Bennet swung to the study door and pulled it open. A small, scrawny boy tumbled in.

“What’s this?” Silas frowned.

“He’s with me. Come on, Will.”

“You ought to teach your servants not to listen at doors,” Silas drawled after his son.

For some reason his words caused Bennet to stop and swing around. His son looked between Silas and the boy. “You really don’t know who he is, do you?”

“Should I?” Silas studied the lad. Something about his brown eyes did look familiar. He waved away the question. It didn’t matter. “The boy is nobody.”

“Jesus, I don’t believe you.” Bennet stared at him. “We’re all just pawns to you, aren’t we?”

Silas shook his head. “You know I’m not fond of puzzles.”

But Bennet had taken the boy’s shoulder and was guiding him from the room. The door shut behind them.

“He’s ungrateful,” Thomas whispered from the corner. “After all you did for him, after all I suffered, he’s ungrateful.”

“What’s your point, boy?” Silas growled.

Thomas blinked, then he stood, looking oddly dignified. “I’ve always loved you, Father, always. I would do anything for you.” Then he, too, left the room.

Silas stared after his son for a moment, then shook his head again. He swiveled to a small door set in the wood paneling behind his desk and rapped on it. For unknown reasons, an earlier Granville had made a passage from the library to the cellars. After a small wait, the door opened. A burly man emerged, ducking his head. He was bare-chested. Heavy, muscled arms hung by his sides. The brown body hair covering his upper torso was gruesomely flecked with blood.

“Well?” Silas demanded.

“He still won’t talk.” The big man held out swollen hands. “My knuckles are fair bloodied, and Bud has had a go as well today.”

Silas scowled. “Do I have to bring in someone else? He’s only one man and not nearly your size. He should’ve been whistling any tune you asked by now.”

“Aye, well, he’s a tough bugger, that one. I’ve seen blokes crying like a baby after what we’ve been giving him.”

“So you say,” Silas taunted. “Wrap your hands and keep at it. He’s bound to break soon, and when he does, there’ll be a bonus in it for you. And if you can’t do it in the next day, I’ll find someone who can and replace you and your mate.”

“Aye, my lord.” The big man stared at Silas, suppressed anger firing behind his eyes before he turned away. Good, he’d take it out on Pye.

The door closed behind him and Silas smiled. Soon, very soon now.

SOMEWHERE WATER WAS dripping.

Slowly.

Steadily.

Endlessly.