Nicholas drew back farther still. He removed his hand from the back of her head, only to twine one scarlet lock of her hair about his finger. He studied it closely, appearing fascinated by its texture and color. “Discreet?” A ghost of a smile passed his lips. “Somehow I doubt discretion is your forté.”
He let the curl slip from his finger and tucked it carefully behind her ear. Looking into her eyes again, he sighed. “Well, Mira, you leave me little choice,” he said. “If you are determined to throw yourself in harm’s way, I will simply have to follow you there. I will accompany you on this fool’s errand of yours. Perhaps I can keep us both from meeting an untimely end.”
Mira’s face lit up. “Truly, Nicholas? You would help me?”
He nodded with glum resignation.
“Excellent! I thought that this afternoon I would venture into Upper Bidwell, speak with one or two people there. Does one o’clock suit you?”
Nicholas squeezed his eyes tightly closed, as though he were about to plunge into a cold bath and could not bear to look. “One o’clock it is.”
Chapter Ten
Nicholas met Mira in the cavernous entryway of the modern portion of Blackwell Hall. He had taken the time to shave and dress as respectably as possible. The good people of Upper Bidwell viewed him with everything from cold suspicion to outright hostility. He knew his presence on this mission would not be conducive to loose tongues and candor, and that suited his purposes perfectly.
But he did not wish to embarrass Mira by appearing unkempt and unlordly in public, giving the gossips even more fodder. If only Mira Fitzhenry knew the pains he had taken on her behalf, he thought, as he slipped a finger between the high starched collar of his shirt and his tender, newly shaved neck.
Mira appeared promptly, a bundle of fiery energy in a bright blue day dress and her dark green shawl. It was clear she had gone shopping before traveling to Cornwall. He had yet to see a single gray dress on her since she had arrived. The bright, crisp colors she had chosen suited her, putting apples in her cheeks. She looked as fresh as a rain-washed spring morning.
“Nicholas! It has occurred to me that we should have a map.”
Nicholas couldn’t hide his smile at her efficient, business-like tone. “A map? I assure you I know my way around this area quite well. I will not get us lost.”
Mira huffed. “I am confident of your sense of direction, sir. But I think it would be useful to look at a map of the area, attempt to locate where Bridget Collins and Tegen Quick were killed relative to various structures and roads so that we might ascertain their movements on the nights they died. I think a map would help us gain a sense of perspective. And I think it would be most useful to study the map before we begin asking questions, so we can do a better, more thorough job of it the first time around.”
“Ah. Well, then, if it is a map you want, it is a map you shall have. After all, this is your investigation, my dear. I am simply along for intimidation purposes.” He smiled at the thought of himself as the noble protector, so out of character for him.
He suggested they look in the library for a volume of local history or, perhaps, a survey of the surrounding area.
Mira gasped when she walked through the library door and saw the tightly packed floor-to-ceiling shelves. “So many books!” she breathed, voice hushed with awe.
Nicholas smiled. “And you may read every last one of them, if you wish.”
By silent agreement, Nicholas undertook the task of finding an area map. Mira stood quietly back, eyes scanning the collection with a covetous gleam, while he dragged the library ladder over to the corner in which the estate books were kept. Within a few moments, he had located a decent map, in a book that was not yet crumbling to dust. He caught Mira’s attention, and they both crossed the exquisite Aubusson carpet to meet at a round table in the middle of the room.
He laid out the map for her to study, and, after a few moments, began pointing out salient landmarks for her.
“Here, of course, is Blackwell Hall, right on the edge of the cliff, with the tower out here on the promontory. Upper Bidwell is due south of the Hall. From what I understand, Bridget Collins was found here, at the stone circle, which is almost due west of Upper Bidwell, west and just a little north, between the village and the coast. Tegen Quick was found, um, about here. I’m not precisely certain where, but I know it was at the foot of the cliff beneath this pathway, so let us say about here.