and she could not imagine the strength it would take a man to wield it. She dragged it into the entry hall and made a show of trying to lift it. “I will kill any man who makes a mess of my home. Search wherever you like, but be neat about it.”
Her uncle laughed. “You? Why that thing is bigger than you. How can you possibly lift it?”
“I can’t. But Throck can.” She handed Throck the claymore, relieved he’d made his appearance at the perfect moment. She could not have planned his sudden presence any better. “You have my permission to cut off the head of any man who breaks my furniture or attempts to steal from my home.”
“Aye, m’lady.” Throck lifted the sword as though it weighed nothing and casually swung it back and forth.
Her uncle maintained his smile as he called back his men. “You heard my niece. There’ll be no theft or breakage. Conduct your search with all due respect for her belongings.” He raised his hands in mock surrender. “See, I can be reasonable.”
“That remains to be seen. Would you care for some tea, my lord?” She motioned for him to take a seat in the drawing room.
“Ever the lady, aren’t you? No tea. I’ll have a glass of port if you have any.”
“I do. It was Father’s favorite. I have several bottles in stock.” She poured him a glass and offered it to him. “Why are you here? Who are you looking for?”
“A man.”
She sat on the divan while her uncle took a chair opposite her. “What makes you think he’s here? I have nothing to do with your shady goings on.”
“He’s a thief. He tried to steal from me.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Why do I not believe you? I expect it was the other way around and this man had the mettle to fight back.”
He held up his glass in an insincere toast to her health. “We caught up to him near one of the old caves.”
Genalynn clasped her hands in her lap. “What did you do to him?” Of course, she knew what he’d done, but she could hardly give herself away.
“One of my men shot him. We found blood.”
She pursed her lips as though confused. “Leading here? I haven’t seen anyone about. Not that it matters, he’s likely dead by now.”
“I’ll feel more confident of that when I find his body. There was a trail of blood in the cave. Then suddenly, not a trace of him anywhere.”
Her hands remained clasped. “Do you think his body washed out to sea?”
“I don’t know, but I’m assuming not. We found blood by the secret stairs. There’s only one man who can move that boulder and that’s your Throck. You found him and carried him here. So I’ll ask you politely just this once. Where is my thief, Genalynn?”
“I have no idea. And what makes you think the boulder was moved? What if your thief crawled back there, tried to move it but couldn’t? This assumes he even knew of its existence. It is more likely he crawled out the front and made his way to safety under cover of darkness.”
“No. I think you saved him.” His gaze was cold and predatory as he casually took a sip of his port.
“You give me too much credit. I am here at the dower house because I do not wish to be around anyone. I have no interest in meddling in your business or anyone else’s. You can all go to blazes as far as I’m concerned.” She met his gaze with a steady one of her own. “I don’t like you, but you’re family. I am not in the habit of betraying family. Throck is family to me as well. If you hurt him, it is as though you hurt me. I will come after you to avenge him.”
“Don’t threaten me, Genalynn. As you said, I don’t like you either. But eliminating you right now would raise too many questions.” He drained the last of his glass and set it down with a thuck on the delicate side table. “Just keep out of my business.”
“Gladly.” She rose along with him and escorted him into the hall where Throck still stood with claymore in hand. “Your men had better not have ransacked my home.”
“Don’t push me.” He scowled at her.
“M’lord! We’ve found something,” one of his men called from upstairs.
Genalynn tried not to panic as she followed her uncle up the stairs and into her bedchamber. Oh,