Shadowed by Sin by Layna Pimentel Page A

the windows are closed and it is hotter than the pits of hell in here. If you are unwell, I would like to summon a physician to examine you.”
    “No!” she cried out, yanking the crocheted garment from his grip.
    Benedict raised his hands in defeat. He had not meant to upset her so, but wanted to understand what ailed her. “I will not call for a physician, but I do not understand how you are saying it is drafty.”
    “Ben, I have something to tell you. It might sound odd.”
    “Go on.”
    “I saw her—Helen…earlier.”
    The maid walked in, dropping her tray with a gasp.
    “Mary, are you all right?” Estelle asked with concern.
    “Excuse me. I will clean up my mess, and bring another tray promptly.”
    “My dear, Helen has been gone for a year now. What you are saying is impossible.”
    She shook her head vehemently. “I swear it, Ben. Helen spoke to me, and she told me to stay away from him.”
    “Him? Who are you referring to, Estelle?”
    She shrugged and pulled the covers over her legs.
    This has to be the laudanum talking. Just what was it about this house that was making everyone mad?
    The maid returned, this time managing to not drop the tray.
    “No one, absolutely no one is to give her any medicine. Someone bloody gave her laudanum, and she is not talking straight. Look at her!”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Where is Lord Cuthbert? I have a need to discuss matters with him requiring immediate attention.”
    “In the library, sir; alone and quite angry at the moment. He discovered his favorite vase from the Orient destroyed beyond means of repair. He is in quite the fitting mood and likely to strangle someone. Consider yourself warned, my lord.”
    “Thank you,” he nodded, “and I will be sure to remember that last fact before I say something that might infuriate him more.”
    Time to prod a bull and see what comes of it . There was a great mystery at work here and at this point the suspect could be anyone. He needed to discover more about the earl’s dealings, and had to consider all the possibilities. What if there was a guest present who meant to destroy the earl, besides himself? They would of course stand in line, because if anyone would wrap the noose around Lord Cuthbert’s neck, it would be him.

Chapter 6
    It was mid-afternoon when Benedict reached the earl’s library; a string of curses echoed into the hall. Before entering the room he carefully considered what he should mention to his host. He wanted answers just as much as the next person, but what ate away at him was who could have entered her room and administered the laudanum without even the footman or a maid noticing. One also couldn’t ignore the fact that Gabriel’s death wasn’t mentioned again since that dreadful night. He’d heard some footmen later in the evening saying the body was moved to be collected by the authorities, but nothing more could be heard from where he stood in the shadows. The footmen must have known they weren’t alone. A deception was at play, but who and why?
    He considered how mad his future countess would appear if he mentioned her seeing visions of the earl’s dead niece. In fact, they’d probably attempt to dissuade him to marry her as the only place she’d belong was in Bedlam. Nevertheless, it wasn’t what she saw that bothered him as much as the warning she received. Estelle had been dead serious with what she saw. If Helen still haunted these halls, she had been wronged, but by whom? He’d experienced this once before, which was the only reason why Benedict gave merit to his fiancée’s concern in the matter. He’d been very young, but recalled eavesdropping on his father’s staff and secretly following them to the old abandoned stables several yards away from the new construction his father ordered. The dilapidated shack had been set fire to, with a stable hand trapped inside. Some say it was a jealous lovers spat, but all the staff were convinced the poor man haunted it ever since. With