Edward moved in front of them and attempted to hold back the large branches for them to pass by. They walked and walked and walked, and then Isa spotted the cloth that Edward had tied to their starting point. Her stomach sank. This could prove to be much more difficult than they had anticipated.
“We seem to have missed a turn somewhere.” Thornbrook stated the obvious and wiped his face with his handkerchief.
“Let’s go back around in the other direction,” Edward said. “Louisa and Thornbrook, you study the inside of the path for an opening, and Isa and I will search the outside.” He turned to the footman who was trailing behind them. “Branson, you can search whichever side you prefer, or both.”
It wasn’t until that moment that Isa considered the possibility that the maze might not move in on itself. What if what they were looking for wasn’t in the center of the maze?
About ten minutes into their second loop, Isa stopped to examine the place where two bushes met. The branches appeared to be a bit shorter and less dense where they met in the middle. She pushed her hand through to the other side without much resistance.
“Edward,” she called. He was ahead of her and hadn’t noticed that she had stopped. “The branches here are thin.” She attempted to stick her head through where her hand had been, but her bonnet caught in the branches and she had to untie it and take it off to free herself.
Once he had retraced his steps to find her, Edward untangled her bonnet and handed it back to her, then removed a small saw from his satchel and sawed through the two largest of the branches. After pulling the rest of them back, he said, “You’re smaller. See if you can fit through and get a glimpse at the other side.”
Isa forced herself through, wincing as she heard fabric tear. She only had so many gowns. She stepped into what might be another pathway. Boxwood lined both sides. “I think this is part of the maze, but there’s no way to tell whether we’re moving farther in or out.”
“We’ll have to take our chances.” Edward pushed through behind her, bumping into her and then grabbing her shoulders to steady her. He tied another cloth to one of the branches while Thornbrook and Louisa pushed through to their side.
Edward charged forward and they followed him, stopping while he cut branches from their path and forged ahead again. This time it didn’t take as long to find an opening. The edges of the branches barely touched, and they were able to slip through without difficulty.
They emerged onto yet another path. Edward smiled and brushed something from her cheek, his touch sending jolts of electricity through her. After a quick stop to drink some water, they continued on.
“Look.” Louisa pointed to a series of openings that led to what looked like the middle of the maze. It turned out to not be much of a maze after all, as the openings were lined up in a row.
Edward rushed through, and the rest of them trailed behind. Isa stopped at the sight of a well standing in the center of the clearing.
“Where the green cloak grows, light permeates the dark and deep,” She and Edward recited in unison. He reached for her and squeezed her hand.
Ivy grew along the sides of the well. Isa picked one of the leaves and twirled it in her fingers. “That has to be the green cloak.” Excitement swelled within her. This was it. The tiara had to be here.
They stood there, glancing among one another, until Edward swung his satchel onto the ground and took out his flint and one of the scraps of cloth. Once he was able to light the bottom of it, he held it over the well, but it barely illuminated the top five or six feet of the brick-lined surface. He let go of it. Isa counted in her head, one, two, three, before there was a splash and the light went out.
“Did anybody see anything down there?” Isa asked.
They all shook their heads.
Louisa frowned. “What should we do now?”
Thornbrook spoke first. “Why don’t we tie several of these together”—he waved one of the cloths they were using to mark the path—“and try to see farther down into the well.”
Edward rummaged around in his satchel and pulled out a lantern. “Instead of igniting the cloth, let’s knot it tightly and lower the lantern as far as we can.”
“Based on the three seconds it took for the cloth to hit the water, that well is pretty deep. I’d say the water is at least one hundred feet down.” It suddenly grew quiet, and the other three all turned to stare at Isa. “What? It’s a simple formula to estimate velocity and distance.”
The silence continued until Thornbrook pulled all of the cloth pieces from his pocket. Isa and Louisa added theirs to the growing pile, and he and Edward began tying them into a long rope. After pulling the end through the hook on the lantern, Edward wrapped the cloth around it several times then tied it securely to the rest of their makeshift cord.
“Let’s all watch carefully for a sign of anything in the well. If the tiara is down there, it’s probably wrapped inside something.” With that, he began lowering the lantern. The brick lining the well was old and darkened with age and plant growth. It was difficult to see much of anything, to even make out the shape of the bricks.
As he continued lowering the lantern and they got closer to the end of the rope, Edward wrapped it around his hand several times and braced his knees against the outside of the well. The lantern swung slowly from the bottom of the rope, casting odd shadows on the bricks. They all scanned the sides of the well, hoping for a sign that something was down there.
Louisa sighed. “I can’t see anything but the wall.”
“Neither can I,” Thornbrook said.
Isa nodded. “We need a longer rope.”
Edward glanced at the sky, then turned to Isa. “You are correct, but we don’t have enough time to make a trip back to the house before it gets dark.”
Thornbrook wiped his hands on his breeches. “I could go now, by myself, and be back much more quickly than if we all went.”
