there was no sign of him. She spent two hours in the library with Mrs. Thornfield, but her mind kept wandering to the upstairs bedroom and the man who was sleeping there.
"Analisa? Analisa!"
"What? Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Thornfield, did you say something?"
"I asked if you were ready to continue."
"Yes, of course." She bit down on her lower lip. "Where were we?"
"Your mind isn't on reading today," the housekeeper said, sitting back in her chair. "Is something amiss?"
"No, no… I was just wondering if… if Dr. Avallone… is he here?"
"Yes, I believe so."
"Oh. I was wondering… that is…"
"Go on."
Analisa shook her head, suddenly embarrassed. She had been disappointed when he hadn't joined her for breakfast. She recalled he had told her he was never home during the day. It was none of her business where or how Alesandro spent his days, but she couldn't help wondering.
"Analisa?"
"Nothing," she said, and picking up her book, she began reading again.
She had just finished her lesson when Sally burst into the library.
"Mrs. Thornfield, the constable is at the door."
"The constable!" Analisa exclaimed.
Mrs. Thornfield stood slowly. "I'll take care of it, Sally."
"What can he possibly want here?" Analisa asked.
"There's nothing for you to worry about," Mrs. Thornfield said. And so saying, she left the room.
Sally cast a worried look at Analisa, curtseyed, and hurried after the housekeeper.
Analisa sat there a moment, her finger tapping on the cover of the book. Laying it aside, she left the library. When she reached the parlor, she slowed, then stopped, careful to stay out of sight. She could hear the voices coming from the other room quite clearly now.
"When do you expect Dr. Avallone to return?"
"I'm not sure," Mrs. Thornfield replied. "He was called away on business."
"I see," said the same deep male voice. "He was away the last time we tried to contact him, as I recall."
"He travels extensively," Mrs. Thornfield said.
"So it would seem."
"Might I tell him why you wished to see him?"
"There was a murder last night. A right grisly one it was, too."
Analisa gasped, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
"A murder?" Mrs. Thornfield didn't sound shocked, only mildly curious.
"Yes, not far from here. When Dr. Avallone returns, tell him we want to see him."
"Yes, I will. Good afternoon, Constable."
"Good day to you, mistress."
Analisa released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when she heard the door close. She flushed guiltily when Mrs. Thornfield entered the parlor and saw her standing there.
"You heard?" the housekeeper asked.
"Yes. A murder. How awful!"
"There's nothing to fear, Analisa."
"But—"
"You're in no danger here," Mrs. Thornfield said with a tight smile. "In fact, this is the safest place you could be."
Mrs. Thornfield had intimated that Alesandro was away, so Analisa did not expect to see him that evening. She wondered why he hadn't told her he was going away, though there was no reason why he should. He owed her no explanations for how he spent his time. Still, she couldn't help feeling hurt, and rather disheartened that she wouldn't see him that evening.
She had just finished dining on a succulent Cornish game hen and was sipping a glass of syllabub when he suddenly appeared in the room, silent as a shadow.
"My lord," she exclaimed.
He raised one black brow as he took the seat across from her. "You seem surprised to see me."
Sally hurried into the room carrying a bottle of wine and a crystal goblet on a silver tray. "Will there be anything else, my lord?"
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, leaving Analisa to wonder how Sally had known he was in the house, or that he had wished for wine.
The girl bobbed a curtsey and left the room.
"Will you not have dinner, my lord?" Analisa asked.
"No. I… dined earlier."
"Oh. There was a constable here today, looking for you," she said. "Mrs. Thornfield told him you were away."
"I would not leave without
"Analisa? Analisa!"
"What? Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Thornfield, did you say something?"
"I asked if you were ready to continue."
"Yes, of course." She bit down on her lower lip. "Where were we?"
"Your mind isn't on reading today," the housekeeper said, sitting back in her chair. "Is something amiss?"
"No, no… I was just wondering if… if Dr. Avallone… is he here?"
"Yes, I believe so."
"Oh. I was wondering… that is…"
"Go on."
Analisa shook her head, suddenly embarrassed. She had been disappointed when he hadn't joined her for breakfast. She recalled he had told her he was never home during the day. It was none of her business where or how Alesandro spent his days, but she couldn't help wondering.
"Analisa?"
"Nothing," she said, and picking up her book, she began reading again.
She had just finished her lesson when Sally burst into the library.
"Mrs. Thornfield, the constable is at the door."
"The constable!" Analisa exclaimed.
Mrs. Thornfield stood slowly. "I'll take care of it, Sally."
"What can he possibly want here?" Analisa asked.
"There's nothing for you to worry about," Mrs. Thornfield said. And so saying, she left the room.
Sally cast a worried look at Analisa, curtseyed, and hurried after the housekeeper.
Analisa sat there a moment, her finger tapping on the cover of the book. Laying it aside, she left the library. When she reached the parlor, she slowed, then stopped, careful to stay out of sight. She could hear the voices coming from the other room quite clearly now.
"When do you expect Dr. Avallone to return?"
"I'm not sure," Mrs. Thornfield replied. "He was called away on business."
"I see," said the same deep male voice. "He was away the last time we tried to contact him, as I recall."
"He travels extensively," Mrs. Thornfield said.
"So it would seem."
"Might I tell him why you wished to see him?"
"There was a murder last night. A right grisly one it was, too."
Analisa gasped, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
"A murder?" Mrs. Thornfield didn't sound shocked, only mildly curious.
"Yes, not far from here. When Dr. Avallone returns, tell him we want to see him."
"Yes, I will. Good afternoon, Constable."
"Good day to you, mistress."
Analisa released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when she heard the door close. She flushed guiltily when Mrs. Thornfield entered the parlor and saw her standing there.
"You heard?" the housekeeper asked.
"Yes. A murder. How awful!"
"There's nothing to fear, Analisa."
"But—"
"You're in no danger here," Mrs. Thornfield said with a tight smile. "In fact, this is the safest place you could be."
Mrs. Thornfield had intimated that Alesandro was away, so Analisa did not expect to see him that evening. She wondered why he hadn't told her he was going away, though there was no reason why he should. He owed her no explanations for how he spent his time. Still, she couldn't help feeling hurt, and rather disheartened that she wouldn't see him that evening.
She had just finished dining on a succulent Cornish game hen and was sipping a glass of syllabub when he suddenly appeared in the room, silent as a shadow.
"My lord," she exclaimed.
He raised one black brow as he took the seat across from her. "You seem surprised to see me."
Sally hurried into the room carrying a bottle of wine and a crystal goblet on a silver tray. "Will there be anything else, my lord?"
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, leaving Analisa to wonder how Sally had known he was in the house, or that he had wished for wine.
The girl bobbed a curtsey and left the room.
"Will you not have dinner, my lord?" Analisa asked.
"No. I… dined earlier."
"Oh. There was a constable here today, looking for you," she said. "Mrs. Thornfield told him you were away."
"I would not leave without
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