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away behind the walls of Crystal Gardens.”
    They were walking back to Fern Gate Cottage. It was only four-thirty and there were hours of summer sunlight left in the day. But the shadows in the narrow lane through the dense woods were already long and dark. There was no more need for the parasols. Evangeline closed hers. Beatrice and Clarissa did the same.
    “However have you managed to survive for the past two weeks?” Beatrice asked. “No wonder you have been bored to tears.”
    “I certainly was until last night,” Evangeline said.
    Clarissa made a tut-tutting sound. “Nothing like being attacked bysomeone who wants to slit one’s throat to save one from succumbing to acute ennui, I always say.”
    Evangeline was about to respond but a shiver of awareness raised the hair on her nape. Instinctively she looked down the lane and saw Lucas Sebastian walking toward them. She stopped.
    Beatrice and Clarissa halted beside her. They all watched Lucas. He was dressed for a country walk in an informal coat, trousers and boots. His head was bare. He moved through the shadows in near silence.
    “Let me hazard a guess,” Beatrice whispered. “Would this by any chance be Mr. Sebastian?”
    “Yes,” Evangeline said just as softly. She felt energy shiver in the atmosphere and knew that her friends had slipped into their other senses.
    Clarissa became very serious. “Oh, my. You were right when you said that he possesses a great deal of psychical talent. I can see it in his aura, even from this distance. Very dark. Very powerful. He could, indeed, be very dangerous, Evangeline. You must be careful.”
    Beatrice’s fey eyes widened slightly.
    “No,” Beatrice said. “Evie will be safe with him.”
    Clarissa glanced at her. “Are you certain?”
    “I’m sure of it,” Beatrice said.
    “I agree that he is unlikely to do her any physical harm,” Clarissa said. “The energy of his aura does not show any taint of the murky light that one sees in men who abuse those who are weaker than themselves. But we all know that there are other ways a woman can be hurt. When it comes to matters of the heart, a woman must always be on guard.”
    “Matters of the heart?” Evangeline yelped, outraged. “Have you gone mad? There are no matters of the heart involved here. Someone tried to murder me last night. I assure you that had nothing to do withmy heart. Believe it or not, discovering who would want to do such a thing is my chief concern.”
    “Yes, of course,” Beatrice said.
    This time she actually did reach out one gloved hand and pat Evangeline—not on the head, but on the arm. Evangeline sighed and reminded herself that her friends meant well.
    “Under the circumstances, I am hardly likely to lose my heart to Mr. Sebastian,” she said very quietly. “And even if I were so foolish as to do such a thing, I am quite sure he would return it immediately.”
    “Mmm,”
Beatrice said. But she was still watching Lucas and she did not look convinced.
    There was no more time to try to correct the wrong impression, Evangeline realized. Lucas was almost upon them. Hastily she summoned up a smile.
    “Mr. Sebastian,” she said. “How nice to see you again. Allow me to present my friends, Miss Slate and Miss Lockwood. I have told them of the events of last night.”
    Lucas stopped in front of them and inclined his head. “Miss Ames. Ladies.”
    “A pleasure, Mr. Sebastian,” Clarissa said.
    “Mr. Sebastian,” Beatrice murmured politely.
    Evangeline felt another shiver of energy in the atmosphere and knew that Beatrice and Clarissa were both taking a closer look at Lucas. She could tell by the glint of amusement in his eyes that he was aware of the psychical scrutiny.
This is awkward
, she thought.
    Frantically she searched for a distraction. “What of the body, Mr. Sebastian?” She leaned down to unlatch the garden gate. “Were you able to recover it from the maze and examine it for clues?”
    Lucas’s mouth kicked up at