by Laura Landon
“Then it seems you do need my help.” She smiled. “We shall make quick work of it, I believe.”
Thorne reached out and lightly grasped her shoulders. He wanted to shake her. To make her hair fall down around her shoulders again.
“You have no experience with this kind of subterfuge.” He looked into her eyes, wanting her to understand. “It’s very possible you could get hurt.”
“I would rather be injured in the pursuit of something right and good than waste away from boredom sitting in a parlor chair.” She tipped up her chin. “It is decided, Lord Thorne. You cannot dissuade me.”
She had won and he was ready to surrender.
“Then, if we want to convince everyone we have formed an attachment, we had better practice.” He wrapped his arms around her and gave into the temptation that had been plaguing him since he’d walked into his room and found her there.
This kiss was even better than the first, and the way Diana leaned into him made him hope that she enjoyed it too.
When at long last he let her go, she didn’t say a word and exited his room without being seen. That was the moment he realized the greatest danger he faced might be Diana herself.
CHAPTER EIGHT
That evening, Diana and Thorne stood together in a small alcove of the main drawing room.
“People are staring,” Diana murmured behind her fan.
“Good.” Thorne smiled. “That means it’s working.”
His smile was dazzling, and he cut quite a figure with his tall form and fine clothes.
Most of the party were seated at the card tables. Several candelabra were positioned around the room, but their alcove was cast in shadows. Every once in a while she would catch one of her sisters or Aunt Sterling glancing in their direction.
And they weren’t the only ones. Diana could just imagine the comments being whispered between Haverly and Barrett.
She shook that thought from her head and looked up to see Thorne staring at her. “I am sure you want to know where I have searched.”
“I do,” he affirmed. “And if anyone saw you.”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t believe so. And if they had, I have a ready excuse. Since I’ve never been to Marwick Manor before, I can claim I got lost. The house is so big, anyone would believe it.”
“Did you find anything?”
“Nothing of importance, I’m afraid.” She saw Mr. and Mrs. Owens passing close by and lowered her voice. “I searched all the rooms in the wing I’m staying in and some of the maids’ quarters.”
He raised his eyebrows. “And no one saw you?”
“I am quite discreet.” She knew everyone in this room, and yet one of them was a possible thief. Even worse, had used violence to try to stop Thorne during his journey here. “Do you have any new information? Any idea who was behind your attack the day we met?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. This kind of endeavor can take time, Miss Harwood. It’s a game of patience.”
“That is a trait I have practiced for five and twenty years, but I am still not proficient at it.”
Thorne took a step closer to her, smiling. “Do you think we are convincing? We seem to be drawing quite a bit of attention.”
“Yes, and that may make it more difficult to transfer the key to you. Perhaps this was not the best idea.” She calmly scanned the large room, hearing the laughter and the quiet chatter at the card tables. Too many eyes looked back at her.
“You are quite good at this,” he said suddenly. “You don’t appear to be fearful or nervous at all.”
“That’s because I am not.” She looked up at him. “I know my reputation, sir. No one would ever suspect me of doing anything interesting.”
He laughed suddenly, and more people stared.
She playfully tapped his arm with the edge of her fan and smiled as she leaned closer to him. “The key is in my hand. I shall rest my palm on the window sill and leave it there for you.”
Then she deftly performed the maneuver and stepped away from the alcove just as Bertie and Fanny approached them. A moment later, Thorne was at her side, one hand tucked in the pocket of his dinner coat.
“I didn’t realize the two of you were so well-acquainted,” Bertie said cheerfully, looking between them. “No cards for you tonight, Thorne? You usually enjoy a hand or two.”
“Perhaps later,” he said, then glanced at Diana. “There are other entertainments to enjoy first.”
Diana could feel her face growing warm under his gaze. She smiled at her sister, hoping she didn’t see through their playacting.
“Shall we take a turn around the room, Diana?” Fanny asked her. “If the gentlemen don’t mind, that is.”
“Not at all,” Bertie said graciously.
Fanny slipped her arm through Diana’s and they began to slowly stroll around the edge of the drawing room. When they were out of earshot of the two men, Fanny whispered, “Diana, I must warn you of something.”
Diana’s heart skipped a beat. Did Fanny know of the danger lurking in the manor. “Yes, what is it?”
“I am afraid it is about Lord Thorne. Bertie knows him quite well, and while they are still good friends, Bertie says….” Her voice trailed off. Then she took a deep breath and continued. “Bertie says he has heard Lord Thorne say more than once that he will never marry. So, if you’re beginning to care for him….”
“Do not worry about me,” Diana assured her. “I am not looking for a husband. And Thorne is just being polite in his attention to me,” she assured her. “We are both looking forward to the wedding. Tell me, are you ready to become Lady Fanny? We haven’t had much of a chance to talk, just you and I.”
Fanny sighed. “Oh, Diana, it’s like a dream! But when I hear Lady Marwick speak of me living here, then I know it’s real. I am so happy.”
“And I am happy for you,” Diana said, now aware of Thorne leaving the drawing room. “You two will have a wonderful life together.”
