Knowing the ladies would be anxious, I made my way back upstairs. When I reached the second-floor hallway, my sister and Miss Darkin were standing there, talking quietly. As soon as they spotted me, their conversation stopped abruptly.

"What happened?" Philippa demanded. "What did you learn?"

"I'm afraid someone broke two of the dining room windows," I informed them. There was no reason not to be completely honest with them. "There doesn't seem to be anyone outside now, so I believe we are all safe."

Philippa's hand shot up to cover her mouth as she gasped. "Is it someone searching for the treasure?"

"No, that's been handled."

Her hand fell to her side and she frowned at me. "What do you mean it's been handled?"

Right. I hadn't had the opportunity to tell her about the events of the evening. Or, previous evening, given that it was now the early hours of the morning. "I'll tell you later," I told her. "Why don't we all return to our beds and get what rest we can."

"No. I want to know now," my sister insisted, her expression becoming stubborn. "Don't treat me like a child."

"Philippa, I don't think this is the right time," Miss Darkin said gently. She put her hand on Philippa's arm. "If you don't feel safe alone, you can share my bed. My maid, Swallow, will also be with us."

For a moment, I was afraid that my sister would refuse and argue that she wasn't afraid. But after a moment, she slowly nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think that would be best," she said, turning to face Miss Darkin. "It is so hard to feel safe when one is kept in the dark about what is going on."

"Philippa," I growled, out of patience with her.

Miss Darkin shook her head, shifting to put her arm around my sister's shoulders. "Come, Philippa," she said, her tone soothing. "It's late. Let's get what rest we can. There will be time enough for explanations in the morning."

They both turned and retreated into the bedroom. The door closed behind them.

Though there was little I could do in the middle of the night, I returned to the ground floor. Even after several restless nights in a row, I knew I wouldn't get a wink of sleep if I tried.

Questions went round and round in my mind. What was the meaning behind all of this? Was this connected to the supposed treasure? Or was this part of some other mess?

A sleepy Billy followed Davison into the dining room, carrying some boards. I helped hold the boards in place while they hammered nails in. Any newcomer would suppose that Pearsend was abandoned if they were to come upon it now!

"Thank you, Billy," I said to the teenaged boy. "Try to get some rest before morning. I'll need you to ride for the magistrate then."

The boy let out a tired yawn before nodding and leaving the room. "I trust the young ladies have been informed of what happened?" Davison asked, turning to me. All traces of sleep had vanished from him, and he looked as alert as I'd ever seen him.

And I felt as foggy headed as ever. It hardly seemed fair.

"I told them the barest details of what happened, yes," I responded, running my hand through my hair. "I haven't had a chance to tell Philippa about Ben Swanson and what happened earlier. Or, late yesterday."

"Indeed."

"What am I supposed to do about this?" I asked, waving my hand towards the windows that were covered with boards.

"At the moment, sir, I don't think there is anything to do," Davison said seriously. "As you said, we will send Billy to Sir Harrow once again. Hopefully, he will be able to advise you."

Heaving a sigh, I nodded. "What do you think of it all?" He'd always been able to offer some kind of advice in the two months I'd employed him.

Davison shook his head. "I don't know what to make of it, sir. I'd assumed that the matter was resolved when Sir Harrow took the young vandal with him. It seems unlikely that the man would have had a friend helping him, though he did risk his sister's position to make his search. But who else would have cause to attack your home?"

Well, at least I was not alone in my confusion.

"Get what rest you can," I told him. "Morning will be here sooner than any of us will like."

"Aren't you going to bed?"

"I doubt I would be able to sleep," I said honestly. At this point, I was sure that every little sound or creak would keep me awake. "I'll go to the library and keep watch, I suppose. Who knows if the intruder intends to come back?"

"He'd be a fool if he did," Davison commented. "He must know that he has awakened the entire house with his actions."

"I doubt it. He obviously knows that we have a small staff," I argued. "He'd assume that we don't have the manpower to guard the whole place. Who knows what else this person knows about us and the routine we have here? I don't think we can assume anything about him."

After a moment, Davison nodded to concede the point. He and I left the dining room. While I went to the library, he vanished in the opposite direction. My candle showed nothing was out of the ordinary in the room.

At this point, that was a relief. I let out a deep sigh and placed my candle on the desk before sinking into my chair. Even though I knew I wouldn't have slept in my bed, I had no idea how I would pass the hours until dawn.

Did this latest attack mean that I needed to be even more vigilant? The thought made me groan. How many people were searching for this fantastical treasure? How long would they keep up the search?

