To Trust a Thief
Date: 2013-01-19 08:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Romance; Historical
Description: Minuette Sinclair's parents are in trouble and her fake fiancé is too. A legendary lost necklace might be their salvation, and Min is determined to find it and use it to buy her family and fiancé out of their misfortunes. Master thief Bryant Westley is also looking for the fabled necklace. He knows Min’s got information he can use so he poses as her dance instructor and tries to seduce it from her. What he doesn’t count on are his feelings for her. He offers to partner up in the search – even though she is a distraction he can’t afford. Things become more complicated when Min realizes that her
Publisher: Createspace

To Trust a

Thief

Michelle McLean

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by Michelle McLean. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

Edited by Erin Molta

Cover design by Jessica Cantor

ISBN 978-1-62266-866-3

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition January 2013

To Toni Kerr, Kristal Shaff, and Cole Gibsen—for your unwavering faith and support. This book wouldn’t have survived without you!

Chapter One

Fairgate, England 1855

The muddy lanes of Fairgate were hardly a paradise, but to Min they were the welcome escape she needed. When the opportunity to go into the village had arisen, Min jumped at the chance. She needed a break from the constant barrage of suitors her aunt Laura paraded before her, not to mention the looming family tragedy that would soon force her to accept one of them.

The latest letter from her uncle had arrived a few days earlier. Her father’s condition was worsening and her uncle was no closer to freeing him than he had been two months ago. He still insisted justice would prevail, though Min was all for gathering the biggest bribe they could get their hands on. If she had access to the small trust her grandparents had left her, she would have gladly sent it. But she wouldn’t until her twenty-first birthday.

Her best hope would be to marry some wealthy gentleman who might see fit to free his bride’s father from the island prison where he was being held. All she had to do was shackle herself to some loathsome wretch she didn’t love.

Min tried to ignore the growing panic gnawing at her gut. She needed a new book desperately. Needed to get lost in someone else’s world, even if it was just for a short while. She turned into the open doorway of the bookstore and plowed into a solid wall of chest.

“Oh!” she gasped, stumbling backward as her foot slipped on the book the man had dropped. He caught her before she fell and pulled her upright again.

“Are you all right, Miss?” he asked.

She looked up at the man she’d run into and momentarily forgot how to speak. A faint dusting of dark hair ran along his strong jawline, framing full lips that looked like they were made to drive a woman insane. An image of that blend of soft and rough skin rubbing against her own popped into her thoughts, sending a rush of blood to her cheeks.

“Miss?”

His hands tightened about her arms and the warmth from his fingers slowly spread through the rest of her. Min pulled herself out of his grasp, shocked at the direction her thoughts had taken. One glance at a handsome face and she’d turned into some bumbling Shakespearean character—like Juliet, struck dumb at the sight of Romeo.

“I’m fine, thank you.” Her irritation at her reaction sharpened her voice and she made an effort to calm down. It certainly wasn’t his fault she’d barreled into him. Nor was he to blame for her ridiculous reaction to his innocent touch.

She forced a smile and tried again. “I’m quite all right. I’m so sorry. How clumsy of me.”

“My fault entirely, Miss…?”

“Sinclair,” Min answered, giving him a little bob of a curtsy.

He smiled. The expression warmed his eyes and softened his face, making him look younger than he’d first appeared. He probably wasn’t much older than she, early twenties at most.

But it was his eyes that made her breath catch. Staring into them, she was struck by a pang of homesickness. They were the gorgeous blue of the ocean. Not the often frigid waters of the English coast, but the warm, brilliant blue of the waters surrounding the island where she had grown up. Seeing that same color made a lump form in Min’s throat. She quickly choked it back. The eyes in question twinkled with amusement and Min realized she was still staring.

She ripped her gaze from his and noticed his book lying on the ground. “I’m so sorry,” she said, bending down to retrieve his book just as he bent to do the same. She stood, knocking her head beneath his jaw with a skull-splitting crack.

“Blast,” Min muttered, gingerly touching the crown of her head. The man’s bark of laughter sent heat flooding into her cheeks. Oh holy Moses, I said that out loud!

“Oh, I’m… Please excuse… Oh bother,” she said, thrusting the book into his hand.

He laughed again and reached out to take it. His bare fingers brushed against hers and lingered, sparking a warmth that spread through her.

The man wasn’t wearing gloves, leaving his hands clearly visible. A thick, jagged scar ran the length of his left hand and disappeared into his sleeve. His ring finger was missing.

Min bit her lip to stifle a gasp, her shock at the sight spurring instant curiosity. What caused such a thing? She let her finger brush against the scar, feeling the silky smooth tissue beneath her touch.

The man jerked his hand away. His smile disappeared, leaving his eyes cold and hard, aged beyond his years.

Min flushed again, her lack of decorum over his deformity shaming her. “I’d better go. My chaperone is waiting with the rest of my group and I only have a moment to finish my errands.”

“Best not keep them waiting, then.” His hard expression relaxed into an amused grin. “Take care where you are walking.”

“Please excuse me.” She gave him a slight nod and flounced into the bookstore, pretending she didn’t hear his low chuckle.

Who was he? She’d never seen him in town before, and he was definitely the type of person she would notice. Min kept watching as the man paused outside the shop. He flipped through the small book, briefly reading something in the last pages. His brow furrowed as he leafed through the pages once more before tossing the book in the rain barrel beneath the eaves with a look of disgust.

Min bit back a cry of dismay at the treatment of something so precious and nearly ran out to retrieve the book when someone called out.

“Bryant!”

The man’s head jerked around, drawing Min’s attention across the lane. A man with dark red hair waved. The man with the missing finger, Bryant apparently, waited for the red-haired man to join him.

“May I help you find anything, Miss Sinclair?”

Min jumped at the sound of Mr. Thompson’s voice behind her. The old bookseller smiled.

“Oh, no thank you, Mr. Thompson. I wonder, would you mind if I ducked out your back door?”

Mr. Thompson’s eyes widened in surprise but he smiled. Min had been coming into his shop at least once a week since she’d arrived in the village several years ago and she knew the old man was fond of her.

“Off on a bit of intrigue, hmm?”

Min shrugged her shoulders and tried to look innocent. Mr. Thompson just chuckled and shook his head. “Go right ahead, my dear.”

“Thank you, Mr. Thompson. I’ll see you next week.”

She didn’t hear his murmured reply as she hurried for the back door. She had to find out who the stranger was. Fairgate was a small town and handsome visitors with missing fingers didn’t happen every day.

Min crept along the back of the building into the alleyway between the bookstore and the bakery next to it. The rain barrel where the man had thrown the book rested at the corner of the building. Min flattened herself along the wall until she was close enough to crouch behind it.

She peeked around the barrel. Bryant stood with his back to her and Min couldn’t help but admire the view. He was several inches taller than his redheaded friend. A small gust of wind plastered the fabric of his suit coat against him and Min could see the defined muscles of his back and shoulders beneath his clothing. He tapped his hat against his leg as he spoke, the rather tight fit of his trousers assuring Min that the rest of his body looked as strong as the broad chest she’d run into.

He swept his hair away from his forehead with a quick jerk and Min clenched her fists against the sudden urge to run her fingers through the thick black strands.

Min gave herself a mental slap. She was supposed to be eavesdropping, not daydreaming about the handsome stranger. She leaned as far forward as she dared.

The men were still talking in hushed tones, but she was close enough to hear them.

“Did you find anything?” Red asked.

“No. There was nothing in the book but the same information we already knew.”

“No matter. I didn’t see how a musty old book would help us anyway.”

“Yes, well, it was just a thought. The Courtlands are a big family around here so it stands to reason something of their legend would have made its way into a book or two. It would be nice to have a little more information to go on. Besides, not all of us like to jump in with guns blazing. Sometimes, Julian, a little research and manual labor lessen the dirty work. You should try it sometime.”

Julian snorted. “I’ve never had any problem finishing a job. Don’t disparage my methods.”

“Your methods nearly got us killed last time.”

Min could hear the exasperation in his voice.

“This time,” Bryant continued, “we’re going to know what we’re getting into. This necklace is more than just a job. I’ve got a lot riding on finding it and I’d like to minimize the bloodshed, if at all possible.”

“Spoilsport.”

Bryant laughed. “I’ve got to go. I’ll meet you in a few days. Keep out of trouble, will you?”

“Ah, I promise nothing, my friend.”

Bryant paused. He turned suddenly and Min jumped, pressing herself to the cold stone of the building. She closed her eyes as his footsteps neared.

Silence.

A shadow stretched from the corner of the building, but no one followed it. Min held her breath, praying he’d leave. The last thing she wanted was to weaken the stranger’s resolve against bloodshed. Her heartbeat pulsed in her throat, so loudly she knew the man could hear it. He took one step closer, and Min’s heart stopped altogether.

…

Bryant could hear her breathing. He moved nearer.

“Bryant? Where are you going?” Julian called to him.

Bryant waited a second longer before walking back to his friend. He motioned for Julian to follow him and moved farther from the building. When they were a safe distance away, Bryant answered, “We had an audience.”

“You sure?”

He nodded. “A young lady I just…met. A bit of her skirt stuck out from behind the rain barrel.” He gave Julian half a smile. “Cheeky little thing. She might prove useful.”

“Are you going to take up stalking her now?”

“I won’t need to. She said she was with a chaperoned group. I saw a few of the other girls and they are all from Thornmont. She must have been part of their group.”

“Well, that’s convenient.”

“Precisely.”

“Just take care she doesn’t find out what you’re up to, Bryant,” Julian warned. “I may joke, but I’d like to keep the body count down, too, hmm?”

“I’m not going to hurt the girl. Give me some credit. I’ll find out if she knows anything useful and that’s that. The sooner we get this job done, the better. I don’t like this one, Julian. Rellik wants this too much. Something is off.”

“Yes, well… Perhaps it’s time we went out on our own.”

Bryant said nothing. He’d like nothing more than to be rid of his often violent boss. But he owed the man. Rellik had kept Bryant’s neck from the hangman’s noose once upon a time, and he wasn’t one to forgive and forget. He hoped that finding the prized Courtland necklace would go a long way toward releasing him from his debt.

“I’d better be going. I’ll contact you later.”

“Where are you off to?”

“I’m going to find out how much our little eavesdropper knows.”

“Going to seduce the information out of her?”

The thought had crossed his mind. Her perky mouth fairly demanded to be kissed and her feisty temperament had roused his interest like no other woman had done, even in the few minutes he’d spent with her. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been genuinely amused by something, yet in the space of just a few minutes, she’d had him smiling and actually laughing out loud. Until she’d seen his hand, that is.

He frowned, his mood darkening at the memory of her pitying curiosity.

“She’s not my type,” he answered, ignoring Julian’s snort of disbelief. Bryant scowled. “You do things your way, I’ll do them mine.”

“My methods are more fun. You might enjoy them, especially with your little schoolgirl.”

Julian ignored his frown and winked at him. “Happy hunting.”

Bryant gave his friend a quick clap on the back and turned to follow his pretty little prey.

Chapter Two

Min waited until she was certain the man had left. She leaned into the barrel, nearly climbing inside, her feet dangling in the air, before her fingers grasped the pages of the thin book. She released a shaky sigh and hurried down the alley toward the other side of the village.

What was he looking for in a book called Fairgate’s Legends and Ghostly Happenings? Information on the Courtland necklace? Min’s aunt had told her the tale long ago, but Min had always assumed it was nothing more than legend—a local scandal that had warped into myth through the years. But Bryant and his companion were definitely after something.

She flipped past the pages containing the usual stories of haunted houses and possessed farm animals. Near the end of the book, she stopped.

The Legend of the Courtland Necklace.

A crude drawing of the necklace lay beneath a passage describing the priceless treasure. The necklace had once belonged to the wife of a sultan. It was comprised of twenty matching emerald, sapphire, and diamond pendants, all strung together by pearls and pure gold.

“Well, now, that would be nice,” Min muttered.

Just one of those pendants would get her parents off that Godforsaken island and could set them all up for life. Her aunt wouldn’t have to keep running the fledgling finishing school she’d started. And Min would not have to marry a loathsome wealthy suitor.

My family will be safe. And then I can travel the world, she thought with a smile. Or, at the very least, buy a comfortable house in a fashionable city where she could do anything she wished. Her life would be her own.

But if the necklace wasn’t real, the legend was not true. Though…the men had obviously thought so.

Min’s hands shook with growing excitement as she read about a sordid affair between the owner of Courtland manor, Lord Edward Courtland, and an unnamed village girl. And the priceless necklace that was supposedly hidden on the Courtland estate, currently owned by her aunt. Min’s home.

What if it was real? What if she could find it? Her problems would be solved.

Min shoved the book into her pocket and hurried toward the inn where her aunt’s lady’s maid, Reilly, and the other girls from Thornmont Grange would be waiting.

What if, what if, what if?

She blew a stray curl out of her face with an irritated puff of air and jumped over a puddle, just catching the edge of it. She paused for a quick moment to kick at her wet skirt and kept moving. Mistress Kellar, her governess-turned-etiquette-instructor, would have a fit if she saw Min hopping about a public street like a frog with its flippers on fire, but Min didn’t care.

The more she thought about the necklace, the more the desire to find it grew. It must be real. Why else would Bryant and his friend be in Fairgate? They must believe they could find it. And if it was real, then Min would stand a better chance at getting to it first. After all, she was related to the Courtlands by marriage and had lived on the property for the past several years. Bryant was a stranger with no ties to the family. He couldn’t even get on the grounds without permission and since Min knew what he was after, she could make sure he wasn’t allowed to step foot near the manor.

She stumbled, the soaked hem of her skirts dragging in the street. The recent downpour had left the wide lanes of Fairgate dotted with puddles. A dangerous obstacle course for the most attentive of travelers—a category in which Min would never belong.

Several soggy minutes later she entered the courtyard of the inn, where the rest of the group waited in the wagon for the return trip to the school. Reilly gave Min an irritated look as she climbed into the wagon.

“Are we all here?” Reilly answered her own question with a quick inventory of the girls and then climbed up beside the driver.

As soon as Min had taken her seat on the bench, the cart lurched forward. She hoped to escape the attention of her classmates but had no such luck.

“My, my, the uncivilized little savage has gone and made a spectacle of herself yet again.”

Min cringed at the chorus of delighted giggles from Katherine’s horde of loyal followers.

“You know, dear,” Katherine continued, her perfect ringlets bouncing as she shook her head, “you will never catch a husband if you continue to traipse about covered in muck. Though, perhaps you will do for the local pig farmer. I hear he is looking for a wife.”

Min opened her mouth to put the odious Lady Katherine in her place, but Charlotte, Min’s best friend and roommate, leaned forward, her eyes alight with cheerfulness. “Oh, ignore her. The pig farmer is already spoken for, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“Charlotte!” Min tried to glare at her, but Charlotte was impossible to resist. Although exquisitely tiny, she was so full of life and laughter it seemed to bubble from every pore.

“Are you all right?”

Min shot Katherine a scathing look and swallowed the decidedly unladylike retort that trembled on her lips. “I’m fine. I’ve just had a rough morning.”

“You should be used to those by now.”

Min stuck out her tongue but couldn’t help smiling. Charlotte could always pull her out of a mood.

“So what happened this time?” Charlotte asked.

“I…ran into a gentleman outside the bookstore.”

Charlotte tried unconvincingly to hide her grin. “A gentleman? Who is he? Is he handsome?”

Min blushed. “I don’t know who he is and what difference does it make if he’s handsome?”

“He is! I knew it. Tell me everything.”

“Charlotte, that isn’t what’s important. I followed him—”

“Minuette! You followed some strange man around town?”

“Shh! Just listen. I overheard him speaking with another man. They were talking about finding the Courtland necklace.”

“The what?”

Min filled her in on the legend, keeping her voice low so the other girls wouldn’t hear.

When she’d finished, Charlotte leaned back with a confused frown. “I don’t understand why such an old legend is important.”

“Because I’m going to find the necklace,” Min whispered.

“Min, it’s just a story. It probably doesn’t even exist.”

“But what if it does? The men obviously believe it does and I’m in a much better position to find it than they. It would solve everything.”

Charlotte frowned. “I don’t want to see you pin all your hopes on a make-believe treasure.”

“The necklace is not make believe,” Min whispered. “And I will find it.”

Charlotte patted Min’s hand with the “sure you will, you poor dear” attitude she usually adopted when Min began spouting off about one of her schemes. While Charlotte usually proved to be right, like when Min had found an alchemy book and tried to turn a lump of lead into gold, this time was different. Charlotte would see. Min closed her eyes and angled her face upward, welcoming the warmth of the afternoon sun. She’d prove the treasure real.

A grateful sigh escaped Min’s lips as the wagon rumbled over the pebbled, tree-lined path leading to the grand manor house of Thornmont. Surrounded by expansive gardens and a small wood, the property, which had been in the Courtland family for generations, was quite beautiful.

Min climbed from the coach and made her way toward the large double doors of the manor. She stomped up the front steps, trying to remove as much mud from her boots as she could. A deep laugh stopped her short.

Min’s chest grew tight. The four-fingered man stood next to one of the grooms. He turned his head, and his eyes locked with Min’s. He tipped his hat to her. Min shifted from one foot to the other, not sure if she should give in to instinct and run or stay where she was and see what he was up to.

“Charlotte.” Min kept her eyes riveted on the man’s and groped blindly for her friend. She yanked Charlotte to her side the second her hand made contact. “Charlotte, it’s him! He’s followed me!”

“What?” Charlotte followed Min’s gaze. “My, my. You were right. For a bloodthirsty thief he certainly is handsome.”

“Charlotte!”

“Well, it’s true. Though”—Charlotte frowned—“it is rather odd he’s here. Let’s go ask around. Maybe someone knows who he is.” Charlotte joined the gaggle of girls swarming into the manor.

Min remained frozen on the front steps, unable to tear her gaze from his. She brought her hand to her throat, finding it suddenly difficult to breathe.

Her shortness of breath had nothing to do with the way the man’s gaze raked over her as if he’d devour her. Nothing to do with the fact that she would willingly drown in the eyes that reminded her so much of home. Nothing at all to do with the smiling lips that she couldn’t help but imagine brushing against her own.

It was because he was there to steal a treasure she’d decided was hers and she would be damned if she let him get to it first.

She sucked in a ragged breath and marched into the manor, repeating the lie to herself until she almost believed it.

Chapter Three

After she’d freshened up, Min had a few hours left before her weekly Sunday tea with her aunt, something Min usually enjoyed. But today, Mr. Smythe, yet another suitor found by her aunt, was expected at precisely four o’clock. Min was less than enthusiastic about the prospect.

However, the thought of spending the next several hours before his arrival digging up whatever she could on the Courtland necklace perked her up a bit. Her first stop was the portrait gallery at the top of the house. Min often wandered along the corridor. Few of the students ventured up there so it was a wonderful place to escape and be alone. But Min also loved gazing at the portraits of the long-dead Courtlands, dressed in all their finery.

Her favorite was of the mystery woman whose portrait hung all on its own, as if the others had forgotten it. Unlike the other paintings, there was no nameplate beneath the woman’s likeness. She always seemed so sad, sitting alone surrounded by baskets of star-shaped flowers. After reading about the legend, Min was almost certain the mystery woman was the mistress of Edward Courtland, the man who’d supposedly lost the priceless necklace. The unknown woman did wear a beautiful locket around her neck that Min had always admired. But the painting of another woman wearing a different necklace was what held Min’s attention now.

Tabitha Courtland, the late mother-in-law of Min’s aunt, was painted dressed for a costume ball and wearing a necklace that fit the description of the Courtland necklace. Min had always assumed the magnificent piece in the portrait had been paste, a fake colored glass gem. Staring at the necklace now sent shivers of excitement coursing through her.

She would interrogate Aunt Laura about the necklace during their teatime visit, but for the moment, going to the library might answer some questions about the family.

When Min reached the library, a surprise waited for her.

“Arthur,” she cried, rushing toward her friend.

Dr. Arthur Carmichael sat in one of the dark corners of the library, the bruises on his face painfully apparent even in the dim light.

He grasped her hands when she reached out to touch his cheek.

“Arthur, what happened?”

He grimaced. “You know what happened.”

“Lord Rellik?”

“Just a friendly reminder of my debt.”

“Arthur…”

He waved her away. “It doesn’t matter. That’s not why I’ve come.”

Min folded her hands and waited.

“My grandmother asked me to find something for her. Will you help?”

“For you? Anything,” she said, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Two hours later, Min was beginning to regret her generosity. She rolled the ladder another few feet and kicked her skirts out of the way as she ascended the rungs for what felt like the thousandth time. Arthur was one of her dearest friends and she’d do anything for his sweet old grandmother, but digging through musty books and tripping up ladders in a futile search for some lost memento was challenging her good nature.

Not that she’d complain to him about it. He had bigger things to worry about. At least this was a problem with which she could help him. She searched through the old books on the upper shelves of the bookcase, casting anxious glances at Arthur every few seconds.

“I’m fine, Min.” Arthur flinched as his words pulled at his split lip. “Just keep looking.”

“You don’t look fine,” she muttered. Arthur ignored her and continued searching a shelf.

Well, he was the doctor. He would know if he was all right or not. She grabbed a few more books, feeling behind them before moving to the next shelf. The library at Thornmont Grange was extensive, to say the least.

Min stifled a sneeze. The layers of dust appeared to date back to the days, several decades before, when Arthur’s grandmother had been a young maid. “Is there any reason we have to search at this precise moment?” she asked. It wasn’t a complaint, exactly.

“My grandmother doesn’t have much longer, Min. Her health was precarious before she witnessed my little run-in with Lord Rellik’s men.” Arthur sat and leaned back against the bookcase, rubbing a puffy and blackened eye. “Now she’s just… Look, she asked me to retrieve whatever it is she’s hidden in this bloody library and she’s not going to rest until I deliver it. It’s the least I can do for her.”

“Well, did she give you any other clue about where this thing supposedly is? ‘The old section at the top’ is a little vague.”

“Sorry, no. She wasn’t in any condition for a detailed discussion. However, if it was something she wanted to keep hidden, I’d assume it would be as far out of the way as she could manage. Try the top shelf. I’ll look on the lower ones.”

Min kept her irritation to herself. Arthur was hardly in any condition to be climbing ladders, no matter what he said. Lord Rellik’s men had been very thorough in their “reminder” of Arthur’s debt to their boss.

She returned her attention to the shelves.

If Arthur couldn’t pay off his gambling debt, she feared… Well, she wouldn’t even think about what she feared. If she could find the necklace, she’d be able to help him as well. But if she couldn’t…

“Arthur, do you have any idea what you’re going to do to—”

“Is your aunt still sending London’s finest your way?” Arthur brushed some dust from his trousers, looking everywhere but at her.

Min grimaced, annoyed at the reminder of her own troubles. “Unfortunately, yes. The last one was older than my father.” Her voice caught on the last word.

“How is your father doing?”

“Not well.” She climbed down and sat on the floor next to Arthur. “I received a letter from my uncle yesterday. My father is growing more ill. There are witnesses who will testify he acted in self-defense, but the family of the man who died in the altercation wants him charged with murder. My mother won’t leave my father even though it may take months to free him.” Min swatted at her skirts, taking out her frustration on the dust that clung there.

“My uncle Mark was told by a guard that a large bribe in the right hands would see my father on the next ship out of Nevis, but he refuses to consider such a thing. He thinks he can use his ‘considerable’ experience as a barrister to set things right. But he doesn’t understand that things work a little differently out there. He might be one of the finest when it comes to London courts, but a distant island colony is quite another matter.”

Arthur bumped his shoulder against hers. “I thought you loved Nevis.”

“I do. I’d much rather be running along the beach with the other plantation children than here practicing poise and etiquette. Bloody boring.”

Arthur snorted back a laugh and Min bit her lip. “See what I mean?” she said. “I don’t know what Aunt Laura was thinking. She may have polished my sister enough to catch one of society’s finest, but I’m a lost cause. I’d be better off back in the village with my parents.”

“Ah, but then you wouldn’t have met me.” Arthur nudged her leg with his toe, grinning when she gave him a wry smile.

“Very true. And how dreary your life would be if not for me.”

“It would be! You single-handedly keep me in business, my girl.”

Min scowled at him but he ignored her. “In fact, your coming here might have been the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Really?” Min asked, afraid of where this line of conversation was leading.

“Of course. Fixing that broken leg of yours and leaving you with nary a limp to show for it proved to the villagers that, young as I am, I am a good doctor. That leg is among the finest work I’ve ever done. Well, that and the stitches in your arm, and the ones under your chin—the scar is almost undetectable—and your sprained wrist from last summer, and the time you caught that nasty cold hiking around in the rain and I had you up and well in under a week, and—”

“I think that is sufficient to plead your case, thank you,” Min said with a sigh—as if she needed a reminder of the consequences of her less-than-graceful moments. She stood and brushed her hands against her skirts. “All right, one more stack but then I really must tidy myself up a bit. Another of Aunt Laura’s suitors will be dropping by this afternoon to ‘make my acquaintance.’ A Mr. Smythe, I believe. ‘Good family, good money,’” she said, mimicking her aunt. “Really, I don’t know why she bothers. I’m never going to marry.”

“Why ever not? What else are you going to do?”

“Whatever I want. I don’t want to be tied down to some man, forced to honor and obey his every whim.”

“It might not be like that. Your parents love each other and are very happy, aren’t they?”

“Well, yes. But even so, Mother gave up everything to be with Father. Her family, her money, her friends, and her easy life. I would never want to lose myself so completely for someone else. Or worse yet, be like my sister and give up everything for someone I don’t love. She married the first man Aunt Laura threw at her, and now she’s stuck with a chubby old toad twenty years her senior.”

“What will you do, then? Be a governess? Or maybe ask Lady Courtland if you can teach here when you are finished? I’m sure your aunt would be glad of the help. She seems to be amassing quite the student body. She’ll have a proper finishing school before long.”

“I said I thought the school would be a good idea for my aunt, not for me. She’s much more suited to polishing young ladies than I. I do believe, in good time, the decision to open the school will prove sound. Including myself, there are only eight students and the other girls are all local. Merchants’ daughters with money and no title, who are taught by my aunt, my old governess, and my aunt’s former companion. Hardly enough to get the society matrons excited.”

“But what of the newest student?”

Min groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

The esteemed (in her own opinion) Lady Katherine Worthwright had just joined the ranks of her aunt’s fledgling finishing school. Min wasn’t sure how or why Lady Katherine was here. Min’s aunt wasn’t running a formal school, or she hadn’t been until recently. She’d taken in Min and her sister Linnet out of pity, promising Min’s mother she could turn her little savages into respectable ladies of society. Aunt Laura’s friend, a local well-to-do merchant’s wife, had asked if her twin daughters could be included in her nieces’ lessons. Learning the art of being a lady from a real lady was apparently something the members of the upper middle class were more than happy to pay for. Anything to give their daughters a leg up in the marriage market.

A few more families had asked if their daughters could join, including Charlotte, Min’s best friend and the daughter of the region’s current Member of Parliament. Min’s aunt, in her reduced circumstances, couldn’t refuse the income. Aunt Laura’s late father-in-law had nearly decimated the family fortunes with his gambling habits, and the money Aunt Laura had brought into her marriage wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with the needs of a manor like Thornmont Grange. The school seemed like the best solution for padding the family’s depleted coffers while remaining in her home.

The addition of Lady Katherine Worthwright into the “school” was a huge feather in Aunt Laura’s cap, even though Min couldn’t stand the little nit. Min genuinely hoped it to be the start of something successful and profitable for her aunt. But the thought of teaching spoiled, useless girls how to be even more spoiled, useless women wasn’t something Min would ever willingly do.

“So,” Arthur pressed. “If you won’t stay on at Thornmont as a teacher, what will you do?”

“I don’t know. I…haven’t figured that part out yet.” Min trudged up the ladder again.

“You could always marry me, you know.”

Min stopped halfway up, stunned into silence for probably the first time in her life.

Arthur laughed. “Is the prospect that horrible to consider?”

In some ways, yes. She loved Arthur. He’d been one of the few people who had wholeheartedly accepted her when she’d arrived in England as a tanned, willful, and wild fourteen-year-old. He’d always stood by her, tried to protect her, and she would always do the same for him. He was a wonderful friend.

But a husband? No. As much as it pained her to admit it, she just couldn’t trust him with her future. She knew he struggled to keep his gambling under control, and for a time she thought he had. However, there was always another temptation, and Arthur had proven time and again that he couldn’t resist. Min had helped him all she could, but she’d never tie her future to his. Or to anyone’s. The thought of being dependent on another person terrified her.

His amused smile began to harden and she hurried to form an answer, careful to keep her tone light and teasing.

“No, of course not, it’s just… Arthur, I’d be a terrible wife.”

He laughed again. “You sell yourself short.”

“You’re kind to think so.”

“It would solve so many problems, though. Besides, whether you like it or not, you’ll have to marry someday.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Either way, Arthur, I’m not going to marry you just because it’s convenient. I like you too much. As a friend,” she added with a smile.

“Well then, as your friend, I have a slightly different proposal.”

“Go on,” Min said, morbidly curious.

“Be my fake fiancée.”

Min stared at him, stunned into silence for the second time in her life. Arthur was becoming quite adept at rendering her speechless. “Pardon?”

“Well, it would buy you some time. Your erstwhile aunt would be appeased and you’d be properly betrothed while you figure out what else you might do with your life.”

Min felt a bit wobbly and stepped down from the ladder. “And what would you get out of this?”

“My grandmother would be able to meet my future wife before she dies. She won’t last much longer, Min. And she wants more than anything to see me settled before she goes. Especially after all this,” he said, gesturing to his swollen face.

“And when your grandmother is gone, and I wish to leave…”

“Then we have a terrible falling-out, you run off to whatever wild land takes your fancy, and I’m left to be comforted by half a dozen of the town’s most eligible maidens.”

Min smiled and thought quickly. The idea might be completely harebrained, but it had merit. “Well then, consider yourself temporarily affianced.” She held out her hand, intending to seal their deal with a handshake.