As Fanny continued to chat about the impending wedding, Diana found herself only half listening. As much as she loved her sister, what she really wanted to do was follow Thorne out of the room and join him in the search.
When he had expressed surprise at her lack of fear, she hadn’t told him the entire truth. She wasn’t afraid of the danger. What alarmed her most was that their adventure together would end much too soon.
. . .
Two days later, Diana joined Thorne for a stroll by the lake. The bright sun warmed the September air, and she watched a few fallen leaves drift over the wide dirt path.
She’d never imagined spending so much time with a man like Thorne. She’d found it surprisingly interesting, even though she knew it was just a ruse.
“Well?” he asked, his stride matching hers.
She sighed, her hand resting lightly on his broad forearm. “I’ve searched every room on my list and I didn’t find the right box, although I tried the key in plenty of wrong ones.”
“I haven’t had any luck either.” He stopped on the path and turned to face her. “Maybe we need to rethink our strategy. Is there something we’re missing?”
Diana looked up into his blue eyes. “We’ve managed to exchange the key four times in the past two days and searched everywhere, even the servants’ quarters. Maybe we need to consider who had the most to gain by taking the vase, rather than looking for the vase itself.”
He hesitated. “The owners of the vase aren’t interested in taking punitive action against the thief. They merely wish to have their property returned.”
“But if we can figure out who took it, then we might have a better idea where to look.”
He turned pensive as he offered her his arm and they started walking again. Small ripples in the lake lapped against the shore and drew Diana’s eye to Louisa seated on the terrace beyond the little bridge with Aunt Sterling, Mr. Haverly and Andrew.
“We also must consider that we arrived too late and the vase is already gone.” He shook his head. “Or it was ne
ver here in the first place.”
“But what about the attack on you?” she reminded him. “It seems to me the only reason for it was to stop you from finding the vase—because how would anyone know you have the key?”
“I’m not sure. Unless the attacks have nothing to do with the vase. I may have more enemies that I thought.” He turned to her with a grin. “That does happen in my vocation.”
She curled her fingers more tightly around his arm, enjoying the sensation of his hard muscles beneath the sleeve of his jacket. “We must not give up yet. The wedding is still more than a week away and we shall use that time to keep searching. Perhaps it’s hidden in one of the outbuildings.”
He chuckled. “I admire your tenacity, Miss Harwood. And I agree, as long as you don’t mind continuing our ruse.”
“I’m surprised to say it seems to be working. Not only has Fanny warned me about you, but Aunt Sterling sat me down for a long talk about the unreliability of men, and the many benefits of spinsterhood. I’ve never heard her make that specific argument before, but I must say she had some valid points.”
“Did she?” He stopped again, but placed his hand gently over hers so she wouldn’t remove it from his arm. “I’m almost afraid to ask what those points might be.”
“For one, she said I would never have to suffer a broken heart.”
“Only a lonely one.” His laughter faded as he reached out to move a loose strand of hair from her face. He slowly caressed her hair between his fingers, his expression difficult to read.
Diana didn’t move or speak, feeling strangely entranced by the moment. When he let go of her hair, the tips of his fingers brushed lightly against her cheek, moving slowly downward until the pad of his thumb moved back and forth over her lower lip.
Her mouth parted and her breath caught in her throat.
He leaned closer to her, his voice husky when he said, “I hope she didn’t frighten you away from me.”
“No,” Diana whispered, longing to close the space between them. But they were out in the open, where anyone could see them.
She took a step back and gathered herself. Letting him kiss her in the dark and in his bedchamber had been scandalous enough, but at least no one had witnessed it.
She knew a lady like Mrs. Smithers Watson would only accept a proper young lady as a companion, so Diana needed to resist kissing Thorne again.
No matter how much he tempted her.
“There are some rooms we haven’t searched yet,” he said, suddenly turning back to their earlier conversation.
“And which ones are they?”
He hesitated a moment, then took a step back himself and cleared his throat. “Lady Marwick’s private suite, which includes her sitting room and bedchamber, I believe.”
“And a dressing room,” Diana added. “I was in her sitting room for tea but didn’t see a box or anything suspicious. And she didn’t attend the masquerade party, so couldn’t have stolen the vase.”
“I realize that, but it’s possible someone else might have hidden it in her rooms. I’ve learned you must look in the most unlikely places when conducting a thorough search.” He sighed. “But Lady Marwick rarely leaves her rooms. And even when she does, she is not away from her suite for long.”
“She will be this evening,” Diana said suddenly. “There will be a musicale featuring an Italian singer in the reception room on the main floor. Lady Marwick said she wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“That’s our chance, then,” he said. “Will you be attending the musicale as well?”
She nodded. “But I can break away for a short time. I’d much rather help you with the search and we shall accomplish it much more quickly together.”
“All right,” he agreed. “What time is the musicale scheduled to begin?”
“Seven o’clock. Shall we plan to meet there at half past seven?”
“Yes, I will be there.”
Diana saw a sudden movement from the corner of her eye and turned her head. She glimpsed Captain Barrett standing with his back to them just a short distance away, and partially hidden by the trunk of a large oak tree.
