Page 18 of Secrets of Capell Manor
Lady Rosalind walked to where he stood. She stood close, and he looked down into her face. Her brown eyes were expressive and intelligent and her skin was flawless. And she smelled good, like roses.
“Thank you for that,” she said.
“For what?”
“For being decent and honorable with the children. Other than Benton, no man has ever treated them kindly.”
Devlin reflected for a moment and remembered that there were only a few that treated him kindly when he was a young boy too. He remembered the fear and loneliness. He then felt sentiment or possibly jealousy, for these children and their unconventional family arrangement. They’d basically lived in a hell house all their lives under the thumb of Lord Capell, but still, they laughed. They played. They learned and grew.
Devlin’s heart jumped slightly in his chest. Was this what Alden often spoke of, having a family, friends and caring?
Stop it!
He was here to do a job, and that was all. Besides, look at him. He was a beast, a cold-hearted killer. He could not comprehend how Rosalind could even look at him.
“Did Lord Capell keep ledgers or records of collected rents and funds? I would like to see an accounting of his transactions. If he owed a debt, that person could have been a threat.”
“I believe he did. Just off from his bedchamber is his private library. He often went to that room in the evenings. If he had records, they would be there.”
“Good. I will see what, if anything, there is to find. I do not wish to be disturbed,” Devlin said curtly. He left the room.
****
Rosalind followed him to the door of the solar and pointed down the hall where Lord Edmond’s bedchamber door stood closed. She stared after him.
This man…this man who she knew to be dangerous and held her future in his hands confused her. His questioning was firm and sometimes intimidating. But nothing he had asked was unfair. Stories were told of his ruthlessness on the battlefield. But there was more to him than that.
He tolerated jests and banter from his friend Alden, and her heart fluttered when she saw he was patient with the children. Devlin looked menacing, but when he spoke to the girls and Ridley, his scarred face softened, and his dark eyes showed amusement and interest, not cruelty, like he enjoyed their company—or at the very least didn’t despise their presence.
And whether he realized it or not, he gave Benton and Marta quiet respect. He hadn’t spoken as if he was better than them. His closeness with the king placed him in a position of power but he treated them with dignity. This behavior conflicted with herinitial assessment of him. Maybe she was wrong. Perhaps he was honorable. Perhaps he could help her.
But could she trust him?
Chapter Five
In Capell’s private study, Devlin pored over the ledgers. The man was unprincipled and an unbearable drunk, but he kept very thorough records. Rents were collected regularly and noted, but Devlin found no other receipts for anything related to the Capell estate except the occasional sale of horses.
It was obvious Lord Capell had not worked any of his lands for some time. Devlin picked up the thick ledger and tried to slide the heavy tome back into the drawer from which he had found it earlier. But the book did not seem to fit in the space. Devlin pulled it out and reached toward the back of the drawer. His hand slid over a much smaller volume. The book had been hidden under the larger ledger.
He opened the leather cover and saw Edmond’s script on the parchment pages. It didn’t appear to be a journal, but rather a collection of lists. In the left margin of each page, only a single initial was recorded. Directly across from the initials, different amounts of money were written. Often, the words “debt” or “paid” were included beside the number. Gambling records… Most of the entries were modest amounts. However, three listings piqued his interest. The first two read:
J 50 sovereigns (paid)
B 25 sovereigns (paid)
These entries were recorded two months prior. But the most recent entry was recorded just before Edmond’s disappearance, and the amount astonished him.K 100 sovereigns (debt).Edmond owed someone a very large amount of gold. It was possible that “K” tried to collect this debt, and perhaps the attempt escalated into murder. But Capell had constantly lamented that he had no money, and around the manor, there was no show of wealth. Was this a debt that had accumulatedover time? Had Edmond sold off family heirlooms to fund his less-than-honorable proclivities? None of this made sense.
He continued his research, but it didn’t take long to view the remaining pages. Devlin found no other entries of interest, so he placed the volume back in the drawer. He looked up at the shuttered windows and light showed through the edges between the stone walls. His stomach growled, and he wondered if he had missed the evening meal as he hadn’t heard any sounds within the manor for a while.
He exited the study and paused for a moment to view Lord Edmond’s chamber. The room was stark, much like the great hall, and contrasted with the warmth and welcoming atmosphere of the solar that he had visited earlier. Here, the floors were not warmed by any rug. The walls were bare; not a single tapestry or painting was hung. There weren’t any personal items in view, and the large bed was covered with only a woolen coverlet and a single pillow cushion. The room certainly didn’t seem adequate for a favored earl of King Charles I.
Devlin walked from the room and down the stairs to the hall. The warmth of the fire beckoned him into the room and he hadn’t realized how cold he had been working upstairs. No one was present except for Alden, who sat in a chair with his large feet pressed toward the hearth. Grim was at his feet.
“Aw, there you are, friend. Come sit here and warm yourself.” Alden gestured to the empty chair beside him. “If you’re hungry, Marta left some food on the top of the oven. She said it would most likely stay warm for a bit if you needed some sustenance after your work.”
Devlin was indeed quite hungry and was touched by her thoughtfulness. In his experience, if you didn’t show up at the table at mealtime, then that was a meal lost.
“I am hungry, Alden. Let me get the food, and I will join you.”