Instead, Arthur turned her hand over and pressed his lips to the back. “It’s much more appropriate to seal a betrothal with a kiss.”

Min’s stomach flipped and her hand tingled where Arthur’s lips had touched her skin. The sensation wasn’t unpleasant, far from it, but it did make her uncomfortable. Arthur was her friend. Period.

She pulled her hand from his. “Yes, well…we’d better find whatever it is your grandmother hid up here before someone finds us skulking in the book stacks without a chaperone. We’d be in a fine mess then.”

She turned from Arthur’s smug smile and knelt to examine the bottom shelf. “I think we missed this one.” Min removed each book, plunging her hand into the dark space behind every one. She took her time, wanting to be perfectly composed before she faced Arthur again.

She removed the last book on the shelf, but this time when she reached into the space behind it, her fingers met a wad of fabric.

“Arthur!”

He dropped to his knees beside her and she pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a piece of yellowed linen. Min unfolded the material and withdrew a large silver locket. She laid it on the palm of her hand, admiring the engraved design. Vines flowed along the border, encircling a ring of star-shaped hoya blossoms. At the center of the locket sat a large pearl surrounded by a dozen smaller pearls.

“Arthur, this is exactly like the locket the mystery woman in the portrait gallery is wearing!”

“Mystery woman?”

“The woman with no nameplate. According to a book I read, Edward Courtland, the man who supposedly lost the Courtland necklace, had a mistress. His falling-out with his wife is the reason the necklace was lost in the first place. And his mistress supposedly wore a locket just like this one. She was never seen without it. Don’t you see? If the locket is real, then the story must be true. The treasure really does exist!”

“Treasure? What are you talking about?”

“The treasure! The Courtland necklace.” Min hurriedly filled him in on all the details, excitement flooding through her. “There’s a portrait in the gallery of Lady Courtland wearing the necklace, and just across from it is a portrait of the mystery woman wearing this!”

“She’s wearing a locket like this?”

“Yes! Where on earth did your grandmother get this?”

“Only one way to find out,” Arthur said, helping Min to her feet. “I think we’d better talk to Grandmother.”

“What about Mr. Smythe?”

“We’ll get you back in time. Or he’ll just have to reschedule.”

Min smiled, ignoring a fleeting flash of guilt, and hurried after Arthur.

Chapter Four

Mrs. Carmichael ran her hands across the locket’s surface, over and over again. She had greeted Min and Arthur with a feeble smile, though she’d been obviously delighted, and relieved, when Arthur had announced their (pretend) engagement. But once they’d pulled out the locket, her mind had turned elsewhere.

Arthur’s grandmother was tiny, almost drowning in the numerous pillows and comforters upon which she lay. Her ancient hands shook as she popped open the locket. Min leaned forward so she could see the portrait inside. What she saw surprised her.

The portrait had been trimmed down so it consisted of only one eye and brow, looking through the locket as if the man had been turning away at the moment the painter captured him. The lashes were short and sparse. Faint wrinkles creased his skin at the corners. The deep brown of his iris pulled Min into its depths, the color still vibrant even though it was obviously very old.

“An eye portrait?” Min asked. “I didn’t realize people had exchanged these in the past. I mean, they’re all the vogue now, but this portrait must be decades old at least. I wonder to whom the locket belonged.”

“Anne Benton,” Mrs. Carmichael answered.

“Who?” Arthur asked.

“Anne Benton.” Mrs. Carmichael turned it over, exposing the back. At the center, in the same spot where the pearls graced the front, was a small square engraved with the initials AB. “The eye portrait is of Edward Courtland, the father of your aunt’s late husband. This locket was worn by his mistress.”

“But how did you come by it?” Arthur asked.

“I stole it.”

“Grandmother!”

Min bit her lip to keep from smiling at Arthur’s shocked tone. It was always hard to imagine one’s parents or grandparents doing anything untoward.

Mrs. Carmichael shrugged her frail shoulders. “Oh hush. I didn’t take it until after the poor woman died. She certainly wasn’t going to miss it.”

“Yes, but why did you take it, Mrs. Carmichael?” Min asked.

“For this.” She inserted the nail of her pinkie under the flayed flap of the portrait and carefully pried around the circumference until she was able to free it from the locket. “There we are.” Mrs. Carmichael lifted out a thinly folded square of paper.

“What is that?” Arthur asked, taking the paper from his grandmother.

He unfolded the delicate sheet. The yellowed page was sturdier than it looked, but he took care not to handle it more than necessary. Once the paper was completely unfolded, Arthur laid it out on his hand. The ends curled slightly over his palm. Random shapes and chicken scratches flowed from edge to edge, though the paper was so thin Min could see the contours of Arthur’s skin through it.

There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the sketchy lines at first. But as Min continued to stare, a few landmarks took shape.

“Is that… Is that a map?” Min asked.

“Ah,” Mrs. Carmichael said, patting Min’s hand, “you’re a smart one. You’ll make an excellent wife for my boy.”

Min gave her a hesitant smile.

“Yes, my dear girl. It most certainly is a map.”

“To what?” Arthur asked. “I recognize a few of the buildings at the Thornmont estate, but…all these scratches and markings…what do they mean?”

“There is another piece of the map, but I was never able to find it.” Mrs. Carmichael lay back against her pillows with a tired sigh.

“To what does the map lead, Grandmother?”

Mrs. Carmichael turned her faded blue eyes to her grandson. “It leads to the answer to all your problems, my boy. The Courtland necklace.”

Min sucked in a shocked breath, excitement tingling at the base of her spine. “So the legend is true.”

Mrs. Carmichael nodded. “I’ve seen the necklace with my own eyes. I’ve touched it, even worn it for a few seconds when no one was looking. It’s real enough.”

“But no one has seen it for more than sixty years,” Arthur protested. “According to the story Min read, Edward Courtland stole it from his wife in revenge for his mistress’s death, though most assume the Courtlands just sold it off a piece at a time.”

“The Courtlands didn’t sell the necklace. If they had, your aunt would hardly need to take in students, that’s for certain,” she said to Min. “And Mr. Courtland certainly didn’t steal the necklace from his wife. What was hers was his. He’d have been stealing from himself. What kind of sense does that make?”

“So who took the necklace?” Arthur asked.

“Your grandfather.”

“What?” Arthur jumped up. Mrs. Carmichael remained silent, her steady gaze focused on Arthur until he calmed down enough to resume his seat on the edge of her bed.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “If Grandfather took the necklace, then where is it? Why is there a map leading to it?”

Mrs. Carmichael burrowed herself deeper into the pillows, her face showing a faint strain. “Your grandfather was always an impulsive man. Never planned for anything. An idea would grab him and he’d be off, no thought of the consequences.” The fond smile that graced her old lips faded a bit when she turned her gaze to her grandson. He obviously shared some traits with his grandfather…and Min doubted Mrs. Carmichael enjoyed seeing them in Arthur. She patted his hand and continued.

“One night, instead of returning the necklace to Mr. Courtland’s safe as he was supposed to, your grandfather took it. He brought it home, hid it under our mattress. He had such grand plans. We were going to run away. He wanted to buy me a villa in Italy and treat me like a queen. It’s hard to resist a man who says such things to you.” She winked at Min.

“But we needed money to travel, and to get set up. So he pried out one of the gems, intending to sell it in London. Then, the night before he was to leave, Miss Benton died. Mr. Courtland went crazy with grief. Your grandfather had to postpone his trip for several weeks. So he moved the necklace to a safer hiding place and drew a map to it in case anything happened to him. He thought it would be safer if he were the only one who knew the whereabouts of the necklace. If I didn’t know, I couldn’t be made to tell. Or maybe he just didn’t trust me not to run off with it in his absence,” she added, chuckling. “Though he did almost tell me where the second half of the map was hidden.”

“How did he ‘almost’ tell you?”

Mrs. Carmichael stroked the locket. “Miss Benton and Mr. Courtland had been very much in love. The eye portraits they kept of each other were their most prized possessions. Your grandfather put half of the map in the locket. The other half is on the back of the second portrait.”

“So you do know where it is.”

“Not quite. Mr. Courtland always kept the portrait of Miss Benton’s eye in a silver frame on his nightstand. After her death, he kept her locket right beside it. Since I was an upstairs maid, and your grandfather was Mr. Courtland’s valet, we both had access to his personal belongings. We thought something he cherished so much would be the safest place to put the maps. And if they were ever discovered, they’d be untraceable to us. But about a week or so after Miss Benton’s funeral, the framed portrait and the locket disappeared.

“I found the locket a few weeks later, under a chair in the far corner of Mr. Courtland’s room, as if he’d thrown it against the wall. I took it, and hid it in the library where it would be safe. We never discovered where the second portrait had gone. Your grandfather was going to draw a second map, but he died before he could. I never came across it again, though I never really searched for it.”

Mrs. Carmichael’s eyes grew sad. “My husband was killed before he could make it home with the money he’d made from selling the stone. He was found stripped bare, nothing on him.”

“But you’ve always told me Grandfather died of influenza.”

“I didn’t want you, or anyone else, to know the truth. And I didn’t want anyone searching for the jewels. That necklace is cursed. It was a curse to the Courtlands and a curse to us. If it hadn’t been for that necklace, we’d have grown old together, content and peaceful. Instead, your grandfather was murdered and I was left a widow at twenty years old with your father to raise on my own.”

“You were never tempted to find it?”

“No. I’d lost enough because of it.”

“Then why tell me now?” Arthur asked.

His grandmother raised a trembling hand to stroke his battered face. “That necklace led to your grandfather losing his life. But finding it might help save yours.”

Min sat in Arthur’s parlor and watched him pace back and forth in front of the hearth. He finally sat with a thump beside her on the sofa.

“I can’t believe my grandfather stole the Courtland necklace. The whole bloody legend came about because of him.”

Min sat in silence, allowing Arthur to process everything he’d been told. He finally leaned back against the couch.

“Your grandmother was right about one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“If we can find the necklace, all our problems will be solved.”

“Oh, Min, be serious.”

She grabbed Arthur’s hands. “I am being serious. Think about it. That necklace is worth a fortune. If we could find it, I’d be able to help my father and have enough money to live as independently as I wish, to do whatever, go wherever, for the rest of my life. And you’d have enough to pay off your debts to Lord Rellik.”

“Well, yes, but—”

“All we have to do is find the necklace.” She took the locket and held it up, swinging it slowly before his eyes. “And we are already halfway there. We just need to find the portrait of Anne.”

“Do you really believe we can find it?”

“Yes, I do.” Min watched the locket glinting in the sunlight before handing it back to Arthur with a sigh. “I’d better hurry if I’m going to make it in time to meet my aunt for tea. Perhaps she can shed a little more light on the subject.”

She met Arthur’s excited gaze and smiled.

Min waited in her aunt’s office, her knees nearly bouncing with excitement. Thanks to Arthur, this would be the last time she’d have to endure another suitor being thrown at her, though Arthur wouldn’t come by until later to discuss their engagement with her aunt. In any case, Min would put on a happy face and see if she could uncover a little information before Mr. Smythe arrived.

Her aunt bustled in right as the clock struck four. Lady Courtland was tall and thin, and she always wore high-collared, long-sleeved black dresses. The touches of white lace that adorned the necks and wrists of her garments lessened their severity a bit, but she still appeared to be in a perpetual state of mourning. Which, Min supposed, she was. Though her husband had been dead for ten years, Aunt Laura had loved him very much.

Her thick auburn hair, very similar to Min’s own, was piled neatly in a genteel bun, and her skin was smooth and clear, with only a few soft wrinkles at her eyes and lips to betray her age. She kept her back ramrod straight, walking and sitting with perfect posture. In short, Lady Courtland was the epitome of decorum, grace, and deportment: the perfect role model for a finishing school for young ladies.

Min greeted her with a kiss on each cheek and sat impatiently through the usual inquiries about her health and state of mind. Although her aunt appeared quite severe, she was actually rather friendly and loved to talk with her girls, as she referred to the students. She was especially fond of Min, the eldest daughter of her only sister, and seemed even more so since Min had encouraged her to open the finishing school. Min loved that her aunt cared so much, but she didn’t want to talk about herself.

Her aunt glanced at the small watch pinned to her bodice and pursed her lips. “Mr. Smythe is unforgivably late.”

“Yes, dreadful of him.” Min silently blessed him for his tardiness and seized her opportunity.

“Aunt Laura, I wanted to ask you about that portrait in the gallery, the one of the elder Edward Courtland. Do you know much about him?”

“Ah, admiring my late father-in-law, I see. Quite a rake in his day. He really was handsome, was he not? So much like my dear Edward.”

Min smiled. “Very handsome. In fact, there is a painting of a woman in the gallery, hanging near Edward’s. There is no nameplate. Was she his mistress?”

“Very possibly. We cannot be certain, of course. My in-laws had already passed before I met my Edward and it certainly wasn’t something they’d have discussed. But the paintings were made around the same time, so it seems likely.”

“The portrait of his wife, Tabitha, is hanging next to his. She’s wearing the Courtland necklace…”

“Ah, my dear girl. I already know what you really want to ask. And I admire your spirit! You’re not one to sit back and let fate dictate your life as it will. It’s a splendid quality. I wish I had half your mettle. But in this instance, I’m afraid I can’t be of any help. Believe me, if I thought for one second that necklace really existed, I’d tear this place down brick by brick to find it. In fact, my Edward spent several years doing just that. He got caught up in the adventure of the hunt and would have dismantled the whole house if I hadn’t stopped him.”

Aunt Laura reached over and gripped Min’s hand, squeezing it gently. “I know how wonderful it would be to find it. I wouldn’t need my little school, though I find I enjoy it more every day. More importantly, I could help your poor parents. But I don’t believe the necklace is anywhere to be found, if it ever existed at all. For all we know, the gems in the portrait were paste.”

“I suppose you are right.” Min tried to stifle her disappointment and pressed on. “Do you remember hearing of an eye portrait in your father-in-law’s possession? Something in a small silver frame?”

“An eye portrait? No, I can’t say that I have. And I’ve never seen anything of the like in this house. But he passed away many years before I came to live here so I suppose it is possible he owned something of the sort. Though if the portrait was of his mistress, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if it had been destroyed or hidden away somewhere. Remember, my dear, my in-laws’ story was the scandal of their day.”

Min’s heart dropped. It had been silly to hope that her aunt would be able to hand her all the information she needed on a silver platter. And it hadn’t occurred to her that some well-meaning person might have done away with the portrait in order to maintain the family’s respectability. Her chest tightened at the thought. They needed that portrait.

Aunt Laura continued on. “I’m certain many of the stories we’ve heard are exaggerated. The more the scandal was talked about, the more salacious the details became. A priceless missing necklace was just one more tidbit to add to the gossip mills. In my opinion, the legend is just that, a legend.”

A discreet knock on the door announced the arrival of the overdue Mr. Smythe and Min let the matter drop. She doubted anything she said would change her aunt’s mind. But despite the setbacks, Min had no intention of ending her search.

She was just getting started.

Chapter Five

The next morning Min rushed after Charlotte, preparing herself for yet another exercise in futility. Etiquette lessons. Really, teaching a monkey to properly pour tea would be easier than torturing some grace into Min, yet poor Mistress Kellar insisted on trying. Min squashed her mutinous thoughts and resolved to try a little harder this time. Maybe she wouldn’t make a complete ninny of herself for once.

Min and Charlotte joined the rest of the girls in the music salon just as the clock struck nine. They were the last to enter and hurried to take their seats against a bank of French doors that filled the rear wall of the room. Mistress Kellar entered the room with a stack of books in her arms and launched into a speech on the importance of being graceful and poised at all times.

Min’s determination ebbed away with every caress of the morning sun warming her back through the wrought-iron-framed French doors. She tuned Mistress Kellar out, her thoughts straying to the mysterious man who’d followed her to the manor. No one had seemed to know him, nor seen him again after they’d arrived home, though all the girls had noticed him. She’d try to put him from her mind. He’d obviously been sent away.

“What’s the matter with you?” Charlotte whispered. “Wishing you were wandering about the gardens with that gorgeous thief of yours?”

“What?” Min turned to Charlotte, who watched her with an amused grin.

“He’s all anyone’s been talking about, Min, and I saw the way you were looking at him.”

Min snorted. “Believe me, if I find myself alone with him in the gardens, or anywhere else, I’ll be running for my life.”

“Oh, that again? Really, Min. Did he actually threaten you?”

Min pinched her lips together. Charlotte waited, her face the picture of perfect patience. Finally, Min groaned. “Well, no. But,” she insisted, “I heard him talking to his friend and…the things they were saying…well, they were definitely up to no good.”

Charlotte still didn’t look convinced.

“And he followed me! He must have known I’d heard him.”

“Perhaps,” Charlotte said. “Then again, you may have misunderstood what they were talking about. There are a dozen perfectly harmless reasons for him to come here.”

“Like what? I doubt he’s come to polish the silver. Steal the silver, maybe.”

“All right, I’ll admit he’s a bit dark and dangerous looking. But he’s done nothing to harm you.”

Min’s eyebrows shot to her hairline and she stifled an outraged squeak. “He’s after the necklace! And they were talking about minimizing the bloodshed. How on earth can that be explained in any innocent way?”

Charlotte shrugged a delicate shoulder. “Maybe he has a dangerous profession. He could be a…a…”

Min folded her arms and gave her friend a smug grin.

“A lumberjack! And maybe that’s how his hand was injured and his friend was just cautioning him against any more accidents.”

Min stared at Charlotte for half a second before they both dissolved into giggles.

“Girls!” Mistress Kellar snapped her fingers with a sharp click and shot them a stern frown. They clamped their lips shut. As soon as Mistress’s attention returned to the students in front of her, Charlotte leaned back over.

“Perhaps he’s merely on the hunt for a rich wife and came to inspect Princess Prissy.”

Min stifled a laugh. “Katherine would be perfect for him.”

“Oh come now. Give her some competition. You have to get married sometime. Why not to someone a little on the dodgy side? It would certainly make life more exciting.”

“Sure. Until you wake up one morning with the constable beating down your door. No, thank you.” Min smoothed her skirt. “It’s a blasted crime I have to get married at all. I’d rather spend my days traveling the world and being my own mistress than be at some man’s beck and call for the rest of my life, thank you very much.”

“Don’t say blast. And what about Dr. Carmichael? You’re willing enough to marry him.”

Min slumped back against the window. “I’m fond of him. If I have to choose someone…it might not be so bad with him.” She wouldn’t meet her friend’s eyes. Min had never kept anything from Charlotte before. But Arthur’s secret wasn’t hers to share. As far as Charlotte knew, their engagement was real and Min’s search for the necklace was a solitary and ridiculous venture. Min wasn’t sure how long she could keep the truth from Charlotte, but for the time being, she’d keep the true nature of things to herself.

Charlotte pinned her with a knowing gaze and Min forced herself not to squirm. “You’re either lying to yourself or to me. Just because Dr. Carmichael is sweet on you doesn’t mean you have to marry him, Min. He’s nice, but is life with a quiet country doctor really what you want?”

“Life with a quiet country doctor is the best choice I have unless I come into a fortune of my own.”

Another resounding snap of the fingers brought Min’s attention back to Mistress Kellar and the next book-laden victim. Min didn’t want to hear Charlotte’s opinion on the necklace again anyway.

“Lady Katherine, Miss Millstone, and the Misses McAllister,” Mistress Kellar announced. “Please step forward.”

The girls held still as their instructor placed a book on each of their heads. “Now, walk two circuits around the room.”

The sounds of falling books and self-conscious giggles echoed through the salon. “Try again,” Mistress Kellar commanded. “When you succeed in completing both circuits without dropping your book, you may sit.”

Min tried to hide her smile as Katherine dropped her book a second time. Katherine’s cousin, Agnes, floated by, oblivious to Katherine’s glare. Min’s amusement faded. She felt rather sorry for Agnes, who had become a ward of Katherine’s father upon the death of her parents. As a poor relation, she served as a sort of companion.

Lady Courtland entered the room and Charlotte elbowed Min in the ribs. Min caught sight of the young man behind her aunt and choked on a lungful of air.

They stood near the semicircle of girls, in front of the piano and old Mrs. Potter, Thornmont’s housekeeper-turned-music-mistress. Min tried to keep her hands from kneading the folds of her skirt. She composed herself as best she could and looked at her aunt. Her face flushed hot when she noticed the man staring at her. After a few moments, he smiled pleasantly and returned his attention to the rest of the girls.

“What is he doing here?” Charlotte whispered.

“Shh,” Min replied as Lady Courtland began to speak.

“As some of you may know, Mr. Larsen has been feeling under the weather lately. His doctor has advised him to rest and regain his strength. He will remain the butler at Thornmont but has decided to retire as dance instructor.”

Charlotte leaned over and whispered in Min’s ear. “It’s about time the old badger retired. He must be a hundred at least!”

Under normal circumstances Min would have laughed, but she couldn’t find anything amusing about this situation. She stared at the black-haired gentleman again. He couldn’t be the new dance instructor, could he? How had he weaseled his way into that post? The thought of dancing in his arms made her dizzy with fear…and something else. He glanced at her, his blue eyes boring into hers with an intensity that made her heart stop.

Min peeked at Charlotte, who met her gaze with an excited smile. Min shook her head and tried to pay attention. Her aunt finally came to the end of her long tribute to Mr. Larsen.

“Girls, this is Mr. Bryant Westley,” she said as she pulled him forward. “He comes highly recommended by our esteemed neighbor, Lord Rellik, and he has generously agreed to help us until we are able to find a permanent replacement. I hope you will give him a warm welcome.”

The girls applauded. Even Min had to agree that Mr. Westley was a decided improvement over the decrepit Mr. Larsen, though being recommended by Lord Rellik was reason enough to be cautious around him. Min felt a qualm of fear for Arthur but couldn’t see how a dance instructor at Thornmont could be a threat to him. She took a deep breath and tried to stay rational.

“Very good, girls,” said Lady Courtland. “Now, we shall go ’round the room and introduce ourselves. Lady Katherine?”

Of course, Min thought. Lady High and Mighty must always come first.

Katherine bestowed a superior smile upon everyone, then stood with her nose pointed upward in her most haughty pose.

“I am Lady Katherine Worthwright. My father is…”

Charlotte elbowed Min again and rolled her eyes.

Katherine finished her interminably long introduction with a beguiling smile aimed at their new instructor. Mr. Westley gave a small bow and kissed the back of her hand. “The honor is mine, Lady Katherine.” He moved on to Agnes, who introduced herself quickly, with an air that was almost rude. Mr. Westley repeated the process with each girl until he stopped in front of Min.

Min rose, an entire swarm of butterflies ricocheting in her stomach at his nearness. He gave no indication that they had already met. She blushed, stared into those unbelievable blue eyes, and prayed she could make it through her introduction.

“I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Westley. My name is Minuette Sinclair. I hope you enjoy your appointment with us.” Heaven have mercy! She had made it through the introduction. Now if she could just remain conscious when he touched her.

He took her hand and bowed, gently brushing his lips across the back of her hand before straightening. Min forced a smile, prepared to escape back to her seat. But he had not yet relinquished her.

“Minuette. What a beautiful name. It’s very unusual. A family name, perhaps?”

She stared at him mutely before regaining self-control. “No, actually. My mother enjoys playing music for her students. When I was born, my parents asked the village children for their opinion. They thought naming me for their favorite Mozart piece was a good idea. So I was christened Minuette.”

“Ah, enchanting. Your parents teach village children? Where?”

Min hesitated. She wasn’t too keen on telling the imposter (dance instructor my foot!) details about her life and background. And from the envious fidgeting of her classmates, it was obvious she wasn’t the only one who found his questioning odd. Mr. Westley appeared oblivious to everyone but her.

Ignoring a particularly hostile mutter of “common savage” that came from Katherine’s direction, accompanied by a malicious snort from Agnes, Min stared at Mr. Westley’s chin and focused on answering his questions with as little information as possible.

“They do…er, did. On the colony of Nevis, sir. My parents teach—taught English to the plantation children on the island.”

“How very noble of them.” Mr. Westley looked down as though he had only just realized he still held her hand in his. He released it and cleared his throat. “Well, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Sinclair.”

Min sat down and glanced around the room as Charlotte introduced herself. Katherine glared, but that wasn’t unusual. She hated when anyone got more attention than herself. When Charlotte had finished, Mr. Westley returned with Lady Courtland to the front of the room.

“Well, ladies. I will leave you in the capable hands of Mr. Westley.” Lady Courtland nodded as she turned to exit the room. Mr. Westley went to the piano and gave quiet instructions to Mrs. Potter. The notes of a gentle waltz soon filled the room.

His deep voice resonated through the salon. “Ladies, please pair up, and we will test your knowledge of this season’s popular dances. Miss Sinclair, will you kindly partner with me?”

A ball of ice settled in Min’s belly and she stared at Charlotte in near panic. Charlotte gave her a little shove. Min slid reluctantly into the warm circle of Mr. Westley’s arms. She prayed she could remember the steps as he tightened his grip on her waist. They began to twirl. Did he suspect she was also after the necklace? Surely he wouldn’t murder her in front of all the other girls. Would he?

He pulled her closer and thoughts of imminent death tangled with stranger emotions. She’d never been held so close by a man before. She’d danced with other men, of course. But they’d kept their proper distance, their hands exerting only the slightest pressure on her. She’d felt nothing. Yet the slight movements of Mr. Westley’s hand on her back made her skin tingle and her head swim as he pulled her even closer to complete a turn. She concentrated on the polished buttons of his dark wool coat in an attempt to keep her rattled wits about her.

He kept his eyes on the other girls as they made their way around the room in pairs and occasionally called out instructions. Min began to relax in his arms but sucked in a startled breath when his eyes met hers. He smiled down at her.

“You are the young lady I ran into yesterday afternoon in the village.”

“Yes, sir.” Her voice was hardly more than a whisper.

“You ran off so suddenly. I hope our little incident didn’t make you too late to meet your group.”

Mr. Westley drew her closer and Min’s thought processes slowed to a crawl. “No, sir.”

He flinched and looked down at the foot she’d just trampled. Min stifled a groan, snapping out of her daze. “I do apologize. My mother says that I can scale a tree with the grace of a monkey, but put me in the middle of a dance floor and I become a hopeless mess.”

“You are doing a splendid job—” Mr. Westley broke off with a grunt of pain as Min began to turn in the wrong direction, twisting his hand in the process.

“Blast,” Min mumbled.

Mr. Westley laughed and Min’s face burned.

Desperate for something to say, she blurted the first thing that came to her mind. “Why do you wear your gloves in such an informal setting?” Too late, she remembered exactly why he might find gloves necessary. Min chomped on the inside of her cheek, welcoming the pain that flashed through her mouth. She wanted nothing more than to reclaim her thoughtless words. Even murdering thieves deserved some consideration.

Mr. Westley stopped, his face as hard as the floor they danced upon.

“Oh, sir, I didn’t mean… I’m sorry… I—”

He released her. “I wear the gloves to protect the delicate sensibilities of innocent young girls.”

His words hit Min like shards of glass. The music ceased and she became aware of a dozen pairs of eyes locked on them.

Mr. Westley’s face cleared and he turned a dazzling smile to the rest of the girls. “I think that will be all for today.” He strode out the door, his boots echoing in the silent room.

As the students left, the corridors were abuzz with excited voices, each exclaiming how exciting, handsome, and wonderful Mr. Westley was. Charlotte immediately turned to Min, who filled her in on their conversation.

“Well, I guess that solves the mystery, doesn’t it? He is a definite improvement over Mr. Larsen, I will give him that. It’s about time we had an instructor who was at least born in this century. I’ll wager he’s not a day over twenty-two. Our classmates will be clobbering one another for the chance to dance with him. And you are the lucky lady who won the first dance.”

“Hardly lucky.”

“What did you say to him? For a moment there he seemed quite cross. Are you all right?”

Min looped her arm through her friend’s, her heart sinking into her boots. “Fine. Just…” She sighed. “I asked him why he wore gloves. It upset him.”

“Why?”

“Don’t be so eager to hear all the sordid details.” Min glanced up and down the halls, making sure the other girls were occupied with their own conversations before she described Mr. Westley’s injuries.

“Oh my.”

“I know it was unforgivably rude of me. But he just held me so close, and I was being my usual clumsy self, and my mind drew a blank and…it just came out.”

Charlotte smiled and gave her a quick hug. “Oh, it’s not so bad. In fact, I think Mr. Westley was quite taken with you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Did he ask anyone else questions about their Christian names? Did he stand for a full five minutes holding someone else’s hand? And who was the first to dance with him?”

“Yes, but—”

“He was taken with you,” Charlotte insisted.

“More like he was scrutinizing the competition.”

“Ha!”

Min shrugged. “Even if he’s not a murdering thief, and he very well may be, he’s an instructor. I’m a student.”

“What of it? Your mother married her teacher.”

Min’s head jerked in surprise. She had forgotten that fact for a moment. “Yes, but she had to give up everything to do it. Being married by a ship’s captain while running away from your home and family doesn’t sound like the best solution to me. They love each other, yes. But…” Min huffed in frustration. “It doesn’t matter, Charlotte. At worst, he’s dangerous competition I can ill afford. At best, he’s a mildly attractive gentleman who is trying to ingratiate himself with his new students. Besides, I’ve already made a more…suitable match.”

“Right.” Charlotte smiled and put an arm around her. “Well, that settles it, then. Let’s go for a walk in the gardens, shall we?”

Min looked behind her as Charlotte steered her down the hall. Mr. Westley stood in the doorway of the salon, rubbing his maimed hand. His eyes burned into hers until she turned the corner, out of his sight.

Chapter Six

Hanging out with a bunch of dead people in the middle of the night was not Min’s idea of a good time. But as the locket’s map seemed to lead to the Courtland family cemetery, it was a good place to start. She just hoped Arthur would hurry. Min settled onto a bench behind the marble wall of a mausoleum, wrapping her cloak tightly about her. The back of the mausoleum offered surprisingly good protection from the cold breeze blustering around the headstones, but it was still chilly.

