She slowly lifted her gaze to meet the simmering silver eyes.
"Brandy? Is it not rather early in the day?"
He gave a lift of one shoulder. "You are pale and clearly in need of something to settle your nerves. I believe brandy is the prescribed cure for such a malady."
Well, it could not hurt, Amelia acknowledged as she lifted the glass and took a cautious sip.
At first the smoky flavor filled her mouth and warmed her tongue in a rather pleasant manner; then, without warning, a fire blazed down her throat and hit her empty stomach with unexpected force.
"Ugh." With a grimace she pushed the glass back into his hand. "It is not much of a cure."
His lips twitched but he readily set aside the glass before settling upon the matching wing chair and regarding her with a steady gaze.
"Perhaps you will feel better if you tell me what the runner desired."
Folding her hands in her lap, Amelia sucked in a deep breath. "He came to me to warn that a young prostitute had been discovered murdered in the lane."
"You did not reveal that you had seen the body?" he demanded.
"Of course not." Her tongue peeked out to wet her dry lips. "But he said there had been a witness."
Mr. St. Ives abruptly stilled. "A witness? Who?"
Amelia discovered herself regarding her companion with a measure of surprise. There was an unmistakable edge of danger about him. A danger that was nearly tangible.
"Mr. Ryan said that it was a gentleman who was passing by the lane. He claimed to have seen a large man with dark hair with a woman. Then the runner asked to speak with William."
"I presume you refused?" he asked in rather distracted tones.
"Yes, I said William had been ill and in bed for the past few days."
Far from being shocked by her blatant lies, Mr. St. Ives gave an approving nod.
"That is well. I do not believe that William would comprehend a need for silence."
"No, but I do not think that Mr. Ryan was entirely convinced," she confessed with a worried frown. "I fear he is quite intent upon seeking out William to question him."
"A problem, certainly," he murmured.
Amelia's frown deepened. He appeared oddly preoccupied, as if he were barely attending to her words.
"What is it?"
His pale fingers tapped a restless tattoo on the arm of his chair. "It is odd."
"Odd?"
"This witness claims to have seen a man with dark hair and a woman?"
Amelia stifled a surge of impatience. "Yes."
"If it was your brother who the man observed, then who was the woman?" he demanded in low tones. "You did not find William until we were together. It is not possible that this witness could have seen you alone with your brother. So why did he lie?"
Chapter Four
Sebastian watched in silence as the young maiden pondered his words. It was obvious that she had been too rattled by the appearance of the runner to consider with clarity the claim of the witness. Now she ruthlessly gnawed her lower lip as her swift wits attempted to make sense of the insensible accusation.
A sharp, poignant desire to soothe her poor, mal-treated lip swept through Sebastian with shocking force.