Beth sucked in a breath. “He’d hired him. I found Johnnie poking about in Piper’s Hole on St. Mary’s, and he admitted he’d been hired by an incomer to find Mucknell’s treasure. I thought at first the Scofields had hired him behind my back and was a bit put out—I wrote a rather heated letter to Emily’s father.” She shook her head. “If I could undo that, I would. But after the . . . misunderstanding about the Prince Rupert box, I was quick to suspect foul motives on their part. Regardless, Johnnie went to the cave that night, and he must have told his contact something that displeased him. Perhaps about me—perhaps knowing there was a rival looking for the same treasure angered him, I don’t know. But the morning after Johnnie’s death, someone left a note at my cottage that said, ‘Find the silver or you’re next.’”
Sheridan sank back against the bookshelves. “I never would have condoned such tactics.”
“Did you forbid it?” Beth drilled him with a glare as cold and sharp as an icicle. “Did you tell them to work together or not at all?”
“Well, ah . . . no.” He looked away, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck. “I didn’t think to, at first. That is, at first I didn’t even realize Lorne had come here. Then, when he sent a report . . . well, sometimes competition works to one’s advantage, you know.”
“And sometimes people end up dead.” Beth’s voice cracked. “Poor Johnnie didn’t deserve that.”
Casek pushed away from the table, not seeming to be calmed much by the hand Mabena rested on his arm. “Which of them did it? This Lorne bloke or the Scofields?”
Beth shook her head. “I don’t know. I wasn’t there that night, I just—I knew he’d set up a meeting. And then . . .” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I didn’t know if they’d come after me next. But I knew I didn’t have what they wanted, and they seemed willing to make me pay for that. So I left, and I sent the rest of my rental money to a barrister in Cornwall to set up couriers for the remaining information that the Scofields would be sending to me. They were researching in London, trying to discover what could be in the treasure we’re looking for. What was on the ships Mucknell took.”
She blinked her eyes open again and turned to Libby. “I didn’t mean to get you involved, Lady Elizabeth.”
“What?” Bram straightened again. “What do you mean, get Libby involved?”
Libby cleared her throat. “These couriers thought I was her. I’ve been . . . receiving her post, more or less. My cottage had been hers.”
“The couriers were just told to look for a young lady, blond, who answered to Elizabeth, or else to leave the items at a specific location if I wasn’t at home.” Beth gave her a rueful smile. “I didn’t realize there’d be another of me at home when I wasn’t.”
Oliver was shaking his head. “But where did all this start, Beth? On your end, not Lord Sheridan’s.”
Beth glanced around at the collection of people, clearly not wanting to say in such mixed company. “I . . . you know I’ve always collected bits of this and that as I explore the islands. Well, one day I found the map his lordship mentioned. I didn’t dare hope it was anything as promising as an actual treasure map, so I sent it to the Scofields for authentication. I thought that, with their connections, they could help me determine what it was. And they were quite excited. They sent it back with the promise of a buyer of any Mucknell or Prince Rupert items. I thought . . .” She shifted, dropped her gaze. “You know I’d always wanted to spend a Season in London.”
Oliver let out a sigh. “Beth.”
“I thought it would be nothing but a bit of fun! Poking around all my favorite spots, trying to match the map to one of the islands—I never for a minute thought anyone would get hurt. Not until they all started focusing on silver.” Her fingers knotted together. “Once greed reared its ugly head though, I knew I’d got in too deep.”
She still hadn’t said where she’d found the map—and Libby suspected she wouldn’t, even if asked directly. Not to all of them.
Casek didn’t look mollified. “And what of your stalking about the islands at night in white, like a ghost?”
Beth visibly started. “What makes you think—”
“I found your shawl on Samson after one of the supposed sightings. It’s monogrammed, you know. With the Tremayne crest.”
Beth’s cheeks flushed. “Much of my prowling about had to be at night. In case anyone heard me or saw me, I wanted them to chalk it up to a story. They’d dismiss it then. Not go looking too deeply.”
Mabena rubbed at the bridge of her nose, making Libby wonder if the headache was making its return. “A fine kettle of fish you’ve cooked up, as my mother would say.”
“Well, luckily, his lordship is here to set it all to rights.” Casek lifted a challenging brow. “Isn’t that right?”
Never in the decade that she’d known him had she ever seen Lord Sheridan look so uncomfortable. “Of course. That is . . . I’ll try. Though I don’t, to be honest, even know what these men look like. Which is to say, all our communications have been by letter. Or telegram. They wouldn’t know me if they saw me. And . . .” He glanced toward the three of them against the wall. “Then there’s the matter of Lady Emily showing up. I must say, I’m not sure what that portends.”
Bram stroked a hand down Darling’s striped back. “So, what you’re telling me is this is bigger than you know, you don’t know how to stop it, and you didn’t even see fit to tell me that we were walking into it, much less that my sister was involved.”
Sheridan cheered a bit. “Well, I didn’t know that part. Your sister, I mean. Can’t blame that on me.”
Bram hissed out a breath and turned to her. “Pack your bags. We’re leaving before you get hurt.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple.” Since she was experimenting with prayers, she mentally whispered one for courage, since he’d stolen her kitten. And met his gaze. “They think I’m her. They’ll probably be watching the ferry, ready for her to try to flee. For me to, I mean.” And now she was starting to sound like Sheridan. She shook her head. “We have to just see it through, Bram. Put a halt to it.”
Bram’s jaw ticked he was clenching his teeth so tightly.
“She’s right.” It was one of the only times she could remember Sheridan being in agreement with her on anything. “So . . . any ideas on how to accomplish that?”
24
Mabena walked as far as the gate with Casek, not quite willing to leave the circle of still-heated conversation inside the library, but also not ready to part from him. The school day wouldn’t wait for them to sort matters out here though. And this close to the end of the third term, there were always far too many recalcitrant boys getting sent to the headmaster’s office. Well, to be fair, there were no doubt recalcitrant girls too. She’d certainly seen the inside of that office often enough.
It was still strange to imagine this hulking giant folded behind the desk instead of Mr. Morris. Just as it was still strange to think that this hulking giant could be hers. She trailed her fingers down his arm, the skin still warm from sport and summer. Cador had been an inch shorter, far slighter. It came of ignoring sports and exercise in favor of books, she supposed. But how had she convinced herself she preferred that? He couldn’t hold a candle to Casek.