She pulled the book out of her pocket and huddled over the lantern, trying to ignore the creepy setting. She’d read through it dozens of times, but maybe she’d missed something.

“Min.”

She jumped, stifling a yelp. “Charlotte. For crying out loud, you scared me half to death. How did you find me out here?”

“Sorry,” Charlotte said, her tone anything but apologetic. “I followed you. What on earth are you doing? It’s the middle of the night! And you’re sitting in a cemetery!”

“I’m reading.”

“Reading? You stole out in the dark of night to come do a little light reading? Here?”

“Well, I didn’t want the candlelight to wake you.”

“Very funny. Don’t tell me. More necklace intrigue?”

Before Min could answer, a dark shadow crept from the corner of the mausoleum. Charlotte shrieked.

“Oh hush.” Min grabbed her friend’s hand and yanked her down on the marble slab. “It’s just Arthur.”

Arthur stopped short when he saw Min was not alone. “Oh. I, ah… Excuse me…”

Charlotte frowned. “Dr. Carmichael. How very strange to meet you out here.”

“Miss K-Kensington,” Arthur stammered, starting to back up, “this isn’t… I wasn’t expecting…”

“Obviously. I’m apparently intruding. Not what I’d call the most romantic of locations for the two of you—”

“Oh, good grief.” Min jumped up and pulled Arthur into the light of her lantern. “Charlotte,” Min said, turning a stern gaze on her friend, “he is helping me search for the necklace. There is nothing else going on here.”

Charlotte turned an incredulous gaze on Arthur. “Why would you be helping her with this crazy scheme? You actually agreed to meet her in the middle of the night, in a cemetery of all places, to search for some nonexistent treasure?”

“It’s not nonexistent!” Min and Arthur both protested. Min opened her mouth to argue further but sat back with a frown and allowed Arthur to continue.

“And I have my reasons for helping her. None of which I am required to explain to you.”

“Well, you obviously don’t care as much for her as you pretend to, Dr. Carmichael. If you did you wouldn’t have agreed to meet her out in a creepy old cemetery, in the dead of night, risking her reputation, and possibl—”

“You think it’s better for her to roam around alone? And don’t you think for a moment she won’t. At least with me here she’s got some protection—”

“Protection? I should just march right back to the manor and tell Lady Courtland what’s been going on. You think that—”

“Enough!” Min shouted. Arthur and Charlotte turned twin looks of exasperation in her direction. “Charlotte, Arthur would never do anything to hurt me, so you aren’t going to tell my aunt or anyone else. And Arthur.” She took a deep breath. “Charlotte is my best friend. I’d trust her with my life, and I’m tired of lying to her. Just tell her the truth.”

Arthur’s glare faded as he stared at Min. Then he sighed and slumped onto the bench. He rubbed his hands over his face, leaning his elbows on his knees. “I would marry Min in a heartbeat if she’d have me, but for the moment, our engagement is one of convenience. She needed to appease her aunt, and I wanted my grandmother to know I was settled before she died. As for the necklace, I’d have helped Min find it no matter what. However, as it stands, I need it as well. I ran into a bit of trouble with Lord Rellik. A small gambling matter that got out of hand. I owe him a great deal of money and if I don’t pay him soon, he’ll take everything. My clinic. My house. Everything.”

“But you don’t really believe the necklace exists, do you?”

“Yes, I do.” Arthur straightened and pulled a silver chain out of his pocket. The locket glinted in the faint lamplight. “My grandmother gave me this.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened a fraction of an inch as Arthur explained the locket’s significance.

“As interesting as that may be, it doesn’t help you find the necklace,” Charlotte said.

“I know there’s not much to go on,” Min conceded, her excitement deflating. “But Mrs. Carmichael confirmed that the necklace is real. And that Edward did have a mistress who wore this locket. If that much of the story is true, then the rest must be as well. Which means the map must lead to the necklace.”

“Is that what you’re doing out here? Checking graves for stolen necklaces?”

Min and Arthur looked at each other and then back at Charlotte, but they remained silent.

Charlotte stood, her gaze flicking between them. “You’re both insane.” She shook her head and turned back toward the manor. “I’m going back to bed. Don’t get caught.”

“I’ll be along soon,” Min said.

Charlotte marched off, muttering dire words of warning into the night.

Min closed the book. “Don’t worry about her.” She nudged Arthur’s shoulder with her own. “Thank you for telling her. It’s been difficult lying.”

Arthur rested against her. “You know, you could just agree to marry me for real. Then you wouldn’t have to lie to anyone.”

Min looked up, startled at the intensity in his eyes. He leaned forward, brushing his nose against hers, his warm breath mingling with her own.

“Would being married to me really be so bad?” His deep voice held a note that was both teasing and promising and it triggered a rush of emotions Min had a hard time identifying. A small tremble ran up her spine as she thought of several things that would make marriage to Arthur…less than bad.

Then the memory of ocean blue eyes intruded, leaving Min wishing a very different pair of arms held her. She shifted subtly, just enough so their faces were no longer touching. Arthur’s caresses were pleasant, but the feelings they created were nothing like the heart-stopping rushes of heat she experienced every time Mr. Westley so much as looked in her direction.

Still, Arthur was attractive and marriage to him would no doubt be agreeable. She enjoyed his company, felt safe with him, comfortable. Is that love?

“No, it wouldn’t be so bad.” She smiled up at him. “For me, at least. You, I fear, would grow to hate me within a month. I’d nag you within an inch of your life.”

Arthur chuckled and Min breathed a little easier as the tension between them relaxed.

“Come on, my would-be wife,” he said, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s go look at some headstones.”

Min laughed and turned toward the cemetery, but Arthur tugged on her hand. She turned back to him, her eyebrows raised in question.

“Here,” he said, slipping the silver chain over her head. “You keep this.”

The heavy weight of the locket thumped against her chest. Min clutched it in surprise. “Arthur, I can’t keep this. Your grandmother gave it to you.”

“And I want you to have it.”

Min opened her mouth to protest further, but Arthur took her hand and started walking toward the headstones, pulling her behind him.

“It will be safer with you. Besides, it looks much better around your neck.”

“Well, that’s true enough. I’m surprised the silver isn’t tarnished from resting against your toxic skin.”

“You’d better watch that wicked tongue, my dear, or I really will marry you, and then you’ll be sorry.”

His tone teased, but Min’s heart clenched at the tiny lines of hurt creasing around his eyes.

“Arthur, I—”

“Here’s the first one,” he said, holding the lantern closer to the stone.

Min took the hint and dropped the subject. For the moment.

They searched the graveyard for the better part of an hour. Several stones were so worn with age they couldn’t be read. A few bore the initials AB but either belonged to men or were the wrong years. Though they couldn’t be exactly sure what year Anne Benton had died, if she had ever lived, they knew Edward Courtland’s son had been only a few years old at the time. That gave them a rough timeline to shoot for, somewhere in the late 1780s or early 1790s.

But nothing fit.

“Come on,” Arthur finally said. “Let’s get you back in your bed before the charming Miss Kensington raises the house.”

They walked in silence back to the manor, Arthur’s hand wrapped warmly around Min’s. As they drew nearer, Min spoke. “Arthur, about what you said earlier…”

“Shh,” he whispered. They’d reached the back entrance of the house. He kissed her gently on the cheek and then gave her a little shove through the garden gate. “Off to bed with you.”

“Good night, Arthur,” she whispered. But he’d disappeared into the darkness.

Chapter Seven

Min sat straight in her chair, the picture of ladylike decorum, while Charlotte choked on her water, shaking with barely controlled laughter.

“Min.” Charlotte held her napkin to her mouth and cast an anxious glance around the dining table at their classmates and instructors. “You’re going to get us in trouble. Stop!”

Min snared another pea and shoved it in her mouth. She grinned at Charlotte, two of the small green vegetables wedged firmly in her teeth. “Whatever do you mean?” she asked, blinking her eyes in feigned innocence. She stuck her front teeth over her bottom lip in an excellent imitation of a green-toothed beaver.

“Min…” Charlotte trailed off as she glanced over Min’s shoulder.

Min swiveled around just as Mr. Westley slid into the empty chair beside her. She inhaled, her eyes widening in sudden panic as one of the peas lodged in her windpipe. She coughed violently, trying to fend off Charlotte, who attempted to beat the pea out of her. Finally, the murderous vegetable slid down her throat and she forced a breath past the constraints of her corset. She glanced at Mr. Westley, her cheeks burning.

“Are you all right, Miss Sinclair?” His words were sincere, but his voice was tight with laughter.

Min forced what she hoped was a polite smile. “I’m fine, thank you. Just a little tickle in my throat.”

“Glad to hear it.” He grinned and glanced away, rubbing a gloved knuckle over his lips. His gaze wandered across the table. “Good evening, Lady Katherine.”

Katherine simpered at the attention and Min’s smile faded. Mr. Westley brushed his hair from his face. His sleeve rode up, revealing the jagged scar that slashed up his arm. Min’s breath caught in her throat and Mr. Westley glanced at her as the sound escaped her lips.

Min forced herself to turn back to her dinner, knowing her mouth was gaping like a fool. As her lips closed, a small object bounced out of her mouth and onto her plate. She stared in horror at the shell of the second pea that had been covering her front tooth.

Oh holy Moses! She’d been grinning like a green-toothed idiot. Her face grew so hot her eyes watered. She took a sip of water and risked a glance at Mr. Westley.

He leaned closer. “The peas look delicious tonight.”

Min choked and grabbed her napkin, mortified as a few drops of water trickled from her nose. Sweet heaven, what else can go wrong?

Throughout the rest of the dinner, Min tried to behave like a proper, elegant lady. This proved a very difficult task with Mr. Westley seated so near. Her hand trembled when she picked up her knife and fork, preparing to cut into a tempting piece of meat. Everything would have gone quite well if Mr. Westley hadn’t chosen that precise moment to reach between them for the saltcellar. His hand brushed her bare arm and the sudden sensation caused her hand to jump, sending the poor little filet of beef skidding across the table. Right into Katherine’s lap.

Min calmly laid down her utensils, finding vague solace in the fact that the meat had landed on Katherine. Lady Courtland stared at the scene in openmouthed astonishment.

“I beg your pardon, Lady Courtland, but I am feeling unwell. May I be excused?” Min dared not look directly at Mr. Westley, whose expression was hidden behind his napkin.

No one’s mouth is that dirty, Min thought.

Lady Courtland merely nodded her permission. Min hurried from the room as Agnes, with an amused smile hidden from Katherine, attempted to retrieve the meat from her cousin’s lap.

Min began to climb the stairs to her room but stopped, her mind churning. Why did that man affect her so? She knew nothing about him, except that he was most likely involved in disreputable dealings and was searching for information she’d rather he not have.

Yet she craved his company. Thoughts of him intruded into every waking moment of her day…and night. If she didn’t pull herself together and stop mooning over him like some lovesick fool, he’d find the necklace before she did. And she just couldn’t allow that.

Min turned and headed for the library, determined to drive him from her thoughts. There were numerous small portraits and knickknacks strewn about the shelves of books. Min hadn’t found an eye portrait, but perhaps she’d overlooked it. No better time to look than while everyone else was busy in the dining room.

Pausing just inside the large polished doors of the library, she took a deep breath and immediately relaxed in the comforting quiet. Her eyes scanned the familiar surroundings. She hiked the steep, circular staircase to the third floor and began to peruse the odds and ends nestled among the books. Every now and then she stopped and took a volume off the bookshelf, adding it to the growing pile in her arms after leafing through the pages. Might as well gather some reading material if she was going to be searching the shelves anyway.

…

Bryant watched Min as she hurried from the room, still fighting back the laughter that bubbled in his chest. He was amazed the girl hadn’t burned the school down yet. She was a walking menace. And thoroughly charming—even more so because she had no idea of her appeal.

His amusement evaporated with the realization that she had left the room and could be anywhere. With most of the students and staff still at dinner, she would be free to roam the house. Bryant inhaled his food, excused himself as soon as was polite, and immediately sought her out. A difficult feat to accomplish with most of his simpering pupils dogging his every move. He finally managed to extricate himself from a gaggle of giggling girls and quickly made himself scarce.

Trying to keep up with the intriguing Miss Sinclair was proving to be a challenge. Where would she have gone? The attics? Cellars? As the niece here, she’d know the house better than anyone. There was no telling where she could be. He needed to find her. Get as much information out of her as he could. He’d need to tread carefully, though.

Bryant had at first hoped he could charm a bit of information about the Courtlands out of her, but his hopes had been dashed when he’d seen her sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night. He had followed her into the cemetery and saw her and Arthur exploring. He’d kept an even closer eye on her since that night.

He was convinced that she was after the necklace. Why else would she spend all her spare time prowling about the estate or burying her nose in history books about the area? She’d taken the book he’d tossed in the barrel. Had she found anything useful in it that he’d missed?

Her searches appeared to be more calculated than his explorations. She knew something. And he needed to find out what. Which meant he needed to keep an eye on her. He just had to find the bloody girl first.

…

Min flinched when a shadow settled over her. During the last hour, several groups of girls had spread throughout the house. But none had ventured to the third level or noticed Min there, as far as she could tell. Until now. A few pretended to sew or read, but most sat staring up at the magnificent man who stood beside her. She tensed her muscles, refusing to squirm under his scrutiny.

“Looking for something to read?”

“Yes, sir.” She hadn’t found any eye portraits with maps drawn behind them, blast it all, but she had found a few favorite books to reread.

“And what is that you’re reading?” he asked, taking the book from her. “Hmm, Oliver Twist. ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’”

He winked at her and she drew back in surprise. What game is he playing?

“Wonderful scene,” he continued. “Do you enjoy Dickens?”

“Yes, sir. This story in particular. I’ve read it many times.”

Mr. Westley glanced at the stack of books in her arms.

“Jane Austen, Lord Tennyson, Charlotte Brontë, Robert Browning…” He cocked his eyebrow. “You’ve read all of these?”

His incredulous tone got on her nerves. “Yes, sir.” She took her book back with a sharp flick of her wrist. “Several times.”

“No Shakespeare?” Now he was mocking her. The amused disbelief on his face enflamed the familiar ire she felt whenever a man dismissed her as too weak and womanly to have a working brain.

“No. I don’t care for Shakespeare.” She snapped her book shut and gathered the rest to her chest.

Mr. Westley’s smile grew broader by the minute. “And why would that be, Miss Sinclair? Do you find him too difficult?”

Min took a deep breath through her nose and prayed for the strength not to strike him. “Not at all, sir. He writes prettily enough, and some of his works are acceptable. But I don’t care for his attitude toward women.”

Mr. Westley looked at her with genuine interest, the teasing light gone from his eyes. “I have always found the women in Shakespeare’s plays to be strong-willed, passionate, and powerful characters. In what way would that be displeasing to you?”

“If you’d really like to know, I’ve always thought Shakespeare’s view of women was too subject to the beliefs of the patriarchal society in which he lived.”

Min smiled as Mr. Westley’s jaw dropped. A rush of excitement flooded her chest.

“I do not care for Mr. Shakespeare’s portrayal of women,” she continued, “because strong-willed, passionate, and powerful or not, they all represented the type of woman that was ideal in his time. In short, women who were seen as inherently inferior and therefore in need of male guidance and protection. A belief that has, unfortunately, persisted.”

Min enjoyed the stunned shock on Mr. Westley’s face. Well, she thought, that will teach him to think I am some silly girl without a thought in my head…but how devastatingly handsome he is.

He closed his mouth and leaned closer, eyes alight with curiosity. “But many of Shakespeare’s female characters flouted their conventions, refused to marry their father’s choice, spoke their minds, and chose their own paths. So perhaps he was really an advocate of the independence and emancipation of women.”

“Perhaps,” Min replied, “but you must remember the fate of these characters. No matter if the women began the play as strong-minded, independent forces to be reckoned with or as weak-willed, obedient slaves to other’s desires, they always ended in the same place.”

“And where is that, Miss Sinclair?”

“Exactly where every proper Elizabethan woman ended up, Mr. Westley. Safely married or dead.”

Mr. Westley stared at her with a strange mixture of shock, amusement, and something else she couldn’t quite name.

“If you will excuse me, sir, I believe I should retire now.”

“Of course, Miss Sinclair, of course.” He bowed over her hand and straightened with an almost bewildered expression. “I wish you a good evening.”

Min dropped a small curtsy. “Thank you, Mr. Westley. Good evening.” She turned to leave but Mr. Westley tugged on her hand.

“I’m curious…” he began. Min remained silent, willing her fingers not to tremble in his grasp. “What type of woman are you?”

“Pardon?” Min’s voice squeaked and his hand tightened.

“If you were cast in one of Mr. Shakespeare’s plays…who would you be? A weak, obedient slave to others’ desires? Or a force to be reckoned with?”

“I’ve never considered myself weak, Mr. Westley.” His eyes burned into hers as she pulled her hand away. “Good night.”

“Good night, Miss Sinclair.”

Min forced herself to walk calmly from the room, her head swimming. She reached the staircase and gripped the banister with extra force. She’d never spoken to a man so forcefully before. And certainly never to an instructor. Every cell in her body pulsed with energy, a strange mixture of exhilaration, fear, and sheer determination.

The rush of emotion soon faded. Her mind kept drifting to Mr. Westley’s eyes, his hair, the way he smelled, and even to his amused grin that appeared whenever she made a ninny of herself. His gloved hands. How had he lost his finger? What had caused that horrible scar? What sort of man stood on the streets and spoke of guns and pickaxes and loss of life with such ease, yet could dance so gracefully? She was a fool to bait him.

But he made every inch of her sing with unadulterated vitality. Even if it did stem from fear. Mostly. Maybe irritation. Maybe.

Min reached her room and flopped on her bed with an exasperated growl. She was attracted to him, plain and simple. It was an impossible situation. She couldn’t trust the man not to rob her blind or strangle her into silence.

What sort of a prized idiot was she?

Chapter Eight

Min lounged in the library, her restless fingers fidgeting with the open book on her lap. She hadn’t seen Arthur alone since that night in the cemetery. A ridiculous epidemic of the sniffles had invaded the town and everyone had been beating down his clinic door for runny-nose relief. The one time he had managed to call, Aunt Laura had insisted upon joining them to discuss wedding plans. The situation had been uncomfortable on more levels than Min cared to deal with just then. They had ended the miserable visit as quickly as possible.

But they needed to talk. Thank goodness one of the girls had twisted an ankle! Min should be able to get him alone for a moment while he was at the school.

The locket rested beneath her blouse and a twinge of guilt shot through her. She hadn’t spent any time trying to decipher the map. There had been too many…distractions. Distractions that need to disappear, she thought, her face puckering into a frown.

The sound of a carriage pulling into the courtyard interrupted Min’s thoughts. She peered out the window and saw Arthur jump down from one of the manor’s rigs and climb the steps into the house. His murmuring voice mingled with Lady Courtland’s as they entered the study across from the library.

As soon as Arthur and her aunt disappeared into the study, Min made a dash for the stairs. She had an hour of free time left before afternoon lessons began, and she knew Arthur would come looking for her once he was done with his patient. They usually met in the picture gallery. Its ghostly reputation and the curtained alcoves that punctuated the long hallway made it an ideal meeting place.

Min hurried past the girls who loitered in the corridors. She rounded the corner leading to the staircase and the forbidden upper levels and stopped. The doorway to the attic stood ajar. The attic was off limits. Min had never ventured up there. But then, she’d never had a reason before. With a quick peek over her shoulder, she went through the door and closed it behind her before anyone saw…and before she could change her mind.

The slight glow at the top of the stairs illuminated the cobweb-lined beams that supported the ceiling. Min lowered her head and climbed. She didn’t look up until she’d reached the top. She had no desire to see whatever creepy-crawly things she might be passing.

The attic was one huge room running almost the entire length of the wing. A few trunks lined the walls. An old battered sofa and chair sat at the far end of the room by an ash-filled fireplace. A candle, its wax melted in a pool around it, sat on a table among a pile of scattered papers. Two towers of old furniture teetered in the far corner. Aside from that, there was nothing.

Min walked across the room, her footsteps echoing in the near-empty space. Light streamed through the circular windows peppering the walls at regular intervals. Min sighed, planting her hands on her hips as she slowly turned. She doubted the portrait was hidden here. There was nowhere to hide it.

Plopping on the sofa, she rifled through the pile of papers in front of her. They seemed to be old town records, vital documents listing marriages, deaths, land deeds. Most of the paperwork dealt with the old church and vicarage in town. Sexton records chronicling vicars and their families going back a century. A mention here and there of Thornmont Grange and the Courtland family, but nothing that seemed important.

She stood and walked over to a set of French doors that was set in the middle wall. One of the doors had been propped open a crack with a broken bit of stone. Min pushed the door open, showering flakes of gritty dust into her hair as she pried the doors apart. She stepped out onto a landing that ran the length of the upper floor, brushing her hands together to remove what she could of the grime covering them.

“Hello?” she called. She didn’t see anyone, but someone must have wedged the door open.

Picking her way carefully along the balcony, she rested her hands on the short stone wall surrounding the walkway and leaned over. It overlooked the back gardens several stories below her. Min’s head swam and she straightened up, moving away from the wall.

“What are you doing out here?”

Min spun around. Mr. Westley stood in front of her, so close she could reach out and touch him. She backed away a step.

“Mr. Westley. You startled me.” She put a fluttering hand to her chest, wondering if he’d fall for the oh-my-goodness-I’m-going-to-faint ploy. Judging by his glowering face, she didn’t think so.

“It is my understanding students are forbidden in this part of the manor, Miss Sinclair. So I’ll ask again. What are you doing up here?”

Min inched farther away until the edge of the wall dug into the small of her back. Her stomach flip-flopped at the cold blue eyes burning into her own. “I, ah, I thought I heard someone up here. I came to check. I was a little curious so I looked around, but as there is nothing but broken furniture and some old papers…”

Mr. Westley’s lips tightened, his face chiseled in stone. Min suddenly grew conscious of the open space and long drop behind her.

She forced herself to focus and tried again. “I thought I’d take a look out here. I just wanted to see…”

Min’s gaze traveled over Mr. Westley’s furious face. Her pulse pounded in her throat as she remembered his conversation with his friend outside the bookshop. He certainly didn’t look above murdering to keep his secret quiet.

“It isn’t safe up here, Miss Sinclair. I’d advise you not to wander here again.” He moved closer, his hands gripping the railing on either side of her. Only a sliver of space separated them. “You might get hurt.”

Min looked up at him. The air seemed suddenly too thin to breathe. He frightened her, but his territorial attitude ignited a spark of anger. Who did he think he was? She had been here first. The necklace was hers and she would be damned if she would let the smoldering man in front of her, or anyone else for that matter, steal the treasure out from under her nose.

She straightened up, pressing her body against his chest. Startled, Mr. Westley jerked back.

“I appreciate your concern, sir,” she bit out, gripping the wall behind her to calm the vertigo the dizzying height and her own adrenaline were causing. “But I’ve been wandering the grounds for years. It is my aunt’s house, after all. I’m perfectly entitled to explore my own family’s property.” His eyes narrowed at her defiant tone and Min pressed her palms into the rough stone at her back to keep them from trembling.

She cleared her throat. “However, I will take more care in the future.”

Mr. Westley glared and crossed his arms, leaning a hip on the wall beside her. “See that you do. I’d hate for something to happen to you.” Min had no doubt of the threat behind those piercing blue eyes.

He bent closer. She opened her mouth to speak but only a startled squeak emerged as the wall crumbled beneath their combined weight. Mr. Westley jumped back. Min had half a second to see a look of abject horror on his face before the section of wall behind her disintegrated. She scrambled at the crumbling rocks, terror squeezing her throat so tightly she couldn’t even scream. Her hands clawed at stone and mortar that turned to dust in her grasp. And then there was nothing but air.

“Minuette!”

Her stomach plummeted as she fell, Mr. Westley’s shout ringing through her ears. Something caught her arm and she screamed at the sickening pop that sent a searing pain shooting through her shoulder. Min looked up. Mr. Westley hung halfway out over the gaping hole in the wall, his hand in a viselike grip on her arm.

“Hold on,” he gasped.

Chapter Nine

Bryant fought for control. Minuette’s terrified eyes seared into his. But the whimper that escaped her lips tore straight through his heart. He’d felt her arm slip from its joint when he’d grabbed her, though he didn’t think it was entirely dislocated…yet. He braced himself against the solid part of the ledge and pulled.

A feeling of intense relief poured through him as soon as she was safely in his arms. He didn’t understand his feelings. He certainly hadn’t meant to injure her. He’d never killed except in self-defense, and though the girl was a threat to him, he had no desire to harm her. But the nearly crippling fear that permeated every cell of his body when he saw her tumble over the edge went beyond a simple desire to keep an innocent girl safe. He wanted to wrap himself around her, protect her. If he could have made her pain his own, he’d have done so in a heartbeat.

He’d never felt so strongly for anyone before. And he couldn’t afford to feel so now. Minuette Sinclair was proving to be much more of a danger than he ever thought possible. She was after the necklace; he was sure of it.

He had to make sure he got to it first. A few distracting and unwanted emotions were irrelevant.

Min trembled against him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her back inside the attic. Min sank onto the couch, her arm limp and useless at her side, her lips pressed so tightly together they were almost invisible in her pale face.

Bryant knelt in front of her. “I think your shoulder is dislocated.”

“You saved me,” she whispered, tears running down her face.

“Yes.”

“You could have let me fall.”

His gaze raked over her face.

No. He couldn’t have.

He didn’t answer her and Min let her head fall back against the couch. She bit her lip, her breath coming in short, whimpering bursts.

“The doctor is still downstairs, I believe. I’ll go fetch him.”

“No!” Min grabbed his hand with her good arm. “Please don’t.”

Bryant frowned. “You are injured.”

“I don’t want to deal with…” She sucked in her breath, holding it for a moment before slowly releasing it. “Please. Can’t you fix it?”

Bryant knelt beside her again. He could pop her arm back in; he’d done it before—to himself and others. But it would hurt and the thought of causing her pain sent an unwelcome jolt of distress through him. He took her hands and she flinched. He turned them over, inwardly cringing at the lacerations across her palms.

“I think you ought to let the doctor see you,” he said, trying to make his voice as gentle as possible. She looked ready to bolt out the door.

Min’s eyes darted around the room, coming to rest briefly on his papers. “They’ll want to know what happened,” she said, her voice strained and faint.

Bryant opened his mouth to protest again but stopped. She was right. The doctor and Lady Courtland were sure to have many questions neither one of them wanted to answer. The attic rooms were off limits. And he had been alone up here with a student who had almost plunged to her death. Lady Courtland would have grounds to immediately dismiss him. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

He stood, tapping his hand against his thigh as he paced. Finally he came back to Min. Perhaps if he fixed her arm, the rest could be explained away as a simple fall. He took off his belt.

Min’s eyes grew wide. Bryant folded the belt in half and sat beside her on the couch. He reached out and brushed away a stray strand of hair. Then he brought the belt up to her lips. “Bite,” he commanded.

Min took a deep breath and opened her mouth, taking the leather between her teeth. Bryant took her arm and braced it beneath his. He ran his fingers up the length of her arm and took a firm grip, bracing his other hand against her shoulder.

“This is going to hurt.”

She nodded.

And then she bit down hard.

Bryant knelt in front of Min. He reached for his cravat and unwound it from his neck. Min leaned her head back against the couch, her eyes half closed.

He tore the neck cloth in half and gently took one of her hands. She groaned faintly but allowed him to dab at her torn palm. Bryant wrapped her hand carefully and went to work on the other.

“The wrappings will keep the blood from dripping,” he said, his eyes on her pale face. “But you need to have the wounds cleaned.”

Min’s eyes focused on him. They stared at each other before she dropped her gaze with a tiny nod.

“Come on.” Bryant scooped Min into his arms, ignoring her indignant gasp, and started across the attic floor. She was complicating things. But for the moment, he didn’t care.

He held her close to his chest, hoping she couldn’t feel his heart pounding through his rib cage. She didn’t allow him to hold her long before squirming against him. He looked down, unwilling to let her go.

“I can walk,” she insisted.

Once they reached the bottom of the attic stairs, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

Bryant cracked open the door and took a cautious look around. “It’s clear,” he said, standing aside so she could squeeze past him. “I’ll expect you in the study in five minutes,” he said as she hurried by.

Min didn’t answer.

Obstinate, willful creature!

He gave her a two-minute head start before he followed her down. He found her outside the study door, staring at the carved wood of the molding.

“You realize you must actually turn the knob if you wish to enter the room.” He bit back a burst of laughter at the outraged look she shot him.

Bryant caught sight of a silver chain glittering at her throat and any trace of amusement disappeared. He reached out and pulled a locket from its hiding place beneath Min’s blouse, fingering the hoya blossom design with its large center pearl. She snatched it back before he could open it and shoved the locket inside her blouse again, making sure all her buttons were securely fastened. Bryant stared at her until Min began to fidget beneath his gaze.

“You might want to take care that no one else sees that. Lady Courtland will confiscate it if she finds you are disobeying the rule against jewelry.”

She seemed to relax a bit. Interesting. She didn’t want him curious about it but seemed to have no problem with him thinking she was purposely breaking the rules. What was the little minx hiding? He might need to take a closer look at that necklace. He kept his face passive as he gestured to the closed study door. “Shall we?”

“I’m quite capable of making it another five feet without assistance.”

“I’m sure you are.” He rapped on the door, opening it at Lady Courtland’s muted “Enter.”

“After you.”

Min’s lips clamped against the angry retort that must have been burning on her tongue. Instead of unleashing it, she brushed past him into the room.

Dr. Carmichael sat on one of the floral-backed chairs, a teacup raised halfway to his lips. He focused on Min in surprise.

Lady Courtland’s cup clinked in its saucer. “Mr. Westley, Minuette. Is there a problem?”