"Some coffee, sir," Davison announced, entering the room with a tray. "Mrs. Wallace thought it might be welcome."

The smell was heavenly. "Please express my gratitude to her," I said fervently. "I hope she is able to get some rest. This place would fall to pieces without her."

Though a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, Davison arched an eyebrow. "Indeed?"

"Oh, you know you are invaluable as well, so don't go fishing for compliments." I poured myself a cup of coffee and took a sip. "And get yourself to bed. I need you in top form tomorrow."

My valet gave a small nod and withdrew from the room. I was left to drink my coffee. Once I had drained the pot, my mind was racing as fast as Phaeton when I gave him his head.

What was I supposed to do next?

After half an hour, no solution has revealed itself to me. Sitting was not calming my mind, so I decided to take a walk. With my candle in hand, I went to each room and made sure nothing was amiss.

Maybe the hint of light would discourage any other potential troublemakers from causing mischief.

~*~

Dawn found me blurry eyed and exhausted. I tried to catch a few minutes of sleep, but they were anything but restful. Now, not only was I exhausted, but I also had a pounding headache to deal with.

At least I could confirm that nothing untoward had been done during the night.

Mrs. Wallace entered the room with a steaming pot of tea and placed it on my desk. "If you don't mind my impertinence, you don't look rested, sir," she commented.

With a rueful smile, I nodded in agreement. "If I appear even remotely as dreadful as I feel, then I must be quite the sight," I responded. "Is all well below stairs? No further upsets or concerns in the night?"

"All is as well as it can be," she answered, her tone serious. "The children went back to sleep as soon as I assured them all was well. However, I was not able to do the same."

"I'm sorry."

She dismissed my apology with a wave of her hand. "I know you're not to blame. Honestly, who could have predicted that so many would believe such an outlandish tale as hidden treasure? What has the world come to?"

I had no answer for her. Everything had seemed settled the previous day, and now I was right back where I started. "Will Billy be up for a ride to the magistrate's house?" I asked.

"Of course he will," Mrs. Wallace said, a note of offense in her voice. "He's not a lazy boy, Mr. Bywood. He knows how to do his job."

Swiftly, I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender. "I mean no offense. His sleep was interrupted as much as ours was last night. I don't want to send him off on a horse if he's likely to fall off because of fatigue."

The fierceness faded from her eyes. "Yes, I know," she responded with a sigh. "Please forgive me, sir. I ought not to have made assumptions. I'll make sure Billy is wide awake before he sets off."

"You, Billy, and your daughters have never given me reason to think you are incapable of performing your duties," I told her sincerely. "I'm the one who must apologize if anything I've said or done has given you the impression that I have been disappointed in your family."

The housekeeper managed a slight smile. "No, sir," she said, straightening her shoulders. "I suppose I'm just anxious. Billy has never had a position before, and I know he's young."

"Well, he's making a fine stable boy. Whenever I need help, he's always eager and willing to lend a hand."

Mrs. Wallace smiled. "He earns his wage?"

"He more than earns it." I paused and then added, "But he's not getting a higher wage out of me just yet."

To my relief, she let out a laugh. "No, sir," she agreed. "He's not doing that well. He still has some growing and learning to do."

"Make sure he eats breakfast before he sets off," I said, though I knew it wasn't necessary. "I remember what it was like at his age. I could never get enough food! The cook often complained about how often I was in her kitchen, swiping whatever food I could get my hands on."

With another laugh, Mrs. Wallace nodded. "Any other instructions?"

"Did you happen to make any progress in planning a picnic?" I asked, apprehensively. "It seems I will have to go through with it after all if there are more people intent on finding treasure."

All traces of amusement vanished from her face. "I created a simple menu," she admitted. "I believe I could easily have it prepared in two days, perhaps one if I focused on it completely."

"Hopefully, it won't be necessary, but I won't know until I speak to Sir George about what happened last night."

"Then I will get my son up and on his way."

She turned and strode towards the door. To my surprise, she bobbed a curtsy and stood aside. "Good morning, Mrs. Wallace," my sister greeted as she came through the doorway. Philippa had her dressing gown tied around her waist. "I do hope there will be some tea for me soon."

Mrs. Wallace murmured something that might have been an agreement and then hurried on her way. "You're up early," I commented, lifting my tea cup. What a shame that it wasn't coffee. Did the kitchen burger allow for such an extravagance?

"How could I possibly sleep when I know you've been withholding important information from me?" Philippa demanded. "What has been going on here, Lucas?"

