The Victorian Gothic Collection Boxed Set 1-3 by Chasity Bowlin & Chasity Bowlin

Author:Chasity Bowlin & Chasity Bowlin [Bowlin, Chasity]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2019-07-19T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

Eldren entered their chamber and found Adelaide seated at her dressing table. Dyllis was fixing the mass of her dark hair into a thick braid. More often than not, he found her maid having been dismissed and Adelaide awaiting him. But of late, things had altered between them. The distance was marked and given the surreptitious glance from the maid, it had not gone unnoted by others.

“I looked in on Warren. He seems to be resting peacefully, but I’m not certain if that is a good sign or a bad one,” he admitted reluctantly.

“Thank you, Dyllis. You can go,” Adelaide said, her brows drawn in concern. Once the maid had gone, she turned to him and said, “I believe he will rally, Eldren. He’s young and despite his vices, in good health otherwise. I think the most important thing we can do, at this point, is insure that Frances does not have unfettered access to him. I hadn’t considered the implications of it until she made the statement at dinner tonight that her child will be your heir.”

“Assuming that child is actually Warren’s,” he replied.

Her eyes were wide, her gaze revealing the fears that had blossomed within her. “But what if Warren isn’t here to question it? What if we aren’t? What if all this is some elaborate scheme for her to be able to lay claim to Cysgod Lys and all of your holdings through the birth of a child who may or may not be of Llewellyn blood?”

Eldren settled himself on the edge of the bed and allowed the enormity of that to sink in. It was conjecture and something that they had no proof of, but it was not so very far fetched. He’d made it known to one and all that he’d never had any intent to marry and produce an heir. But when his situation changed, Frances had done everything possible to prevent the marriage. She and Warren had been wed for almost seven years and now, when there was a risk of her losing unfettered access to the house and the attached wealth, she had suddenly found herself with child.

It was a wonder with what she had put Adelaide through during her initial journey to Cysgod Lys that Adelaide had survived, much less consented to the marriage and remained as mistress of the estate. And the house, despite it’s eccentricities and the terror that it could induce, had never caused him physical harm, not until he’d married. Heaven knew that whatever was there had attempted time and again to frighten Adelaide away or even cause a more permanent form of absence.

“You may be right. Adelaide, Frances may well be trying to kill him… and us.”

“With the help of the forces at work in this house,” she finished. “My question is how? Is Frances some sort of mystic herself? Or something worse?”

“A witch?” he asked. He felt ridiculous even uttering the word. “You think she might be dabbling in dark arts?”

“If she’s doing anything, it’s significantly more than dabbling.

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