But there wasn't.
The only way to maximize her odds of survival was to be as honest as possible, to let her know exactly what she was up against. And then to offer his services to protect her.
Roughly, he cleared his throat. “The only mistake you made was to assume the assassin would disappear from your life. He never would. His arrogance wouldn't let him. He believes he's superior, that no one can thwart him. You challenged that belief. Not only that, you had the audacity to maim him—who knows how badly. My guess is you put him out of commission for a while, which would explain his absence these past few months. He was probably nursing his wounded hand, recovering his marksmanship to its full potential. Now he's back. He's had months to harbor his rage and thirst for vengeance. He's determined to put you in your place, and punish you for what you did.” A swift glance at Anastasia. “After he finishes the job he took on but never completed.”
Breanna made a soft sound of surprise. “Are you saying he wants to hurt Stacie, not simply as retaliation against me, but to prove he's the ultimate master at killing people?”
A terse nod. “Not only killing people, but completing his assignments. He wants to prove to you, to the world, to himself, that he never fails. The marchioness represents a failed execution—his first, if I had to venture a guess. He won't leave a stone like that unturned.”
Damen swore. “So the reason he's back—”
“Is to kill your wife and Lady Breanna. In that order.” Royce didn't mince words. “But first, he wants to torment Lady Breanna. To make her feel the maximum amount of anguish and fear. That will restore the sense of power he feels he's lost.”
Breanna came to her feet, and began moving restlessly about the room. “Tell me, my lord,” she said at last. “Is there nothing we can do?”
Royce weighed his answer carefully. “In my opinion, the best way to hold him at bay, to keep him from striking while we figure out who he is, is to pointedly ignore him.''
“I don't understand.”
“He's expecting you to come apart at the seams. He can scarcely wait for that to happen, in fact. So you must deny him” the satisfaction. You have to retain your composure at all costs, to pretend you're un-bothered by his threats. You have to make him believe his actions aren't having the desired effect. That will force him to keep trying, which buys us more time. If he doesn't think he's successfully terrorized you—or terrorized you severely enough—he won't move on to the next step of his plan.”
“Which is killing me,” Anastasia clarified. “Yes.”
“There's only one problem with that, Royce,” Damen inserted. “While I'm relieved as hell that it will deter him from corning after my wife, won't it make things worse for Breanna? Won't it infuriate him if she remains so totally unruffled, intensify his obsession to try—and succeed—in terrorizing her?”
Royce nodded. “Yes. He'll become bolder, more violent in his demonstrations. He'll also become angrier, more frustrated. The positive consequence of that, is it might cause him to make a mistake.” A weighted pause. “The negative consequence is that it will make him that much more dangerous. Especially to Lady Breanna, who's the main target of his rage. I won't he to you. There's risk involved here—high risk. On the other hand, there's risk involved right now. A professional assassin is determined to murder these two women. The only way to eliminate the danger is to eliminate the killer. Which is just what I'm trying to do. Whether you choose to do things my way—that decision is yours.”
Silence descended, suffocated the room like a heavy blanket.
Breanna was the first to speak.
“You said you'd discuss your strategy with us after dinner. Does that mean you have a specific plan in mind?”
“I have the first steps of a plan, yes.” “I'd like to hear it.”
Royce pursed his lips, considering her request. As a rule, he never shared unfinished strategy with anyone other than Hibbert. But in this case, with both these women's lives at stake, didn't he owe them an explanation, if for no other reason than to let them make a decision as to whether or not they chose to put their safety in his hands?
“All right,” he conceded. “But remember, I have yet to review everything we've just discussed. I also haven't heard Damen or your cousin's recollections of the night you shot the assassin. Further, I have some remaining questions. For example, we haven't even touched on the subject of the murdered guard. Some of the details of my plan won't be worked out until I'm satisfied I have all the information I need—and until you've decided whether you'll go along with my methods.”
“Fair enough.” Breanna smoothed a hand over her hair. “Putting those issues aside, tell us your ideas. Your preliminary ideas,” she amended.
Anastasia interrupted with an exasperated sound. “You both act as if we have all the time in the world. How do you know this madman will be patient while you sort out your plan? Shouldn't we be doing something— now?”
Royce flashed Anastasia a tolerant look, unsurprised by her reaction. Having sized up Damen's wife, he'd guessed she'd be the impatient one, the one who was unwilling to wait. “I don't think our time is unlimited,” he clarified. “But no, we shouldn't be doing something. Not unless it's the right something. If Lady Breanna takes my advice, stays calm and outwardly un-bothered by what's happened thus far, it will buy us more than a week to close in on this man. I can almost guarantee it. The way his mind works—he won't kill until the stage is set precisely as he means it to be.”
Breanna paced slowly about the settee as she considered his words. Then, she raised her head, regarded him through wary, questioning eyes. “You keep talking about my behaving a certain way, acting a certain part. You believe he's watching me.”
At every possible opportunity, and without alerting the guards—yes.”
She paled a bit, but didn't flinch. “And how do I show him I'm unaffected by his threats?”
“You go on with your life—taking certain necessary but subtle precautions,” he added. “You've already hired additional guards. Hire more. After all, a man was murdered just outside your estate. It's only natural for you to seek protection. Get Wells to situate guards all around the periphery of the estate. After that, go about your business.”
This time it was Damen who reacted, tensing as if he'd been struck. “Go about her business?”
Royce's nod was definitive. “In a manner of speaking. Of course, it's expected that Lady Breanna will be distressed by the guard's death. No one will be surprised if, until the highwayman who's allegedly responsible is caught, she chooses not to leave the grounds. Also, it's assumed she'll want to spend time with her cousin, who's only just arrived home. The two women should stroll out to the construction site each day—with you at their sides, of course. After all, it is your house, too, that's being built. You'd obviously want to see it take shape.”
“You don't think we should call a halt to the construction?”