by Andrea Kane
"Because the route that leads inland to Newton Abbot is a fairly well-traveled one. No common highwayman follows people from their homes and assaults them in broad daylight."
"Except you don't believe our pursuer is a common highwayman," Aurora reminded him.
"True, I don't. I think our pursuer knows precisely whom he's tracking and why. Which is all the more reason he'll hold off. No one who's familiar with my ability to defend myself would dare attack me under these conditions—not if he wanted to live. Further, I think the point is a moot one. Once our unwanted visitor figures out our destination, his interest in us will vanish, at least for the time being. Remember, Morland Manor is—in most people's minds—my home. Taking my bride there would seem anything but suspicious; 'twould seem the most natural thing in the world."
"As opposed to the more fascinating, inexplicable route you'd be taking if you were going off in search of—or to collect—the black diamond."
Julian flashed her a smile as he swung back into his seat. "Exactly." He guided the horses onto the road, continuing their journey as if nothing were amiss.
"That makes sense," Aurora concurred pensively. "So we simply go on our way and hope our pursuer loses interest."
"No, we go on our way, keeping up our guard lest our pursuer not lose interest." A quick glance at his wife. "Does this unnerve you?"
"Unnerve me? Not in the least. In truth, I find the whole situation rather exciting." Aurora sat up straighter, her entire face aglow. "I feel like an especially sly fox during the hunt, one who knows he's swifter and more cunning than either the dogs or the men who are stalking him."
Julian's eyes glittered, with humor and excitement. "I'm glad the thrill of the chase enthralls you so. Nevertheless, soleil, let me give you a small but essential warning: never become overconfident. Overconfidence breeds recklessness."
"And recklessness breeds failure?"
"In most cases." Julian brought Aurora's hand to his lips and pressed a hot, openmouthed kiss to her palm. "There is, however, one place where you can always unleash that enticing recklessness of yours—and be greeted with naught but success."
His husky tone, his pointed caress found their mark, and a surge of heat shot through her. "Really?" Her fingertips caressed his jaw, his mouth. "Odd, I seem to recall many places where you welcome my particular brand of recklessness."
Julian sucked in his breath, his expression a dizzying combination of raw hunger and stark amazement. "Only you could tempt me to forget everything—our current predicament, the book we're seeking—everything. We're in the midst of chaos, yet all I want to do right now is pull off the road and bury myself inside you until nothing exists but the staggering magic we make with our bodies."
Everything inside Aurora melted, slid down to her toes. "What if I were to entice you?"
"You'd succeed. So don't. It would endanger your life—something I've vowed never to do." With a quick hard kiss to her knuckles, Julian released her. "But once we're safely within those walls, once we've found that bloody book…"
"You offer a splendid incentive."
"An incentive—and a whole lot more." With a slap of the reins, Julian sped onward.
* * *
"Morland's library is a good deal more diverse than Pembourne's," Aurora noted. Seeing how few of the books reported on animals or nature, her shoulders sagged with relief. "But our task here should be far easier than it was at Pembourne. There we had to scrutinize an army of texts, lest one of the countless books that mentioned birds of prey be the one we sought. Whereas here—" She sighed, squatting down beside the lower section of shelves on the far wall. "—I'm relieved to see volumes on philosophy, history, religion, all of which we can eliminate as possibilities. That narrows things down significantly."
"Perhaps too significantly," Julian murmured, contemplating the room. "At first glance, I don't see a single book on falcons."
"We'll obviously have to delve more deeply."
"Agreed. Now, to determine a logical place to begin…"
"Don't determine. Search."
Julian tossed her a look. "So bloody impatient. Very well, Rory, this time we'll do it your way. But only because no harm can come of it."
"Yes, sir," she muttered.
"I'll start with the shelves on the opposite wall. Call out if you find anything significant."
"Don't worry. If I find that blasted book, Courtney and Slayde will probably hear me at Pembourne." So saying, Aurora began, skimming the titles from the bottom shelf up.
She was on the third section about an hour later when she gave a speculative frown. "I didn't know your family was interested in weapons."
"Weapons?" Julian glanced up from his task. "They weren't—at least not to my knowledge. Why?"
"Because this whole shelf is devoted solely to books on that subject: pistols, swords, cannons—an entire variety."
Slowly Julian descended the ladder, a puzzled expression on his face. "That's odd."
"Perhaps, but I doubt it means anything with regard to Geoffrey. These probably weren't even his selections for the library. After all, there were—subsequent to Geoffrey and prior to you—two other Dukes of Morland."
"One of whom was a tyrannical maniac consumed with nothing but regaining our fortune and rebuilding our businesses, the other of whom was a drunken weakling consumed only by his bottle and his vengeance."
Aurora turned, inclining her head quizzically. "You're saying no one has used this library since Geoffrey?"