"A young man who has been trespassing was caught last night, and the magistrate came to take charge of him," I said, condensing the matter into the simplest terms I could think of. "The young man confessed to being the one who has been searching Pearsend for the so-called treasure. I thought that would be the end of the matter."

"Why couldn't you just tell me that?" Philippa asked with a huff. She collapsed into a chair. "I have been imagining the worst all night!"

"Why didn't you tell me you had invited Miss Darkin to join you here?"

My sister blushed, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. "There was never a moment to tell you," she said, her gaze shifting to the side.

"Right," I said, not believing a word of what she said. "Given the hour that you returned last night, I did not feel it was the right time to explain what happened while you were away. Neither was it the time in the early hours of the morning."

"I think I ought to know that someone is breaking windows!"

"And I have the right to know who has been invited to my house," I countered. "As I believe I said when you arrived, Pearsend is not in any shape for entertaining guests. You've certainly insulted it at every turn."

My sister's face twisted into a frown. "Why must you bring that up now? I am glad that Olivia was here to support me. What would I have done last night if she were not here to reassure me?"

"Why did you need to be reassured?" I asked, holding back a sigh.

"Because I was alarmed! I had no idea what was happening or why." She narrowed her eyes into a glare. "Because you didn't tell me anything at all."

It was on the tip of my tongue to refer back to the point I'd made about the late hour she'd returned, but I paused. "I apologize that I didn't tell you what happened while you were gone," I forced myself to say. "I had no idea that there would be any further problems."

Philippa crossed her arms. "And?"

"And what?" I asked.

"Aren't you going to thank me for bringing Olivia here?"

Astonished, I stared at her. Was she serious? "Thank you for bringing an unmarried woman into the home of a bachelor, risking both of their reputations?" I asked. "Why on earth would I thank you for that? Not to mention the strain you have put on my staff!"

With a pout, Philippa shook her head and replied, "No one's reputation is going to be ruined."

"You don't know that, and the fact the fact that it did not even cross your mind is concerning. I will be writing to Mama about this, Philippa."

"Stop treating me like a child!" she protested. "You don't need to tattle to Mama about everything I do."

"I am treating you like a young lady who hasn't learned what it means to be an adult. This entire week you have been incredibly selfish, and I'm astonished you were even engaged at all." The words burst out of me, sharper than I had intended.

Philippa's eyes widened. "How dare you?"

"Very easily, I assure you," I responded. Now that the words were out, there was no other choice but to deal with them. "Philly, you are a dear sister, but you've tried my patience beyond bearing this week. And now you want me to thank you for causing me such trouble? No, I will not."

As had happened every time I'd chastised her or spoken my opinion, my sister's blue eyes filled with tears. "You're being an absolute beast!" she accused me, her voice trembling. "And you call yourself a gentleman?"

"In general, yes, I think I am a gentleman. I am the son and grandson of gentlemen. I have an independent income that is considered important for a gentleman to possess." I waved my hand to encompass Pearsend. "And now I have an estate, such as it is, that befits a gentleman."

"A gentleman would not speak so cruelly to his sister!"

"When have I been cruel? Name one action you have taken this week that wasn't for yourself." She opened her mouth, and I held up my hand. "And you cannot claim Miss Darkin's presence as something for me. I did not ask for her to come. I would not have had her here now."

Never mind that I was actually pleased to see the lady. She had already given me valuable, sensible advice, and I was grateful for her insights. If there was some way to keep her close by without offending propriety, I would have agreed to it. Sadly, that was not an option.

"Why can't I be selfish?" Philippa asked, her voice catching. She genuinely sounded as though she were on the verge of sobs.

I, however, was unmoved. "You can certainly be as selfish as you please, as long as it doesn't affect anyone else. As it is, you have upended my household and caused a great deal of upset. That I cannot accept, Philippa."

"So I must please everyone else, is that it?" she fired back. "That is the exact opposite of being selfish!"

"That's true," I agreed. "But I am sure you can find some way to be selfish and not inconvenience me at the same time."

Philippa stared at me, and though her eyes were still watery, she no longer appeared on the verge of sobbing. She was too angry for that. "Is that all you think I am? An inconvenience? Am I an embarrassment to you? No wonder you side with Barth-Mr. Talbot! You are just alike!"

"And how was Mr. Talbot last night?" I asked, ignoring her other words.

"I hardly noticed him at all."

"Indeed? I could have sworn you mentioned that he was well entertained by Ward and Mr. Campbell."

Her cheeks flushed with color. "Well, of course I saw that much. We were in the same room during dinner and afterwards."