Bryant spoke before Min could open her mouth. “I’m afraid Miss Sinclair has had a bit of an accident. She fell while walking in the gardens and grazed her hands. I thought the good doctor should take a look at them.”

Arthur hurried to Min’s side and ushered her into a chair. Bryant followed, standing beside Min. Dr. Carmichael glanced at him but ignored him otherwise. He knelt in front of Min, muttering as he unwound the makeshift bandages. A maid scurried off to the kitchens with orders for hot water and rags.

Min kept her attention on her hands while the doctor began to pick out pieces of rock from her torn skin. His hands were quick and gentle but Min still writhed when he dug out a well-embedded piece. Bryant’s gut twisted with the urge to fling the doctor away from her.

“You did this falling in the garden?”

“Yes, she did,” Bryant answered.

This time Dr. Carmichael’s attention wasn’t so fleeting. His eyes narrowed with suspicion and something Bryant could swear was anger. The doctor’s gaze flicked to Lady Courtland, who was busy ushering curious students out of the room, before returning to Bryant.

“It must have been a terrible fall indeed if it’s rendered Miss Sinclair incapable of speech,” he said, his voice pitched low enough only Bryant and Min could hear.

“Arthur,” Min murmured. The doctor’s name on her lips sent another sharp stab to Bryant’s gut. His jaw clenched.

“One of you had better tell me what really happened,” the doctor said, smoothing some sort of salve over the cuts in Min’s palms.

“And what makes you think anything other than a simple spill in the gardens took place?” Bryant asked, earning himself a glare from Min.

“For one thing, this,” the doctor said, holding up a piece of bloody rubble, “is not a rock. It’s a bit of masonry with the mortar still attached.” He dropped it back in the bowl holding the old bandages and other bits of debris. “And secondly, Miss Sinclair hasn’t spoken one word since she entered this room and that is entirely unlike her. I can always tell when she’s lying, and it’s even more apparent when she refuses to say anything at all. So, I’ll say again, someone had better tell me what really happened.”

“Arthur, not now.” Min sat forward in her chair. “I’ll tell you toni—”

Bryant clamped a hand onto her shoulder and pulled her back into the chair, cutting her off.

“There is nothing else to tell.” Bryant’s eyes glared daggers at the man crouched at Min’s feet. If he could have found a reason to pummel the good doctor where he sat, he would have gladly done so. He vaguely recognized that he was overreacting, but he didn’t want Min alone with the doctor she addressed by his Christian name, telling him secrets that belonged to her and Bryant alone.

The doctor stood and moved close enough that there was only a whisper of air between them. “Remove your hand from my fiancée, Mr. Westley. Now.”

Fiancée? Bryant’s hand tightened on Min in a sudden surge of possessiveness and she gasped. He immediately let go, glancing down to be sure she was all right.

She might have been unharmed physically, but the expression on her face had Bryant taking a step back before he caught himself. Min stood and looked between the two men.

“That is enough out of both of you. Mr. Westley, I am perfectly capable of speaking for myself and I will thank you to stop trying to do it for me. Dr. Carmichael and I are betrothed and he has every right to know what happened. And you,” she said, turning on the doctor. “This is not the time nor place. I will speak to you later.”

Before either man could answer, Lady Courtland approached them. “Oh, good. You look as though you are feeling much better, my dear. Excellent. However, I will excuse you from your classes for the rest of the day. I suggest you retire to your room and rest until supper.”

“Yes, Aunt Laura.” With a little curtsy and a subtle glare for both Bryant and Dr. Carmichael Min turned and left the room.

Bryant watched her go, a small grin tugging at his lips. She was definitely more than he’d expected. A spitfire of a girl who he admired more with each hour. A girl who was entirely unsuited for the staid doctor who fumed next to him. She’d be bored to tears inside of two months married to such a dullard. A girl like Minuette Sinclair needed to be with someone more…adventurous, more her equal. Someone like him.

His amusement faded quickly with the realization that he and Min could never be together. He could never burden her with his life. She’d be safer and happier married to her country doctor. He needed to put an end to this ridiculous distraction and get back to business.

Because her determination to beat him to the necklace had also made her a bigger threat than he’d anticipated. A threat he could ill afford.

What a pity.

Chapter Ten

Min woke past midday the following Sunday. Her shoulder still ached and her hands were sore, but they were healing. She had never been so glad for the rather silly convention of always having one’s hands covered when out and about. At least the gloves kept her from having to lie to too many people. She had enough problems trying to evade Arthur’s attentions.

Min knew she couldn’t avoid him forever, but she’d keep him, and his questions, at bay for as long as she could. Especially since she had plenty of her own questions about what had happened in the attic.

There was no doubt Mr. Westley knew about her explorations. His warnings were less and less subtle. For a moment, she had truly feared he would harm her. Yet…

He’d saved her.

And…there had been a look in his eyes when he’d pulled her back on the roof. He’d held her so close…

She needed some air. Min tossed her blankets aside, biting her lip at the latent throbbing in her injured palms, threw on her skirt and blouse, and left the room.

Min loved to walk along the flower-lined paths of the estate grounds. Her favorite place was the enormous greenhouse at the back of the property. Even in winter, the gardeners made sure that something bloomed. As far as Min knew, she and Charlotte were the only ones who went there. The warm interior of the greenhouse provided an almost tropical hiding place, safe from the elements and prying eyes.

It felt like home.

The building sat where the wild acres of the estate began, beside a large pond where Min would often dip her toes if the weather was good and no one was about. Min sat on the stone bench that rested beneath the branches of a willow tree just at the water’s edge. She took a deep breath, welcoming the cold air as it hit her lungs.

Min pulled her uncle’s latest letter from her pocket and went back over the already well-read pages. The words blurred into each other, a few standing out in glaring contrast to the white of the page.

Your father’s condition is deteriorating…

One of the witnesses has recanted…

The family is demanding compensation…

Min folded the letter and put it away. Reading it again wouldn’t help. Nothing would help except enough money to bribe her father’s way out of prison and onto a ship. She played with the chain around her neck. The locket was of no real use to them, only the map that was inside. The pearl at least would be worth something. She wondered how much she’d be able to get for it…and how much Arthur would hate her if she sold it. All she knew for certain was that time was running out.

She jumped as a loud crash arose behind her. She stood, walking as quietly as she could until she approached the door of the greenhouse. The frosted glass made it impossible to see anything but vague shapes. A scraping sound came from inside, but she saw no hint of movement.

She moved to the door and eased it open to peek inside. Seeing nothing suspicious, she entered, closing the door behind her. Another loud crash sounded from the back of the large, crowded space, followed by a muffled, “Oh, bloody hell!”

Min slapped a hand over her mouth to keep in her shocked giggle. “Mr. Westley?” she finally asked, having recognized the voice. “Is everything all right?”

“Miss Sinclair?” Mr. Westley appeared from behind the plant-laden tables in the back. He dusted himself off and hurried over to her, taking her hand in his. She started at the feel of his warm skin against her chilled fingers. She’d forgotten her gloves. As, apparently, had he. Her eyes flicked down, but he held his mangled hand behind his back. “Yes, I was just looking for something. I didn’t expect company. What brings you to this stuffy old place?”

Min willed her fingers to remain still. She wanted to turn her hand, mold her skin to his. She looked up to find him staring at her and realized she hadn’t yet answered him.

“Oh, I come here often, especially if the weather is cold outside. I love being surrounded by the plants.”

Mr. Westley tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and Min tried to keep her expression neutral. “They are rather beautiful, aren’t they?” he asked, looking directly at her. “Shall we?” He bowed, holding his hand out to the aisle in front of them. They talked as they wandered around the greenhouse, stopping every so often to gaze at a particular plant. They came upon a small wrought-iron bench against the wall.

“Please, Miss Sinclair,” he said, gesturing to the bench. Min sat stiffly, anticipation, nervousness, and a myriad of other emotions all tumbling together inside her. The tumult created a curious, though not unpleasant, sensation in the pit of her stomach. She thought it odd that Mr. Westley’s nearness made her want to both run away and throw herself at him at the same time. The thought of his arms as he’d held her sent a tremble through her and she bit her lip, trying to control her shocking thoughts.

“Our conversation the other day intrigued me.” Mr. Westley sat beside to her.

“Oh? How so?” Min tried to remember to which conversation he might be referring. Somehow, his mere presence managed to cease all her brain functions and breathing capabilities while simultaneously igniting parts of her she never dreamed existed.

“Well, your thoughts on Shakespeare, for instance. Your view that his heroines were examples of the women of his age and your thoughts on their place in that world. I’m curious, what is your view of a woman’s place in our world?”

“Our world?” Her voice hitched on the word our and she cringed at the telltale heat seeping into her cheeks. His lips twitched in amusement and his meaning finally sank in. “Oh! Our world, well, yes, I think, um, well, that our worlds are very similar in many respects,” she said, fumbling to regain her mental fortitude.

“In which respects?”

“Well,” Min began, keeping a careful eye on him for any adverse reactions, “just as in past years, women, at least upper-class women, of today are expected to marry and have children and do very little else. We may have taken more strides toward educating women and so forth, but women are still expected to marry the best social match they can find.”

Min tried to rein herself in, but she couldn’t stem the flow of words once she’d unleashed it. “I don’t think a woman should have to wed because convention demands she must. I don’t want to be just an ornament, chosen only for my social status or dowry.”

“Do you believe your marriage to the good doctor will be one such as you’ve described?” he asked with a slight frown. His voice held a curious note that Min could not quite place.

Drat. She’d forgotten that little bit of fantasy for a moment. “Of course not! But Arthur knows and respects my views. He’s not like most men.”

Mr. Westley smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. The familiar heat of embarrassment flickered along Min’s cheeks and she turned her gaze to the ground. “I’m merely saying that I believe people should marry for love, if at all possible.”

Min risked a glance at him.

He gazed at her, eyes wide with a skin-tingling mixture of surprise and tenderness. “I can’t imagine any man wanting you only for your money or family,” he said, his features sharpening into an expression that seared its way into her blood, making her heart pound, each beat screaming for him.

She shook her head, trying to get ahold of herself. It had only been a matter of days since she’d thought him willing to kill her. One little near-death experience and here she sat mooning over him like some lovesick fool. Min made fun of girls who turned to mush in front of handsome men. She was not one of them.

She cleared her throat. “Yes, well, it hardly matters in my case. My parents are penniless schoolteachers. So I’m afraid I’m a very poor catch indeed as I have neither money nor family.”

“Dr. Carmichael seems happy with his choice. Or is he not aware of your circumstances?”

“Of course he is aware. But as I said, he’s not like most men. Not that it matters. If he were to change his mind, I am perfectly capable of making my own way in the world. I don’t need a husband to do it for me.”

“That is very forward thinking, Miss Sinclair.”

“Oh, I don’t think so, Mr. Westley. I am certain women have been feeling this way for quite some time.”

He laughed and Min’s heart lurched again. “Well, that is most likely true. Forward speaking, then.”

“Perhaps.”

“So, as a recently engaged young woman who previously had no wish to find a position somewhere and didn’t desire to entice the catch of the social season into marriage, why are you subjecting yourself to the horrors of being turned into a polished young lady?” he asked, his tone both amused and curious.

“Ah. Well, I still have to live in the society to which I was born. And I have a very determined aunt.” She gave him a rueful smile. “After a few unfortunate incidents while visiting her, she declared me unfit for human society and insisted my sister and I move in with her so she could mold us into proper ladies. My sister took to the confines of society with relish and was married off almost instantly. My transformation has been a bit…less successful. So, here I am.”

“Yes. Here you are. A wealth of…opportunities at your fingertips.”

Min’s gaze locked onto Mr. Westley’s. Oh yes. He knew exactly what she was up to.

“Yes. I was very fortunate Aunt Laura decided to take me in. I have no doubt I’ll find exactly what I’m looking for here.”

Mr. Westley’s eyes burned into hers and she held her breath. “That remains to be seen, Miss Sinclair. Fate sometimes has a way of intervening in even our best laid plans.”

Min ran through a thousand different responses to the thousand different meanings that statement might have before settling on the wisest course—silence.

He broke eye contact first, looking away with a frown. “I, for one, never expected to find myself teaching dance lessons at a fledgling finishing school. But when the opportunity arose, I couldn’t turn it down.”

Min glanced away, confused at the bitter expression on his face. Before she could comment, he spoke again.

“It must have been hard for you to leave your home and family.”

“Yes. But I did have my sister with me. Besides, though I hate to admit it, I really am in dreadful need of ‘polishing.’”

Min stopped, not sure why she was telling him so much. Yet her lips twitched into a half smile of their own accord when Mr. Westley chuckled.

“So you saw the error of your ways and agreed to become civilized with the rest of us, hmm?”

Min’s slight smile turned into a full grin and she gave him a one-shouldered shrug. “My mother is from a very good family, though she, unlike Aunt Laura, made what they considered a very poor marriage. She tried to raise me to be a proper young lady, but I suppose I did spend rather too much time running wild with the plantation children.”

“It must have been a grand way to live.”

“Oh, it truly was.” She ducked her head to hide the homesick tears that pricked at her eyes.

When she looked back up, the happy Mr. Westley of moments before had faded.

The silence grew. Min searched for something to say. “What was your childhood like?”

Mr. Westley’s face tightened. “My childhood?”

Min licked her lips, afraid she might have inadvertently inserted her foot into her gaping mouth. Though he did start it. “If you’d rather not…”

“No.” A quiver of fear laced through her at the cold expression on his face. “It’s fine. My childhood wasn’t as happy as yours. My father left when I was young and my mother struggled to care for my sister and me.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Min started but Mr. Westley shook his head.

“No sympathy necessary, Miss Sinclair.” He gave her a vague smile. “I took care of my mother and sister. They live quite comfortably now, and I’ll make sure they always will.”

“They are lucky to have you,” she said.

He didn’t respond.

“Did you ever see your father again?”

A look of terrifying satisfaction came over his face. “Once. Eleven years ago on my fourteenth birthday.”

“What happened?” she asked, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

He lifted his damaged hand. “This.” His hand dropped. “But it was the last time he ever hurt us.”

Shock ran in icy waves down her spine. Sympathy for the boy he was and fear of the man he’d become warred inside her. Min bit her lip, knowing he wouldn’t welcome her pity. And she refused to show her fear. He stared at her, tensed as if for a blow, something he must have endured a thousand times over.

She made a decision.

Min took his hand. He jerked, but she didn’t let go. One heartbeat passed, two, before he relaxed in her grip. She gently trailed a finger along the scar that dissected his hand, feeling the strangely soft flesh beneath the hardened scar tissue. She traced from where it disappeared into his sleeve, down to the empty space where his ring finger had been. Then she wrapped his hand in hers.

He took a deep, trembling breath, not moving, not speaking. Min wondered if anyone had touched his hand since the day it had happened. Somehow, she doubted it.

They sat in silence, their hands loosely clasped, until the light outside the frosted panes began to fade.

When he finally spoke, his voice was rough, barely audible. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Miss Sinclair.”

Min’s shoulders slumped, a bittersweet ache filling her heart. “I hope you do, too, Mr. Westley.”

Chapter Eleven

Min bolted up in bed, her heart thudding in terror. She strained to hear the noise that had awoken her. Glancing around the dark room, she saw nothing out of place.

The door.

It had been closed when she went to bed, she was sure of it. It stood open now. Not much, but enough. As she watched, someone, or something, slowly pushed it closed. She drew in a strangled breath and ducked under the covers, the blood in her ears pounding.

She huddled there for several moments. Who had been in her room? Why? The servants swore the place was haunted. Were they right? Min didn’t believe in ghosts. However, she was willing to concede it was easier to dismiss them in the light of day.

There had to be some reasonable explanation. There was always a reasonable explanation. Well…almost always.

Berating herself for her childishness, Min dropped the blankets from her head and breathed slowly in and out until her racing heart had calmed. It was probably just one of the teachers doing a nightly check. She glanced around. Charlotte slept, oblivious to the disturbance.

Frustrated, Min flipped the covers away and shoved her feet into her slippers. She held still for a moment, but no new sounds drifted to her. She snorted, feeling ridiculous. It was an ancient house, after all; a few creaks, groans, and unexpected drafts were perfectly natural. And here she was making a ninny of herself.

Silly or not, the fright had gotten her blood pumping. She was wide awake. Well, since she was so alert, she figured she might as well make the most of it. Time for a bit of exploring. It had been days since she’d been able to look around. Mr. Westley always seemed to crop up whenever she’d tried to slip away.

Throwing her robe over her thin nightdress, she slipped into the hall and wandered toward the stairs. Though she had no intended destination, her footsteps carried her to the picture gallery. Many of the girls considered it menacing. While Min paid no mind to the girls’ superstitious banter, she had to admit the paintings had an unnerving way of looking as though they were watching her, particularly in the candlelight.

She walked through the corridor, absentmindedly plucking at a ribbon that came loose under her anxious fingers and fell from her gown. She leaned over to retrieve it, reaching back to use the wall for support.

She misjudged the distance in the near darkness and found only air. Without the slightest degree of grace, her bottom collided with the tapestry that hung from the wall. Instead of breaking her fall, the wall itself moved backward. Min fell into the empty space behind the tapestry with a muffled screech.

“Oh, that was graceful, Minuette.” She sat up and brushed herself off, muttering an angry reproach while she looked around. She breathed a small sigh of relief that she had somehow managed to hold onto her candle in her fall. Pale moonlight filtered through a window in the opposite wall of a small room.

The entrance must have been hidden from view by the tapestry that now fluttered over the open doorway. Based on what she saw in the meager light, no one had been in this room for years. She peered into the inky darkness, holding her candle high to light the space as much as possible. Misshapen white objects seemed to hover just out of reach of the soft glow. Creaks echoed from the ceiling and Min froze. “It’s just the boards settling,” Min assured herself. After several moments of quiet she moved farther into the room, letting the dim light fall on what appeared to be eerie sheet-covered furniture.

The space smelled of abandonment, musty and stale. A narrow window stretched from the floor almost to the ceiling. Min knelt on the small cushioned bench built into the recess of the window and pulled the heavy drapes away for a better view. She sneezed at the sudden puff of dust. With the hem of her nightgown, she cleaned a small circle of grime from one of the panes and revealed a breathtaking view of the lake.

Min smiled, thrilled at her discovery. “What is this place?” she whispered, looking around the room once again. A priest’s hole, leftover from Cromwell’s days? Or perhaps it was the hidden refuge of Edward Courtland and his mistress.

Her heart jumped with a jolt of adrenaline. A lover’s retreat. And perhaps the perfect place to hide a portrait of one’s lover. Or the necklace itself.

More low creaking from the attic rooms above filtered down. Min held her breath. Her eyes wide, she searched the ceiling as though she could see through it if she tried hard enough. The floorboards above her head creaked again. A stream of ice ran through her blood when a faint whomp rumbled across the ceiling.

Min’s heart thumped in painful lurches. She tried to calm down. It was probably just a really big mouse. Or one of the cats? Perhaps the old place really was haunted.

She jumped as a muffled thud reverberated across the rafters. The faint sound of breaking glass had Min running for the exit.

There was no visible handle on the outside so Min grabbed the edge of the door and pulled it closed behind her. She was careful to straighten the tapestry that hid the entrance. Backing away, she made sure there was no evidence of the room.

Footsteps.

Min froze in alarm.

Nearer…nearer…

If Min was honest with herself, she might admit that all the tales of ghostly lights and noises did have her a little spooked. But it certainly wasn’t the time for being honest.

Min held her breath as the footsteps came nearer. She blew out her candle and pressed herself into the wall near the window across from the tapestry-covered alcove, half burying herself in the curtains.

The footsteps grew louder and stronger until at last they stopped a few feet from where she hid. An invisible hand reached out and yanked the draperies aside, letting the strong moonlight spill into the corridor. Min could make out the large, dark shadow of a man. She tried to keep silent. Her breath came faster, her heart beating in desperate time to her panic.

The shadow lunged.

Min opened her mouth to scream, but the pressure of a very large hand cut off the sound.

Her head swam with the terror clawing its way through her body. She kicked and twisted as the shadow wrapped its arms around her. “Miss Sinclair! Stop!”

One of Min’s elbows connected to a muscled abdomen.

“Oof!” Whoever it was dropped his hand from her mouth and leaned against her, pressing her into the wall as he struggled for breath. The scent of pine and leather floated to her as she gulped large breaths of air and Min stopped struggling.

“Mr. Westley?” she whispered.

“Yes.” He exhaled deeply. “What were you trying to do, kill me?”

“Actually, yes. You frightened me half to death!”

“What are you doing wandering the halls in the middle of the night?”

“I could ask the same of you,” she said, her lingering fear making her bold.

Mr. Westley straightened and looked down at her. “I am an instructor here, Miss Sinclair. It is one of my duties to make sure my charges are safely tucked in their beds after curfew. What I choose to do after hours is my own business.” His eyes narrowed into dark slits. “Have I made myself clear?”

Min swallowed hard against the arguments piling up in her throat. Mr. Westley’s furious expression left no room for response, playful or otherwise. Any camaraderie he may have felt in the greenhouse was gone. She didn’t know this man at all. She felt like a stupid little girl being chastised for breaking the rules. And she realized that was most likely exactly how Mr. Westley saw her. She felt so foolish.

Min stiffened, tilting her chin in the air. “Perfectly clear, Mr. Westley. It won’t happen again.” Min tried to move around him but he didn’t budge.

“Minuette.” He leaned into the wall beside her, his voice a hoarse whisper.

She froze. Her name on his lips felt more intimate than his bare skin brushing against hers. The defeated tone of his voice tore at her very soul.

Mr. Westley sighed. Heat emanated from every inch of his body, from where his forehead rested so near to hers down to where his large, muscular leg pressed against her. The fact that she was clad in her nightclothes hadn’t escaped her attention, either. She wondered if it had escaped his…

“I’m sorry, Min…Miss Sinclair.” He took a deep breath and straightened, not moving away but no longer using the wall for support. “I don’t like being questioned.” His voice hardened a bit. “Nor do I enjoy being spied upon by young ladies with overactive imaginations.”

“I was not spying on you,” Min said, trying to keep her voice down while her emotions raged unchecked. She glared at him for a moment longer but finally decided to let it drop or they’d be there all night disagreeing. Neither one of them relaxed their stances, though. The tension between them didn’t lessen. If anything, it intensified.

Mr. Westley’s eyes raked over her, consuming every inch. Min shifted, her pulse jumping like she was prey being stalked in the night.

“Mr. Westley…”

“Call me Bryant.”

“What?” she asked, surprise stealing the last of her anger.

Bryant moved against her and Min’s shock melted into something much more dangerous.

“My name is Bryant,” he whispered into her ear. “Say my name, Min.”

Min shivered as his hot breath caressed her skin. “I couldn’t.”

“Yes, you can. There is no one to hear you but me.”

“But it isn’t—”

“You’ll whisper with me behind the curtains in the middle of the night, unclad, hair unbound, but you can’t utter one, harmless little word?”

“Hardly harmless.”

“Stop thinking so hard.”

He was right, she supposed. She’d said his name to herself so many times. Whispered it in her dreams. How would it feel to utter it out loud?

What harm is in a name? “Bryant,” she breathed, hardly daring to say it aloud.

Bryant leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. Min tensed. Apparently she’d misjudged the power of one little word. She knew she should run. But she wasn’t sure she could.

Or wanted to.

He kissed her again, lower, between her eyes, the tip of her nose. Min clenched her fists, willing her body not to betray her by trembling. She should push him away, but she wanted only to pull him closer. She did neither.

Bryant hovered over her mouth, his breath teasing her lips. He turned his head away, jaw clenched. Min’s heart beat once, twice, while he warred with himself.

He turned back to her and Min lifted her lips to meet his.

They both froze at the unmistakable sound of footsteps echoing down the hall.

“Damn,” Bryant muttered, pulling away from her and ducking behind the drapes just as the eerie glow of candlelight floated toward them. Min stood against the wall, her robe open and her hair in disarray, fighting to control her rapid breathing. She jumped as Katherine became visible in the soft circle of light.

“Minuette?” Katherine raised an eyebrow as she took in Min’s strange appearance. “Whatever are you doing cowering in a dark hallway in the middle of the night?”

“I am not cowering; I simply didn’t wish to frighten you by suddenly appearing. I dropped my candlestick and was a bit lost in the dark.”

Katherine snorted derisively but held out her candle so Min could relight hers.

Min begrudgingly thanked her. “What are you doing up here?”

Katherine’s face puckered into a grimace. “I fail to see how that is any of your concern. And I could ask you the same question.”

“I couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d walk a bit.” Min fought to keep her eyes from darting to the drapes. If Katherine were to discover Mr. Westley hidden in their depths… Min shuddered at the consequences.

Katherine stared at her, obviously not believing her answer.

Min lifted her chin a notch higher. “This is my home, you know. I have every right to go wherever I please in it.”

She breathed a quick sigh of relief when Katherine turned with a muttered, “Suit yourself,” and started down the hallway. When Min failed to follow, she turned around. “Aren’t you coming?”

She should go. She should thank her lucky stars Katherine had come along and she should toddle off to her room like a good little lady. Yet… “I’ll be along in a minute.”

Katherine shrugged and continued along her way. Min waited a few moments before she placed her candle on the ground and ducked behind the curtain.

She fell against Bryant, shivering when he wrapped his arms around her. Min tentatively raised her arms to drape them around his neck but Bryant grabbed her hands, holding them still against his chest. His heart pounded against her fingers. He released her with a slight growl, gently pushing her away.

“I’m sorry, Miss Sinclair… Min. I…” He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. “I apologize for my behavior.”

A thousand responses flew through Min’s mind. She finally decided to simply tell him the truth. “I’m not sorry, Bryant.”

He looked at her a moment before a slow smile spread across his lips. He reached out and trailed his thumb along her jaw. “This isn’t wise, Min.”

She leaned into his hand. “I know.”

He drew her in again, leaned his forehead against hers. Min breathed him in. Reveled when he shuddered.

“Go now,” he rasped, straightening up, “before we…before we run into anyone else prowling the halls in the dark.”

His hands cupped her face, trailing down to linger at her neck. He leaned forward and brushed his lips across the pulse jumping at the base of her throat. Min’s heart thumped in an overwhelming rush. He pulled away, fists clenched. “Go. While I still have the strength to send you away.”

A storm of elation and anxiety flooded through Min so quickly she could do no more than nod. She poked her head out from behind the drapes and scanned the corridor. Empty. She emerged and grabbed her candle, then sped quietly toward her room, sighing in relief when she encountered no one else.

She didn’t recall the secret room until she’d reached the safety of her bedroom. She frowned, unhappy at Bryant’s ability to wipe what was really important from her mind. He was proving to be too much of a distraction.

She needed to find out more about the room. What was its purpose? More importantly, should she tell Bryant about it? The more time she spent with him, the less she wanted to keep from him. But giving away everything would be reckless and foolhardy.

And thinking about it was giving her a splitting headache.

Inside the room, Charlotte stood beside Min’s bed, pulling on a robe.

“There you are,” Charlotte whispered, sounding at once annoyed and relieved. “I was just going to look for you. Where have you been?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk in the gallery.”

“That creepy place?” Charlotte shuddered. “I can’t fathom how you can go there, Min, especially in the middle of the night.” Charlotte held a candle close to Min’s face. “What is on your face? Min! Are you bleeding?”

Confused, Min reached up to her cheek, starting in surprise at the trace of blood on her fingers.

“It is on your nightgown as well, just there, on the neckline,” Charlotte pointed out.

Min’s eyes flared in sudden understanding. It wasn’t her blood. It was Bryant’s. She shook her head. So he had been prowling in the attic. For a thief, he was awfully noisy. He must have knocked something over. Well, he couldn’t have been hurt badly; he had seemed perfectly healthy. Min’s heart kicked into a pleasantly painful dance, thinking about just how healthy Bryant had been behind the drapes.

She moved to the cupboard and pulled out a clean nightgown. “I must have cut my finger earlier and brushed my hand against my face. It’s nothing, really.”

Min pulled the clean gown over her head and threw the dusty, grime-and-blood-covered one into a heap by her bed. She could tell Charlotte wasn’t happy with her explanation, but she just wasn’t ready to share her secret. Yet. At least not that one. “You will never guess what I found!”

“What?” Charlotte asked.

The hallway outside their door creaked and Min shook her head, holding a finger to her lips. “It’s a secret. I’ll show you tomorrow,” she whispered, climbing back into bed.

Charlotte jumped into bed. “That’s not fair! Tell me now or I shall never get back to sleep.”

The door creaked open and both girls feigned sleep as Mistress Kellar poked her head inside. Once their door closed again, Charlotte whispered, “Min?”

“Shh.” Min smiled. “Tomorrow.”

…

Bryant watched Min walk away, his unease growing with every subtle sway of her hips. When she turned the corner and disappeared, he leaned back against the wall, sliding down till he sat on the floor. He propped his elbows on his raised knees and covered his face.

“What the hell are you doing, Bryant?” he groaned into his hands.

He didn’t need anyone to answer. He knew exactly what he was doing. Falling in love with an innocent young girl he was going to betray. The thought of hurting her in any way sent pain as sharp as shards of glass through his gut.

But what choice did he have?

“None,” he whispered. He leaned his head back against the wall and opened his fist. The silver locket gleamed in his hand. He closed his eyes. Waves of weariness rippled through him, but he didn’t have time to sleep. The sooner he found the necklace, the sooner he could get away from Min. Before they both got hurt.

Bryant stood and moved toward the attic’s stairs, shoving down any thought or emotion not involved with the necklace. He didn’t know what was going on in the house, but he was more convinced than ever that he wasn’t the only one searching the grounds. Whoever had been banging about in the attic had disappeared before he’d been able to find out who it had been, but he was grateful to the bumbling fool for drawing him to this part of the house.

He’d been vigilant in shadowing Min’s every move, though his own searches necessitated leaving her to her own devices every now and then. However, when he’d checked on her earlier that evening, she had appeared to be sound asleep in her bed. Quite fetchingly so, too, her features softly relaxed, her full lips slightly parted.

