Chapter Six
After her strange conversation with Isa, Louisa headed back to the library to wait for Thornbrook. Though it was tempting to start reading without him, it would be wrong. She’d grown used to having him around over the past few days, and though she’d never admit it to anyone, she missed his company when he was away from her.
The painting of her great-great-grandmother beckoned to her. Leaning close, she studied the necklace, then the earrings and tiara. They certainly seemed to be part of a set. But what if they weren’t? What if they were simply paste, something she had commissioned to wear with the tiara? It wasn’t as if she would have been able to easily buy pink diamonds on her own, so either her paramour had given them to her, or they were fake. For all she knew, they were on a wild goose chase. “Tell me your secrets,” she whispered.
“Do you always talk to inanimate objects?”
She tensed at the sound of his voice, but didn’t turn. “I keep hoping she’ll answer. It would make everything so much easier.”
Thornbrook laughed, a deep, throaty sound that sent shivers up her spine. “It certainly would, but I suspect we should resign ourselves to reading the journal.”
Moving to the shelves, she picked up the journal and turned back to him.
He sat on the sofa and patted the place next to him. She plopped down and turned to meet his eyes. “Have you ever heard the story of my parents’ search for the tiara?”
“I don’t believe I knew that they had ever searched for it.”
“That’s probably because they weren’t successful.” She plucked at the fringe on a pillow. “Did you know that they hated each other when they first met?” She hadn’t much liked Thornbrook at first, either, though he certainly seemed to be trying to make up for his past indiscretions now.
“That’s not difficult to imagine. It seems to run in the family. Not to mention, your father isn’t overly accepting of people.”
“Well, in his defense, their first meeting was when Mama broke into his library to try to steal the journal.”
“She didn’t.” Thornbrook grinned. “I’ve always liked her.”
His boyish smile stole her breath. “Yes, well, according to her, Papa left her with no other options since he refused to even speak with her when she called on him. She did attempt to go about it the proper way before resorting to housebreaking.”
He shook his head. “I don’t understand how they could have ended up married after that inauspicious beginning.”
“It happened the same way for them as it did with Edward and Isa. They fell in love while working together to solve the mystery of the tiara.”
He winked at her. “Then there’s hope for me yet.”
Her stomach fluttered, his suggestion not entirely unwelcome. He just wasn’t Thornbrook without that rakish edge, and to tell the truth, she was glad it was back. Except, of course, she still wasn’t certain she was willing to give up Walsley. Perhaps Thornbrook would be willing to live here with her, but it didn’t feel right for her to ask him to make that sacrifice. Even if he did agree, they would still spend much time apart because he would have to attend to his other properties regardless of where they lived.
“I think I’m most surprised that your mother agreed to cooperate with him.”
“It was the only way he would let her have the journal. Actually, it’s interesting that you proposed a wager, because there was also some sort of bet between them, but neither has ever told us what it was.”
“This just gets better and better.” He reached over and took her hand in his, sending a jolt through her. “But they obviously didn’t find the tiara. What happened?”
“According to Papa, since Parliament was in session, they were in London for the Season and couldn’t come to Walsley to search, so they focused on investigating the names mentioned in the journal. Their inquiries ended at the Russian Embassy. My mother was kidnapped by a man who worked there and locked in an armoire. She nearly froze before Papa rescued her, and he was shot by the same man.”
Thornbrook absently ran his thumb over the top of her hand, setting her senses afire. She ought to pull her hand away, but she couldn’t quite muster the will to do it.
“You must be joking. This sounds like a penny novel, not something that would happen in real life.”
“You can ask Edward if you don’t believe me. An employee of the embassy had been after the journal so he could locate the tiara. He claimed that it had been promised to his grandfather, who worked for its owner, but instead was given to my great-great-grandmother.”
He let go of her and held his hands in front of him, palms up. “I believe you. Why don’t you relax and I’ll read first.”
