Surrender (60 page)

can get a bellyful of that sort of thing.

Now, then, vicar, I must ask you what

progress you are making on your gardening

book."

The vicar gazed at him with piercing

understanding for a second and then

blinked and smiled genially.
 
Kind of

you to inquire. I am working on the

chapter dealing with roses." He glanced

at the picture propped on the desk.
 
I

must say, that's a wonderful rendering

of Strelitzia reginae. Quite perfect in every

detail and it seems to have a life of its

own. Magnificent. How did you come by

it, if I may ask?"

 
It was a gift."

 
Was it, indeed? I am still looking for

someone to do the colored plates for my

book, you know."

 
Yes, I believe you mentioned you were

inquiring for a skilled watercolorist who

also knew something of botany."

The vicar continued to examine Victoria's

painting.
 
Whoever did this would be

perfect. You do not happen to know the

artist by any chance, do you?"

 
In point of fact," Lucas said smoothly,

 
I do."

 
Excellent, excellent. Any possibility you

might arrange for me to contact him?"

 
The artist is a woman, and yes, I think

I can arrange for you to talk to her."

 
I would be most extremely grateful," the

vicar said happily.
 
Most extremely."

 
My pleasure," Lucas said.
 
I will make

certain you meet her. Now, then, I want

to ask your opinion on putting in an

irrigation system for the farms that border

the woods." Lucas spread a map out on

the desk and indicated a section of land.

 
Yes, indeed. Got to do something to

increase productivity in that area, don't

you? Let's see what you have in mind."

The vicar leaned forward to examine the

map and then glanced up one last time.

 
Don't mean to press you, stone vale, but

do you have any idea of how soon I might

get in touch with the watercolorist you

mentioned?"

 
Soon," Lucas promised.
 
Very soon."

Two hours later Lucas saw his visitor

out the door and then he headed for

the stairs carrying his precious picture

of Strelitzia reginae. He was feeling quite

pleased with himself. The correct word

might have been's mug," he admitted as

he reached the landing and started down

the hall toward his room.

Finding just the right gift for a wife

who had brought considerably more money

than her husband into the marriage was

not the easiest task in the world. A man

could hardly use the lady's own inheritance

to buy her a diamond necklace.

Lucas rehung his picture with careful

precision, stepped back to admire his

handiwork, and then went over to the

connecting door and knocked. When there

was no answer from within, he frowned and

tried again. He was certain Griggs had said

Victoria was in her bedchamber.

 
Vicky?"

When there was still no response, he

turned the knob and opened the door to

glance into the room. He saw her at once

seated near the window with the three

letters that had arrived at breakfast on

the little rosewood secretary in front of

her. She turned her head as he walked

into the room. Her smile was wan.

 
I am sorry, Lucas, but I am not feeling

all that well. I came up here to rest."

An odd tension hummed through him.

It was not unlike the sort of feeling he

had known on the battlefield before the

first shot was fired.
 
You were feeling well

enough at breakfast."

 
That was before I opened the post."

He relaxed somewhat.
 
I take it you are

still annoyed at being obliged to accept

Jessica's invitation?"

 
Jessica Atherton is no longer of much

consequence one way or the other."

 
I am relieved to hear it." He went into

the room and sat down across from her. He

thrust his legs out in front of him, absently

massaging his thigh.
 
What is it, Vicky? I

have seen you in a variety of moods, but

never one quite like this. I swear, madam,

you leave me panting for breath trying to

keep pace with you."

 
I have never been in quite this position

before and I admit I do not know how

to deal with it. But
 
tis certain something

must be done or I shall go out of my

mind."

 
You are really not feeling well?" He

grinned.
 
Mayhap you are breeding, after

all, madam. Have you thought of that?"

 
To be truthful, Lucas, being with child

would be simpler than this business."

She was not carrying his babe after

all. Disappointment shot through him.
 
I

am sorry to hear that. Perhaps you had

better tell me just what is troubling you,

my dear."

She looked down at the papers on her

little desk. When she glanced up again, her

amber eyes were startling in their intensity.

 
Lucas, do you believe it is possible to

reanimate the dead through the use of

electricity machines?"

 
Reanimate the dead? Nonsense. I fear

you have been playing too much lately at

being a ghost, Vicky. I have never heard

a single reliable instance in which such an

experiment has been successful."

 
But we do not know of all the

experiments that have been done, do

we? People all over England are playing

with electricity these days."

Lucas looked doubtful.
 
I am certain that

any successful experiment in reanimation

would have been in all the journals and

newspapers."

 
Perhaps not, if someone paid the

experimenter to keep quiet about the

results."

He began to realize just how frightened

she was and a cold anger swept through

him. Without asking any more questions,

he reached over and picked up the

sheaf of papers lying on her desk. He

immediately tossed aside Annabella and

Lady Nettleship's notes. A glance at the

pamphlet and clipping was sufficient to

show that they were concerned with missing

bodies and attempts at reanimation.

 
Interesting, but I see no reports of

successful attempts. Where did you get

these?" He indicated the pamphlet and

clipping.

They were sent to me. They were in the

third envelope that I opened at breakfast.

Along with this." Victoria handed him a

short note.

Lucas scanned it quickly and had to force

himself to keep his rage under tight rein.

 
Madam: given your interest in intellectual

inquiry the enclosed should intrigue you

greatly. It appears the dead do not always

remain so. Signed
 
W. " He tossed the

note down on the table with a savage little

flick of his hand.
 
Goddamned bastard."

 
Lucas it is him, it is this
 
W again, the

one who left the scarf and the snuffbox."

Victoria was struggling for her self-control.

Lucas recognized the symptoms of shock

and fear. He made a deliberate effort to

keep his voice calm, much as he would

have if he were dealing with a brave but

frightened young officer on the eve of

combat.
 
Calm yourself, Vicky. This has

gone quite far enough. I will take steps

to find out who is behind this and I will

put a halt to it."

Her beautiful mouth trembled.
 
I know

who is behind it. Samuel Whitlock. The

man who killed my mother. He has come

back, Lucas. Somehow he has returned

from the dead and he is going to kill me

or else drive me to my death the same way

I
  
She broke off and covered her face in

her hands.
 
Oh, my God. Oh, my God."

A
 
I A

Lucas got up and reached down to pull

her into his arms. She stood in the circle of

his sheltering embrace, shaking. Although

his hands moved gently, soothingly on her

slender back, his rage was so cold now

it could have frozen the marrow in his

bones.

The shudders eventually ceased racking

Victoria's body and she slowly disengaged

herself from his grasp and went to her

dressing table for a handkerchief.

 
You must think I'm a witless little fool

to believe in such things as reanimation of

the dead," she whispered, keeping her back

to him as she dried her eyes.

 
I think," said Lucas,
 
that you have

been very frightened and that someone

has deliberately set out to accomplish

that goal." He watched her face in the

dressing-table mirror.
 
Who would do such

a thing, Vicky?"

 
I just told you. Samuel Whitlock."

 
No, my dear, not Samuel Whitlock.

He's dead. You have been so terrified by

the signature on that note that you have

not been thinking logically."

 
It has to be him." She whirled around.

 
Don't you see, Lucas? He is not dead.

Either he did not really die that night at

the bottom of the stairs or else he has

been brought back to life by someone

with an electricity machine. One way or

another he has come back and he is after

me. Whitlock is the only one who could

possibly have any reason for carrying out

this horrible revenge."

Lucas studied her.
 
That brings up an

interesting point. Just what is his reason

for wanting revenge against you?"

Victoria's eyes clouded with an infinite

sadness.
 
Lucas, I cannot tell you. If I did,

you would be filled with such disgust for