"I do wonder what Miss Campbell's impression of him was," I mused thoughtfully. "She is about to make her come out and is eager to meet any unattached gentleman. Or, at least, that is what I was told. She must have been delighted with his company."

Philippa's brow began to furrow in a worried expression. "I suppose," she said slowly. "I didn't think to warn her that he was-"

"Was what?" I interrupted. It was one thing for my sister to be holding a grudge and entirely another for her to begin slandering the man to other people. "Do you think it's your place to say anything about Mr. Talbot?"

Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find words. "I should warn her!" she finally protested.

"What exactly do you want to warn her about?" I demanded. "That the man you promised to marry had a disagreement with you and now you will not speak to him to resolve the matter?"

"It was more than that! You're oversimplifying and making me out to be a villain when I haven't done anything-"

"You broke your engagement over an argument. That is the point of why you came here, isn't it?"

Again, Philippa's jaw worked as she struggled to answer. "What else was I supposed to do? I will not spend my life with that man. Not after what he did."

"What he did? From what you've told me, he offered his opinion on something. You disagreed with him. That is a part of life, Philippa," I said, losing my temper. "You're not always going to agree with people. They're not always going to agree with you. You don't always agree with Jane, do you? That doesn't affect how you love her. Unless there's something else you want to tell me."

Philippa's arms dropped. "That's not the same—"

"You have apparently decided that one argument, one disagreement, is enough to overshadow any affection you professed to have for him," I interrupted. "If that is how you intend to go through life, you're going to find yourself very lonely. And you will only have yourself to blame when it happens."

I was doing the exact opposite of what Miss Darkin and Davison had said to do. Coddling my sister wasn't getting anywhere, though. My sister needed to face the reality of the situation she had created.

"Why are you blaming me?" she whispered, her voice trembling. Her eyes glistened with tears. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"Well, excuse me for not realizing that you were the one perfect person in the world," I snapped. She'd tried tears many times before, and I wasn't going to fall for it this time around. "The rest of us have to accept that we are not flawless and will make mistakes. We must face the repercussions of those mistakes, even if they are unpleasant."

Philippa's lips trembled. "You're awful."

"So you have said." We had gone round in circles about this and where had it gotten us? "I am not saying Talbot is blameless. You both have taken a disagreement and blown it out of proportion when reasonable people would have discussed the matter after some reflection. And because you have overreacted, you have made it my problem."

I gave her a moment to react, but she remained silent. "If you came here thinking that I was going to just agree with you, you were sadly mistaken," I continued, holding back a sigh. "I would not do such a disservice to you."

"Disservice?" she repeated with a scoff. "It's like you think it's a crime to just agree with someone. You never agree with anyone on anything."

I began to protest, but held my tongue. From her point of view, I suppose it was reasonable to think that. After all, we hadn't spent much time together since I left for school. And the times I did come home? More often than not, I had an argument with Father. Maybe those rumors of me being unreasonable had more validity than I thought.

"Never?" I asked instead, my eyebrows raised. "Stating things in absolutes is not a good idea, Philly. You are not with me all the time, so you can't know if I disagree with everyone. In fact, you just missed me agreeing with Mrs. Wallace this morning."

She pursed her lips into a thin line. "It doesn't matter," she objected. "You never agree with anyone that is important."

"I would have thought you'd know by now that keeping the household staff content is important," I told her. "They are people too, and they have the freedom to leave any position that doesn't agree with them."

Philippa pushed herself up out of her chair. "It is impossible to speak to you," she snapped. "Now I understand why Papa always complains about you!"

Her words were like a stab to the heart. Father's disappointment in me was well known, but complain? Did he really do that in front of Philippa?

"Insulting me will not change my mind," I told her, keeping my tone even. "I think you should rejoin your guest. She will be departing after breakfast, so you do not have much time with her."

To my surprise, Philippa froze in place. "What?"

"She cannot stay any longer. Philippa, it would be unheard of for a young lady of good family to remain in the home of a bachelor without her family." Of anything, this fact ought to have been obvious.

"B-But–" Philippa stammered, looking completely befuddled. "I am here. That should be enough–"

"You are an eighteen-year-old girl who has just broken an engagement," I interrupted ruthlessly. "Your age and your behavior make you ineligible to be considered a chaperone. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but there it is."

After a moment, Philippa turned and ran out of the room. I let out a heavy breath, running my hand through my hair in frustration. Every conversation with my sister seemed to end in complete disaster.

"The sooner Father comes for her, the better."