The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson (grave mercy .TXT) 📕

seen the like since his return from Liverpool. I looked away of course. Howcould I bear to do otherwise? But his fingers brushed my arm, forcing me to meet his gaze.

“What is it?”

I swallowed hard. “Seline told me the night she left that she had a plan. She fled the safety of Loxby Manor knowing fullwell who was here at the abbey. What if everything went terribly, terribly wrong and it is one of our dear friends who holdsthe key to what really happened to her?”

*  *  *

I rushed to change into an evening gown of sea-green Indian muslin, a favorite of mine, then entered the drawing room quiteearly for supper. Piers had declared with a great deal of irritation that he intended to confront Avery as soon as his brotherreturned from his all-too-convenient afternoon trip to town, and I had every intention of being present when he did so.

I found the lonely drawing room an empty shell, and with relief I took a moment to steady my breath. Twilight had crept over the house, plunging the ornate room into an ashen haze. Shadows blurred the furnishings’ otherwise vibrant colors and chased me across the rug to the window where I stopped to rub a chill from my arms.

I heard a click and whirled around to see Mr. Baker enter the room. He gave me a nod, remaining silent as he set to work lightingthe candles and stoking the fire, but I could feel the question in his pensive glance as if he’d spoken the words aloud. Whywas I here already?

I was spared an uncomfortable response as Piers wandered into the room as well. “Good evening, Miss Halliwell.” He alloweda small smile as he adjusted the sleeve of his dark blue tailcoat. “I see the both of us have arrived early for supper.”

I shot a peek at Mr. Baker as he ducked from the room. “Your mother should be down shortly. I was dressed, so I thought Imight do a little reading before the rest of the family joined me.”

He dipped his chin. “Reading . . . in this light?”

“I suppose I might have overestimated the quality of Loxby’s beeswax candles. I assure you, I read quite frequently at nightin Ceylon.”

“And what exactly did you read, Madam Bluestocking?”

I cast him a shrewd glare. “Fiction mostly, but we didn’t have access to all that many books. I was forced to do with whatI had. You would have been bored out of your mind—nothing on botany, I’m afraid.”

“A travesty.” He opened his hands. “And what book do you have to read today?”

I pursed my lips. “Oh, all right. I came to talk to Avery, same as you.”

“My valet assures me he’s returned and is changing his dress at present.” He walked to the sideboard. “Care for a drink?”

There was an ease to his voice I hadn’t heard since he’d returned to Loxby—it suited him. I relaxed my shoulders. Perhapswe could find our way to friendship after all.

“No, thank you,” I said as I sat on the sofa, my hands falling restlessly into my lap. “For some reason I can’t seem to getKinwich Abbey out of my mind.”

“Kinwich Abbey?” Both our eyes shot to the door as Avery sauntered into the room. “Now why would you be thinking about thatplace?”

Piers pounced at once. “Why don’t you tell us, Avery?”

Avery shrugged as he poured himself a glass. “Devil if I know, other than it’s where Seline disappeared from.”

“Don’t take me for a flat. I’ve been to the abbey. I want answers, and I want them now. What were you and your friends doingthere so late at night?”

“Easy, Piers, you needn’t yell.” Avery flopped into a wingback chair. “We were just kicking up a lark, nothing to write homeabout. I had no idea Seline would come flouncing out there cutting up our peace.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Trust me, no onewas more shocked than Kendal.”

Piers twirled his quizzing glass. “So the four of you were doing . . . What exactly?”

Avery tried to hide his sheepish smile, but he’d never been all that good at deception. “It’s a sort of secret actually.”

“Not a well-kept one if Seline knew what you were about.” I drummed my fingers on the arm of the sofa. “With Seline missing,don’t you think it past time we all know the truth?”

Avery turned his attention to Piers. “But I gave my word.”

Piers edged forward, settling his elbows on his knees. “Is your word worth Seline’s life?”

Avery paled as he digested Piers’s statement, then sat up stiff. “Don’t gammon me. Seline simply ran away with Miles. Herlife isn’t in any danger.”

“Is it not?” Piers ran his hand across his forehead. “No one knows Seline better than the three of us sitting in this room.Tell me Avery, note or no note, do you honestly believe she would run off with the likes of Miles Lacy?”

He sat for a moment, his fingers tracing the line on his breeches before he glanced up. “I’m not sure.”

Piers let out a sharp breath. “Why don’t you begin by telling us what the four of you were about at the abbey.”

“All right, but it cannot leave this room. And in a way, you already know something of it.” Avery shifted in his chair, theplayfulness on his face long gone. “It all started about four years ago. I won’t go into the specifics, but we initiated ourown secret society.” He melted back into the chair. “And here I am telling you all about it. I could get in serious troublefor this.”

Piers merely flicked his fingers. “Go on.” Being the elder of the Cavanagh brothers, Piers had always maintained a father-likehold over Avery, and today proved no different.

Avery had no choice but to continue. “We got rather out of control one night at the abbey. Like I said, we were kicking up a lark . . . I was not myself. Well, Kendal got it in his mind to move that old faceless statue. We all knew the story about the ghostly monk, and we were dipping rather deep that night, so