Seeing Danger (Sinclair and Raven #2)(45)

“I am not now, nor am I ever, weak,” she muttered, clutching his hand once more, because quite frankly the prospect of walking into a dark room called the murder house without being anchored to someone was terrifying. It could have been any hand, she reassured herself. “I am merely unsettled. It shall pass.”

“It is supposed to be the most horrible and gruesome room in all of London, filled with obscene objects, like blood, body parts—”

“You will not scare me with talk of blood and other revolting things, my lord. Unlike you, my weakness is only the dark,” Lilly said, wishing she could leave his side and stalk after the children, yet knowing she would then be alone.

“I knew at the time it was folly to tell you about my little issue with blood. However I was fairly certain given your terrified state you would forget. A major miscalculation on my part, I fear.”

“A momentary weakness that I shall gladly use against you at the first opportunity, my lord.”

“Devon, for pity’s sake, Lilly. You have wept piteously upon my chest, groped my face, and yet I am still Lord Sinclair.”

“I most certainly did not grope your face!” Lilly said indignantly and followed it up with a shriek as they entered a room cloaked in darkness.

“Something touched my ankle.”

“Oh, that it had been me,” he sighed.

“Scoundrel!”

“You wound me.”

She heard the deep rumble in his chest.

“Men are extremely unpleasant creatures,” Lilly said softly, not wanting to alert whoever was lurking in the shadows to their presence.

“Not all men,” he whispered in her ear, his breath against her skin making her shudder.

Her eyes began to adjust, as this room had more light, and Lilly felt some of her fear ease. The murder house had severed heads and limbs, all, Lilly gleefully noted, slathered in blood. There were murder scenes reenacted, and the sound of moans and screams wailed around the walls.

“There is certainly a great deal of blood,” she said, hoping to unsettle the man at her side.

“I believe I mentioned that it is only my siblings' blood that upsets me, madam. Therefore, you may remove that smirk from your pale face.”

“I have no idea what you are speaking of, sir,” Lilly lifted her chin.

“Each of these is of a real murder, Lilly!” Toby yelled from his position in front of a gruesome murder scene.

“Will they have nightmares from this, my lord?” Lilly questioned, feeling guilty that such young children were being subjected to so much blood and gore.

“I don't think mine will. And if my guess is accurate, Toby has seen more horror than both you and I, therefore I think they will slumber well tonight.”

She looked at Toby as he gave Warwick a small smile.

“He is the one you told Essie about that day at Temple Street, isn't he?”

“Yes. When Mr. Davey found him, he was bruised and beaten, and lying on the doorstep.”

“Was he the first of the children to go there?”

“No, there had been three before him. However Toby was different from the start. Mr. and Mrs. Davey love him as their own, and he lets them because they do not smother him. Yet he is still untrusting and will disappear for a few days when he needs time alone, which of course worries us, but we try not to let that show. “

“And you have a special bond with him?”

Lilly didn't answer immediately, choosing her words carefully.

“There is something about him that tugs at my heart. He is so strong and stoic, and yet sometimes I see the fear in him.”

She felt Devon's hand squeeze her fingers gently before once again releasing them. Lilly shouldn't feel warm all over from such a small gesture, but she did.

“Miss Braithwaite, will you come and see this? Somer says it is a severed finger, but I believe it is a severed toe.”

Lilly looked at the twin before her then at the man beside her. “Surely your brother would be a better judge?”

“He will try and agree with both of us,” the little girl said dismissively. “He likes to be fair.” She rolled her eyes. “We have asked Cam, Essie, and Toby, and now we need to ask you.”

“You're a heartless little wretch, Dorset Sinclair, to dismiss your big brother so ruthlessly.”

Dorset merely poked her tongue out at Dev, and then took Lilly's arm and towed her to inspect the aforementioned appendage.

After it was decided that it was indeed a toe by Lilly, which pleased Dorset hugely, she was then taken in hand by both twins and escorted the rest of the way around the exhibits.

Lilly told herself she was relieved to have left Devon Sinclair's side, yet the truth was she felt bereft. And that alone was enough motivation to keep her distance.



Dev stayed a few feet behind Lilly as the twins dragged her from room to room. She was good with them, teasing them and tweaking a curl here and stroking a cheek there, much better than she was with adults. She seemed to lose her inhibitions around children.

“So do you mind telling me why, when you went to the port to look at your latest acquisition, you picked up a woman instead, and not just any woman, but your Miss Braithwaite?”

“She is not my anything, and stop meddling, Cambridge, or I'll break your nose again.”