She saw him start to walk toward the terrace and wondered if he’d been trying to eavesdrop. He was such a quiet young man, but had always been very polite to her. And Louisa seemed to like him very much.
“Shall we return to the house?” Thorne said, offering her his arm once more.
Diana took it, forgetting about Captain Barrett as Thorne began entertaining her with tales of his time in Egypt. He was an excellent storyteller, and that’s what worried her the most. Because she couldn’t dare to let herself believe his attraction to her was real.
. . .
Later that evening, Diana sat in the back row of chairs that had been set up in the reception room. At the front of the room was the lovely Italian mezzo-soprano, with dark hair and eyes, and the most beautiful, rich, impassioned voice she’d ever heard.
If she hadn’t been planning a secret rendezvous with Lord Thorne, Diana would like nothing better than to stay and listen to the enchanting arias.
Several of the neighborhood families had been invited for the evening’s entertainment, so the room was full of people. Diana had strategically chosen a chair near the door, and then had almost groaned aloud when Aunt Sterling had taken the seat next to her.
But the delicious roast beef and mutton along with several other courses they’d enjoyed at dinner had made her aunt sleepy. And now Diana watched her head begin to nod. Aunt Sterling caught herself once, and then straightened, her eyes fixed once more on the singer.
It was only a few moments later that her aunt’s eyelids fluttered closed and her head drooped. This time, she did not awaken.
Slowly leaning forward in her chair, Diana knew this might be her one opportunity to leave the reception room without arousing her aunt’s curiosity. She rose to her feet, keeping one eye on her aunt, then slipped out of the partially open door and into the grand foyer.
A few of the guests who didn’t care for music were gathered in the blue drawing room across the wide hallway. She could see them sitting at card tables or chatting comfortably together.
Diana made her way to the staircase, the silk slippers she’d chosen to wear with her crimson gown slowing her progress. The gown was cut lower than the ones she usually wore, and the tight corset made it hard for her to breathe. Or perhaps it was the thrill of the hunt that made her breathless.
Once she’d reached the second floor landing, she took long, measured steps toward the wing that housed Lady Marwick’s private suite. Most of the servants paid her no attention and she walked with confidence, as if she had a very good reason to be headed in that direction.
When she reached the door that led to the suite, she looked around for Thorne. He was nowhere in sight, but perhaps he’d been detained. Not wanting to attract suspicion by standing outside the door, Diana slipped inside the sitting room, hoping to find Thorne already there.
But he was not.
She looked around the familiar room, trying to ignore the pang of disappointment that Thorne hadn’t arrived yet. She simply couldn’t waste time waiting for him.
A full moon shone through the wide glass pane above the window seat, which was covered with colorful pillows and bolsters. A pang of nostalgia shot through her. The library in her childhood home had a window seat and she’d always enjoyed curling up on it and reading one of her favorite books.
A sound behind her made Diana whirl around, hoping to see Thorne. Instead, she saw a large gray cat emerge from behind a painted screen. It padded toward her and gave a plaintive meow.
“Hello, there,” she whispered, kneeling down to pet the cat. It was plump and tame, no doubt a pet of Lady Marwick. “Have you seen a locked box anywhere?”
The cat blinked at her, then padded away. Diana rose and sighed. She hated to invade Lady Marwick’s bedchamber or her dressing room. Perhaps Thorne had been wrong about bothering to search here.
<
br /> She was about to leave when her gaze fell on the window seat again and something niggled at her. As she walked toward the window, the cat followed. She watched the plump feline sit down in front of the padded window seat and begin licking one paw.
Checking over her shoulder to make certain no one was watching, she quickly removed the cushions and pillows to reveal the wood surface underneath.
“Just as I thought,” she told the cat, looking at the sliding mechanism. Their window seat at home had something similar, allowing the seat to also serve as a storage compartment.
Diana reached for the sliding mechanism and pulled it open. Inside was a jumble of more pillows. Swallowing a sigh of disappointment, she began to pull them out one by one.
“I suppose one can never have too many pillows,” she told the cat.
Then she saw it. A square wood box, about a foot-and-a-half in length and width. Her heart fluttered with excitement as she pulled it out and set it on the floor beside her.
She reached for the key inside her corset and, taking a deep breath, inserted it into the locking mechanism.
A satisfying click sounded when she turned it in the lock and the lid popped slightly open. Diana lifted the lid the rest of the way. Inside, nestled in a thick cushion of padded white silk, was a lovely blue and yellow vase painted in a style she’d never seen before.
Diana was tempted to examine it, but wanted to wait until she and Thorne could do so together. Closing and locking the box once more, Diana set it aside so she could put the window seat back in order.
“You found it,” said a voice behind her. But as she started to turn around, everything went black.
CHAPTER NINE
Diana awoke to the glare of sunlight streaming in through the window. She lay on her side, her head cradled by a soft pillow and the bedclothes pulled up over her shoulders.
She squinted and rolled over, her head pounding and her throat so dry she couldn’t even swallow. She coughed, struggling to sit up and get her bearings. Her legs and arms felt boneless, but she managed to lean her back against the headboard until her vision cleared.
