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Vivian peered out to see that Alexander had already disappeared into the house. “I don’t know. Whatever it was, I have a feeling it was not good. He visibly paled.”

“I noticed,” Penelope replied. “I pretended not to.” She leaned closer, and whispered “Do you think someone else was there? Perhaps an intruder?”

That someone had hidden in the house was what Vivian feared. Alexander could be fighting for his life. “I wonder the same. We will alert William and perhaps have him return with a constable.”

Chapter 7

Alexander raced back up the stairs and into his bedroom. Bare feet stuck out from the far side of the bed. Someone was on the floor. Prepared to wake whomever it was, he fortified himself and walked closer. Upon rounding the bed, it was obvious that the person would not put up much of a fight.

The man was dead.

“Harold!” Alexander went in search of the older man. Harold was already hurrying up the stairs.

“What is wrong, Mr. Alexander?” Harold asked moving past him as if to protect him.

“There is a dead man in my bedchamber.”

Harold jumped to his feet. “Are you certain?”

“I would not jest about something like this. Was someone staying here recently?”

The older man gave him an incredulous look. “Absolutely not.” He stalked around him and Alexander followed. Together they entered the bedroom, and Harold continued until he was standing over the body. “My Lord.”

“Do you recognize him?” Alexander asked, coming to stand next to Harold, who crouched down to get a closer look.

“Yes, I do. He is a local man. I can’t put a name to the face right now. You should remember him; he was often in trouble for stealing and such.”

“Why is he here? And who killed him?”

“I would have, had I caught him skulking about,” Harold replied, holding up a fist. “The audacity of this criminal has no bounds.”

“Harold, the man is dead. Your indignation is literally falling on deaf ears.” Alexander did his best not to smile. “While I complete a thorough search of the property, please go to the village and fetch the constable.”

They went back downstairs, and Harold soon rode off in the direction of the village. On horseback at a gallop, it would take less than an hour for Harold to reach the constable. Alexander calculated that someone would be back in less than three.

Hopefully at about the same time, William would arrive as well.

Since Vivian and Penelope had gone into every room of the house, he was fairly certain no one was about. The only space they’d not gone into was the solarium. Passing through the doorway there, he noted everything was just as he’d left it. The bright sunlit room, with its seating arrangements, desk, and several potted plants, was his favorite. As a child, he had spent many days there with his parents.

Until suddenly, when he was about ten, things had changed.

His father was away in London all the time, and his mother stopped pretending to care about much. It was then they’d stopped sending for him from boarding school, where he’d met William. Since his parents did not send for Alexander during the holidays, he’d gone to the Torringtons’ instead.

After searching the rest of the floor, he went back up the stairs and walked through every other room.

The house was ridiculously large, he decided after walking through the sixth bedroom and then to the side of the house where his room was.

No one else was about. Taking advantage of the fact he’d given his staff the holidays off, the drifter had come to the house and made himself at home.

Harold had only recently returned to oversee the repairs to the windows and ceiling. None of these tasks would have taken them to the side of the house where his bedroom was.

He hesitated at the door to the bedroom where the body was. Did whoever killed the man mistakenly think it was him? Would the duo who claimed to be his half-siblings go this far?

It made little sense because upon his death, all his wealth would go to his mother.

Then again, there was the possibility that they’d forged documents. They’d gotten away with withdrawing money from a bank with a document he was certain was not real.

It seemed only a short while later that William burst through the front door, calling out his name. Alex, who’d been in the solarium, walked out to meet him.