“And my own brother. Threatening you, or who he thought was you.” The lady looked as though she might faint from the thought of it, which Oliver sincerely hoped she wouldn’t do. “I can hardly fathom it. Except . . .”

“Except?” Beth dipped her head a bit to peer into Lady Emily’s downturned face.

The lady looked away. “We aren’t exactly close. Not like you and your brothers. Hearing your stories, I was always a bit ashamed to think of how much a stranger Nigel has always been to me.”

Beth frowned. “I’m sorry. I never meant to upset you—”

“Oh, it isn’t your fault!” The lady frowned. “It’s us. He’s just so competitive! I always thought he resented the very fact that I was born and so stole a bit of our parents’ attention.” She tried to laugh it off, but the laugh burned cool while the flame in her eyes went hot. “He . . . they’ve had to cover up more than one incident where he let his competitive streak take him too far. Even I don’t know all the details, but . . .” She sucked in a breath, held it, let it out. “If he had been involved in the Mucknell treasure, if he realized this other man was too, and if he perceived it as a personal rivalry—there’s really no saying how far he might carry it.”

Not exactly the news they wanted—but the news they needed, if they meant to keep everyone safe. Oliver stepped forward. “I think the next question, then, is how patiently he’ll wait for Beth to get him what he seeks, and when he’ll try to get it himself. Because if he and Lorne are both so eager for the silver we’ve yet to find . . .”

Now it was Beth whose cheeks washed pale. “And while they may at first have been willing to let the locals do the work and take the risks, if we seem to be dropping the ball—”

“Or worse, withholding information.” Oliver felt his every muscle go tight. “Their threats could well be carried out.”

“What, then?” Sheridan had picked up a whelk shell from one of the shelves and was passing it from one hand to the other. “Do we do, I mean? Let them find it and sell it to me so it’s all over? And just have the constable on alert? In case they try to duke it out?”

Lady Emily frowned. “I beg your pardon, my lord, but I don’t think it’s that simple.”

“Oh. Well. It is, though.” He cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I’m the buyer.”