Page 34 of Too Sinful to Deny
“You honestly believe if I tell this woman, ‘Your brother isn’t coming home again,’ it won’t cross her mind to ask me a few questions?”
Red scoffed. “Pah, Harriet knows better than to askquestions.Besides, we prepared for this... as much as anyone can. She knows what to do. And Dinah can help.”
“Dinah?” Susan repeated. She couldn’t recall hearing that name before.
“Dinah?” echoed one of the drunks behind her.
“Dinah! Dinah!” chorused the crowd.
“Sully’s a little sweet on Miss Dinah, aren’t you, ye randy bugger?” called out another. “Too bad there’s no chance of that!”
The barman flamed red as a claret. He turned his back to the crowd and busied himself restacking already-stacked glassware.
“Sully and Dinah, Sully and Dinah,” chortled the drunk as he staggered his way up to the counter to harass the barman at close range.
The door opened and yet more men stumbled in. The tavern was now standing-room only. She’d be stuck in this dusty corner for who knew how long, but at least the men weren’t asking to add more drinks to her tab. When the barman discovered she couldn’t pay, he’d have to turn to her host... and then the scarecrow would dig a new hole for her in the grave garden.
Or worse—he wouldn’t. He’d just pull the ring of iron keys from his pocket and chain her to the damp cellar wall alongside Lady Beaune.
Red floated above the fishermen, distracted for the moment. “Heh, those lubbers don’t think Sully has a chance with Dinah.”
Susan’s back straightened despite herself. Gossip! About the living!
“Sully and Dinah...”
“Don’t know about Sully. He’s a harmless sort. But Miss Dinah spent last night in her cousin’s chicken shed withsomebody,she did. That chit’s not the angel these folk think she is. My sister, now...” Red gave a fond smile. “Well, Harriet Grey’s no angel, either. Takes after me, she does.”
“Harriet... Grey?” Susan repeated, brain clicking madly. The witch from the dress shop was Red’s sister? And the porcelain doll had had a liaison in achicken shed?
“Mark my words, she and Dinah are deadly when they get their heads together,” he warned with a chuckle. “And they’ve always got their heads together.”
That settled it. They could be none other than the cackling duo from the dress shop. Susan swallowed the rest of her brandy. She could scarce imagine dropping in to give the girls the good news from the Beyond.
“So, what do you say?” Red floated closer, voice eager. “Will you do it?”
Her teeth clenched in frustration, but she had no choice. If she said no, he would just keep coming back until she agreed.
“All right. Fine.” She tried to look as though she meant it. “Yes.”
“She said yes!” crowed one of the fishermen.
“Another round for everyone!”
“Pour me two!”
“Hear, hear,” slurred the priest.
Susan’s aching head thumped back against the wall. The tavern door swung open again. Who now? Miss Devonshire and Miss Grey?
The giant strode inside.
Chapter 15
If he couldn’t find the missing log sheet, at least he ought to find his brother.
Evan stared sightlessly down the length of the beach, relieved to have escaped Poseidon’s cave alive. If a bit bruised. He’d bathed, changed, stolen an hour or two’s sleep—but none of that gave him the slightest clue where to begin. Timothy’s dead body was just as lost as the missing log sheet. Possibly forever. A pirate’s grave was usually a pirate’s home: the vast nothingness of the sea. Which meant he’d never see his brother again, never have an opportunity to give him a proper good-bye.
Damn it. Evan hated feeling useless. Worse: powerless.
