Page 23 of Devil of the High Seas
“Is the maid here? May I speak with her? Perhaps she witnessed something that can help us find Josephine,” Griffin suggested.
“Yes, she’s out in the corridor. Adrian, fetch her,” Camden ordered.
Adrian returned a moment later with a young woman at his side, whom he introduced as Vesper Lyndon. The woman had her head down respectfully and was clearly too frightened to look at anyone. Griffin walked around his desk and approached her. She stiffened when he stopped just in front of her.
“Miss Lyndon?” He spoke the girl’s name uncertainly.
“Yes, my lord?” Her voice was soft, but he heard a note of strength in it. She wasn’t afraid of him—she feared for her lady’s safety. She lifted her tearstained face to meet his gaze.
The sunlight touched upon her golden hair, and her green eyes struck him like a bolt of lightning. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. It felt like his head was spinning, and yet he was grounded at the same time, like an ancient tree stretching its roots deep into the soil and binding itself to the earth so that it might go on living forever. Was hefalling?
Dear God,he thought with a warmth that seemed to cloud his head, and he nearly reached for something to steady himself.
Vesper stared at him expectantly, those green eyes seeming to drink him in the way he had just done to her, as though she never wanted to look away, couldn’t look away from him.
“I... er...” He struggled to regain his thoughts. “What I wish to ask you is... when you last saw Josephine, was she acting in any strange manner? Did she say or do anything that might give you any insight into what happened?”
Vesper licked her lips nervously and her gaze grew distant, as if she was replaying the last encounter she’d had with her mistress.
“She seemed... distracted during the gown fitting. She didn’t seem overly anxious, but it was as if she was miles away. That is all I can think of,” Vesper said.
“Thank you, Vesper,” Griffin murmured as he released her chin. He hadn’t realized he’d reached out and touched her. It had felt so natural that he’d not even noticed.
“I’m sorry I didn’t notice more, my lord. Lady Camden and I were so very excited about your wedding presents. It was to be a surprise...” Her voice trailed off into a whisper.
“Please do not cry. I’m certain she is all right. Josephine is a brave lady.”
“Yes, she is,” Vesper agreed. “I should go. Lady Camden may need me.” Vesper practically fled the room, and Griffin stared after her, his heart beating heavily at the loss of this woman he didn’t even know.
“Well, that certainly didn’t give us much,” Dominic muttered. “All we know for certain, Castleton, is that she didn’t leave on her own. I found footprints, hers and those of a man, leading into the woods. From there, I only found one set of hoofprints, so they rode off together on a horse.”
“We must search the countryside,” Griffin said. “We could divide up and ride to the nearest inns and taverns to look for her. She can’t have gotten far.”
At this Adrian snorted, causing everyone to look at him. Griffin had rarely spent time in the young man’s company, but the boy was Josephine’s twin and close to her the way he had once been close to Gavin.
“Did she run away?” Camden asked his younger son. “Tell us what you know, my son.”
Adrian cleared his face of emotion. “Honestly, I don’t know where she’s gone. I only stayed a moment after Mother saw to her last night. But if I was her, I would have run.” He gave a wry look at Griffin. “No offense meant, my lord.”
“Why would she run?” Griffin asked the lad. “I would have given her anything she wanted.” He had been committed to making his marriage to Josephine a sound one, with mutual affection and respect.
“Because even with your title and duties, there was one thing you could never give her, the one thing she needed.” Adrian’s face reddened a little.
“What?” Griffin asked warily.
“Adventure.”
That single word reverberated through Griffin like the tolling of a great bell.Adventure. There was one person who lived only by his drive for adventure and passion. And he and Josephine had met.
“I’ve been a damned fool,” Griffin muttered.
He strode quickly from his study, not caring that the three Greyville men followed on his heels. He headed straight for the tapestry that held the entrance to the hidden chamber open. The passageway was cold and dark. No sounds came from within the room. Had Gavin already left? Griffin moved deeper into the chamber to see that it was empty. As he’d expected, Gavin was gone.
A single lamp was lit on the table, its light running low. Beside it was a piece of paper that had been pinned to the table with a jeweled dagger. Griffin gripped the blade and pulled it free of the paper and read the words written there.
“You took my prize, so now I’ve taken yours.”
“What does that mean? Who wrote that?” Lord Camden demanded.
