From behind him, he heard a door creak open. Brymer asked, "Is he awake yet, Tully?"

"Only just," Tully said, heaving his big frame to his feet. "I was thinking…m-maybe one of us should ride to the inn, and just ask a few questions."

"Van Rowen wants us to do a job on him," Brymer said. "So that's what we're going to do." Brymer was eager for it.

Van Rowen. Why did the name sound familiar? When Ethan got out of this, he would kill Van Rowen, ripping him apart with his bare hands. The man had no idea what he'd just brought down on himself and his entire family—

Ethan heard the unmistakable sound of a blade being unsheathed, and he fought to free his hands.

"But, Brymer, what would it hurt to ride—"

"I just returned from the inn. No one saw anything untoward." Brymer moved into Ethan's field of vision. "They just saw Mrs. Van Rowen eating a meal with Flora for about an hour before they left." He picked his teeth with the knifepoint. "Coachman swears he saw no one else and drove them home alone, as does Flora."

"But sometimes…it seems Mrs. Van Rowen might—"

"On the other hand," Brymer continued, ignoring Tully's words, "this one here's aforeigner , swilling spirits. The barmaid said he's a mean drunk and a Scottish brute."

That spiteful bitch…just because I passed her over…

"His die is cast, Tully. But as for you, you'll either follow your orders—or you'll take yourself off Van Rowen lands tonight."

No, no.Ethan could pay him a fortunenot to do this.

Tully's shoulders slumped.

No, goddamn it, no!

"Hold his head," Brymer ordered.

Tully did as he was told, taking Ethan's head in his thick arms. Ethan fought against the grip, spitting curses behind the gag.

"Wh-what do you plan to do?"

"First off, I'm going to finish what Mrs. Van Rowen started," Brymer said with a nod at the marks on Ethan's face. "I bet the ladies fancy his looks. They won't ever again after tonight. Of course, that'll be the least of his worries."