Edward shook his head. “I promised my parents we would stay together. They’ve already accused me of being irresponsible for taking the ladies into the woods without preparing properly first, so I don’t want to add any fuel to that fire. Besides, we’re expected at dinner tonight, so I suspect we should already be on our way back.”
Isa blew out a frustrated breath. The tiara had to be down there. They were so close. “We’ll just have to return tomorrow with a longer rope and the biggest lantern we can find.” They all nodded in agreement with her.
Edward pulled the lantern up and doused the flame, then removed the cloth rope and stuffed it in his satchel. The lantern was still hot, so he carried it.
It had been another frustrating afternoon, and yet, Isa was still hopeful they would locate the tiara. After all, they had found the maze and the well. They had to be on the right track.
It was quicker going on the way back. They moved easily through the series of openings and followed the fabric they had tied to the boxwood to find their way out of the maze. It shouldn’t be difficult for them to return tomorrow, when they would finally find the tiara.
“You are a horrible, ungrateful son, and I never should have shared the journal with you.”
Anyone else probably would have been shocked at his mother’s words, but he knew that she was just jealous that he was doing all of the searching while she had to stay to entertain the guests.
“Mother.” Edward took her hand in his. “There wasn’t time to tell you about what we found before dinner. In fact, the blame rests squarely with you. You were the one who insisted we be back on time. For all I know, we were moments away from finding the tiara, but we rushed back so we wouldn’t be late for dinner.” He kissed her forehead. “I promise to do a better job of keeping you informed.”
“I’d prefer that you simply return with the tiara tomorrow.”
They exchanged a smile. “I’ll do my best.”
Isa yawned, and Edward noted the dark smudges under her eyes. She had been unusually quiet. He would walk her to her bedchamber tonight, b
ut nothing more than a chaste goodnight kiss would occur. He had kept her up late last night, and though he would like nothing more than to repeat their exploits tonight, she needed to rest.
“I’m going to the well with you in the morning.”
Edward started to shake his head at his mother, but she was having none of it.
“I refuse to be left behind again. We’ve arranged to take the guests into Nunefield tomorrow afternoon, and Louisa is going to stay to help your father show everyone around the village. We’re going to find the tiara tomorrow. I can feel it. We’re so close.”
She stood and kissed his cheek. “Goodnight, darling.” She tilted her head at Isa, who was all but asleep, and pointed up. It seemed they were all going to make an early night of it. He wished he could carry her to her chamber, but there were still guests in the billiard room and the banqueting hall, and it wouldn’t surprise him in the least to discover that some of his guests were in bedchambers to which they most certainly had not been assigned.
“Isa, come on. It’s time for you to go to bed.”
“Just give me another minute. I want to read through the journal one more time.” Her head immediately dropped onto his shoulder even though she clutched the journal tightly in her lap.
“It’s time to go upstairs.” She lifted her head, and he stood up and removed the journal from her lap.
That got her attention. “Give it back. I told you I want to read through the journal again. There might be a clue I missed.”
“You can look at it tomorrow. It’s time for you to go to sleep now.” He held his hand out to her, and she took it.
“As long as you join me.”
He snapped his head around to check the corridor. “Shh. Someone might hear you.” Had she over-imbibed at dinner? He didn’t think so. Since no one else appeared to be about, he swung her into his arms and rushed up the staircase to her chamber with Biscuit on his heels. He would see her settled then go to his own room.
“I hate to disturb one of the maids at this time of night. Can you please unlace my gown and stays?” She turned her back to him before he could refuse her. She was a dangerous temptation. He did as she asked then turned away so she could disrobe and slip into bed. If he watched, it would be too difficult for him to walk away from her. All that smooth skin and those curves. He shook his head and focused his eyes on the door. As much as he wanted to spend the night with her, he wanted to ask her to be his wife more. He had to show her that he wanted all of her and not just a physical relationship.
“You needn’t look away. I imagine I look much the same as yesterday.” She hung up her gown and stays and turned back to him, clad only in the thin linen of her chemise, which left nothing to his imagination.
He gulped. The moonlight outlined every curve and turn of her, and he ached to touch her. He curled his hands into fists. “Yes, but tonight will not be a repeat of yesterday.”
There were no sounds to be heard, almost as if she had stopped moving altogether. “You aren’t going to stay with me tonight?” she asked in a small voice that sounded nothing like her usual confident tone. “Did I do something wrong last night?”
He strode over to her and took her hands in his. “Absolutely not. Believe me when I say that I would like nothing more than to stay with you tonight, but you are tired, and we’ve already cheated the fates by not having been caught together.” There were other reasons, but he had difficulty remembering them in the face of her dejection.
She looked up and met his eyes. “Please stay with me. I need you to hold me, or I won’t be able to sleep. Last night was the first time I’ve slept through the night since I left home to work for Lady Concord.”
And that was it. He could not refuse her plea. He stripped down to his underclothes, then swept her into his arms and took her to the bed. She rolled onto her side and snuggled into him as if they already had a long-established routine. He closed his eyes, content to sink into the warm comfort of holding her tight. He was already drifting off to sleep when she started kissing his neck.