Bryant shook his head to clear the image and opened the door leading to the attic. He should have known the little minx had been feigning sleep until it was late enough to resume her own prowling. Luckily for him, she wasn’t very good at sneaking around. He wasn’t sure what she’d been doing or, rather, what she’d crashed into, but it had alerted him to her presence in the gallery.

He clutched the locket in his hands, unfamiliar guilt still coursing through him. Bryant was grateful their little interlude behind the drapes had afforded him the opportunity to see what was so important about this locket. But he found himself wishing over and over again that it wasn’t necessary to deceive her.

Ensuring the attic door shut silently behind him, Bryant hurried up the stairs and across the room. He lit the single candle on the table and opened the locket. He looked it over, examining every inch. The frayed corner of the eye portrait caught his eye. With expert fingers he pried it away from its nest and lifted the folded paper from its hiding place.

He took a sheet of paper and ink and within moments had made a copy of the map. Once done, he carefully put everything back together and slipped the locket into his vest. He studied the map for several minutes, but other than recognizing a building or two, and an area that looked like the Courtland family cemetery, he couldn’t make much of it. There was obviously another piece of the map that was needed to fully decipher it. That must be what Min was searching for.

And what he needed to find first.

Chapter Twelve

Min spent most of the next day trying to find an opportunity to show Charlotte what she’d discovered. They hadn’t a moment to themselves to sneak up to the secret room. As soon as the evening meal had finished, they headed straight for the stairs. Min reached inside her neckline, reassuring herself that the locket was still there. She’d woken that morning to find it beside her on her pillow and now she was in terror that it would come loose again.

“So,” Charlotte asked in an excited whisper, “where are we going?”

“Up to the gallery,” Min answered, already climbing the second staircase.

“The picture gallery? What’s up there?”

Min simply smiled and hurried on. When they reached the gallery, Min halted in front of the ancient tapestry that hung between the portraits of Tabitha and Edward Courtland. Charlotte glanced at the painting of Tabitha, who was shown dressed in an elaborate Turkish costume, a king’s ransom in jewels decorating her neck.

“Too bad the necklace was lost,” Charlotte said, nodding at the painting. “I bet it was a sight to see in person.”

Min nodded and then pointed at a painting directly across from Edward’s. “I think that is Edward’s mistress. See,” she said, drawing Charlotte over to look at it. A young blond woman sat at an easel, a basket overflowing with star-shaped hoya flowers on her canvas. An air of sadness surrounded her, something about the slightly downturned mouth, a tightness around her green eyes. A silver locket with a large center pearl hung from her neck.

“Min! That’s just like your locket.”

“I know. There’s no nameplate like the others have, but her style of dress is right for the time period and it was painted by the same artist who did Edward’s.” Min gestured to a scrawled signature at the bottom of the portrait. “And with the locket… She must be Anne Benton, Edward’s mistress.”

“Curious,” Charlotte said. She was about to say more but a loud creak from the floorboards above their heads made her jump. She grabbed Min’s arm. “Min!” she whispered. “What are we doing up here?”

“I found a secret room.” Min laughed while Charlotte stared at her in shock.

“I can’t believe you kept that from me all day!”

“Shhh.” Min pushed the heavy tapestry aside, grimacing at the rattle of the ancient iron rings that suspended it on the bar. She gestured for Charlotte to hold it out of the way. At first glance, the door wasn’t visible to either of the girls, so Min ran her hand along the wood paneling, pushing here and there, trying to find the hidden lever that would open it. Halfway down the wall, about waist level on the left, Min’s fingers discovered a small groove that had been carved into the paneling.

“What are you looking for?” Charlotte asked.

“A way in.”

“How did you get in last night?”

“I, ah, sort of stumbled upon it,” Min said, not meeting Charlotte’s eyes.

Charlotte’s laughter rippled through the empty corridor. “You mean you fell against the wall and went right through, don’t you?”

Min groaned.

“Oh, Min. Only you could literally fall into a secret chamber.”

Min ignored her. “Open those drapes a bit more, Charlotte. I think I’ve found something.” She gestured at the window across from the paintings, turning to hide the blush that crept up her face at the memory of the other discovery she’d made behind those drapes.

Charlotte complied and light from the window poured in. Someone had carved a small star in the paneling. The imperfection was nearly smooth and a bit lighter than the rest of the wood surrounding it. Whoever had carved it had done the work a very long time ago. The girls looked at each other and smiled in excitement. Min took a deep breath and pushed on the star.

The panel swung in to reveal the small room Min had stumbled into the night before. Charlotte gasped in astonishment. Min made certain the tapestry was back in place before she followed Charlotte inside. She closed the door behind her. When she turned around, Charlotte was already at the window gazing out.

“Look at this place,” Charlotte said, bouncing on the seat. “It looks as though no one has been in here for years!”

“Perhaps it was a meeting place for Edward Courtland and his mysterious lover.”

Charlotte laughed again. “I suppose. Hardly seems likely, though.”

“Why not?” Min looked around the room. “Why else would someone have a secret room full of comfortable furniture?”

“Well, you’ve got me there. Let’s see what’s under all these sheets,” Charlotte said, grabbing the nearest one and yanking. A small table with an inlaid marble chessboard was revealed.

“Nice,” Min said, grabbing a sheet of her own. Within seconds, all the furniture lay exposed. Min tossed the last sheet onto a pile in the corner.

“Well, isn’t this cozy,” she said, gazing around the room. The small table sat near an elegant chaise lounge. An overstuffed chair was positioned on the other side of the table and a small empty bookcase leaned against the wall near the door. A rug in desperate need of cleaning covered the floor.

The girls squealed in delight for a moment, then collapsed laughing onto the cushion-covered window bench. A cloud of dust rose and Charlotte sneezed violently.

“This place certainly needs a good cleaning, that’s for sure.” She grabbed one of the sheets and scrubbed at the windowpanes.

Min nodded, rubbing her nose. “No help for it now, though. We’d better get going before we are missed.”

Charlotte nodded, dropped the sheet, and stood, pulling Min up with her. Her face puckered in a frown and she reached out to brush at Min’s dusty skirts. “Hmm. We might want to freshen up a bit before joining the others.”

Min took a few swipes at Charlotte’s clothing and laughed. “You might be right.” They dusted themselves off until there was no trace of where they had been.

With one last look around the room, Min pulled the door open and gestured for Charlotte to exit first. She went through and Min gave the door a yank, making sure it closed with a quiet click before she ventured out from behind the tapestry.

Charlotte stood stock still on the other side, her face pale and frozen.

“Charlotte, what’s the mat—?” Min’s voice trailed off as she saw at what, or rather whom, Charlotte stared.

Bryant stood framed in the window, his arms clasped behind his back. His eyebrows rose as Min emerged. “Good evening, ladies.” His eyes locked onto Min’s face, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Good evening, Mr. Westley,” they murmured.

“I believe you are expected in the library for evening announcements.”

“Yes, Mr. Westley,” they muttered.

Min grew uncomfortable under his scrutiny and darted a glance at Charlotte, who was looking between the two of them with a small frown puckering her brows.

“I suggest you make your way downstairs before you are tardy.”

“Yes, sir,” Charlotte said. She grabbed Min’s hand and turned to leave, but Bryant stepped forward.

“One moment, Miss Sinclair. I’d like to have a word with you.”

Min froze, her pulse jumping. Charlotte hadn’t let go of her hand. Min gave her a small nod and Charlotte reluctantly released her. Min’s attention riveted back to the man towering over her.

“I’ll wait for you downstairs.” Charlotte’s untrusting eyes glared at Bryant.

Bryant and Min stood in silence, eyes locked on each other, until Charlotte’s echoing footsteps faded away down the stairs. Then he stepped closer, leaving only a breath of air between them. Min looked up at him.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Are you going to tell me what’s behind the tapestry?”

Min jerked back. She swallowed, unsure if the tremors running up her spine were from being caught or from his breath stirring against her skin.

Part of her wanted to tell him. Wanted to help him. The same part that had made her cradle his injured hand. That wanted to kill his father for what he’d done to him. That wanted to help him ensure the safety and comfort of his family.

That hungered for his touch.

But another part of her wanted to ensure the safety and comfort of her own family, and of Arthur, just as desperately.

That part kept her silent.

She shook her head and stared right into his eyes. “There’s nothing behind the tapestry.”

Bryant stepped around her. He went to the tapestry and shoved it aside. Min held her breath while he inspected the wall, slowly releasing the tapestry when he found nothing. He turned back to her, hands on his hips.

Min clenched her fists in her skirts, refusing to squirm under his gaze. Finally, he stepped toward her. He trailed his thumb along her bottom lip, letting his palm cup her cheek for a moment before he moved away. He’d removed his gloves and Min’s head spun with the sensation of his skin against hers.

She turned toward where he leaned against the wall. And waited.

“I propose a truce,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.

“A truce?”

“Yes.” He watched her for a second and then shook his head, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips. “Look, I’m running out of time here. We both know we are after the same thing. Perhaps we can help each other find it.”

“Assuming I know to what you are referring…what are you proposing?”

“I’m proposing,” he said, his slow smile sending bolts of heat flashing through her, “that we share.”

“We share?”

“We combine our resources. Split the results.”

Min stared at him. The necklace wasn’t solely hers to split. She owed Arthur. He needed it as much as she did. She had no right to trade away his share. However, her father was getting worse by the moment. She needed to know what Bryant knew, plain and simple. Besides, if she found it first…

Her gut twisted at the underhanded thought. But she owed her loyalty first and foremost to her family. And to Arthur. She’d figure the rest out if they ever found the blasted thing.

Bryant took her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a searing kiss to the inside of her wrist. “Think about it,” he whispered.

Then he turned and walked away, leaving Min trembling and confused in the darkening corridor.

Chapter Thirteen

Bryant waited for two days before Min gave him a decision. Watching her stumble around the ballroom made him feel a little better. She obviously wasn’t getting any more sleep than he was. Then again, tripping over her own feet was something Min did on a regular basis.

When class ended, he stood at the door, gallantly kissing each girl’s hand as she left. Inwardly, he rolled his eyes. He couldn’t wait to find the treasure so he could clear out.

Minuette and Miss Kensington were the last to leave. Miss Kensington gave him a cool good-bye. But Min lingered, pressing her hand into his. He bent down to kiss her hand, stroking her palm with his finger. He loved the way she trembled when he touched her. He wanted to peel off his gloves so he could feel her skin beneath his. Instead, he held on to her hand for as long as was polite, drawing lazy circles on her palm before reluctantly letting her go.

She slid her hand from his and whispered, “Picture gallery. Eleven o’clock.”

Bryant nodded once and watched her walk away, hope and excitement thundering through his chest. But he had a small matter to attend to before he could meet the enchanting Minuette in the picture gallery.

…

Dinner was torture. Min had made her decision but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had made a mistake. Though they did say two heads were better than one, and with Arthur and Charlotte, they technically had four. Plus, there was plenty of treasure to go around. But even so…

It didn’t help that Bryant avoided making eye contact with her, which started a whole new round of doubts. Exasperated, Min told herself to stop and turned her attention to her meal.

Just before dessert, Bryant stood and excused himself.

“Pardon me, ladies, but I have some personal matters to attend to. If you will excuse me,” he said with a slight bow to Lady Courtland, “I will say good night.”

Bryant turned away and strode out of the dining room, his boots echoing in the hall. Min’s eyes followed him as he left, a small, worried frown creeping onto her face. Charlotte stomped on Min’s foot under the table. Min scowled, rubbing her throbbing toes against the back of her other leg.

Charlotte smiled sweetly in return. “Susan asked you a question, Min,” she said, her eyes flashing a warning.

Min turned to Susan, a pretty and shy girl from the neighboring town, and said, “I’m terribly sorry. My mind must have wandered a bit. What did you say?”

“I asked if you’d heard the stories Katherine has been telling us about Lady Courtland’s father-in-law and his mistress and the mysterious missing necklace. Do you really think there could be a treasure hidden somewhere in the house?”

Min hesitated. Everyone had heard the stories, naturally, but she wondered why Katherine was stirring interest all of a sudden. A twinge of unease crept through her mind, but she kept her tone lighthearted.

“Oh, I shouldn’t think so. After all, if there were a treasure, I’m sure the family would have found it long before now.”

Several of the girls nodded in agreement. “I suspect you are right, Minuette,” Susan said. “But it does make a fine story, does it not? I’m rather curious about those paintings she mentioned.”

“Paintings?” Min asked, grabbing her water to help force her bread down her suddenly tight throat.

“Yes, the one of the mysterious woman that faces Lord Courtland’s,” Susan answered.

Min was going to kill Katherine.

“Oooh, and Katherine says that Lady Courtland is wearing the Courtland necklace in her portrait. I’d love to get a good look at it. Let’s all go and have a look after dinner, shall we?” The other girls nodded enthusiastically.

Min glanced at Charlotte with a strained smile. Charlotte very helpfully shrugged her shoulders and returned to her dessert. Min groaned inwardly but didn’t want to make a fuss over Susan’s suggestion. After all, if she argued the point too fervently, someone might become suspicious about why she didn’t want anyone up there. Let them have their look, she concluded. Hopefully it would satisfy their curiosity and that would be the end of it.

But just in case… “That sounds fun,” she agreed with the girls. “We’ll just have to be careful and make sure we stay in a group. We wouldn’t want the ghost to get us, after all.”

“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Susan said, though she didn’t look too sure.

“Oh, I wouldn’t bet against it,” Min insisted. “I’m not superstitious, mind you. But I do sometimes get the feeling that I’m being watched when I’m up there.”

“I’ve been hearing strange noises,” one of the girls chimed in. “And the other night, I could have sworn I saw a light in one of the attic windows.”

Min shoved another forkful of food in her mouth to hide her smile as the girls began buzzing, some exclaiming in semi-mocking terror, until Lady Courtland called for silence.

Min thought she saw Katherine glaring at her from the corner of her eye, but when she turned to her, Katherine was busy muttering something to Agnes.

Yes. It would definitely be wise to keep an eye on Lady High and Mighty.

All thoughts of Katherine, paintings, and ghosts fled as Min caught sight of Bryant striding through the hall toward the front entrance. He was leaving and she did not know where he was going or why.

Well, that just won’t do.

Her eyes darted about the table. There had to be something… Her hand reached out for her water glass, very neatly splattering its contents all over her dress in the process.

She squealed and jumped from her seat. Charlotte gaped at her.

“Oh dear,” Lady Courtland said, her long-suffering tone clearly illustrating her exasperation with Min’s accidents. “Well, you’d better go get cleaned up.”

“Thank you, Aunt Laura,” Min said, already hurrying from the room. As soon as she was out of sight of the dining room, she cut across the huge hall and into the salon. The French doors leading to the gardens were the closest exit to the stables. If Bryant was leaving, he’d need his horse.

Min shivered as the cool night air hit her. But she pressed on, hurrying to the stables just in time to see Bryant ride out the front gates.

“Blast!” Min muttered, heading for her favorite mare’s stall. She tossed up a prayer of thanks for Bryant’s timing. The stable hands would all be at dinner in the kitchen while the house’s inhabitants ate their own meal.

She led the horse out, murmuring soothing noises as she took a quick look around. Seeing no one, she hiked her skirts to her knees, grasped the horse’s mane, and pulled herself up. Min kicked the horse into a run, allowing herself a little smile. Katherine might mock her “wild” upbringing, but it was certainly coming in handy tonight. Riding bareback through the waves near her parents’ cottage had been one of her favorite pastimes.

Bryant had to have gone toward town. Min spurred the horse on, her eyes straining to see into the distance. When she finally caught sight of a small cloud of dust up ahead, she slowed her panting mare, matching her pace to the faint trail left by Bryant’s horse. Anxiety niggled at Min’s mind the closer she drew to the village. The water on her dress had dried, but an unaccompanied girl riding bareback through town without hat, cloak, or gloves was sure to draw attention.

The first rooftops were just becoming visible. Min led her horse off the road into a small copse of trees. She rode as far as she could beneath their cover, but the closer the town became, the thinner the trees grew.

The Swan’s Neck sat at the edge of the town, laughter and light spilling through its open windows as the town’s residents enjoyed their supper at the tavern. Min spotted Bryant’s horse tied up amongst the inn’s patrons’ steeds. She needed somewhere to hide her mare. The stable hands were hard at work minding their guests’ animals, or Min might have tried to slip her horse into their stables.

Arthur. His clinic lay only a few buildings down. If her luck held, she’d be able to tether her mare inside his shed while she spied on Bryant. She didn’t want to risk riding down the main street, so she took the horse the long way, skirting around the fenced yards of the shops between the inn and Arthur’s.

Light shone through the windows of his clinic, though the windows to his upstairs apartments were dark. Which meant he was most likely busy with a patient. Perfect.

Min brought her horse into the shed, tethering her with a bit of rope she found hanging from a nail by the door. Arthur’s old gelding gave them a disinterested look and went back to munching on his pile of hay.

Min tidied herself up as best she could without a mirror and walked quickly down the boarded sidewalk toward the inn. Once she drew near enough, she cast a glance around and ducked down the alley, coming around the side of the building. She kept to the shadows, peering in the open windows. When she reached the third one, she drew back with a stifled gasp. Bryant and his redheaded friend sat within.

Min pressed herself against the cold brick wall at the side of the window. Their voices were difficult to make out through the rest of the noise. She leaned as close as she dared and listened.

Chapter Fourteen

Bryant had scanned the room until he found who he was looking for. “Evening, Julian,” Bryant said, sliding onto the bench at his friend’s table.

“Well, well. You finally deign to check in,” Julian said, one eyebrow raised. “I thought I would have to resort to masquerading as one of your students in order to keep an eye on you.”

“Had I known that, I might have stayed away longer,” Bryant said with a laugh.

Julian chuckled and slid a book-sized package wrapped in brown paper across the table. Bryant took it and laid it beside him on the bench. “Thank you.”

“What is it?” Julian asked.

“Just call it a backup plan. I’m going to be out from under Rellik’s thumb one way or the other. This will help. I’m surprised you didn’t look.”

“You’re the only person in the world for whom I’d curtail my natural curiosity.” Julian grinned. “I picked it up; I delivered it. I didn’t peek.”

“Remarkable restraint.” Bryant signaled a maid over. He ordered ale but largely ignored it while waiting for Julian to finish his food.

“So…” Julian pushed his plate away and propped his elbows on the table. “How do things go at the lovely Grange? Any luck?”

“The necklace isn’t exactly lying about in the open, Julian. I’ve made some progress, but it’s not like I can grab an ax and start punching holes in the walls. The manor is crawling with addlebrained girls. It’s almost impossible to find a spare second to search unless it’s in the middle of the night and even then…”

“Even then what?”

“Nothing.”

Julian cocked an eyebrow and waited. Bryant rammed his fingers through his hair. “I may have some competition.”

“Really? Would this competition be in the form of a charming young woman who likes to hide behind rain barrels and listen to other people’s conversations?”

Bryant’s lips twitched. “Perhaps.”

“Well, well. So what’s the problem? Seduce whatever information she’s got out of her and let’s get out of this country pit.”

“It’s not that easy,” Bryant said. But he couldn’t make himself meet his friend’s eyes.

“Bryant.” Julian leaned forward, every trace of amusement gone from his face. “You can’t afford to get mixed up with some hayseed.”

Bryant stiffened and Julian gave him an exasperated, though not unsympathetic look. “If she knows something, find out. Do your job and let’s get out of here. I’ve never seen Rellik so anxious to get his hands on a prize before. He’s going to be furious if you don’t deliver. Why did you agree to this job in the first place? It’s madness. The necklace may not even exist.”

“I know,” Bryant said, a sudden weariness pulling at every bone in his body. “I told him I wanted out, Julian.”

Julian’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m sure Rellik was less than pleased with that news.”

“You could say that. But like you said, he wants this necklace badly. He offered me a deal. I bring it to him, I’m free.”

“Well, that’s incentive for you.”

Bryant laughed, though the sound was devoid of any humor.

Julian stared at his friend for a moment. “Well, that’s that, then. Get the necklace and get on with your life. And do it quickly.”

“I’m hoping to speed things along.” A twinge of guilt hit Bryant but he kept talking. “I’ve offered our particular young lady a truce.”

“A truce, huh? And the terms of this truce?”

“She tells me what she knows; I tell her what I know. We find the necklace together.”

“And her reward for helping you find it?”

“We split it.”

Julian shook his head. “And what do you suppose your little friend will do when she ends up empty-handed because you promised her a share of something that isn’t yours?”

Bryant clenched his teeth against the unfamiliar feeling clawing at his gut. “I don’t know.”

A shadow moved at the edge of his vision. He stood and looked out the window, leaning out as far as he could. There was nothing.

He sat back down with a sigh, his thoughts turning back to Min. “I’ll make it up to her,” he said quietly.

Julian didn’t say anything and Bryant risked a glance at him. Julian had been his friend for as long as he could remember. There was no one else he would trust with his life or his secrets. But his growing feelings for Min were something he wasn’t comfortable facing himself, let alone sharing with Julian.

“Just be careful, Bryant. The last thing we need is to give Rellik more leverage against you.”

Bryant sighed and scrubbed his hands across his face. “I know, Julian.” He grabbed his package and stood up. “I need to get back. Hopefully I’ll make some progress tonight. I can’t take much more of this.”

Bryant caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye and looked back out the window.

“Why that devious little…”

“What? Who? What did you see?”

Bryant shoved the box into his pocket. “Seems our little eavesdropper is at it again.”

“Do you think she heard anything?”

“I doubt it. She couldn’t have been there long and we weren’t speaking loudly. Only one way to find out.”

Julian stood and clasped him in a quick hug. “Watch your back, brother.”

“And you yours.”

“Always,” Julian said with a wicked smile.

Chapter Fifteen

Min stumbled back toward Arthur’s clinic, stunned by what she’d overheard. Well, perhaps not as surprised as all that. After all, she’d always known what Bryant was. She’d realized from the beginning he couldn’t be trusted. Yet lately…

She groaned and kicked at a rock as she entered the shed, embarrassingly close to tears. Min knew she had no real right to be upset that Bryant was planning on double-crossing her. After all, she had her own secrets and double-crossing plans. Though she hoped to find a way for everyone to benefit.

And what on earth did Lord Rellik have to do with this mess? He’d hired Bryant to find the necklace? What in heaven’s name for? After his dealings with Arthur, she wasn’t really surprised, though she couldn’t imagine that he needed the money.

Her breath caught on a ragged sob that she furiously choked back. She would not cry over that man. Over any man. Ever.

She paced the length of the shack, her vision swimming with the tears she refused to shed while she muttered curses into the darkening night.

“Min?”

She stopped short and turned to face Arthur.

“What are you doing here? Are you all right?” He came to her, took one look at her face, and gathered her into his arms.

She sank into his embrace with a grateful sigh. She could always count on Arthur.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Arthur asked.

Min shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m just…worried about my parents. About the necklace. I’m afraid we won’t find it in time. Maybe Charlotte’s right. Maybe it really doesn’t exist. We’ve been searching for weeks…”

“Shhh,” Arthur murmured, holding her tighter. “I promise you we’ll find a way to help your parents. We’ll find a way.”

Min looked into Arthur’s kind, sweet face and smiled. He always made her feel better. “Thank you, Arthur.”

“Now, do you want to tell me why you snuck out of the manor to come hide in my shed?”

“Not really,” Min muttered.

“Min…”

She released a long sigh and focused on Arthur’s chest. “I followed Mr. Westley.”

“You what?”

Min broke into a rush of explanation, her words coming so fast she barely paused to breathe. “He knows something about the necklace, Arthur. He’s looking for it, too. He offered me a truce, wants us to team up, and I wasn’t going to but then I thought maybe I should, though I wasn’t going to let him take the necklace.”

“Min—”

“I would have made sure we both had enough to take care of everything. That necklace is priceless, so surely there is enough for all of us. But even if not, I wouldn’t have let him take the whole bounty, I promise.”

“Min—”

“And I didn’t tell him about you, I swear, but I didn’t know what else to do and we could use some help. But then he left so quickly so I had to follow him and I overheard him talking to his partner, and I think Lord Rellik is involved but I don’t understand wh—”

Arthur leaned down, crushing his lips to hers. Min froze. She couldn’t have been more surprised if he had upped and slapped her.

He pulled back. Min stared at him, unable to think of a single thing to say.

“Now that I have your attention,” he said, smiling.

Min released a shaky laugh and Arthur wrapped his arms about her. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”

Min nodded, still struck mute by his kiss. The way it had lingered on her lips…

“But I don’t want you following Mr. Westley anymore. Stay away from him, Min.”

“But—”

“No, Min,” Arthur insisted. “Anyone connected to Rellik is dangerous. If Mr. Westley is involved with him, then he is probably a criminal. A thief certainly, and who knows what else. If he were to bring you to Rellik’s attention…” He trailed a finger down her cheek, his hand slipping into her hair. “Rellik would have no hesitation in doing whatever he must to use you to further his plans.” His other hand rose and cupped her face, drawing her closer. “I don’t want you anywhere near that man.”

His lips brushed against hers again, softly, asking. Min hesitated. There was none of the heat that her brief moments with Bryant generated. But there was warmth, comfort. It felt…nice. Arthur held her tightly, molding her to him. His mouth moved eagerly over hers. The warmth spreading through her intensified and she wanted—

“Ahem.”

Min pushed guiltily away from Arthur. When she saw whom it was, her cheeks flushed with heat.

“Mr. Westley,” Arthur said, unperturbed. “May I help you?”

Bryant ignored him, his gaze riveted on Min. “Miss Sinclair. I don’t believe you obtained permission to leave the manor’s grounds. I will escort you back. Now.”

Arthur stepped forward, forcing Bryant’s attention. “I will escort her back. When she is ready to leave.”

“Miss Sinclair is under the guardianship of her aunt in the absence of her parents. As an employee of her legal guardian, it is my responsibility to see her safely home.”

Min untied her horse and swung up, piercing them both with a glare. “Miss Sinclair is standing right here and is perfectly capable of both answering for herself and seeing herself home.”

She kicked the horse into a canter and rode out of the shed, turning the mare toward the school. She didn’t care who saw her, as long as she got away from the two men in the shed behind her.

The church clock struck ten as she rode out of town. One hour until she was to meet Mr. Westley in the picture gallery. Mr. Westley, who must know she had followed him and spied upon him. She didn’t know how long he’d watched her with Arthur but he probably knew everything. He had certainly seen the kiss.

Blast.

Chapter Sixteen

Min gathered her thick auburn hair at the nape of her neck with a simple satin ribbon, waving away the frilly nightcap Charlotte thrust at her. She despised the thing. Charlotte frowned but didn’t force the issue. Min checked the clock on her bedside table. Her stomach tightened in another roll of anxiety. Charlotte’s nervous mumblings weren’t helping.

“Oh, stop worrying!” Min said. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”

“Really? You are meeting a man in a secret room, in the middle of the night, dressed in your nightclothes, for heaven’s sake, and I’m not supposed to worry?”

Min shoved her feet into a pair of soft kid slippers. “We are just meeting to talk, Charlotte. Besides, with all the horrible ghost stories you’ve been telling the girls, no one should be venturing about. And I’ll have this.” Min hoisted her candlestick. Charlotte had scoured the manor for the heaviest one she could find, settling on an old pewter monstrosity from the library. If Bryant did intend to harm her, Charlotte wanted her to have something with which to defend herself. Just one of the many reasons Min loved her friend so much.

“You can’t possibly know what will happen, Min. How well do you really know him? Your behavior has grown more foolhardy by the day since he has been here. And from what you told me about tonight, he is absolutely untrustworthy, and you all but promised Dr. Carmichael you’d stay away. Yet you still insist on going?”

Min opened her mouth to reply, but Charlotte wasn’t through with her tirade.

“I absolutely refuse to be a party to this. No gentleman would have agreed to this. He can’t be trusted! If you were to be found out, your reputation would be completely ruined. I doubt even Dr. Carmichael would marry you then.”

Min swallowed. The swarm of butterflies in her belly was trying to make a break for it. Once upon a time, she would have thought nothing would make Arthur forsake her. But after watching him and Bryant circle each other in the shed earlier…she just wasn’t sure how he would react if she were caught in a compromising situation with Bryant. She had always been able to count on Arthur. The new uncertainty where he was concerned both bothered and saddened her. And the kiss, well, that had been…pleasant. Very pleasant. More pleasant than Min had expected.

However, while she had enjoyed it, her near misses with Bryant were what kept her up at night. Blast it all. Why did life have to be so bloody difficult?

“We’ve already decided this,” Min finally managed. “It’s best if I go alone. It will be much easier for just one person to keep hidden.”

“Are you insane? I’m not letting you go alone!”

Min stifled the urge to laugh, afraid it would come out more hysterical than amused. She actually would feel better with Charlotte by her side, but she needed her to stay put. “Charlotte, I need you to cover for me here, in case someone notices I’m gone.”

Charlotte’s mouth puckered in a dismayed frown. “If you insist on this madness, could you at least dress a little more appropriately? What will Mr. Westley think of you meeting him half dressed?”

Min pulled her heavy dressing gown more tightly across her chest. Her demure cotton nightgown buttoned up to her throat and covered her arms to her wrists. The hem of her robe trailed on the floor. “I think I’m presentable enough, Charlotte. Unless you want to toss that quilt over my head, I don’t think I could cover up any more.”

Charlotte eyed the quilt and Min swatted at her. Charlotte didn’t look amused. “But he’s a man and they are your bedclothes. What sort of message are you sending to him showing up like that?”

Min could imagine quite a few things Bryant might think, and they all made her body tremble.

She flipped the candlestick up to rest on her shoulder. “I’ll be sending the message that if he tries anything funny, I’ll brain him.” She gave her friend what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Look, if I’m caught dressed like this, I can say that I wasn’t able to sleep and had chosen to go for a walk rather than toss and turn. If I remain in my day clothes, it will be much harder to explain what I’m doing wandering about the house in the middle of the night.”

