Faith And Her Devoted Duke
Page 17
Amazed at the beautiful craftsmanship that made up the old church relic, Faith had reverently inspected the piece, noting it was encrusted all over with various precious gems. One gem alone would fetch a hefty price; its entire worth would amount to a vast fortune that would have them living comfortably for decades.
Devlin pointed out, “Look, there’s a hinge at the top.” Faith inspected where he had indicated, and without too much pressure, the top had swung to the side to reveal a hollow space. A piece of old parchment, neatly rolled, was found inside. With fingers trembling from excitement, Faith pulled it out, slowly unrolled it, and widened her eyes at the words written there:
Seeking our Lord’s grace and mercy,
Search ye to the heavens
In thine divine reflections.
Look not with thine eyes but with thine heart.
On thine knees you shall know
Thine earthly desires hidden below.
The clue left both of them with no idea where to look for the next piece and had forgotten about it while on their honeymoon trip. The blissful haze they lived in as a newly married couple had them prioritizing their happiness above anything remotely interesting as treasure-hunting. Thus, two months later, they revisited the clue when Margaret had inquired after their progress.
As a collective group that included Faust, Mary, Jackson, and Margaret, the Duke and Duchess of Prestonridge were finally able to solve the clue that led to them bickering with a chapel floor between them.
“Well?” Faith prodded after not hearing anything from him for some time, other than an awful lot of rustling. “Have you found anything?”
“Sweetheart? You will never believe what’s down here.”
“What? What is it?” Both Faith and Margaret excitedly urged. Awaiting his reply was torturous as he took too long to give one. When he finally did, it was to reply with stunned awe.
“It’s an entire king’s ransom stuffed within a scarecrow down here. And another note for the next clue.”