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

Well, not alone exactly. After I disclosed my thoughts about Seline’s tooth powder to Mrs. Cavanagh, I saw more and more ofher about the house. Perhaps I’d caused her more worry than I originally thought. Every afternoon, like clockwork, she’d slinkinto the drawing room as if it took great effort for her even to consider company, and then she’d happily proceed to instructme on the finer intricacies of my needlepoint.

I suppose with Piers busy and Avery away, I was the only person in the house she could turn to for comfort, and comfort sheneeded. Her behavior remained odd at best. Some days she would sit and stare out the window for hours, jumping at the littlestsound. Other days she would speak constantly, as if conversation was the only balm to a wounded spirit.

Though our exchanges were tentative at first, within a few days something changed between us. She had just finished praising the initials I’d embroidered on the corner of a handkerchief when she stopped midsentence and her eyes clouded over.

“Oh, my dearest girl.” Her face was white and her hand shook as she covered her mouth.

I hesitated a moment before touching her chilled fingers. “Are you well, Mrs. Cavanagh?”

It took her a great deal of effort to respond, but at length she began in a whisper. “That handkerchief you are working onfor your father. Well, it brought back a rather difficult memory of my own. I-I had one like it at one time. It was ruinedthe day Mr. Cavanagh was injured.”

I looked down at the curly H I’d just completed. “Oh?”

I hadn’t the least idea what to say to such a declaration. Mrs. Cavanagh had been terribly tight-lipped up until that point,and I didn’t want to pry, not about something so personal.

But she was eager to talk. I could feel it charging the air between us as she laid down her needle.

I knew it was prudent to embark on such a conversation with caution, yet Mrs. Cavanagh had swung open the door and clearlyleft it gaping for me to step through. I took refuge in a sip of tea, asking almost as an afterthought, “Is it difficult tothink about?”

Her eyes narrowed, and she shifted her weight on the sofa. “In most ways, yes. In others . . . no.”

My eyes widened. “I—”

“It was the day I finally knew myself.” She motioned into the air. “What I was able to overcome.”

“Was Avery home at the time?”

“Yes . . . he was.” Her face fell strangely stationary. “It took us years to find our footing with Piers gone, and now . . . I fear all my efforts have been wiped away by Seline’s thoughtless decision. I did everything for my children’s futures. Everything.”

Slowly I turned to my needlepoint, my hands a little less steady than they had been before. Mrs. Cavanagh had been dealt onedifficult card after the other.

A shuffle sounded at the door, and Avery waltzed into the drawing room.

Mrs. Cavanagh flew to her feet. “What news have you brought us?”

The road had left a sprinkling of dust down Avery’s jacket and breeches, but even more noticeable was the weariness of hisbearing. He collapsed in the closest chair, his hand finding his forehead.

“A complete waste of time. There has been no word of a Fitzgerald or anyone matching Seline’s description in any direction.The whole curst escapade has proved to be nothing but a blasted inconvenience. I could box Seline’s ears for forcing me toride all over the district. Mark my words, she can marry her stable hand with my good blessing. I’m finished chasing a veritableghost.”

Mrs. Cavanagh threw her hands up and shrieked. “Don’t say such a terrible thing.”

Avery quailed beneath the weight of his words. “I didn’t mean ghost exactly—”

“Not that.” Mrs. Cavanagh fanned her face with her hand. “The part about her marrying a stable hand. I’d rather just aboutanything happen than that.”

Mr. Baker entered the room to announce the arrival of Tony Shaw and Hugh Daunt.

My gaze shot to Avery just in time to catch him mutter under his breath, “Figures.”

The gentlemen bowed and we all took our seats once again, but Avery seemed decidedly uncomfortable, leaning forward, raking his hand through his hair. In fact, everyone in the room had caught a whiff of Avery’s irritation, and no one seemed to want to be the first to initiate the conversation.

Avery finally glanced at the ceiling before drumming his fingers on his knee. “Just rode in from Canterbury boys. Haven’teven had a chance to shed these dusty clothes.”

Tony produced a smile. “Don’t you always look like that?”

Avery laughed and the room seemed to relax, at least some of it did. The sudden arrival of Avery’s friends had forced a lidon Mrs. Cavanagh’s pot of boiling questions, and she wasn’t happy about it.

She finally swayed to her feet. “I believe I shall retire to my room to rest before supper.”

The gentlemen waited for her departure, and then all eyes turned to me. Goodness, was I supposed to leave as well? I adjustedthe folds of my skirt, then folded my hands on my lap. Even if Piers had taken a break from the investigation, I had no intentionof doing so.

Tony ran a hand down his face, then turned to Avery. “We were just up on the rise and we saw you ride in. I thought a littleair would do Hugh some good. Then we got to talking. How about you ease our friend’s mind and tell us you are still planningto attend the ball at Lord Kendal’s in a few weeks.”

My attention shot to Avery. “A ball?”

A spot of red entered his cheeks and he sat up. “Kendal’s planning a dance the night before the curricle race. Something ofan engagement party.”

Hugh came to life. “Then the race is still on.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Hugh shrugged. “With his sudden engagement, I did worry. I’ve got quite a bit of money riding on the outcome.”

Tony chuckled. “We all do.”

Each of the boys joined in the laugh, but I couldn’t miss the hesitation in their voices and the sideways looks they passed around the