LITMIR.BIZ

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Hall’s kitchen before Christmas. But who had given the order to set the church aflame? The order had to have come from their leader, a man who would have no compunctions about burning the parish’s church.

      He heard a warning creak. He looked up to see Henderson and Sims dashing up the beams. Dirt and ash fell on him. He did not hesitate. He was close on their heels by the time he reached ground level. Jumping off the beam, he whirled as several joists caved in to the cellar. A gray cloud rose up. He waved aside the ash and coughed.

      Edmund motioned for everyone to get back from the edge, then thanked Sims and Henderson and the other men. They nodded and went back to piling debris closer to the cliff. But he did not miss their troubled expressions.

      He picked up his coat and pulled it on, listening to make sure the men were not within earshot. As he drew on his greatcoat, he asked, “Mr. Fenwick, when was the last time you were in the church’s cellar?”

      “At least eight or nine years ago.” His nose wrinkled. “Shortly after I accepted the living here, I had everything stored down there brought up so it didn’t molder away. The door into the church has been locked shut, and the key was lost years ago.”

      “So the smugglers had the perfect place to hide their cargo.”

      “Smugglers! In my church?” The vicar shook his head. “Impossible.”

      “The evidence is in the cellar.” Edmund outlined what he had seen.

      The vicar’s face grew long with dismay. “This is an outrage. When I heard the story that a previous vicar counted himself among the smugglers’ ranks, I had hoped it was untrue. Now...” He choked, unable to continue.

      Patting her brother’s arm, Miss Fenwick said, “We must make sure it does not happen again.”

      “That may be easier said than done,” Edmund said. “They need a place to hide their illicit cargo. Who knows how long they have been using the church? At least since we made it impossible for them to use the dower cottage at Meriweather Hall. All worked well for them until a section of the church’s roof fell in. They must have feared someone would check the cellar to make sure the joists could support a new roof.”

      “So they set the church on fire,” Miss Fenwick said, looking from him to the cellar, “to hide that they had been using the cellar.”

      “That is exactly what I was thinking.” He appreciated her acceptance of the facts.

      Her brother remained less willing to see what was right in front of them. “But why would they burn this church? We have been discussing building a new church—”

      “They could not take a chance that the decision would be made to fix up the old one instead.” Miss Fenwick’s face hardened. “But where will they go next? It could be anywhere.”

      Miss Kightly gave a soft cry of fright and wobbled as if she were about to faint. Mr. Fenwick jumped to keep her from falling. He helped her back to her carriage where she could sit and recover her composure.

      “I should go back with her,” Miss Fenwick said. “It appears that Gregory and I will be accepting your invitation to stay at Meriweather Hall.”

      “For as long as you need to.” Both he and Lady Meriweather would be happy to have company in the huge house that would seem empty now that both his cousins were married to his two best friends, Jonathan Bradby and Charles Winthrop, the earl of Northbridge.

      “Thank you. We will need to depend on your hospitality until we can live in the vicarage again. That must wait until after we have a church, of course.” She turned to go, then paused. “Before I go, I must ask you one question.”

      “Certainly.”

      “You are familiar with constructing buildings. Will you help us rebuild our church?”

      She had no idea what she was asking. Overseeing the building of a church would require dozens of decisions each day when he could not make a single one.

      “Please, say yes,” she went on. “We need your help.”

      What could he say? That he had plans to go to London for the Season? That was not true. That he had to entertain Lady Meriweather? Miss Fenwick would know that was a lie. But he could not speak the truth. He had seen enough pity in his friends’ eyes. He did not want to see more, especially in her eyes. But she was right. He was the man for the task.

      God, if this is what You want me to do, I will need Your help more than ever.

      “All right,” he said. “I will try to do my best.”

      Instantly, he wished he could retract his words. This was the first decision he had made in more than a year, and he feared it would prove to be as bad as the last one.

      Chapter Two

      Other than the steady plop of thick, cold raindrops outside, not a sound could be heard when Edmund stepped into the entrance hall of Meriweather Hall. He followed the vicar and Miss Fenwick and Miss Kightly. Other than Foggin, the footman who had opened the door, nobody could be seen. Lady Meriweather must have retired to her room, exhausted by the long journey north from Norwich.

      The footman, in Meriweather Hall’s black livery, took their coats, then stepped aside as another footman burst into the entrance hall. He skidded to a stop on the stone floor, almost bumping into one of the benches set against the raised panels on the lower half of the walls.

      “Jessup,” Edmund said with a frown. He was still learning how a baron should act, but he knew that a footman never behaved that outrageously. “I trust you have an explanation.”

      The footman gulped. “I was asked to deliver this message to Miss Kightly the moment she arrived at Meriweather Hall.”

      “Perhaps you should not take such requests quite so literally.”

      Nodding, the footman said, “I won’t. From this point forward.”

      “I am pleased to hear that.” He motioned for Jessup to hand the message to Miss Kightly, and the footman held out a folded sheet to the pretty blonde.

      As she opened it, he shifted his gaze toward Miss Fenwick. She stood beside her brother, her hand on his arm in a comforting pose. Not that he was surprised. Miss Fenwick was very supportive of her brother and his ministry. He had known that before, but her request by the remnants of the burned-out church was proof of her devotion to him.

      Edmund looked away. Miss Fenwick’s determination to help her brother with his parish must have been what had persuaded her to ask Edmund’s assistance in rebuilding the church. How long would it take for her to realize she had made the request of the wrong man? His gut churned at the idea of having the respect he had seen in her eyes turn to pity.

      Pitiful.

      He had heard others whisper the word when they thought he could not hear. Even though his closest friends had never spoken so, he knew what was in their heads. It was a pity that Edmund Herriott, who once could be depended on to make a quick decision, now could make none at all. Not good. Not bad.

      Pitiful.

      A groan sounded in the entry, and, for a moment, he wondered if it had escaped from him.

      Miss Fenwick rushed to Miss Kightly’s side, asking her what was wrong, and he shoved away his thoughts that punished him over and over.

      Miss Kightly’s smile was forced. “Forgive me. I am simply surprised at the message from my great-uncle.”

      “Do you want to share what Sir Nigel has to say?” Miss Fenwick asked.

      “Yes, I guess I should. He says that...” Her voice trailed off.

      Miss Fenwick looked toward Edmund, and he shrugged. He could think of several possible subjects Sir Nigel might have written about, especially in light of what had happened at the church and what had been discovered.

      He

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