Page 87 of The Bridal Quest

"How did you know the way back so well?"

He quirked a brow. "Once we began to suspect that you and Gideon had gone astray—at least longer than one would have expected for a newly engaged couple—" he allowed a small smile "—I marked the way we took to make certain we did not all become lost."

"Of course." Irene smiled to herself. She understood much better now Francesca's remarks about the duke.

"My lady!" The groom was waiting in the main cave, along with Mr. Surton, and he sprang up as he spoke. "Your Grace."

"Lady Irene is quite all right," Rochford assured the men. "I am afraid that she and Lord Radbourne had become rather disoriented, but we found them. I will need your help, Barnes, if you will wait just a moment. Mr. Surton, may I rely on you to see that the young ladies get back to the house safely? I think that Lady Irene should return right away. She is, as you see, somewhat overset by her ordeal."

The duke turned to Irene, murmuring, "You might try to look overset."

Irene raised a hand weakly to her chest. "Mr. Surton, I cannot thank you enough. I fear I feel a trifle faint."

Surton hastened to assure her of his help, and gave her his arm to take her out. The duke turned to the groom and spoke to him in a low voice. The groom looked amazed, but nodded his head without protest and hurried to do as the duke bade.

As soon as Irene and Surton stepped outside, Francesca came forward. "Irene! Are you all right? Is something amiss? Where are the others?"

"I fear I must cut your outing short," the duke said, striding out of the cave after them. "Lady Irene is fine, though a trifle tired. Lady Haughston, if I may speak with you?"

Irene watched as the duke took her friend aside, bending over to talk to her earnestly. Irene saw Francesca raise her hand to her throat in distress, and Rochford reached out as though to touch her arm, then hastily drew his hand back.

He bowed to Francesca instead, and turned, going back into the cave.

Francesca hurried over to Irene. "Oh, my, such a ... well. I do not even know what to call it. Are you all right, my dear?"

Irene nodded. "Yes, but we need to get everyone back to the house and then find a way to occupy all the others, so that you and I can explain what has transpired to Gideon's family."

"I shall think of something, never fear."

Francesca swept everyone along, flattering Mr. Surton's helpfulness and fluttering over Irene's wretchedly disordered nerves. They would, she promised, find some other treat for the guests for the rest of the afternoon—perhaps croquet on the wide front lawn?

This idea seemed to please everyone well enough, and they set a good pace back to the house. There was not really much of the afternoon left to arrange for croquet, much less play it, but Francesca set everyone to it anyway, further playing on Mr. Surton's pride by putting him in charge of the whole affair. Then, with a quick word to the butler, Francesca and Irene went into the library to await the women of the family. Lady Odelia and her sister came in a few moments later, looking puzzled, followed by Lady Teresa, who seemed merely disgruntled.

"Francesca?" Lady Odelia began. "What is the meaning of this? Why did you send Horroughs to fetch us?" Her expression changed. "Did something happen to Gideon?"

"No, Lord Radbourne is fine," Francesca hastened to assure the others, and cast a glance at Irene.

Irene nodded. "The thing is, we found something in the caves today. It is— Forgive me, Lady Radbourne," she said to Pansy. "I can think of no easy way to put this. Your son, Lord Jasper, identified it as the body of Lady Selene."

Even Lady Odelia had no words to offer after that statement. After a stunned moment, the women began to ask questions, but Irene was unable to answer them. So they waited, an anxious, quiet little group, for the men to return with the body.

Irene jumped up when at last there was the clatter of riding boots in the hallway outside. A moment later the door opened, and Jasper, Rochford and Gideon strode inside. Irene looked to Gideon. His face was set, his eyes shadowed, and he carried something wrapped in cloth in his hand.

"Jasper?" Pansy rose, looking every bit her age. Her hands trembled, and she clasped them together to stop the shaking. "Is it—is it really Selene?"

Her son nodded grimly. "Yes. I am certain. There was a pin that she often wore, and her wedding ring."

"What happened?" Pansy wailed, looking lost. "How can this be?"

"Did she wander off?" Lady Odelia asked, grasping at straws. "Did she fall or—"

Gideon cut her off harshly. "She was murdered." He looked at his grandmother. "My father killed her."

Lady Pansy sat down as if her legs had given out from under her. "No! That cannot be! Someone must have—have taken her. Stolen her from her room and dragged her there."

"She was killed here," Gideon replied flatly. "We found this tucked into a corner of the cave."

He held out the object in his hand, peeling back the cloth. Jasper turned away as if he could not bear the sight. Irene stared at what lay in Gideon's hand: an ormolu clock with a white marble base. It was smallish for a clock, only four inches wide and twice as tall. And it was mottled with a brown stain, a stain that was also smeared over the cloth that had been wrapped around it.