She leaned against a pillow and closed her eyes, hoping it would help her focus on the words and anything that might help them determine whether there were more clues that everyone else had missed. No one knew Walsley better than she did. Unfortunately, her plan was a failure. His deep, alluring voice mesmerized her and she got lost in the rhythm of his speech instead of being cognizant of the words he spoke. She wished he had kept hold of her hand, though she supposed it would’ve made it difficult to turn the pages.
He stopped reading and she opened her eyes to find him watching her intently. Their eyes locked for the space of a few heartbeats before he shifted his gaze.
“I thought maybe you’d fallen asleep.”
“No, it’s just that your voice is rather hypnotic.”
“Really? Imagine the things I could do if that were true. Ladies would flock to my side, falling in love with me instantly…perhaps even y—”
“Stop.” She laughed. “You needn’t regale me with your fantasies.”
“You needn’t be so unkind.” He straightened his perfectly tied cravat. “It was just a bit of wishful thinking.”
Regret flashed through her. What had he been about to say when she had interrupted him? She turned her focus back to the journal. The first third of it consisted solely of household accounting and rather dry descriptions of the day-to-day activities of the family and staff. They had heard nothing that could have been mistaken for a clue thus far. Worn out from her trip to the village, she was nearly asleep when Thornbrook read something that caught her attention.
“Wait. Will you please read that again?”
“‘The beets were mealy at dinner. I must speak with Cook about proper preparation.’”
“No.” She smacked his shoulder and snatched the journal from him. “This part, about the neighbor. ‘He kissed my hand as he was leaving, and his lips lingered for just a moment longer than was seemly.’”
“That’s just flirting. I do it myself. It doesn’t mean anything.”
She drew her brows together. “If it doesn’t mean anything, then why do you do it?”
“Ladies like to feel pretty, and as an unattached gentleman, it’s my job to make sure they do.”
Could it be as simple as that? She would think more about it later. “Earlier, she had mentioned that he was being unusually attentive to her, and that he winked at her from across the table.” She flipped back several pages until she found what she was looking for. “I was right. He’s the man who gave her the tiara. His name was Bukov. If he was a neighbor, we might be able to find out more information about him and the jewelry. Perhaps his children or grandchildren still live there.”
“Wait just a minute. Aren’t you at least a bit afraid that you’ll stir up a nest of hornets?”
“How so?”
“What if the family decides they want the jewels back? What if they didn’t know about the tiara or that he had been unfaithful to his wife?”
Bollocks. He was correct. They couldn’t just go off half-cocked and ask. She’d have to wait until her parents returned to Walsley so she could ask if they’d ever approached the neighbors. She didn’t know whether the family still lived in the area, and if they did, she had no idea where their home might be.
“As much as I hate to agree with you, you’re right. We’ll have to wait until my parents return.”
“You could send them a note in London.”
She could, but if her parents caught wind of what was happening here, they’d return to Walsley at once, and she and Thornbrook wouldn’t have the chance to find the jewelry on their own. Everyone in the family thought Isa and Edward had been so clever for locating the tiara. If she found the jewelry, perhaps they would have a newfound respect for her as well, which might make it easier to convince Papa to drop the requirement that she live at Walsley for such a large part of the year.
“No, I’d rather not have them rushing back from town until we’re certain there is something to be found.” At least they had a lead to follow, even if they wouldn’t be able to investigate further until her parents returned.
A quick glance at the mantel clock revealed that it was time to dress for their evening meal. “Shall we read more after dinner?”
“I’d like nothing more.” He took her hand and slid her arm through his. As they made their way toward the staircase, she considered his earlier comment about flirting. It was true that, to her knowledge, he had never pursued anyone seriously, but given what an accomplished flirt he was, how could she be certain he was serious about her? She would be a fool to give up the chance to inherit Walsley without an abiding commitment from him, and even then, she wasn’t certain she could leave the place she loved most in the world and abandon the servants and tenants she cared so deeply about.