“Min…”

“Charlotte, I must go now. Please don’t worry. I will be perfectly fine.” I hope. The memory of Bryant’s thunderous face when she’d left him in Arthur’s shed stuck in her mind.

“Humph.” Charlotte jammed a small candle into Min’s huge candlestick and lit it for her. “If you aren’t back in one hour, I am coming after you.”

Min just smiled and hurried to the door. “Good night,” she whispered as she slipped into the hall.

The climb to the top of the house winded her every time she made it, and when Min reached the top of the stairs, she paused to catch her breath. She looked into the gallery and saw a small flicker of light. She recognized Bryant’s well-developed frame silhouetted in the candlelight. Might as well get it over with.

“Mr. Westley,” she whispered, hurrying toward him.

Bryant’s eyebrow rose as he looked at her candlestick. Min raised an eyebrow of her own and ignored his unspoken question.

“So,” she said, taking care to keep her voice low. “How does this work?”

“You tell me what you know, show me what you’ve found, and I do the same.”

“You first.”

“Untrusting, are we?”

“You proposed the deal. Only fair for you to go first.”

Bryant gave her a little bow in concession. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers. Min stepped closer.

“What is it?” Min asked.

“Evidence that Edward Courtland really did have a mistress who died well before her time. Along with magistrate records detailing the disappearance of a rather valuable family heirloom, including newspaper clippings and interviews of the family and staff. And accusations of a murder.”

“What!” Min exclaimed. Had Arthur’s grandfather murdered someone to get the necklace? Or was his the murder to which Bryant referred? She reached out to take the papers but Bryant jerked them away. She looked up in surprise.

“Your turn,” he said.

Min’s eyes narrowed, her body tensed with frustration. But she nodded. Fair’s fair, she supposed. And there was nothing in the room that was helpful, so showing him really wouldn’t hurt. She turned, assuming he’d follow.

They passed the paintings of Edward and his mistress, pausing in front of the tapestry that concealed the hidden door. Looking around to be sure they were alone, she lifted the edge of the tapestry, slipping her hand behind the fabric. Min searched the seam of the paneled wall until her fingers found the small, carved star. She pressed it and was rewarded with a quiet whoosh as the door swung open.

Bryant’s eyes widened with amazement as she held the tapestry up for him to enter. Once inside the room, Min tugged the tapestry back into place and closed the door, sealing them in. Bright moonlight streamed in through the window and illuminated the tiny space almost completely. Bryant looked around for a moment. Min remained silent, letting him take it all in.

“Well, this is quite a discovery, isn’t it?” he said.

Min nodded, thoughts of treasure beginning to fade with the realization that they were alone. Really, truly alone. She shifted away from him, struggling to keep her pounding heart under control.

He placed the papers on the table next to the chaise. “How long have you known about this place?”

“Not lon—” Min tried to answer, but her voice came out in a strangled whisper. Bryant glanced at her, his eyes moving from her hairline down to her toes and back up again. Min looked away and cleared her throat. “Not long.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and Min scowled at him.

“Had a chance to explore it yet?” he asked.

“Not really.”

“Well, this could be promising.” He looked around once more before resting his gaze on Min. “Any other discoveries to share?”

She paused just a second too long before answering, “No.”

“This won’t work if we don’t share everything with each other.”

“Oh really.” Min’s anger spiked at his hypocrisy. “So you were planning on telling me all about your trip to the Swan’s Neck tonight to meet your partner?”

Blast. She hadn’t meant to say anything.

Bryant froze, his eyes glittering like a trapped, angry animal’s as he stepped closer to her. “How much did you overhear?”

Min tried to put some space between them but was up against the chaise. She raised her chin up a notch. She wouldn’t let him see the fear that was quickly diluting the anger in her veins. “Enough.”

He came closer, close enough that she could feel his breath on her face.

“And did you ever plan on telling me about your little…partner?” Bryant spit out.

Min clenched her jaw to keep from speaking. Nothing she could say at this point would help.

Bryant simply nodded. “I heard enough, too.” His eyes raked over her face for a moment before he finally backed off.

“Well then,” she said. “We haven’t got all night. Let’s see if there is anything in this room worth finding.”

Bryant hesitated. Then he pulled a small box of matches from his pocket and began to light the rest of the candles on the table.

“Wait!” Min cautioned. She went to the window and drew the heavy drapes. “One candle is all very well, but several might give us away. Although it may help reinforce my ghost stories,” she added.

Bryant finished lighting the last candle and gave her a puzzled look. “What ghost stories?”

Min picked up a candle and began to examine the wall nearest her. “We can talk while we work. I will search this way and you go that way. We can meet in the middle.”

Bryant watched her and then started exploring the wall in front of him.

Min spoke while she searched her side. “During supper, the girls mentioned that they wanted to come up to the gallery. Katherine had been spinning tales about Edward and his mistress and they were curious about the paintings. In case you didn’t notice, their portraits are in the hall near the secret door. The girls were excited because the one of Edward’s wife, Tabitha, shows her wearing the necklace.”

“I hadn’t noticed the paintings.”

Min snorted. “Really, for a professional thief you aren’t very observant.”

“Who said I was a professional?”

Min shook her head. “I didn’t want anyone getting overly interested in the Courtlands or the necklace. I might have mentioned something about a ghost. And Charlotte, Miss Kensington, may have shared a few stories. The creepy atmosphere up here helps make the girls a little more susceptible to tales of ghosts and murder than they might otherwise be, especially with the recent reports of strange noises and eerie lights. Speaking of which, you really should be a little more careful, you know.”

Bryant gave her an endearingly irritating half smile and resumed his search of the wall in front of him. Min rolled her eyes.

“Well, that solves that problem, I suppose,” Bryant said. “By the way, how did you find this room?”

“I, uh, stumbled across it, so to speak.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I was walking in the gallery the other night I… Well, I tripped. Fell into the tapestry. But rather than hitting the wall, I fell through it.”

“The other night? Did you find this room before or after I found you hiding by the drapes?”

“Before.” Min cleared her suddenly tight throat and continued. “In any case, when Charlotte and I came back up here, I found the secret catch that I must have fallen against the first time. A faint carving of a star is etched on one of the seams of the paneling. When you press it, the door swings open. So, I thought a similar clue might exist in here, one that could lead us to where the necklace is hidden—or another secret room or passageway.

“One thing bothers me, though,” Min added. “If this house really has secret rooms, wouldn’t the family know about them? Someone must have stumbled upon at least one of them in the last sixty years or so. I’ve never heard anything about them.”

Bryant shrugged his shoulders. “I suspect the Courtlands did know about this room, at least the older Courtlands. But while they may have found it, they probably discovered nothing of any value in it. Or perhaps the room really has remained hidden all these years. What others have found before us doesn’t really matter. What matters is what we find.”

Min nodded her agreement. They had completed a circuit around the room and met at the middle of the wall opposite the door. Min looked at Bryant, her hands on her hips. “Nothing,” she said, disappointed.

“I wouldn’t say nothing.”

Min looked where Bryant pointed and gasped. Centered in each of the three panels of the window seat was a star-shaped flower. A flower that looked very much like the one on the locket she wore. And very similar to the star on the panel of the secret door.

Min removed the cushions and Bryant opened the top of the bench, revealing a storage compartment beneath. Which contained…nothing.

“Hmm. Well, that’s disappointing. Although…”

“What?” Min moved closer as Bryant leaned inside the bench and began tapping on the inside panels. Each rap on the wood returned a solid echo. Until he reached the back corner.

“A-ha.” Bryant pushed on the back panel and slid back a small hidden door. He rooted around inside, finally extracting a bundle of old rags.

“Or perhaps not,” he said with a laugh.

“Are you sure there’s nothing wrapped inside?”

Bryant gave them a cursory squeeze. “Just rags,” he said.

Before Min could argue, Bryant asked, “What is that?” and pointed to her neck, where the distinct outline of a large locket showed through the thin fabric of her nightgown.

Min wrapped her robe more tightly about her, but it was too late.

“Well?” Bryant asked, shoving the rags into his pocket and crossing his arms. Min didn’t answer and Bryant’s brow furrowed. “Is there something you’d like to share with me?”

Min again hesitated just a moment too long. Bryant cocked that infuriating eyebrow and Min loosened her robe with a huff. He was right. They’d never find the treasure if they didn’t confide in each other. “I have this.” She undid several buttons at the collar of her nightgown.

Bryant froze. “Min,” he cautioned, a slight tremble running across his bottom lip.

Min paused, a jolt of empowerment shooting through her. Hmm. Interesting what a few little buttons could do.

She reached inside the neckline and pulled out the locket on its silver chain. Bryant’s face revealed nothing. He reached over to open the locket. Min held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t inspect it too thoroughly. Maybe it was wrong, but she had no intention of sharing the paper she’d found beneath the portrait. At least not yet.

Min tried to ignore the thread of guilt tugging at her heart. She would bet her two front teeth and a good portion of the rest of them that Bryant knew more than he was sharing. Keeping a little back herself was the only wise thing to do.

“An eye portrait. Very interesting.” He turned it over, inspecting every angle. “I’ve heard of these. Never had the pleasure of receiving one, though.” He gave Min a smile she couldn’t quite match. “Where did you get this?”

“Does it matter?”

“It could,” he said, tugging the necklace, and Min, closer to the candle. “A.B.”

“Anne Benton.”

“It could be—” Bryant looked up, his voice cutting off. His face was only a fraction away from hers. His eyes devoured her, dark and hungry.

“Did that doctor give this to you?” he asked, his low-pitched voice nearly a growl that rumbled through every inch of her.

Min didn’t answer while she weighed the disadvantages of telling him more.

“Did he?”

“Yes.”

“Where did he get it?”

“His grandmother. She was a servant for Edward Courtland.”

“Anything else?”

“According to his grandmother, it belonged to Edward’s mistress.”

Bryant stared at her long enough that she grew uncomfortable, but she wouldn’t let herself squirm under his gaze. “So I suppose the papers, the gallery portrait, eyewitness accounts, and now the locket all prove Anne Benton did exist. And if she existed then surely the necklace—”

“Do you love him?”

“What?” Min breathed, scarcely daring to believe he’d ask such a personal question.

He grasped her chin, making her look at him. “Do you love him?”

“We are engaged to be married.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I… My…my feelings for Dr. Carmichael are none of your concern, Mr. Westley.” Min forced her eyes to meet his glare for glare.

He held her for half a heartbeat longer. Then he released her. “We had better get you to bed before anyone notices that you are missing.”

Min nodded, dazed at the turn the night had taken. Bryant pulled back the drapes a few inches to look at the horizon. It was still night, but the sky had already begun its inexorable change from black to violet. Not much time remained.

“Meet me again tonight, same time,” Bryant said. “We’ll look over the portrait again. Perhaps we’ll find something. I’ve searched most of the estate grounds and haven’t found anything to speak of.”

“Is that what you were doing in the greenhouse?”

“What?”

“When I found you in the greenhouse, you said you were looking for something. Did you think the necklace was buried in there?” Min tried to keep the smile from her lips but didn’t quite manage.

“It was the only place I could search with students and staff crawling all over the house during the day. It seemed as good a place as any. It’s removed from the main house but still close to it. Not a place many people would frequent.”

Min’s smile faded. She hadn’t even considered the greenhouse, but now that he pointed it out, she could see the merits.

“Besides,” he continued, “I don’t like to leave any stone unturned. I’ll be able to explore much more thoroughly during the summer break.”

Min’s amusement died completely. She knew it was a sound plan. The girls would all return to their homes. Her aunt was planning a long holiday, traveling to visit friends. Min, of course, was expected to accompany her. But she didn’t like the thought of Bryant being here all alone…to find the necklace.

“Perhaps I should stay here and help you search,” Min suggested, trying to keep her tone casual.

“And how would you manage that? Surely your aunt wouldn’t leave you here unattended.”

“Perhaps Charlotte could stay. Mrs. Potter and the rest of the staff will be here, so we’d hardly be on our own.”

“I don’t think that would be wise.”

“It’s a large house. Much too large for one person to search alone.”

“I’m sure I’ll manage.”

Min wasn’t going to back down. She opened her mouth to speak again but he held up a hand.

“If we are going to be in this together, you are going to have to trust me. At least a little bit,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Certainly. About as much as you trust me?”

Bryant chuckled, his genuine amusement lightening his features.

Min knew she couldn’t walk away and just trust him. She also knew she wasn’t going to win this argument now. But if he thought she was going to sit by and let him find the necklace without her, he was crazy.

“Here,” he said, grabbing the papers off the table and handing them to her. “Why don’t you take these and go through them. Maybe you’ll find something useful before tonight.”

She raised an eyebrow at him but accepted them. They still had a few weeks until the summer break, after all. Maybe they’d find the necklace before she left. They had to. She and Arthur were running out of time. And so, apparently, was Bryant.

Min jumped at the sound of a soft, almost inaudible scratching coming from the hidden gallery door.

Bryant grabbed her candlestick and started toward the door. Min followed close behind, her hand grasping the back of his shirt.

Just before Bryant reached the door, it reverberated with two sharp knocks. They stopped in their tracks and listened carefully for any other sounds from beyond the door. Bryant straightened. “Oh, this is ridiculous.”

He reached out to open the door, but as he did, it swung open. The slight breeze its movement created extinguished the candle, and Bryant jumped back, pushing Min farther behind him. He raised the candlestick like a club and held it in midair. Min covered her mouth to stifle the terrified scream that was trying to fight its way from her throat.

“Min?” a voice called softly. A lit candle seemed to float into the room of its own accord before Min recognized Charlotte holding it above her head. Charlotte’s eyes widened as she caught sight of Min, who stood shaking behind Bryant.

“Charlotte,” Min said, releasing a breath of relief. “What are you doing up here?”

“I came to get you. You’ve been gone for hours. You told me you would be back before now… I got a little concerned.” She regarded Mr. Westley out of the corner of her eye.

Min would have laughed at the two of them eyeing each other if there hadn’t been so much tension in the air. Bryant looked far less than pleased at Charlotte’s presence.

“It’s all right,” Min hastened to explain. “Charlotte was my lookout.”

The look he flashed at Charlotte was not friendly. “Miss Kensington is proving to be a rather adept spy.” He ignored Charlotte’s outraged gasp. “Does anyone else know?”

“No. No one else,” Min promised.

“Keep it that way.”

“Look, what happens between the two of you is none of my business,” Charlotte said, glaring at Mr. Westley. “My only concern is protecting Min. A rumor can do more damage than the truth and if she’s going to go gallivanting about in the middle of the night, she needs someone to keep an eye out for trouble. I am not a spy,” Charlotte snapped at him.

Bryant didn’t relax.

“Come on, Minuette.”

Min nodded her head and clutched the papers to her chest. “Until later, then,” she said to Bryant.

Charlotte fidgeted, her lips pinched, her eyes looking anywhere but at Bryant and Min. With a small huff of disapproval, she opened the door and checked to ensure the hall was clear before she ducked outside the room.

Bryant handed Min her candlestick and gazed down at her. “Tell no one else, Min.”

She bristled. “I know better. But I couldn’t not tell Charlotte. She already knew that I was searching for the necklace, and she’s my best friend. I tell her everything. Besides, she has a point. It is a little safer if I have someone who can help keep watch. Charlotte would never betray me.”

“If you say so.” Bryant’s air of irritation disappeared as he looked down at her, his face illuminated by the soft glow of the candle. He stroked her face with his thumb. “We are going to have to start trusting each other,” he murmured.

“One of these days,” Min answered.

He took her wrist, pressed a kiss to the inside of it, and then gave her a little push through the door.

Chapter Seventeen

Bryant waited several minutes before leaving, careful to give the girls enough time to reach their destination before he left. Then he quietly entered the gallery. Someone had been prowling through the estate at night and he needed to find out whom. Min was safer thinking it had been him she’d heard in the attics, but she was right; no thief worth his salt would be so careless. Bryant was the best in the business. He didn’t make mistakes. But he knew someone who did.

Bryant paused in front of Tabitha’s portrait, staring at the artist’s rendition of the magnificent jewels. They seemed to flash in the glow of the candlelight. Tabitha held an ornate mask in her hands, apparently dressed for a costume ball in a long-sleeved, Turkish-style brocade jacket that was open to reveal a gauzy green tunic. The tunic fell in folds over matching satin trousers. The turban on her head boasted a grand peacock’s feather fastened by an enormous emerald. The emerald, diamond, and sapphire necklace was at her throat, the pearl-strung pendants encircling her neck and spilling over her chest, reaching to the low-cut neckline of her costume.

He looked up at Tabitha’s face, struck by the expression she wore. The artist had captured an unmistakable sadness emanating from her eyes.

Bryant froze, suddenly aware of someone breathing right behind him. He spun about, grabbed the man by the shoulders, and tackled him to the floor. He found himself staring down into a pair of wide, unblinking eyes, their blood-shot whites completely surrounding black irises.

“Gage,” he growled, leaning on the man’s throat for a second before releasing him. Bryant stood, jamming his fingers through his hair. He prayed Gage hadn’t been there long, hadn’t seen him and the girls slipping from the secret room. The last thing he wanted was Rellik’s pet henchman knowing about Min. “I knew I smelled your repulsive stench. What are you doing here? Besides crashing about the attic in the middle of the night.”

Gage just chuckled, a quiet but menacing sound. “I’m workin’ in the kitchens, mostly, for the moment. The old bat Courtland felt sorry for me and ’ired me to lug around ’eavy pots and such, and do a few other odds and ends,” he answered, his tone mocking and insolent. “Lord Rellik wanted to make sure you’re doing what you were sent to do. Yer takin’ so long, ’e thought you might be gettin’ ideas ’bout making off with something what don’t belong to you.”

Bryant glared at the man, angry and more than a little alarmed. Gage’s next words made his blood run cold.

“Got yerself a secret whore, hmmm? Lord Rellik ain’t a patient man, Westley. ’E won’t be none too ’appy when I tell ’im that you’ve been spendin’ your nights dallyin’ with your little trollop instead o’ lookin’ for the necklace like yer supposed to. Quite a tasty little morsel, though, ain’t she. I’ve been watching ’er, last couple o’ days.” He laughed, running his tongue over cracked lips.

“Minuette Sinclair. Silly name. Maybe I should take ’er to Lord Rellik until you’ve done yer job. Her ladyship would probably pay a fortune to get ’er niece back, hmmm? Get the necklace and a nice ransom to boot. Not a bad plan, if I do say so meself. Lord Rellik, ee’s got a way with the ladies. E’d know what to do wi’ ’er.”

Bryant’s temper boiled.

“Clever little spot you’ve got there, too. ’Idden away like. I wonder, are you playing with just the one, or does the friend play, too, hmmm? ’Course, she weren’t in there too long. Long enough, though, I reckon. No fair taking both and leavin’ none for ol’ Gage. ’Ow about I keep your trollops busy for you while yer finding the necklace. I’ll take good care of ’em.”

The thought of this disgusting creature even laying eyes on Min filled Bryant with a rage so terrible the edges of his vision flickered black. He seized Gage by the throat and slammed him up against the wall, his hand tightening around Gage’s windpipe. Gage’s insolence slid off his face in a flood of fear and he clutched at his throat, trying desperately to remove the vise of Bryant’s hand.

Bryant kept his grip on the man’s thick, greasy neck. He brought his face close to Gage’s, his stomach reeling at the stench coming from the man’s decaying teeth. “I will warn you just once, Gage. Stay away from Miss Sinclair. If I catch you even looking in her direction I will kill you and send your stinking corpse back to the rotten bastard you work for. Am I making myself clear?”

Gage nodded weakly and Bryant released his hold. The shorter man stumbled away, hands clutching his throat.

Bryant stared at him in icy contempt. “You tell your employer that I should have the necklace soon. Until then, I do not want to see your ugly face. Now get out of my sight.”

Gage turned and hastened from the gallery, his face a mask of fury. Bryant stood for a moment, shaking with rage—and a touch of fear. He had no doubt Gage would report everything to Rellik, which of course meant that Min was in danger. And his mother and sister were in danger, as well, especially if Rellik suspected Bryant’s change of heart and was searching for a way to motivate him to find the necklace more quickly.

It was time to have Julian get his family to safety. And he was going to have to keep an even closer eye on the lovely Miss Sinclair.

Chapter Eighteen

Min woke the next morning and dressed in the plain skirt and blouse her aunt preferred for lessons. Charlotte took her time getting dressed while Min waited impatiently. She wanted to get breakfast over and done with. She had a free hour before classes began and the papers hidden at the bottom of her drawer were screaming out to her. And the thought of seeing Bryant again awakened a frenzy of anticipation that embarrassed her.

Min’s stomach erupted in a loud growl, announcing a more physical need than her near painful desire to see Bryant.

“Please, Charlotte, let’s go. We’re late as it is, and you know that if we don’t get down there by eight o’clock, we won’t be allowed in to breakfast.”

Charlotte finished straightening her skirts and narrowed her tired eyes. “It’s your fault I was up so late last night,” she grumbled.

Min crossed the room to give Charlotte a quick hug. “I know, and I appreciate it ever so much. But I am also huuungry.” She laughed, wrapping both arms around her stomach for emphasis as she headed toward the door.

Charlotte broke into a bright smile. “You and that appetite of yours,” she teased, following Min down the hall.

“Actually, food has been one of the last things on my mind lately.”

“Well, that is certainly true enough,” Charlotte agreed. “I wouldn’t be thinking much of food, either, if I had been closeted away with a man half the night.”

“Charlotte!” Min spun to face her friend, her face erupting with heat. She glanced around them to make sure no one had heard Charlotte’s remarks.

“Oh, calm yourself! No one is about. Besides, if you don’t want it talked about, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.”

“Charlotte,” Min pleaded.

“Very well,” Charlotte said, shrugging her shoulders. Min knew she wasn’t appeased, but at least she seemed willing to drop it.

They reached the dining room with time to spare. Min tried to squelch the disappointment that seeped through her when Bryant failed to appear at breakfast. She also needed to see Arthur again soon. But she wasn’t quite sure how to behave around him anymore. Their easy friendship had been irrevocably changed by that kiss…and Min wasn’t certain she was comfortable with how things stood between them now.

She and Charlotte hurried through the buttery scrambled eggs with bacon and Min’s favorite, lime marmalade on toast. Deciding to bypass the hearty porridge that normally accompanied their breakfast, they waited impatiently for permission to be excused.

One of the maids entered the dining room and came to stand behind Min. “Miss Sinclair,” she said, “Lady Courtland would like to see you in her office.”

Min’s stomach dropped. “Did she say why?”

“No, Miss.”

“All right. Thank you.”

Charlotte stood with Min and they hurried out of the room. “Do you have any idea why she wants to see you?” Charlotte asked.

“No.”

“Well…it can’t be too bad, right?”

“Right.” Unless someone had seen her wandering the grounds with Arthur in the middle of the night. Or if Mr. Westley had turned her in for any number of the infractions she’d committed in his presence. “Best see what the trouble is,” she said, straightening her back as she headed to her aunt’s office.

The door stood open, waiting for her. Charlotte gave her hand a squeeze and turned toward the staircase. “Come find me later.”

Min nodded, took a deep breath, and went inside.

Lady Courtland sat at her desk. Several of the instructors stood flanking her. Including Bryant.

A sense of foreboding filled every step but Min made herself continue until she’d reached the chair in front of her aunt’s desk. Bryant gazed at her with a strange expression on his face. Min thought it might be pity. What on earth was going on?

“Sit down, my dear,” Lady Courtland said. Min’s dread increased as her aunt stood and came to sit beside her in the other chair.

Lady Courtland took her hands and patted them over and over. “My dear girl, we’ve had a letter from your uncle.”

No, Min thought. Oh no, no, no, no, no.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. Your father succumbed to his illness, child. He passed away a few weeks ago. I’m so very sorry.”

Her heart pounded in her chest, anguish piercing her through and through. A strangled sound escaped her throat. Her eyes burned with tears. Lady Courtland folded her in a hug, murmuring words of comfort Min didn’t hear. Mistress Kellar and Mrs. Potter surrounded her and offered their condolences. Min nodded at each of them, not hearing a word they said.

Then Bryant was there, with such a tortured look in his eyes that Min thought he must be feeling every slash of agony that burned through her heart. He didn’t try to touch her. She was grateful. If he touched her, she wouldn’t be able to hold herself together. She’d shatter into a million pieces.

Min muttered something. Everyone nodded.

“Perhaps you should go lie down for a moment,” Lady Courtland suggested.

“No!” Min tried to rein in her growing panic. She needed air. She needed to get away. Now. “I…I think I’d like to go for a walk for a bit. If that’s all right?”

“Of course, my dear. Some fresh air will do you good,” Lady Courtland said.

Min took the letter her aunt held out to her and left the room, not caring if her exit was rude or not. She had to get away from everyone. Tears were falling in hot rivulets down her cheeks before she’d made it to the terrace doors.

Her father was dead. She was too late.

The door to the greenhouse opened but Min didn’t need to look to know who was there. She’d known he would follow her. She waited for him, clutching her letters in her hand, both the one her uncle had written to Lady Courtland and the personal note he’d written to her.

Bryant sat on the bench beside her and some of the tension in her body eased as his warmth enveloped her.

“It’s not over,” she whispered. “The victim’s family is demanding compensation. If they can’t exact it from my father, they insist my mother should be held responsible as his widow.”

Min turned to look at Bryant, sorrow nearly choking the words from her throat. “Why didn’t she leave when she had the chance? What if I can’t help her in time? What if I lose both of them?”

Bryant didn’t say anything. And when the tears began anew, he gathered her in his arms and let her weep like a child.

Min didn’t know how much time had passed before her sobs quieted. Bryant continued stroking her hair, his hand smoothing the wild curls that had escaped their pins. Somewhere in her consciousness she knew she should make Bryant release her. He was her enemy; he was dangerous.

But she didn’t care. He was giving her what she needed most. And for this one moment in time, there was nowhere else in the world she wanted to be.

She curled into him, releasing her breath with a shuddering sigh. “What am I going to do?”

“Shh,” he murmured, his lips grazing her hair. “It’ll be all right. It’ll be all right.”

He kissed her forehead, her temples, her cheeks. He smoothed her hair back from her face, his thumb brushing away the remnants of her grief.

He bent his head slowly toward her. His lips met hers and Min sank into him, taking the comfort he offered, no matter what consequences might follow.

The rest of the world be damned.

Chapter Nineteen

Min had been given a few days off from classes and she’d spent them tearing apart the secret room, going through each and every bookshelf in the library, and combing through any other possible hiding place that she could think of, looking for the second blasted portrait. Her desperation grew with every passing day. But still, nothing turned up. When she finally resumed her lessons she found herself welcoming the distraction they offered.

She avoided Bryant whenever possible. After their interlude in the greenhouse, Min was even more uncomfortable with her feelings toward him than she had been before. But while she might have been able to avoid him physically, she couldn’t banish him from her thoughts.

She’d given the papers from Bryant a cursory thumb-through, but so far they didn’t seem to contain anything helpful. However, her options were growing thinner by the minute. It wouldn’t hurt to take a closer look.

As soon as they were dismissed from classes for the day, Min and Charlotte rushed back to their room to retrieve the papers. They rounded the corner to their hallway and came face to face with a vile-looking man, dressed all in black and wielding a large stick in his callused and filthy hands.

Charlotte emitted a frightened shriek. Min sucked back a scream and flattened herself against the wall. The man, instead of politely backing away, pressed close enough that Min could smell his foul breath.

“Pardon, ladies. Didn’t mean to alarm you.” He lowered the stick and bowed. “Just cleanin’ up the cobwebs.”

One end of his stick was covered with rags that still held a few shimmering strands. His movements also caused the dirty scarf around his neck to slip, revealing several fresh bruises that looked disturbingly like fingerprints. Min pressed her hand to her chest and tried to calm her racing heart as she belatedly recognized Thornmont’s new handyman.

“Mr. Gage!” she exclaimed. “No, no, you just startled us, that’s all.” She was only half relieved to realize the identity of the terrifying figure.

Min glanced at Charlotte, who had recovered her composure and now seemed unperturbed by the man’s presence.

“Well, we don’t want to keep you from your work.” Charlotte grabbed Min’s hand and pulled her down the corridor. “Good day, Mr. Gage.”

“Thank ’ee, Miss,” he drawled.

Min paused before she entered her doorway and looked back to find Gage still staring. His eyes held a wicked amusement that sent chills through her blood. He slowly licked his lips. Min shuddered and bolted into the safety of her room, slamming the door behind her.

“That man scares me.” She tried to repress the shiver of revulsion crawling up her spine.

“Who, Mr. Gage?” Charlotte asked. “He’s menacing, I’ll give you that, but his appearance is really no more than a combination of bad eyesight and worse teeth. He’s harmless.”

Min didn’t agree, but she wasn’t in the mood to argue. Besides, she felt rather silly now that her initial fright had eased, and she supposed that Charlotte could be right. She would try to be a little kinder to the odious creature in the future.

She went straight to the cupboard and grasped the handle of the cabinet door. To her surprise, the door swung silently open. Min stared for a moment, the unused key forgotten in the palm of her hand.

“What is it?” Charlotte asked.

“The door! It wasn’t locked. It wasn’t even latched.”

“Well, that was rather careless of you.”

“That’s just it, Charlotte. I was not careless. I locked this cupboard last night. I know I did.”

Charlotte studied her for a moment before replying. “Perhaps you meant to but got distracted.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Is everything still there?” Charlotte asked.

“Thank goodness!” she said, pulling the papers out and holding them close to her chest.

Charlotte nodded and climbed onto Min’s bed. “Let’s see what these stuffy old documents have to offer.”

Min scrambled up after her, flopped down on her belly, and flipped through the pages, skimming various deeds, notes, records, and ledger entries.

“Nothing,” Min said, slamming the last page over.

“They didn’t help much, did they,” Charlotte observed. “A bit interesting, I’ll admit. But I thought they would name a place for us to begin searching.”

Min put her head down and groaned. “We are never going to find that blasted necklace.”

