Of Midnight Born by Lisa Cach Read Free Book Online

old, Philippa,” he said, turning to her. He spoke softly, calmly, yet there was a sure strength in his words. “And you know, as well as do Amelia, Constance, and Sophie, that I would never make a decision that would result in a reduction in your or their incomes. Your well-being has always been my primary concern.”
    Philippa looked as if she wanted to say more, her lips pursed tight with discontent, but apparently his words rang true. “Well. You have shown more business sense than Father ever did, I will grant you that. But it’s a good thing you only leased this monstrosity, instead of buying it outright. We should surely have all been in the poorhouse then, with the upkeep.”
    Alex gave a half smile. “Mr. Briggs wasn’t quite ready togive up the idea of being lord of the manor. I think he likes to tell his friends that he owns a castle. He claims to be descended from a line of German princes.”
    The comment coaxed a twitch of a smile from Philippa’s lips.
    Serena studied the man, her eyes narrowed. There must be something wrong with him. He was placating this woman who cast doubt upon his good sense, when he should instead be telling her to hold her tongue. From what they’d said the woman must be his sister, but that should mean nothing. Thomas had never lacked the backbone to argue with her when he disagreed, even though she usually had been right.
    She had been mistaken to think it was strength she heard in this man’s voice. He was obviously some form of coward, weak and trembly as jelly.
    Square shoulders and a strong jaw did not make a warrior. She would have him out of here within a week. The fluttering panic in her chest quieted, and she buried that faint, painful sense of yearning.
    He surely would be no more difficult to evict than Briggs had been. Easier, as he had nothing but a lease to hold him, unlike Briggs, who had invested huge sums of money in building this “monstrosity,” as the Philippa woman so aptly called it. Briggs’s weak-willed wife had at first pleaded to stay, but when her husband had started reporting to her each of his ghostly encounters, she’d become a sniveling, nervous mess, more eager than he to leave the place.
    What a pair of cowards they had been.
    Philippa gave a sudden shiver. “’Tis a drafty home you’ve chosen, Alex,” Philippa said, rubbing her arms. “I shouldn’t like to be here in winter, if August is so chilly. Why anyone would build on top of a mountain, exposed to the wind, is beyond me.”
    Alex began to move toward the open door to the ancestral hall, where two workmen were fumbling with a crate. “Ifind it quite warm, myself,” he said, and then to the workmen, “Careful there! Get that to the tower in one piece, and there’s a shilling in it for each of you.”
    Philippa hissed out a note of disgust, barely waiting until the men were out of earshot before addressing her brother. “You spoil them. Why pay them extra for doing their job? You are too soft, Alex. Too soft by half.”
    “As you’ve said before,” he replied calmly. “Have you any notion where Sophie may have gone off to?”
    Serena came close to Alex, until she was right beside him and could stare into his eyes. Was there any anger there at all for this overbearing sister? A flicker, perhaps. Or was it cunning she saw? Or perhaps he was deaf to her insults, and there was no flicker of emotion in him at all.
    He turned his head suddenly, his eyes meeting hers, boring into her. She started, letting out a small yelp of surprise.
    “She’s probably taken Louisa into some dreary cellar, to fill her head with superstitious nonsense,” the one called Philippa was saying. “I’d best find them, else that child will be screaming of monsters and goblins into the wee hours yet again. Why either of them take such delight in scaring themselves silly I shall never understand.”
    Alex turned back to his sister, the faint crease of a frown visible between his dark brows. “They