in any kind of a falsehood, but it was vital to protect Seline’s reputation. I gavea credible shrug. “Yes, but one never does know with a fever.”

Priscilla nodded, and her attention strayed back to Mrs. Cavanagh, her lips pursed in anticipation.

I tried a smile. “Won’t you tell me about your brother? Five years has been a long time to be away. I must confess, I hardly recognized him.”

“Oh.” A blush stole across her cheeks, and she lowered her head. “I can imagine it would be startling to see . . . if youdidn’t know. The last few years have been difficult for him.”

I had posed the question merely to make conversation, but something about her reaction piqued my interest. I took a glanceat the door. Perhaps there was more to Hugh Daunt than I was yet aware.

I waited for her to look up. “How so?”

She fumbled with her fingers in her lap. “I really can’t say where it all began, but somewhere over the last year or so, we’veall witnessed Hugh—change. First it was the terrible streak of lethargy, then the slow, insidious wasting away.” She grippedmy hand. “Charity, he’s managed to withdraw nearly completely from the world. He used to be so full of life. You remember . . .and now . . . nothing. Avery and Tony are dears to try to think of ways to get him out of the house.” She gave my fingersa squeeze. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am he decided to come tonight. It’s the first spark of interest I’ve seen in himall week.”

She narrowed her eyes, and then a smile emerged. “You know what I think? This sudden elevation in mood must have everythingto do with you returning to East Whitloe. Maybe it will be like old times again.”

“I do hope so, but I cannot credit his decision to attend our dinner party with anything to do with me. We were never allthat close.”

“Perhaps not.” She glanced away. “He did speak a great deal about Avery on the drive over.”

A low rumble of voices resonated in the hall, and Miss Susannah Shaw flew to her feet, hightailing it to the pianoforte. A grand shuffling of papers, and the selected melody pounded into the room on the delicate strokes of a horse at full gallop.

Priscilla released a small laugh. “. . . come . . . now. What a . . .”

The music effectively drowned out Priscilla’s words, and I was left to plaster a smile across my face. I leaned forward andattempted to focus on her lips, but it was no use. I’d missed too much to follow her now.

I mirrored her emotions as best I could—like I’d done a thousand times before. Throughout my illustrious ballroom days, I’dperfected the art of pretending I’d understood what my dancing partner had said. Having anyone repeat their words in a loudroom rarely helped and merely frustrated the person speaking. After all, who wants to repeat the same thing over and overagain?

The gentlemen entered the drawing room, marking the blessed end to Mrs. Cavanagh’s frantic pacing. She collapsed into a chair,her hand resting at her throat.

Avery nodded at me as he made his way across the room to his mother’s side, and for the first time I wondered if their relationshipmight not be entirely healthy. Of course Seline had run off and Avery was only trying to calm his mother, but Piers handledthings so differently. Consciously aloof was the best way to describe him. Granted, Mrs. Cavanagh tended to keep him at arm’slength.

Avery whispered in Mrs. Cavanagh’s ear and then helped her to the card table in the corner of the room.

Priscilla brightened almost immediately. “. . . I should . . . a game of Whist. Will you join us?”

I took a quick glance at Hugh as I struggled to speak over the piano hammering in my ears. “No, thank you, but I’m certain Mrs. Cavanagh shall be pleased by your company.” The last thing I wished to do was try to make conversation over a card table situated so close to the pianoforte.

Besides, I knew full well it wasn’t Mrs. Cavanagh who had captured the fascination gleaming in those baby-blue eyes. No, Iunderstood the situation perfectly now. Priscilla Daunt had set her cap at Avery. It was a good match, disposition wise, butif the Daunts were in desperate need of money, as Mrs. Cavanagh had indicated, it might spell trouble for the marriage, asAvery would likely inherit very little.

I whirled back to the room in search of Hugh. He was the one person I hadn’t had the chance to speak with as of yet, and consideringhow close he had been with Seline, he might have some insight about the night she disappeared.

I rose to take a calculated turn about the room when Priscilla motioned Hugh to join them at the card table. “We . . . needa fourth . . . Whist.” He nodded as he passed by.

I let out a sigh and turned back to find Piers but a step away, resting against the wall beside the sofa. Startled by hissudden presence, I fell into my seat.

He covered a laugh with his hand. “I didn’t mean to . . . you.”

I lifted my eyebrows, and he nodded, moving in closer and raising his voice. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“You didn’t frighten me. I was simply surprised to find you, uh, standing there . . . so close. I-I mean, I didn’t see youwalk over.”

“Too busy making mischief with Priscilla?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

His attention moved to the card table and Hugh, and his smile faded. “I do find the elder Daunt a bit more worn around theedges than I remember from when I last saw him.”

“Which is one of the reasons I hoped to speak with him this evening.”

“Good luck. He’s quite proficient at evading conversation. I’ve managed only a few words with him so far, and now Avery hashim tucked neatly into a card game. Neither of us may get much of a chance.”

Having finished her first performance to mild applause, Miss Susannah Shaw eagerly started in on a second piece, perhaps evenlivelier than the first.

Piers touched my arm. “Would you . . . step . . . the terrace.”

My