Page 5 of A Raven Revived

“There it is. Not lost after all.” He gave her a wink and she laughed softly.

Gwen shepherded her away from the crowd of onlookers and down the long corridor to her room.

Only a short time ago, they had shared this room, both of them Lady Ravens. But when Gwen married Ash, she moved upstairs into his private quarters.

Daisy looked around the room. She didn’t want to leave this place. It was her home. With a sigh, she sat on the side of her bed. Gwen settled herself in the nearby chair.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Reluctantly, she shared the same story she’d told Ash.

“I’ve probably just overreacted,” she said once she’d finished.

“Don’t be silly. Of course you haven’t. I understand more than most what it’s like to have someone out there you’re terrified might find you.”

Daisy nodded. “I suppose you do.”

Gwen reached for one of her hands. “You're safe here, Daisy.”

ChapterTwo

Fitz threw back the last of his brandy and lifted his hand to order another glass. What in God’s name had happened today? Lady Jane was alive. How? Three years she’d been gone. They had all thought she was dead. Fitz had looked for her. He’d hired people to look for her. That’s how his friendship with Anderson had blossomed. His worthless brother, on the other hand, had been more concerned about his own reputation, and the scandal of being jilted by his bride. She was never supposed to be Geoffrey’s bride, and he hadn’t deserved her. Even her own parents seemed to think it was better if she never came back. If she was presumed dead, it was a tragedy rather than a scandal. The way they had all acted made him sick, even now. But he hadn’t given up. At least, not for a long time. After two years, however, even he had struggled to hold onto hope.

But she was here. Alive and well and more beautiful than ever.

He’d watched her for a bit before calling her name, struggling to believe it was actually her. She’d been laughing and smiling, and the radiance of it had taken his breath away. But when he’d called her name, she’d run from him, and when he’d caught up to her, the terror on her face had stopped his heart mid-beat. Had she thought he might hurt her? Was she afraid of him? He would never do anything to harm her. How could she possibly think otherwise?

But how was she here after all this time? And the man who came to her aid, was he a bodyguard of some sort, keeping her safe? Or was he her jailer? Fitz had caught sight of them just enough to see her thrown over the man’s shoulder before losing them completely.

So many questions, and he needed answers. He couldn’t just lose her again.

His second glass of brandy arrived at the same time as his solicitor. He set a large envelope on the table as he sat and ordered himself a brandy as well.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Fitz. Is everything alright?”

“What did you find out, Anderson?” Fitz wasn’t ready to share about the day's events just yet.

He continued to look concerned for a moment, but didn’t push back. “A lot.” He tapped a finger on the envelope. “And there are definitely some surprises.”

“Good surprises or bad surprises?”

Anderson shrugged. “I’m not sure to be honest. I can confirm that they’re not in it for the money. The club undoubtedly makes plenty, but they’re all independently wealthy, and from very powerful families.”

“How powerful?”

“Perhaps even more powerful than yours. Ash and Michael are both earls, Lord Ashdown and Lord Dalinridge, respectively, and Lord Patrick is the brother of a Marquess. Giles is a new addition to their group, and is not quite as exalted as the other three, but he is wealthy enough, and Lord Dalinridge’s current heir.”

That was a lot to take in. Fitz slowly rolled his glass, swirling the liquid within. It explained a few things. Ash had certainly carried himself with the confidence of someone who’d rarely been denied anything he wanted. It didn’t put him off, though. A group of noblemen who didn’t allow titles in their club? It only made him want to know these men even more.

He had done as Ash requested and delivered pertinent information about himself. Nearly a week had passed, and he had yet to get any kind of response.

It was unfortunate that he’d been banned from the club. He really did enjoy the place, and there wasn’t nearly enough other entertainment in Raven Row. Not a single brothel, which seemed odd for an area like this. The ladies who worked at The Raven’s Den were off-limits. It was well known that if you so much as laid a finger on any of them, you’d be lucky to make it out of the club with said finger still intact.

“That’s a lot for me to think on,” Fitz said, finally looking up from his drink.

“There is one other thing I came across repeatedly that I think you should be aware of.”

“What’s that?”

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