“Isa. You’re supposed to be sleeping.”
“I meant to, but you’re so tempting.” She kissed his neck and dipped her tongue into the hollow at the base of his throat. As if that wasn’t enough to ignite a fire within him, she slid her hand down his chest and across his stomach muscles, causing them to twitch in response.
“Isa,” he said again, half exasperated and already fully aroused.
She pulled away from him. “I’m sorry. It’s just that we have limited time together, and I don’t want to waste it sleeping. I want to spend as much time with you as possible before I have to leave. But if you don’t want me…”
His heart clenched. “Isa, I always want you.” He gently pulled her head up to him and kissed her deeply, then rolled her over in one swift movement. He grabbed the edge of her chemise and whipped it off over her head, then removed his drawers and plunged into her hot, impossibly wet core.
“My God, Isa. You feel so good.” He wanted to stay buried inside her and never leave. She tightened around him, and he savored the moment before he started to move slowly in and out. “Look at me, Isa.” She obliged, staring up at him with such trust. He stretched her arms up over her head so he could see all of her, and he watched her eyes widen as she came. He kept his pace, and she came again almost instantly. He let go of his iron control and joined her in release. Still linked together, he carefully rolled onto his side and kept her tight against him. He never wanted to let her go. Tomorrow he would talk to her about making their engagement real and hope like hell that she wanted it as much as he did.
Chapter Fifteen
Isa awoke with a start. Lightning flashed across the windows, and thunder boomed. Rain pelted the roof and hit the ground in sheets. It looked as if they would not be able to return to the well today. She rolled onto her back and studied Edward’s sleeping form. He had stayed with her last night.
It was difficult to restrain herself. She wanted to touch him so badly, but if he could sleep through the onslaught outside, he must be exhausted, and she couldn’t bear to wake him.
She was heartened by the fact that he had barely even questioned the incident with Thornbrook in the breakfast room. Surely he knew her well enough now to trust her, and would forgive her for deceiving him once she explained that she hadn’t had a choice. His family was very close, so she felt certain that once he got over the initial surprise, he would understand that she had to do it to help George. Butterflies flitted through her stomach, and she promised herself she would tell him soon. As soon as the right moment presented itself.
She grabbed the journal that had somehow appeared on the table next to the bed and began rereading the second half.
He opened one eye. “Would you leave that blasted book alone already? We have all of the clues. We just need to do a more thorough search of the well, though it sounds as if we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
“I’m afraid so.” Isa climbed off the bed and donned her dressing gown before pulling back the curtain to look outside. “There are huge puddles everywhere. Even if the rain stops, it’s unlikely it will dry out enough for us to trudge through the woods.”
The bed creaked, and Isa turned. Edward was pulling on his clothes as if he was about to be attacked by rabid wolves. She gulped. Clearly he didn’t want to be here with her.
When he finished dressing, he strode over to her and pressed a quick kiss against her lips. “I need to get back to my chamber before someone notices I’m wearing yesterday’s clothing. With it raining like that, no one will be outside, and I’m much more likely to be seen, and it will only get worse the longer I stay here. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
He clasped her hand in his warm fingers and kissed it, and then he was gone. She couldn’t tell if he was rushing to get away from her or if he really was concerned about being caught leaving her bedchamber. With the rain outside, she had hoped he would stay longer and they could repeat their actions from la
st night, but that seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind. Perhaps she had done something wrong, or hadn’t fulfilled his needs as he had hers. She sat on the bed and patted Biscuit. Maybe she had been wrong about his intentions. Maybe he didn’t have any interest in marrying her. Maybe she didn’t really know him at all.
By late afternoon, the ground was completely saturated. Water pooled everywhere, and there was no sign of relief. It might even be too wet to go out tomorrow. Isa had taken refuge in her favorite room, the library. Though she had caught a few glimpses of Edward, they had not spoken since he had fled from her bedchamber that morning. She sighed and went back to rereading the journal, but so far she hadn’t found anything new. It would seem that Edward was correct, and there was nothing else to be discovered.
She set the book down and moved to the shelves to look for something else to read. The duchess had invited her to join them in the parlor for charades, but she wasn’t feeling very social.
“Good afternoon, Isabella. May I join you?” Lady Concord asked.
“Of course. Come, sit.” She waved toward the settee. “I was just searching for something new to read.”
“It seems as if I have barely seen you for the last few days.”
Isa turned from the bookshelves and sat next to her. “I am sorry. I’ve abandoned you, haven’t I?”
Lady Concord patted her arm. “Nonsense. Of course you want to spend time with your betrothed.” She smoothed her skirt. “Her Grace has been very vocal in her praise of your sleuthing skills. I understand you have discovered the hiding place of the tiara.”
“We believe so, but we have to wait for the rain to stop before we can continue with our search.”
“And everything is well between you and young Edward?”
How to Bewitch an Earl Page 13