“Oh, Min. You will. If anyone is determined to solve a good mystery, it’s you.”

“I’m not so certain of that. But thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“What about the map in the locket?”

Min pulled the locket from her blouse, flipped it open, and carefully removed the portrait to retrieve the map. “What on earth…?” She took a closer look at the back of the portrait. “That lying, thieving, no good bast—”

“Min!” Charlotte gave her a sharp look of disapproval and then leaned forward to look at the portrait. “What are we looking at?”

Min fumed as she held the back of the portrait up for Charlotte’s inspection, all warm feelings for Bryant doused in a river of ice-cold fury.

“That smudge?” Charlotte asked. “That’s what all the fuss is about?”

“That smudge wasn’t there the last time I looked at the map.”

“Are you sure? It is an old portrait.”

“Exactly. An old portrait. With a very new streak of dust on it.” Min wiped her finger through the tiny spot on the canvas, smearing the dirt into the fibers.

“But that’s impossible. You never take it off. Mr. Westley couldn’t have…”

“I know. But somehow…” Min froze at the memory of the locket lying on her pillow beside her the morning after their interlude behind the drapes. “I’ll kill him,” she said, jumping up from the bed and stomping toward the door.

“Min! Calm down! I don’t think he’s returned yet, so you’ll have to put your murder plans on hold for the moment.”

Min paced the room, the thought of Bryant in possession of the map eating at her. He could be out even now solving the whole mystery and finding the necklace. “I need to find that second portrait before he does. If he gets to it first and has a copy of the locket map, then—”

“Then he’ll do exactly what you are planning to do and make off with the treasure without sharing?”

Min frowned, hating the reminder of her necessary duplicity. “I don’t have a choice, Charlotte. If I did…”

“I know. I’m sorry. Is there anywhere left you haven’t looked?”

“We’ve looked everywhere. We even found a secret compartment the other night in the gallery room. It would have been the perfect spot to stash something precious, but there was nothing in there but…”

“But what?”

“A bundle of old rags.”

Charlotte leaned forward. “How large a bundle?”

“Large enough,” Min said, jumping up.

“Did you look through them?”

“I didn’t get the chance.” She stomped toward the door, all remnants of guilt evaporating in a rush of anger and near terror that Bryant might indeed have both maps. “But I’ll bloody well take the chance now.”

“Min, he could have been telling the truth. There might not have been anything in that bundle.”

Min opened her mouth to protest but Charlotte pressed on. “Besides, even if there were, there’s nothing you can really do about it.”

“Don’t be so sure. He didn’t come down to breakfast today. Maybe I can find something before he gets back.”

Charlotte jumped in front of her, barring the way. “What are you going to do? Just slip into his room and rifle through his things? Are you mad, girl?”

“It will be perfectly safe, Charlotte. No one ventures up to the servants’ floor and it should be empty at this time of day. Even if I get caught, it’s my house. I have every right to be up there.”

“Oh, you do not! It doesn’t matter whose house this is—if you get caught in an instructor’s room, a male instructor’s bedroom, you’re done for. We are going to get in trouble if we are missed, and if you get caught…”

“I won’t stay long. I’ll just look around quickly.” She darted around Charlotte who tried in vain to block the door.

“But what if he’s there?”

“Then I’ll think of something.”

“If you get caught you are both finished!”

“I can’t just sit around all day. I’m running out of time, Charlotte. And if he’s keeping something from me, then I have even more reason to go.”

“Min,” Charlotte tried again.

But Min ignored her and trotted down the hall toward the stairs.

Chapter Twenty

Min slowed as she reached the top of the stairs and stopped on the landing. She peered around the corner. Seeing no one, she sprinted down the corridor into the men’s wing, opening each door and peeking inside. The first two were in a state of comfortable untidiness, strewn with personal items and clothing. But the third was neat as a pin, unpleasant and uninviting. It must be Bryant’s. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

She experienced a moment of anxiety as she looked around. The chamber was devoid of any trappings that might suggest someone lived there. It consisted of the same four-poster bed, armoire, and dresser that all the servants’ rooms possessed. A small, round table sat near the window, and a pleasant armchair waited comfortably nearby. Yet aside from a single comb on the dresser top, there were no other possessions in the room at all. No books, toiletry items, or even discarded clothing strewn about.

Min went to the armoire, thinking she might be mistaken about it being Bryant’s room after all. She opened the doors to reveal a long black wool coat, a dark jersey cloak, an evening suit, a top hat perched on the highest shelf, and a pair of polished leather boots. A partially opened drawer revealed a pile of crisp white shirts folded neatly inside. She breathed in deeply, smiling at the familiar scent that enveloped her. The faint mix of forest pine and worn leather would forever conjure images of Bryant in her mind. Yes, she had the right room.

She rooted through the drawers, careful to disturb nothing. The more she looked, the more she realized there would be nothing to find. She should have known he’d be too clever to leave anything lying about.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway and Min closed the doors of the armoire.

Blast! She couldn’t imagine that Bryant would be too happy to find her in his room. Her stomach rolled with sudden dread at the possibility that he might not be alone. This idea may not have been such a good one after all.

She stood by the bed, her hands twisting knots in her skirts. The footsteps halted just outside the door. Min froze. With a last desperate look around the room, she dove underneath the bed and clamped her hands over her mouth to muffle her breathing. She listened intently as the door opened and someone entered the room.

Several seconds later, Min heard the armoire doors being thrown open. She inched forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of the room’s new occupant. She was almost certain it was Bryant, but she wasn’t willing to risk the consequences of discovery if she were wrong.

Min slowly lifted the edge of the bed skirt and peered out. A pair of feet encased in decidedly scuffed and worn boots stood near the armoire. Its drawers were being opened and shut as the mystery guest rifled through the contents. The strong scent of stale tobacco drifted toward her. Min grimaced. Definitely not Bryant. She crept forward a little more, careful to stay hidden beneath the bed. Min knew that she hadn’t left her cupboard open, so the possibility existed that the same person who went through her things was now going through Bryant’s.

Unfortunately, all Min could see of the intruder was the worn boots. The man closed the doors with a brief muttered curse, and Min listened as he headed for the door.

More footsteps!

Someone else was coming down the corridor. She had no doubt that whoever the intruder was, he would never escape in time. Min prayed that the prowler would not decide to hide himself as she had done. The only dependable hiding place was the one she occupied, and she really didn’t want to share her cramped space with the would-be burglar.

The door opened and Min held her breath.

“You!” Bryant’s familiar voice sounded angry but not surprised. “I thought I made myself clear to you.”

Silence answered his remark.

Min wished she could see Bryant’s face to make sense of the situation.

“You didn’t really think I would be stupid enough to hide anything where you could get at it, did you?” Bryant asked. “Ransacking my room won’t help you, you little weasel.”

Min knew Bryant wasn’t addressing her but couldn’t help feeling offended and foolish anyway.

“Just doin’ me job, mate. Rellik says your time’s runnin’ out. He wants results and he wants ’em quick.”

“I already told you to tell Rellik he will get the necklace when I find it. Sending his runt-of-the-litter lapdog to breathe down my neck will not make the search go any faster.”

“Ye better watch yerself there, Westley. One o’these days you won’t be Rellik’s favorite errand boy no more. Even you ’ave to sleep sometime.”

Min bit her lip, a shiver of fear rippling through her.

“Stay out of my way and you won’t have to find out just how little of a threat you are.”

“’E won’t wait much longer—not the most patient of gentlemen, you know. Until you do what you were sent for, I’ll be keepin’ an eye on things.” The intruder pushed his way past Bryant and into the hall.

Bryant closed the door, softly cursing Rellik and his underling.

Min’s breaths sounded overly loud in the suddenly ominous quiet in the room. She tried to stifle them as best she could and listened intently. Had Bryant left the room as well? She didn’t think so, but then she couldn’t hear him, either. She had just made up her mind to crawl out of her hiding place when a pair of strong hands clamped around her ankles. She yelped as she was yanked from beneath the bed. Her skirts remained behind as she was dragged, and Min tried desperately to pull them along.

She clawed at the rug and tried to free herself but found herself flipped over and trapped instead. Bryant straddled her, pinning her to the ground, while his hands captured her wrists. She struggled briefly and then surrendered. She twisted her head back and forth, trying to dislodge the skirts that now completely covered her face.

“I can’t breathe,” she said. But the layers of fabric obstructed her voice, turning into something that sounded more like, “Mm mmmm mmmmm.”

“What was that?” Bryant asked.

“I can’t breathe!” she said again.

“Oh, sorry.” He used one hand to pull her skirts away from her face but kept her wrists firmly held in the other.

“Ah, better.” Min took in a deep breath of air and looked up at Bryant.

Well this is awkward. For the first time in her life, Min was grateful for the many layers of clothing she was required to wear each day. Had she still been on her island, Bryant would be seeing a lot more of her than just her pantaloons, stockings, and (hopefully) at least one petticoat.

Completely at a loss for words, she decided to pretend she wasn’t flat on her back with her skirts over her head. “How was your ride?” she asked, putting on her best demure-young-lady face. “Is the weather nice today?”

Bryant burst into laughter. He released her hands and eased up a bit but kept her legs pinned beneath his own.

Min sat up as much as she could and pummeled him with her fists. “Oh, get off me, you big oaf!”

Bryant, still chuckling, fended off her punches. “Now why would I want to do that? This is really quite comfortable.”

Gazing down at her, Bryant’s laughter faded. He brushed her ever-errant curls back from her face. “What were you doing under my bed?”

“I, um…” Min racked her brain for an excuse he’d believe. For some reason, whenever he touched her, her mind went to mush. Completely irritating. She sat back a bit and Bryant dropped his hand. “When I heard that man coming in, I hid under the bed in case it wasn’t you,” she explained.

“It’s a good thing you did. Did he see you?”

“I don’t think so, and all I saw of him were his boots. Could you…get off me? Please?”

Bryant hesitated and for a second Min wasn’t sure he’d comply. Then he jumped up, hauling her to her feet as he went.

“Thank you,” Min said, making sure all her clothing was in order. “What did that man want? And did he mean Lord Tyson Rellik? The same man who lives in the big manor house on the other side of the hill and owns half the village? Well, I guess we know why he recommended you for this position. I’d wondered why he’d bother with the needs of my aunt’s little school. He doesn’t seem the thoughtful sort.”

“He is a business associate. No one with whom you need to concern yourself.” Bryant ran his hands through his hair and paced away from her. “Why did you want to see me so badly that you couldn’t wait until tonight? Or did you just hope to rifle through my drawers and make it out of here before I came back?”

Min flushed and Bryant stepped closer. “Your presence in my room is…ill advised.”

Min couldn’t identify the tone in his voice, but it sent shivers down her spine. Not that she’d let him see that. “You have no right to be angry with me! You’re the one wh—”

An unexpected and very unwelcome knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

“Back under the bed with you,” Bryant said with a wave of his hand as he headed toward the door. Min was already scurrying back to her hiding place. Her skirts stuck on a loose board beneath the bed and she tugged. Part of the board came with it. She heard the door open.

“Mr. Westley,” came a simpering voice. “I do hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Min rolled her eyes and scowled. What did that little trollop want?

“Lady Katherine.” Min was happy to note that Bryant’s voice sounded strained and impatient. “In fact, I’m rather busy at the moment. May I help you with something?”

Good for him. Min peered into the small hole that was uncovered by the loose board and had to bite her lip to keep from gasping out loud. The bundle of rags from the gallery room was concealed in the hole. Min grabbed them, her heart pounding when she felt the hard object inside them. It was too dark to see what it was under the bed, but it felt like a frame. A small metal frame.

“You have a visitor downstairs,” Katherine’s voice purred. “I volunteered to come let you know.”

“Thank you. I’ll be down in a moment.”

“Oh, it’s no one important. Aren’t you going to ask me in? It really wouldn’t do for someone to see me talking to you outside your bedroom door. And I would much prefer to continue our conversation in private.”

Min stifled an outraged gasp and forced herself to return to the task at hand. She shoved the frame down the front of her corset and put the rags back in the hole. The board stuck a little and Min held her breath when it finally slid into place with an audible thump.

“Absolutely not,” Bryant replied, his voice exceptionally stern and condescending. Min sighed in relief, though she wasn’t sure if it was because he hadn’t heard her rustlings or because Bryant had turned Katherine down.

“It would be highly improper to invite you into my private quarters. Run along now and tell my guest I will be down shortly. I will see you in class later this afternoon, Lady Katherine. Good afternoon,” Bryant said firmly, his declaration followed by the sound of the door closing.

Min wiggled out from under the bed, stood up, and smoothed her skirts. “That little… How dare she! What did she think she was doing?”

“Well, I can tell you what she was trying to do,” Bryant answered, “but I am not quite sure why she thought I would be interested.”

“Humph,” Min snorted, hands on her hips. “Katherine thinks everyone is interested in her.”

“And why are you so angry?” Bryant closed the distance between them. “Does it matter to you so much?”

“I… No, I…” Min sputtered, once again struck speechless. She shook her head. “You might want to watch your back. Her ladyship doesn’t take rejection well.”

Bryant gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry about me. I always watch my back.”

“Oh. Well…good.”

“Now, why are you here?”

“I—” Min pressed her hand against her corset to make sure the frame was secure.

“Or, I suppose the better question would be, what did you hope to find? I assume it wasn’t me.”

Min blushed, not sure if it was more from embarrassment or anger. “I wasn’t looking for anything.”

“You aren’t a very good liar, Minuette. An admirable quality but not one that helps you at the moment.”

“All right. Fine. I think you know more than you are saying. I just wanted to give you the chance to talk.” The excuse sounded flimsy, even to her.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Yes I did. I thought we should talk.”

“Now? Why?” He moved a little closer with every question. “Why?” When she didn’t answer, he shook his head. “I thought we had an agreement.”

“We did. Yet you’ve given me no reason to place my faith in you and a million reasons not to.”

“Just as you’ve given me no reason to place my faith in you.”

She glared up at him. “Oh really? So you’ve told me everything you know? You didn’t tell me about Lord Rellik or your real reasons for being here. Other than some vague mentions of places you’ve searched and a few old papers that are of no real help, you haven’t contributed much to the search at all. You are always riding off and disappearing. Where did you go this morning? Back to your partner? What else are you hiding from me?”

He stopped in front of her and trailed his hands up her arms. Min swallowed, trying to moisten her suddenly dry mouth. Her head swam at his touch and she tried to back away, but he held tight.

“Stop trying to distract me!”

Bryant pulled her in closer.

“Don’t you have anything to say?” she asked. She wanted to trust him. Desperately. But if she did, and he betrayed her…she just couldn’t risk it. She’d already lost her father. She wouldn’t lose her mother, too. And Arthur. He’d be ruined. “What’s going on? And what does Lord Rellik have to do with all this?”

Bryant shook his head and looked at the floor, gritting his teeth so hard she could hear his jaw pop.

“You won’t tell me?”

He brought his gaze up to meet hers, speaking through clenched teeth. “I can’t tell you.”

“Yet you dare question whether or not I’m sharing everything with you.” The hypocrisy was a bitter sting on her tongue, but it was better that than hand everything to him and get nothing in return.

Bryant leaned in, his lips brushing across her jawline. Min gasped, her heart pounding so hard she couldn’t breathe.

“Do you think you are the only one distracted here?” he whispered into her ear. “And do you think I believe for a moment you’ve told me everything?” His finger dipped into the neckline of her blouse and trailed along the locket’s chain.

Min jerked back, but he wouldn’t let go.

“The difference, my dear Minuette, is the more I tell you, the more danger I put you in. I’m trying to keep you safe.” He rubbed his cheek against hers. “Why are you hiding things from me?”

“Because I don’t trust you,” Min murmured.

“I don’t trust you, either,” he whispered just before his lips met hers.

Bryant’s hands cupped her face. Min’s arms wound around his neck and he crushed her to him with a groan. Happiness and longing flowed through her. And something she very much feared was love. It frightened her.

She pushed it all away, unwilling to think of anything but the sensations his lips wrought. If this moment was all she’d have, she wanted to revel in every second. His mouth melted into hers and she pressed herself closer. She couldn’t breathe and she didn’t care. She would have very happily suffocated rather than come up for air.

Bryant pulled back, leaving Min aching for more. She reached for him, intent on pulling him back, but his words froze her in place. “Do you love him?”

“What?”

He leaned his forehead against hers and took a shaky breath. “Do you love him?”

Min’s stomach dropped. Voicing her true feelings aloud would be a betrayal. He had no right to ask her such a question. “I…I… Why do you keep asking me that?”

Bryant sighed. “I’m a thief, Min. Have been for most of my miserable life. But I’ve never stolen a woman whose heart belonged to another. I won’t do it now. If you love him, I need to know.”

Min breathed deeply. His woodsy scent was intoxicating. She knew the necklace wasn’t the only thing at stake here. Bryant was fire and she was tossing her heart right into the midst with a pretty good guarantee she would get burned. But she wasn’t sure she cared. Even though she knew there was no future for them. The thought filled her with a pain more sharp than any she’d ever felt.

And Arthur…kind, wonderful Arthur. He was her friend. She enjoyed his company. She could be content with him, safe, cared for. But…

“No, Bryant. I care for Arthur very much. But I don’t love him.”

Bryant released a pent-up breath and wrapped her in his arms just as the door flew open. Min and Bryant jumped apart.

“Arthur,” Min breathed.

Chapter Twenty-one

Arthur’s eyes were glued to Min. The pain in them sent a stab to Min’s heart that made her cry out. Bryant reached for her, squeezed her arm. The touch seemed to break Arthur from his stony silence. He straightened, his face hardening. He looked at Bryant.

“Lady Katherine said you wished to meet with me here. But I see she must have been mistaken. No matter. I thought we had something to discuss,” he said. His anguished gaze rested briefly on Bryant’s hand that still touched Min. “Apparently we don’t.”

He turned to leave.

“Arthur, wait,” Min said.

He shook his head and held up his hand to ward her off. “Good day, Miss Sinclair.” He marched back down the hall, passing a startled Charlotte on his way.

“Bryant?” Min whispered. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to follow Arthur and erase that look from his face.

“Give him a minute,” Bryant cautioned, giving her arm a final squeeze before he let her go. Min turned to look at him, unshed tears choking her. She’d cried more in the last week than she had her whole life.

“I didn’t want to hurt him.”

“I know. But it was unavoidable.”

Min’s tears dissolved in a rush of anger. “But it didn’t have to be like that. I’ll kill Katherine. I don’t know how she knew, but I’ll kill her anyway.”

Charlotte stood in the doorway. “Min, you need to come. Someone will see…”

Min nodded and Charlotte moved a little farther down the hallway, pausing to wait.

Bryant reached out and gently turned Min’s face to his. He gazed into her eyes for a moment before letting her go. “I think perhaps you care for him more than you realize,” he said quietly.

Min shook her head and suppressed her emotions as much as she could. “I am upset because I hurt him, because of how he found out. I should have talked to him first, before anything…happened…between us.”

“Maybe you should take some time before you make any decisions ab—”

“I don’t need any time,” she said uneasily.

“I don’t want you to regret any—”

“I regret nothing.”

Bryant raised an eyebrow.

“All right, yes. There are a lot of things I regret. I regret that Arthur saw us. I regret hurting him. I regret the fact that we are dealing with this whole mess instead of finding the necklace like we should be. I regret the fact that we have to find it at all.” She took a deep breath. “But that is all.”

“Maybe that is enough.”

“Bryant…”

He shook his head. “I don’t regret it, Min. But…” He wouldn’t look at her. “It’s obvious whatever is going on between us is becoming more of a distraction than either of us can afford.”

“What are you saying?” she asked, not wanting to hear the answer she knew was coming.

He rammed a hand through his hair. “Perhaps, for the time being, until…other things have been resolved, we should keep things between us…”

“Professional?”

“Yes. Professional.”

Min swallowed, hoping the pain slicing her heart wasn’t showing on her face. “Fine. Yes. Perhaps that would be best.”

Min knew Bryant was right, and she even agreed with him. But she couldn’t help feeling rejected. And his answers had done nothing but raise more questions. She bit her lip, her hands straying once again to the frame in her bodice. Bryant dropped into a chair with his head in his hands.

Min was happy to see that he wasn’t completely unaffected. She gleaned some small satisfaction from his discomfort. But it didn’t ease the crushing pain piercing her very soul. Somehow, in the space of just a few minutes, she’d lost both her best friend and the man she suspected she was very much in love with. It had to be a record for blunders, even for her. How was it possible to go from being so happy to being so miserable this quickly?

Min gathered her skirts, a heavy sadness filling her with every breath. “I suppose, Mr. Westley, I should be going.”

Bryant blinked in surprise at her sudden formality. He bowed his head before raising his eyes back to hers. It might be a small thing, but refraining from the intimacy of his Christian name was a simple but effective way to remove some of the connection between them.

“Then I will see you in class, Miss Sinclair.” Bryant stood and walked with her to the door.

His hand shot out and grasped hers. Min stopped, desperate to stay with him, desperate to go.

“I am sorry, Min,” he said, his voice hoarse, quiet. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the tender skin of her inner wrist, just below her palm.

Min swallowed the lump in her throat, amazed that she could hurt so much over something she never really had. “I’m sorry, too, Bryant.”

A tear escaped before she could stop it. Bryant reached out and followed its trail down her cheek.

“Is this for me?” he asked, his voice husky with emotion. “Or him? Do you even know?”

Min’s jaw clenched. She wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“Perhaps you do love him after all,” he whispered.

“Perhaps, Mr. Westley, you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”

She pulled her hand from his and walked away, not caring if anyone saw her leave.

Charlotte took one look at her face and wrapped an arm around her. She took Min straight to their room, shut the door, and held her while Min, for the second time in her life, totally and utterly broke down.

Chapter Twenty-two

Late that night, Min sat on her bed with Charlotte, their bodies blocking the soft glow of the single candle and the thin sheet of onion paper that lay between them. Min hadn’t returned to the secret room to meet Bryant. And after what had happened between them, she had no plans to. She would just have to find the necklace on her own. Charlotte played with the first piece of the map. There were obvious fold lines on the page, so Charlotte tried folding and refolding it a dozen different ways, but to no avail. No other clue appeared.

Min looked at the small silver frame in her hands. Staring back at her was a canvas portrait, the beautiful green eye of a woman, a delicate blond brow arching over it. She flipped the picture over and carefully worked it away from its frame.

“Have you thought how Mr. Westley will react when he finds the frame gone?” Charlotte asked. “He’ll know it was you.”

Min repressed a shiver. He was going to be furious. “No help for it. He shouldn’t have hidden it in the first place.”

“Right, just like you were so forthcoming with the locket map.”

Min ignored her, not needing Charlotte’s reminder to add to her already unbearable guilt over everything.

“Finally,” Min said, releasing the last bit of glue. She slipped her finger between the metal and the canvas and gently slid the portrait out. Elation filled her to the brim. She flipped the canvas over. On the back was a series of black lines, similar to those on the locket paper. Min laid them side-by-side and she and Charlotte hunched over them.

Several minutes of turning and flipping and lining them up revealed nothing.

Min dropped her head into her hands, trying to rein in the frantic energy clawing through her. They only had three days until the end of term. Her train ticket was purchased. Her aunt expected her company on her travels. Her time was running out.

She stared at the markings until they began to blur, despair eating at her more with each passing second.

She straightened, her eyes focusing on the upper left-hand corner of the canvas. Then she looked at the same spot on the thin paper from the locket.

“Charlotte!” She grabbed the pages, bringing them closer so she could be sure. “Bring the light nearer.”

Charlotte scooted forward with the candle.

“Look.” Min laid the canvas on her knee. “There’s a star up here in the corner.”

“Where?”

“Here.” Min pointed it out. “I thought it was just an ink spot or something, but look.”

Charlotte leaned closer, her eyes trained on the spot Min indicated. After a second, she sat back. “There is a tiny star there. I hadn’t noticed. But I don’t understand…”

Min picked up the locket paper and showed Charlotte the matching star. Charlotte looked up at Min with a smile. “Do you think…?”

Min nodded and laid the locket paper on top of the canvas, taking care to be sure the stars were aligned. The strange lines and markings on each sheet met, overlapped, connected.

Min and Charlotte stared in silence and then hugged each other with muffled squeals of jubilation.

“I have to tell Arthur!” Min said, hurriedly replacing the paper inside its locket. She pressed the second portrait into the opposite side of the locket, hoping it would fit. It was a bit too large, but a little maneuvering had it secured well enough. Min felt infinitely better having them in the same place.

“But it’s the middle of the night.”

“I know, but this can’t wait.”

“Well, you can’t just ride into town with your nightclothes flapping about your ankles.”

“Of course not! Wouldn’t do me any good in any case. I need him here.” Min put the locket back around her neck. She paused, then smiled.

Charlotte gave her a distrustful glare. “Min…”

Min grabbed her stomach. “Ohhhh!”

“Min!” Charlotte swatted at her. “That’s never going to work.”

“Not if you don’t play along, it won’t. Now go tell my aunt I need a doctor. Ohhhh!” Min flung herself back on her pillows and did her blasted best to look like she was at death’s door.

Within short order, Charlotte had roused Reilly, who had consulted with Lady Courtland, who had taken one look at Min (who had managed to conjure up a tear or two) and sent straight away for Dr. Carmichael.

It wasn’t hard for Min to keep up her performance during the hour or so it took for Arthur to arrive. With each passing second, Min grew more and more agitated, fearing he might refuse to come altogether. After everything that had happened, she couldn’t dismiss the notion that Arthur would happily leave her to suffer. But she chided herself, another layer of guilt smothering her at the unwarranted thought. Arthur was a good man, and he cared for her. Even if he suspected a ploy on her part, he would come.

When he finally did arrive, Min didn’t bother to keep the relief from her face, though she did manage to close her eyes and force a little whimper from her lips. Reilly filled Arthur in on Min’s symptoms, and he asked everyone to exit the room so he could examine her.

As soon as the door closed, Min opened one eye. Arthur stood by the bed, glaring down at her.

“What game are you playing, Min? We both know there is nothing wrong with you.”

“I know, but I had to get you here and this seemed the most efficient way.”

Arthur shook his head and rubbed a hand over his tired face. “What do you want, Min?”

She flinched at the sadness in his voice. Well, she couldn’t take back what had happened, but hopefully her news would go a little way to making it up to him. She reached out to him. He didn’t touch her. But he didn’t back away, either. She saw that as a good sign.

Min let her hand drop. “Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure you would.”

“I’m a doctor and supposedly your fiancé. It would have looked strange if I’d refused to come.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “And I still care about you. I’ll always come if you need me.” He shifted uneasily. “I haven’t told you yet how sorry I am about your father.”

“Thank you, Arthur,” Min said, her heart clenching at the mention of her father.

“I wasn’t able to come sooner. I came to see you today, but when I couldn’t find you, I thought maybe I should have a word with… Well…that’s all over and done with. Still…I am very sorry for your loss.”

Min reached for him again, but he ignored her outstretched hand.

“Besides, we still need to find the necklace. That hasn’t changed just because everything else has.”

“Arthur, I—”

“Don’t, Min. Let’s just…”

“Keep it professional?” she asked, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.

“I was going to say let’s not complicate things. We have a necklace to find. So let’s find it. We’ll deal with…everything else later.”

Min wanted to argue, but all things considered, Arthur was behaving remarkably well.

“I found the second map.”

“What?”

Min patted the bed and Arthur hurried to her side. She pulled out the locket paper and second canvas and pieced them together.

Arthur stared in amazement at the miniature map that lay in her hands. The lines on each page had intersected and connected to form boxes and pathways…a small representation of the estate’s grounds.

“Here is the cemetery. And here,” Min said, pointing to the upper left corner where the tiny star was now encased in a box, “is the good part. Do you know where that is?”

“I believe so. It looks like the mausoleum.”

“Right. Well, a star just like this one marked the panels on a secret room I found and a hidden storage space in a window seat in that room. It’s too big a coincidence not to mean something.”

“Secret rooms and compartments? Min, did you find… Wait.” Arthur smiled. “Are you saying the star…?”

“I think so.” Min’s smile joined his.

“Did we just find our treasure?” Arthur whispered.

“Only one way to find out.”

Arthur gathered Min in a huge, bone-cracking hug, his shout of joy muffled in her neck. She laughed, overflowing with hope and happiness.

All too soon, Arthur seemed to remember he had great reason to be furious with Min and he released her, quickly standing and moving a safe distance away.

“We’ll meet tomorrow night,” he said, and Min’s face fell.

“Tomorrow?”

“We can’t just go running out of the school with a pair of shovels thrown over our shoulders. Don’t you think that might look a bit odd?”

Min crossed her arms but couldn’t deny he was right. “Fine. Tomorrow night, then.”

“Is the building locked?”

“I believe so.”

“Is there a key?”

“If there is, Aunt Laura will have it.”

“Do you think you can find it?”

A slow smile spread over Min’s face. “If we need a key, I’ll get it.”

“Good.” Arthur returned her smile and the crushing weight on Min’s shoulders lifted slightly.

There was a knock on the door and Min lay back against her pillows, yanking the blanket up and doing her best to look ill.

“Midnight,” Arthur whispered as he turned toward the opening door. Reilly, Aunt Laura, and Charlotte came in.

“How is she, Dr. Carmichael?” Lady Courtland asked.

“She’ll live,” Arthur said. His tone was one of jovial indulgence that didn’t quite match the look on his face. He was staring past the women into the hallway, but his body blocked Min’s view. He wasn’t happy about whatever, or whomever, was in the corridor. “I suspect our Miss Sinclair merely indulged in something that disagreed with her,” Arthur continued. “She’s also had a very upsetting few days. These things take their toll. She’ll be fine with a little rest. I would recommend taking it easy tomorrow.”

Lady Courtland nodded. “Of course. My poor dear.” Aunt Laura patted her hand affectionately. “With everything that’s happened, it’s a wonder you haven’t collapsed long before now. You don’t worry about a thing. Take some time, Minuette. You’ll be excused from your classes tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Aunt,” Min murmured.

