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“Stay behind me,” he said as they approached with caution With his clenched fist raised ready to hit out, he dragged the red and gold cover off the bed

Isabella’s screa in his ears She clutched his shirt “What is it?”

Tristan stared at the grey dress draped over a line of pillows “It is nothing hten you”

Stepping closer he picked up the black wig “Does this belong to you?” he said throwing it back on the bed

She came to his side “I have never seen it before But that is my dress”

As he e red circular stain

“Is it … is it blood?” she stuttered

Tristan lifted it to his nose, wet his finger and dabbed at the mark “No If I am not mistaken, it is wine”

“Wine?”

“Blood is lighter in colour, the consistency much thicker, even on fabric”

“You sound as though you speak from experience”

“In bouts of drunkenness I have spilt hten thewith a spiritual entity Our best option is to ignore it Help et some rest We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow”

Her wild gaze darted about the room “I cannot sleep after all that has occurred”

Tristan turned to face her fully He stepped closer and whispered, “Everything we have seen and heard has been a series of incidents conducted with the intention of frightening you from your home Perhaps the person responsible thinks me just another pompous lord, too preoccupied with the frivolities of life and lacking the ability of good sense and reason But they have made a dreadful miscalculation”

Isabella put her hand to her heart “I do not knohat I would have done had you not been here”