“Attie? Attie, wait.”
All Iris could think was that something had come from the ground. A hole had opened in the garden. One of Dacre’s creatures had slithered through it and was now in the house, hungry for blood.
The girls reached the dining room. The hearth still glowed with dying embers, but the rest of the room was stained in darkness. Iris saw a tall shadow walk in front of the mullioned windows.
“Who are you?” Attie said sharply. “What do you want?”
The shadow ceased moving, but Iris could feel someone gazing in their direction. The hair rose on her arms as her heart quickened. She curled her fingers into a fist, preparing for a fight.
A deep, mirthful voice broke the silence. “Attie? It’s only me.”
Attie drew a sharp breath. “Bexley?”
“Yes, who else?”
“Who the bloody else? We thought you were a burglar!”
“I did tell you I’d return tonight.”
“Yes, and in case you lost track of time, it’s three in the morning. When midnight struck, we realized you were running late.”
“Wait up on me, did you?” Tobias said.
“We were working,” Attie amended, but she had stepped deeper into the room, heading in the direction of his voice.
Tobias was silent, but his breaths were heavy. Iris began to edge along the wall toward the hearth mantel, where she knew Lonnie kept a matchbook and candle tapers.
“Are you hurt?” Attie asked.
“No. And don’t … don’t touch me. At least not yet.”
Iris lit a candlestick. The firelight cast a ring into the darkness, and she could at last see Tobias clearly.
His clothes were plastered to him, drenched from the rain, and his arms and face were splattered with mud. He looked exhausted, but his eyes gleamed, feverishly, as if he had just won a race.
He glanced at Iris, reading her expression.
“Do I look that bad, Miss Winnow?”
“You look like you just drove all night through a storm,” Iris replied, awestruck.
“I told you not much comes between me and assignments,” he said, his attention returning to Attie. “Not even impassable roads.”
Attie crossed her arms, jaw set. “What if you had wrecked your car?”
“Always a possibility.” He set his valise down on the floor. “But I didn’t. Not this time, at least. And I have letters for you both.”
Iris stepped closer, watching as Tobias carefully removed his drenched gloves and opened the valise, handing them each a letter. Hers was from Forest; she recognized her brother’s handwriting and it warmed her from within to see it.
“Your brother actually helped service the roadster this time,” Tobias said. “At my mechanic’s shop.”
Iris glanced up, surprised. “Oh? I’m glad to hear it.”
“He did a good job,” Tobias said. “And I promised him tickets to the next race. He mentioned he would like to take you, when the war is over.”
Iris smiled, but she felt a sudden twinge of homesickness. She glanced down at the letter in her hand, thankful for the faint light as she blinked back her tears.
“Do you need a cup of tea? A sandwich?” Attie asked Tobias. “The electricity is out, but I can set a kettle over the hearth.”
Tobias sighed. “Thank you, but no. I’ve been up for a while. I’d only fall asleep before you could get the water to boil.”
“Then let me at least fetch you a towel.”
“That would be quite helpful.”
Iris lit a second candlestick to take back with her to her room. She bid the two of them goodnight but paused in the hallway to glance over her shoulder. Attie was wiping the mud from Tobias’s face; he was smiling and she was scowling as they spoke in hushed tones. But their voices still carried, enough for Iris to catch the words.
“I told you not to worry about me,” he said.
“I wasn’t worried.”
“And it’s nine, by the way.”
“Nine what? Nine lives?”
“I’ve won nine races. If that will help ease your mind next time.”
Iris didn’t wait to hear Attie’s reply. She pressed a smile to her lips as she slipped into her room.
* * *
Roman stole down the stairs quietly. The cottage felt empty, full of nothing more than long, dusty shadows. No one was in the foyer, guarding the front door, and no one was in the parlor. Not even Dacre. A fire had burned down in the hearth, but golden light continued to flicker along the walls.