"I'm saying that even if my grandfather or my father glanced at a book on occasion, they were hardly the types to designate which reading material should be stocked in the library. Neither of them would give a damn. My guess is that whatever books we're finding now have been here since Geoffrey's era." Julian crossed the room, his forehead wrinkled in thought. "Odd that he'd openly display books on weaponry, even if he was interested in the subject. Given his covert role as the Fox, I assume he'd avoid exhibiting an entire shelf of books on a topic that might arouse suspicions. Which weapons in particular are represented, did you say?"
"A multitude of them," Aurora murmured, tracing the titles with her forefinger. "There is one book on field guns, one on rifles, one on military muskets, two on flintlock pistols, one on gun shields. There are two books on cannons, three on swords, and one on…" Aurora frowned, tugging at the final book which was small, wedged tightly between the previous book and the wall. "One on…" She yanked it free. "…eighteenth-century daggers." Even as she said it, she jerked around to face Julian, who'd reached her side. "That would cover the time period in which the Fox and Falcon daggers were crafted."
"Indeed it would."
"Let's scrutinize this book cover to cover." Aurora was halfway to the settee.
"Don't bother. It isn't necessary." Julian crouched down where Aurora had made her find, peering into the now-vacant corner that had held the book on daggers. Abruptly he shifted his attentions one shelf lower.
"Here's what we're looking for." He straightened, flourishing a book entitled England's Smallest Falcons.
The volume Aurora had been holding struck the floor. "How did you know that was there?" she gasped.
"James told me. Or rather, his strongbox did. Think about the items he left us."
"His falcon dagger—and the page from his book."
"Arranged in what manner?"
Aurora's eyes widened. "The dagger was atop the page."
"Exactly. So I merely followed his lead. You found the dagger. I merely looked beneath it." Julian clutched the falcon volume tightly. "This is the book we have to scrutinize cover to cover."
"Let's begin by poring over the section directly before and after the page James tore out," Aurora suggested, dropping onto the settee and reaching eagerly for the book. "Maybe we'll find a clue there."
"Agreed." Julian sat beside her, flipping through until he found the appropriate spot. "You were right," he announced immediately, scanning the page just after the missin
g one. "It is a section on the hunting habits of the merlin and the kestrel. 'The merlin hunts low, rises up to drop like a stone onto its prey'," Julian read aloud. "'It feeds on small mammals, insects, and mice. The kestrel makes a sudden drop from above onto its prey, reaps its prize, then carries on'." A contemplative pause. "Nothing significant there. Wait." Julian's eyes narrowed, and he angled the book toward the light. "There are faint lines drawn beneath several of these words: 'feeds', 'reaps', and 'carries on'." He scowled. "That's strange." With that he glanced back at the page immediately preceding the missing one. "This is the end of the previous section. It concludes by describing specific markings of both falcons: 'The merlin has a slight mustache and a bold black tail band. The kestrel has pointed wings and issues the eternal call of 'killy, killy, killy'." Again, Julian angled the book. "'Black' and 'eternal' are underscored. I'm beginning to doubt these notations are mere coincidence."
"They're not." Aurora gripped Julian's arm, her own hand icy cold. "Combine all those words, only arrange them in a different order: 'black' … 'reaps' … 'eternal' … 'carries on' … 'feeds'—don't they conjure up something in your mind?"
"The curse of the black diamond." Julian pored over the few pages once again. "Damn—all the underscored words are derived from that wretched curse."
Aurora shuddered, repeating the heinous phrase she'd committed to memory only too long ago. "'He with a black heart who touches the jewel will reap eternal wealth, while becoming the carrion upon whom, for all eternity, others will feed'." She swallowed hard. "Is James warning us that the curse is real?"
Julian glanced at his wife, clearly aware of her rising apprehension. "I doubt it," he said, his voice deep, reassuring. "More likely he's warning us that others believe it is; that so long as the diamond remains unrestored, England is in danger. Remember, Rory, James had no idea of the dark events and scandal that would follow his death. He was worrying about his country, not his family."
"You're right." Aurora folded her hands in her lap, firmly mastering her trepidation. "I'm sorry; I become a bit irrational when it comes to that stone."
"I understand." Julian scowled. "The true bafflement here still remains. Not for a minute do I believe James went to all this trouble merely to warn us. His entire plan—his and Geoffrey's—all their precisely placed clues were designed to lead us to the diamond. Well, the underscored words we just read pertain only to the curse, not to its resolution. We still don't know where to look for the stone itself." Restlessly Julian skimmed the book, flipping through its yellowed pages.
The volume fell open to the inside cover—and the inscription that was scrawled upon it. "Aurora—look."
Aurora responded to the urgency in her husband's tone, peering eagerly over his shoulder.
Geoffrey, the inscription read, Like the falcons depicted within, you are far greater than you appear—a rock of strength, a giant among men. As it is with the merlin and the kestrel, chart your path, then soar to the highest peak and the key to all life's treasures will be yours. Your friend, James.
"So, James gave this book to Geoffrey as a gift," Aurora murmured, rereading her great-grandfather's words.
"Ostensibly."
Her head came up. "What do you mean, ostensibly?"
"I mean that James was the renowned breeder of falcons, not Geoffrey. 'Tis his library that's crammed full of books on birds of prey. Geoffrey has nary a one—except this."
"I see where your thoughts are headed." Aurora nodded vigorously. "If someone—the wrong someone—ever came upon this text and questioned its unlikely appearance at Morland, that someone had only to open the book and see the personal inscription, at which point he'd presume it was a gift and dismiss any reservations he might have." A puzzled frown as she reread the inscription. "I wonder why James chose these specific words. They must mean something."
"To begin with, they mention every one of the clues that led us to James's strongbox: 'Key', 'chart', 'giant', referring to the giants from your Tamar legend. Clearly James is ensuring we've amassed all the necessary pieces—which we have."
"But pieces to what? To take us where? Back to the Tamar?"
Julian frowned. "I think not. Still, I don't know—yet. We'll have to reread everything we just uncovered, then study the entire book line by line, see what other specific references James left for us. Remember, thus far we've read only the page we found in his strongbox, two additional pages, and an inscription. Until we have more information I can't readily guess the right course to take to lead us to the diamond."
"Hell and damnation!" Aurora exploded, jumping to her feet. "We can't have come this far only to be thwarted."
"We aren't thwarted." Julian rose, placing the book on an end table. Reaching for Aurora, he captured her shoulders, rubbing them gently. "Rory, you wanted to be an adventurer. In order to do so, you must exercise a modicum of patience. No one, no matter how brilliant, unravels an entire mystery all at once. Puzzles—especially complex ones like this—take time to solve. I think we've done one hell of a job, given that we've only been working at it a few paltry days."
Aurora sighed, relaxing under her husband's massaging hands. "I suppose you're right. My head aches from thinking, and from the frenzied pace."
"Of course it does." His thumbs shifted, caressed the sides of her neck. "Ofttimes, you know, 'tis necessary to put some distance between yourself and your adventure. That distance affords you objectivity, perspective, all of which are essential to come to the right solution—and all of which are shattered when you're too close to a subject. Trust me—I've been involved in this type of work a lot longer than you have." He stroked her nape in slow, soothing caresses. "Remember the painting I told you about, the one I found in France? Well, as I said, I had to squelch my urgency, await the right moment to act—else all would have been lost. We have the same plight here. Not only with regard to our actions, but with regard to our thoughts. We've been consumed with this mystery for a fortnight, not to mention that its essence has dominated our lives forever." Julian paused, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "What we need now is an effective diversion."
"Really?" Aurora's lips curved. "Have you one in mind?"
"Um-hum. It's perfect: exciting, inspiring, all-encompassing—it will command every drop of our energy, both mental and physical."
"It sounds fascinating … and taxing. What is it?"
A wicked grin was her response, and Julian released her only long enough to cross over and lock the library door. "The one you promised me on our carriage ride to Morland—or did you think I'd forgotten?"
Obviously he hadn't.
Neither, for that matter, had Aurora's body. It clamored to life along with Julian's pointed reminder. "No. I didn't think you'd forgotten." She gazed up at her husband, sobering as he returned to her side, wrapped his arms around her. "I just wasn't certain you'd want to indulge in that particular diversion here."
"I want to indulge in that particular diversion with you anywhere," Julian breathed, kissing her throat, her neck. "Libraries included."
"I wasn't referring to the library. I was referring to Morland." Aurora's eyes slid shut and she had to struggle to retain her thoughts, much less give voice to them. "Your memories of this manor are not very pleasant."
"True." Julian unfastened her gown, tugging it down along with her chemise. "Then, it's up to us to make new ones that are pleasant—no, not pleasant—spectacular." His lips found the hollow between her breasts, dipped lower. "Is that all right?"
With a moan Aurora gave in, grasping Julian's arms, arching to bring him closer. "Yes."
"Good." He bent to taste her breasts, drawing each tight aching nipple into his mouth, tugging until Aurora had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. "Don't cry out," her husband warned in a husky whisper. "We wouldn't want to bring Thayer running. I don't think he's equipped to handle what he'd find if he broke down that door." With that, Julian lowered his head, resumed his torture.
"Julian…" Aurora wh
impered his name, clutched his elbows for support. It felt like a year, rather than a day, since they'd been together like this.
Julian swept her into his arms. "The rug or the settee?" he demanded hoarsely. "Both," he answered himself. He lowered her onto the settee, dragging off her clothes and leaving her utterly, gloriously naked. "You're breathtaking." He kneeled on the carpet, urging her to the edge of the sofa, wedging his shoulders between her thighs. "Remember—don't scream," he warned again.
Then, he lowered his head and buried his mouth in her sweetness.
Aurora grabbed a cushion, pressing it to her mouth to stifle her cries. Julian's fingers gripped her thighs, opened her more fully, his tongue lashing on her, in her, with thorough intensity, carrying her to instant unbearable heights. Her hips jutted forward, pressing her closer to the exquisite sensations and the man who was causing them.