Arthur gathered his things and allowed Lady Courtland and Reilly to escort him out, shrugging off their thanks with his usual modest grace. Charlotte followed them to close the door. Min sat up, her heart jumping to attention as she caught sight of Bryant’s thunderous face watching her from the hall. Oh yes, he knew she had the frame. The door closed and Min slumped back against the pillows, suddenly exhausted.

“Well?” Charlotte asked.

“We have a key to find,” Min said with a smile.

Chapter Twenty-three

Min paused outside her aunt’s closed office door and glanced back. Charlotte, poised at the end of the hallway, peeked around the corner, waving at Min behind her back. Min grabbed the doorknob and was in the office before she could release the shaky breath she’d been holding.

Once inside, she went straight for the huge mahogany desk that filled one end of the room. Lady Courtland kept two rings of keys that opened every door on the property. One ring for the manor house, one for the outbuildings. Min hoped she’d be able to figure out which she needed.

She went to the center drawer and tugged. Locked. Min sighed. She’d expected it to be locked, of course. But she’d hoped to get lucky.

Min knelt by the drawer and took a pin from her hair, blowing at the curls that fell in the process. “Okay,” she whispered, bending one of the tines back, “here goes nothing.”

She inserted it into the lock. Using a mystery novel as a locksmith’s manual wasn’t the most foolproof idea she’d ever had, but the description she’d read seemed plausible. According to the story, she needed to locate the pins inside the keyhole and apply enough pressure to move them out of the way. She fumbled around for a second, her hand less steady than it needed to be. She closed her eyes, got a good grip on the hair bob, and tried again.

The first one slid into place and Min moved the hairpin down to locate the next two. Once all three were in position, she bent the other end of the hairpin so she could insert it into the lock as well. The top tine nestled into the groove at the top of the keyhole, and the other jutted against the bottom. Min carefully turned the lock.

She had to slap a hand over her mouth to smother the sigh of relief that threatened to erupt at the soft click. She slid the drawer open. The rings of keys lay right in front. Min snatched the smaller one that held the larger, rustier keys. That had to be the one for the outside buildings. She hoped.

She flipped through the keys. They weren’t marked. Four of the keys were well used, dirty. The fifth looked almost brand new. Min took that one from the ring. She doubted the mausoleum was used much, so it stood to reason it was the right one. She could just take the entire ring, but with the term ending in two days, she knew her aunt would be putting everything in order and Min didn’t want her theft (borrowing, she corrected herself) discovered. She hoped one missing key would be less noticeable.

“Mr. Westley! How are you this afternoon?” Charlotte’s voice rang out just outside the office doors.

“Blast!” Min dropped the ring and thrust the drawer closed. The only exit to the room was the door Charlotte was defending. Or the window.

Min shoved the key down the front of her corset and ran to the window. It opened easily and Min blessed whoever kept the hinges well oiled. She hiked her skirts up, placed a booted foot on the sill, and launched herself out onto the front lawn.

She heard the door open and Charlotte’s shrill voice, accompanied by Bryant’s deep tones, but she didn’t stick around to hear what they were saying. Instead, she took off around the corner of the school as fast as her wobbly feet would carry her. She made it to the terrace off the music salon and paused long enough to gather her hair back into some semblance of order and secure it as best she could with her bent hairpins. Then she let herself in through one of the French doors. Ignoring the curious glances of her classmates, she slipped into a seat, just before Bryant blew into the room, followed by a very flustered Charlotte.

When she saw Min sitting there waiting for class to begin, Charlotte hurried over. Min gave her a strained smile and tried to breathe normally. Her mad dash from the front of the school had her lungs bursting from her chest and she knew her face was flushed. Min cursed the sadist who’d invented the corset. She wanted nothing more than to rip it off then and there so she could take a deep breath. Perhaps if she did, it would take Bryant’s mind off the near miss in the office. Not that he could prove she’d been in there.

She aimed a smile right at him.

“Miss Sinclair, I was under the impression that you were too ill to join us for class today.”

“I feel much better, Mr. Westley, thank you.”

He frowned, his hand tapping at his thigh. Min knew the effort it took him not to drag her out and interrogate her right then and there.

Instead, he asked Mrs. Potter to play a waltz. And asked Katherine to partner him. Min’s smile disappeared along with the exhilaration that had pulsed through her veins. But she straightened her back, pressed a hand to her chest to be sure the key was still nestled snugly in her corset, and began to waltz with Charlotte.

She only had to get through the day…and then she and Arthur could go claim their treasure.

Chapter Twenty-four

Arthur paced by the back of the mausoleum and Min hurried to meet him. When he caught sight of her, he rushed over.

“Did you get it?”

“I think so,” Min said, drawing the key from her pocket. “There were several on the ring, but this one looked the least used. I don’t suppose the family has much need to enter this old place.”

“Shall we?”

Min turned without a word, excited anxiety flowing through her in such waves that she had a hard time keeping herself steady. Arthur hovered over her as she slipped the key into the keyhole. She turned it, sighing with a surge of relief when the lock clicked.

Arthur pushed open the heavy iron door just enough for them to slip through. Once inside, he shut them in. Min repressed a shiver at the ominous sound of the door sealing them in with the dead.

Min took a long, deep breath, her nose wrinkling at the musty air. Arthur raised his lantern and they looked around. The walls to their left and right were patterned in a grid, each square serving either as the home for a dead Courtland ancestor or awaiting future occupants. Marble nameplates identified those tombs that were occupied. A row of granite coffins lay perpendicular to the back wall, the two in the middle resting beneath stained glass windows. It was hard to see the pattern on the windows in the dim light of the lantern, though Min thought it depicted Adam and Eve.

Min and Arthur moved quickly from name to name. But neither Edward nor Anne Benton was entombed in the walls. The right-hand wall was blank, with plenty of room for future Courtlands, save for one tomb. In the lower right corner, nearest the door, was a carved nameplate. Min read the name and shook her head.

Tabitha Ducleroy Courtland 1763–1821

“Oh,” Min said, feeling a wave of sadness for the poor woman. “It’s as though they just opened the door and shoved her into the first available slot.”

Arthur put his arm around Min’s shoulders, hugging her to him. The gesture was comforting, familiar. And probably not wise considering the circumstances. The last time she’d been alone with Arthur in the dark…

Min slipped from his embrace as smoothly as she could and went to the first sarcophagus. Arthur waited half a heartbeat before he followed and Min pretended she hadn’t heard his disappointed sigh.

She turned her attention to the issue at hand. “Arthur!” She clutched at his arm and pointed. He swung the lantern high over the nameplate on the marble coffin.

Edward Phillip Courtland 1788–1845

“The dates aren’t right,” Arthur said. “This is probably Edward’s son, your aunt’s late husband.”

They moved to the next one. Min’s heart pounded in her chest. They were so close, so close. She could feel it with every fiber of her being.

Edward Phillip Eustace Courtland 1750–1810

“This is it!” Min cried. She rushed between the two last coffins, laying a hand on each. One was definitely the Edward they were looking for. And the other…Min searched the last coffin. There was nothing. No name, no date. Just a beautiful pattern of vines and flowers etched around the border of the lid.

“But I was sure she’d be buried here,” Min said, her brows knit in confusion.

“I think she is. Look here.” Arthur pointed to the lines chiseled at the other end of Edward’s coffin lid. He read,

“It is my love that keeps mine eye awake:

Mine own true love that doth my rest defeat,

To play the watchman ever for thy sake.”

Min snorted. “Bloody Shakespeare.”

Arthur’s eyes crinkled in confusion, but Min waved it off.

Arthur continued. “Don’t you see? He wants to be her watchman, always.”

Min turned back to the blank sarcophagus lid. “And where better for him to watch over her than here?”

Arthur nodded.

“Oh, and look.” Min crouched down so she could get a better look at the vines and flowers twining about the marble coffin. “Stars.” She pointed to the flowers, her grin growing wider as her enthusiasm returned. “Hoyas. These flowers are the same as those in Anne’s portrait. And on her locket. With these flowers being so much a part of Anne, it would have been logical for your grandfather to use the symbol as clues leading to the rest of the map.

“Star-shaped flowers. Stars that mark the secret room, the window-seat compartment, and the location of the mausoleum on the map. It’s perfect. No one would come looking for it here. Especially while Edward was alive. He’d have never allowed anyone near his beloved’s body. Arthur, your grandfather was a bloody genius.”

“Whoop!” Arthur jumped up and Min laughed as he reached out and gripped her in a bear hug.

“Well,” she said, playfully pushing him away and standing up. “There’s only one way to find out if Anne, or more importantly the necklace, is in there,” Min said, jerking a thumb in the coffin’s direction.

“Right.” Arthur grinned, placed the lantern on the floor, and levered his hands on the coffin’s lid. “Ready?”

Min joined him, planting her feet. “Ready.”

They shoved. And shoved some more. Nothing happened. The lid didn’t budge in the slightest.

“One more time?” Min asked.

“On three. One. Two. Three!” They shoved again, digging their feet into the floor. Arthur shook his head and straightened, dusting his hands on his pants. “We won’t be able to move it without help. We’ll have to come back with a crowbar or something. Another pair of hands or two would be ideal, but…”

Min was already shaking her head. “We’ve got one more night before I leave. We’ll come back tomorrow. With tools,” she said with a little laugh. She plopped onto the floor, the adrenaline rush seeping from her system, leaving her drained. It had been a long few months. And she was so close. She could hardly bear to walk away now. But tomorrow. Tomorrow they’d be back.

Arthur sat beside her and this time when he wrapped his arm around her, she leaned into him, accepting the comfort he offered. They sat for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts.

“Min,” Arthur said, his quiet voice breaking the silence. She turned to look up at him. Her heart froze at the expression on his face.

He stroked her cheek and leaned in.

“Arthur,” she whispered, pouring as much regret as she could into her voice. She pulled out of his arms.

“Damn it, Min!” Arthur jumped to his feet. “It’s because of him, isn’t it? Do you even know who this man is? Because he’s no dance instructor, I’ll guarantee you that. You know nothing about him, yet you are willing to throw your entire life away!”

“I’m not throwing my life away for anyone!” she said, her anger flashing to match his. “I agreed to share some information with him so we could all find the necklace a little faster. That is it! Yes, I had one stupid moment and I am more sorry than I will ever be able to say that you saw it. But my life is my own, Arthur, and no one is going to dictate to me how I should live it.”

She took a deep breath, tried to calm down. “What is happening with us, Arthur? This was supposed to be an arrangement to buy us both some time and make it easier to search for the necklace. Why did things have to get so complicated?”

Arthur gave a short, mirthless laugh. “That’s life, Min. You are so eager to go out there and live it on your own terms. But you aren’t alone in this life and when you are dealing with other people, with other people’s feelings…yes, things can get complicated.”

Min’s throat tightened. “I’m so sorry, Arthur. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

He reached out, taking her hand, giving her time to pull it away. She didn’t and he drew her to him with a sigh. “I know. You don’t need to apologize.” He gave her a quick hug and let her go.

He picked up the lantern and they walked to the door, slipping out into the night. Min relocked the heavy iron door and turned to say good night.

“Tomorrow at midnight?” she asked.

“Bring whatever tools you can find.”

“I will,” she said, returning his faint smile. “Good night, Arthur.”

“Good night.”

Min walked away from him, carefully picking her way through the cemetery. As she left, she could have sworn she heard him say, “I’m not going to give up on you.”

She hoped it was just her imagination.

…

Bryant heard Arthur’s quiet declaration and frowned. He hung back behind the mausoleum though it took all his self-control not to follow Min into the night. Or follow the doctor…for much more ominous reasons. But he had a job to finish. He waited until he was sure they had gone and then crept around to the big iron doors of the crypt.

Chapter Twenty-five

Min had managed to avoid Bryant since “the incident,” but she knew she couldn’t keep it up forever. It was decision time. If that necklace was in the crypt with Anne, as Min hoped and prayed it was, what was she going to do? She needed it. Arthur needed it. But so did Bryant. Maybe they could still come to a compromise. But she wasn’t holding her breath.

The next day was the end of term. She was out of time.

After their last dance class, during which Bryant again danced with Katherine, Min caught his eye. She kept her gaze locked on his as she ascended the stairs. He would follow. Out of sheer morbid curiosity if nothing else, Min thought with a grim smile.

She made sure no one was about before she slipped up to the picture gallery and into the secret room. Then she waited.

Not long after, she heard the door open. His pine and leather scent stirred things she’d rather keep buried. She knew he stood behind her, so close she could feel his breath on her neck, but she kept her back to him.

“You have something of mine.”

Min spun around, aware that she had no right to the anger flooding her but not caring. “Oh really? I was under the impression it was something we were to share.”

“Yes, because you have been so forthcoming with your own discoveries.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Min took an involuntary step back as Bryant grasped her arms, pulling her to him.

“You know exactly what I mean. Not that it matters anymore.” He ran his hands up and down her arms, and her control broke. She backed away, but she was up against the window seat. There was nowhere to go. She swallowed the panic that his words wrought in her and prayed his nonchalance was a show.

“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?” he asked.

She tightened every muscle in her body to keep from squirming under his penetrating gaze. “I thought that’s the way you wanted it.”

“I never said that’s what I wanted. I said it would be best. Don’t confuse the two.”

She forced herself to meet his gaze and was glad she did. The smug, amused expression on his face was like a douse of cold water to her system. She would not let him see how he affected her.

And he seemed just as determined to prove she would.

She edged away from the window but he trapped her against the wall, a large hand on each side of her head.

“What are you doing?” she asked, happy her voice didn’t betray the turmoil inside. “You said you wanted to keep things professional.”

“Maybe I’m tired of being professional.”

He didn’t let her say anything else. His lips descended before she could form a coherent thought and she couldn’t think of anything but the feel of his mouth on hers.

When he finally released her, it took Min a few moments to collect herself into some semblance of composure.

“So,” he said, smoothing her hair from her face, “are you going to tell me what you were doing roaming the cemetery last night?”

All warm and fuzzy feelings evaporated, along with any thought of sharing what she’d found. She knew she couldn’t trust him! Min shoved at him and moved to the center of the room. She needed some space so she could swing at him if necessary. “You followed me? How dare you?”

Bryant leaned against the wall and crossed his arms with a lazy smile. “You are hardly one to throw stones, my dear Minuette.”

She opened her mouth to retort but snapped it closed just as quickly. He was right. Blast him. But he didn’t have to look so arrogant about it. Then again, if he had felt it necessary to follow her, then perhaps he didn’t have the complete map after all. Even if he had seen the back of Anne’s portrait, Min didn’t know for certain that he’d taken the locket and discovered what it held. And following her to the mausoleum didn’t guarantee he’d know what to look for once he got inside.

Min felt near faint with relief. “Well, at least I never tried to…to…seduce information out of you.”

His short bark of laughter inflamed her even more and she clenched her fist at her side. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”

Min felt the first prick of tears and she dug her nails into her palm, welcoming the flash of pain. “It doesn’t really matter what I think.”

“It matters to me,” he said, taking a step toward her. Min held out her hand. If he touched her again, her self-control would crack entirely.

“There isn’t anything to tell about last night.”

Bryant looked as though he begged to differ but Min held up her hand again to keep him from speaking. “Yet.”

He settled back against the wall, though he didn’t look the least bit happy with her answer.

“I didn’t find the necklace. Yet. That’s all I’m going to tell you. The term ends tomorrow. I’m supposed to be on my way to the train station first thing in the morning. And I’m sorry, but there is no way I’m going to give you all the information I have and then leave you to claim the necklace without me.”

“Still don’t trust me?” he asked, flashing that heartbreaking half smile of his.

Min gave him one in return. “No more than you trust me.”

They remained silent, staring at each other until Min thought her skin would crawl from her body. The room seemed too small, too close, the air too thin. She needed to get out of there.

She turned for the door, but Bryant got there before she did.

“Min.” He blocked the doorway, standing close enough that she could feel his warmth. He didn’t touch her. Min wasn’t sure if she was happy about that or not. But she resisted the urge to close the distance between them. She’d hear him out. And then she’d leave. And if she never saw him again, well, that was for the best.

“My life is not my own,” he said. “I need that necklace. For my family’s safety, for my freedom, I need it.”

“For my mother’s life, for the welfare of a man who trusts me, I need it, too. So where does that leave us?”

“I swear to you, your mother will be all right. No matter what happens. I know you don’t think you can trust me, but you can.” He finally moved, gripping her arms tightly.

“I’m sure you’ll understand that I can’t take your word for it.”

She expected him to get angry, to push her away. Instead, he drew her in closer. She allowed herself to sink into his embrace. Let his lips find hers. Just one last time.

“You won’t tell me?” he murmured.

“I can’t tell you.” Min found the echo of their last conversation on the matter almost amusing. Almost. She gently disengaged herself. “Good-bye, Bryant.”

He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her inner wrist. “Never good-bye, Min.”

Her eyes filled as she opened the door and slipped out from behind the tapestry. She hurried to the staircase, wanting to put as much distance as possible between her and Bryant. Before she ran back, threw herself into his arms, and spilled all her secrets.

She reached for the banister. But instead of finding the smooth firmness of the wood, something hard thrust against her back and her hand met only air. Her gasp of horror died in her throat as she fell, too terrified to even scream. The stairs rose up to meet her and the world turned black.

Chapter Twenty-six

Bryant had only gone a few feet from the tapestry when Katherine sauntered around the corner. He was startled to see her but controlled his face.

“A bit too eerie a place for young girls to be strolling alone, isn’t it?” He turned to walk down the hall, making no attempt to wait for her answer.

“I would say it is a bit too secluded a place for young girls to be cavorting privately with their dance instructors.” Katherine smiled wickedly, moving to where he now stood frozen. “Something tells me that Lady Courtland wouldn’t approve of your extracurricular activities with her niece.”

Bryant’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t allow his trepidation at being discovered to show on his face. In an instant, all his anger, contempt, and disgust for the arrogant young lady in front of him rushed to the surface and he found it difficult to keep from throttling her. Katherine must have seen the fury reflected in his gaze, for she took a step backward.

“Do you have something to say to me?” Bryant quietly descended on Katherine until she had backed herself against the opposite wall.

She bumped into it with a frightened gasp and glanced around as though seeking help, but he wouldn’t let her pass.

“No, I… It is j-just…” she stammered.

Bryant brought his face close to hers and stared directly into her eyes. “My private life is neither your concern nor that of anyone else. I do not take kindly to being spied upon or threatened, especially by a silly schoolgirl with damaged pride! Somehow, I do not think you would be so disapproving had my ‘cavorting,’ as you put it, been with you.”

Katherine looked at him, anger beginning to replace the fear in her eyes. “I will admit I find it difficult to believe you would choose a common little nobody over someone who is obviously so much better suited to you.” She straightened and leaned closer to him. “It would be a shame to lose your position over someone so unworthy of you. Then again, maybe the silly little twit will trip over her own feet one too many times and meet with an unfortunate accident. And then we can be rid of her.”

Bryant could scarcely believe Katherine’s conceit. He watched with fascination as she smiled at him and ran a finger slowly down his chest. He followed the trail her finger traced, then brought his unyielding gaze back to her face. He leaned in to her touch.

Katherine, buoyed by her apparent progress, explored his chest with her hands. Her smile held a hint of victory as Bryant crushed her against the wall and touched his lips to her ear. He could feel her holding her breath, obviously waiting for a kiss. She jerked in surprise at his furious voice.

“Hear me now, my lady, for I will only say this once: I will protect Minuette Sinclair to my last breath. You are nothing more to me than an arrogant, spoiled brat whom I would not touch if my very life depended on it. Stay out of my affairs. If you think to threaten or harm me or mine again, I will make certain you regret it.”

Her eyes widened with anger and fear before she averted her gaze. “As you wish, sir.” Her voice was low and soft, laced with sarcasm.

Bryant stepped away from her. The girl was an obstacle for which he had no time or patience. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped at the sudden commotion on the floor below.

A scream.

People running.

Someone frantically shouting for a doctor.

Bryant looked deeper into Katherine’s eyes, a startling rush of fear piercing him at the triumph reflected there.

“Min!”

He whirled away from Katherine and ran through the gallery toward the noise. Racing down to the second floor hallway, he had to dodge students who were swarming the stairs leading to the ground floor. He stopped cold when he reached the head of the stairs and looked down.

Min lay crumpled at the bottom while teachers, servants, and other students rushed to her from all directions. Mistress Kellar caught sight of Bryant standing at the top of the stairs and called up to him.

“Oh! Mr. Westley, there has been an accident. The doctor has been sent for, but I’m not sure what to do.”

Bryant snapped out of it and flew down the stairs. Min’s pale face and seemingly lifeless body nearly undid him, but he managed to keep his composure as he bent over her.

Mistress Kellar took charge of the students milling about, shooing them back to their rooms while Bryant gently ran his hands over Min’s body. No blood. That was good, though that didn’t mean there wasn’t bleeding internally.

Once the hall was clear of students, Mistress Kellar rejoined him.

“She doesn’t seem to have broken any bones,” Bryant told her. “Still, it would be best not to move her until the doctor has examined her.”

The etiquette mistress nodded in agreement and sent one of the hovering maids to grab a few blankets. While they waited for Dr. Carmichael to arrive, they carefully covered her, keeping her warm and still. Bryant clenched his fists to keep from stroking her deathly pale face, exerting all his self-control to keep his inner turmoil hidden.

After what seemed an eternity, the doctor’s carriage pulled into the courtyard and he rushed inside. He dropped to his knees beside Min and began checking her for injuries.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything broken,” Bryant said, grinding his teeth as the doctor’s hands ran over Min’s limbs. He knew he was being absurd, but he couldn’t stand the sight of another man touching her.

“Thank you, Mr. Westley, but if it’s all the same to you, I think I’d better check to be sure.”

Bryant bit back a retort at the sarcastic comment. It wasn’t the time or place.

After several minutes of poking, prodding, and pushing, the doctor sat back. “Well, our Miss Sinclair is very lucky. She’s most likely cracked a rib or two and has a nasty bump on her head. I don’t think she has any internal bleeding, but of course I should examine her before she is moved.”

Bryant nearly sagged at the rush of relief that poured over him. That relief quickly turned to anger at the doctor’s next words.

“Mr. Westley, if you could excuse yourself for a moment…”

Bryant nearly protested, especially at the doctor’s thinly veiled satisfaction, but he knew he couldn’t insist on being present while Min was disrobed. “Of course,” he managed. He stood and went to the library, counting each agonizing second until Mistress Kellar came to fetch him.

“Miss Sinclair is ready to be moved,” she informed him.

Bryant brushed past her and went directly to Min. At the quick nod from the doctor, Bryant scooped Min into his arms as gently as he could and carried her up the stairs to her room. Charlotte waited anxiously with Min’s turned-down bedsheets. Bryant laid Min on her mattress and tucked her blankets firmly about her.

Safely cocooned in the comfort of her bed, Min’s eyes fluttered open and she gazed at Bryant with confusion. “What happened?”

“We were hoping you could tell us,” the doctor said.

Min looked at Bryant, her eyes flaring wide. He recognized her hesitation and began shooing everyone from the room.

“Please, everyone, Miss Sinclair can scarcely breathe with all of you in here.”

“Oh! You are quite right, Mr. Westley,” Mistress Kellar agreed. She gestured toward the door and the gaggle of girls who had abandoned their trip preparations in order to check on Min. “Off with you, girls. Go and finish your packing. I am sure Miss Sinclair will be just fine.”

Bryant, having successfully cleared the room of everyone but Charlotte and Dr. Carmichael, stood to the side with his arms folded, his face fixed in a concerned stare as he watched the doctor inspect Min again.

“You haven’t broken anything, although you have a nice bump on your head. I daresay you will have several good-sized bruises later on.” Dr. Carmichael reached into his bag and produced a small jar. “Apply this ointment carefully to your bruises, and I would suggest you stay in bed for a few days. You need rest. If you feel ill or become dizzy or have any problems seeing, send for me immediately. Are you having any difficulty breathing?”

Min shook her head, wincing at the movement. “A little, perhaps.” Before she could say anything else, her aunt bustled into the room.

“Oh, my dear,” she said, taking one of Min’s hands and patting it absently. “You gave us quite a fright, young lady. Now, Dr. Carmichael, what is the verdict?”

He filled her in on Min’s injuries. “I know it is the end of term, but I really feel it would be best to keep her here for at least a few days. You can’t be too careful with head injuries. I’d like to keep an eye on her and be sure all is well.”

Bryant’s eyes narrowed at the sudden spark of interest on Min’s face. The little minx had just found the perfect excuse to stay behind. In fact, he wouldn’t put it past her to have faked the entire fall. Though another look at her pale face and the slight tightening of her mouth when she moved dispelled that idea.

“Well, yes,” Lady Courtland said, her voice hesitant. “I suppose that would be best. You are certainly welcome to stay here. I will cancel my trip straightaway.”

“Oh no, Aunt Laura. Please don’t trouble yourself. I’ll be okay, really, and I’ll be perfectly well looked after here. I’d hate to ruin all your lovely plans.”

Lady Courtland hesitated and Min pressed her case, trying to conceal her excitement at the opportunity that had fallen into her lap. “Really, Aunt, you know Mrs. Potter will take excellent care of me and with Dr. Carmichael I’ll be more than well cared for. There’s no need to let this disrupt your summer. And I can join you as soon as I’m fit for travel.”

“Well, my dear, if you are certain…”

“Actually, Lady Courtland, I would prefer to have Miss Sinclair stay at my clinic,” Dr. Carmichael offered. Bryant’s agitation erupted. Under no circumstances would he allow Min to stay under the doctor’s roof.

“That seems highly inappropriate, doctor,” Bryant said.

Min’s lip twitched but she held in her amusement. Bryant gave her a hard look and then turned his attention back to the adults in the room.

“On the contrary,” the doctor insisted, “I have a spare room set up for patients who need extra care and my housekeeper is very efficient in helping care for them. Mrs. Potter is welcome to look in on her as often as she’d like.”

“And I am sure my parents wouldn’t mind if I stayed for a few days to help keep Min company,” Charlotte piped in. She sat next to Min on the bed and gave her a quick wink. Bryant frowned. He was outnumbered and he knew it. This wasn’t good.

“Well, I suppose it’s all settled, then.” Aunt Laura nodded with a relieved smile. “Miss Kensington, I will write to your family and let them know of your plans. We’ll send a messenger out immediately.”

“And I will be on hand to take responsibility for the girls’ well-being until Miss Sinclair is able to travel,” Bryant reminded her.

“Oh yes, indeed. Well then, it seems to be settled. Then I will leave you so I can go see to a few last-minute preparations of my own.” She gave Min’s hand one last pat. “Dr. Carmichael, I wonder if you might take a look at Mrs. Potter’s arm while you are here. It’s been bothering her dreadfully.”

“Certainly,” he said, though he shot Bryant a look of warning before he left.

As soon as they exited, Bryant flicked his hand at Charlotte. “Out.”

She gasped in outrage but looked to Min who wearily nodded her head. Charlotte flounced to the door but stayed just within the doorframe, keeping a watchful eye on the hallway. It was good enough for Bryant.

His control was at an end. He dropped onto the bed and gathered Min to him, not caring that Charlotte was there, not caring about anything but the steady breath flowing in and out of Min’s body as she clung to him in return.

He pulled back so he could touch her face, caressing every line, burning her image into his mind.

She brought a hesitant hand up to brush his hair from his eyes, letting her fingers linger on his cheek. “I’m okay, Bryant.”

He released a shuddering breath and let his forehead rest against hers. “I thought I’d lost you.”

Min let him hold her for a moment, curling into him before she gently pushed him away. “You can’t lose something you never had.”

He flinched, each word cutting deeper than the last. He couldn’t argue, though. “Min…”

“Yes, yes, I know.” She closed her eyes, breathed in and out, and finally looked back at him with a small smile. “I didn’t know you cared so much.”

Her teasing tone filtered through his fear and pried a smile out of him.

“Yes, well, don’t let it go to your head,” he said, standing up and moving a safe distance from her. “Now, would you like to tell me why on earth you are throwing yourself down stairwells? There are better ways to cancel a trip than nearly killing yourself.”

“You think I did this on purpose?” Min started to sit up. Her face blanched, draining of all color as she fell back to her pillow with a gasp.

He lunged to her side. “Don’t move. Just talk.” His gentle movements as he fixed the pillow beneath her head negated the harsh tone of his voice and Min gave him a weak smile.

“I did not fall down those stairs.”

“What?” Charlotte cried from the doorway.

“What do you mean?” Bryant asked.

“I mean someone pushed me.”

Bryant stood up, fear and fury strangling the breath from his lungs. “Did you see whom?” he asked, grinding out the words between clenched teeth.

“No.”

“No matter. I’ll find out.” He spun on his heels and headed toward the door.

“Bryant!” She attempted to sit up again, this time managing to keep herself upright though he could see the effort it took. He returned to her side so she would lie down.

“Where are you going? Who do you think did this?”

He smoothed the hair from her face. “Don’t you worry. I’ll take care of it. You just lie down.”

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted whatever argument Min was about to make, and Bryant wanted to get away before she could say anything else. He took her hand, gently kissed the inside of her wrist, and left.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Bryant burst into Katherine’s room without a knock or concern for who might see him. He advanced on her, his fury so near the surface it was all he could do to maintain control. She flushed in panic. He knew he must look like a wild animal stalking its prey, and he was every bit as dangerous.

“I told you,” she insisted for the third time, “I had nothing to do with her falling down the stairs. Minuette probably slipped again. The silly little twit has accidents all the time.”

“She did not fall,” Bryant snarled as he cornered her against a wall. “She was pushed! And I want to know who did it.” His strong hand found her throat.

Katherine’s eyes widened and her fingers clutched at his hand. “I swear, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Bryant hated himself for inflicting the terror he saw in her eyes, but he’d do worse to keep Min safe.

“Who was it?” He relaxed his grip on Katherine’s throat to allow her to speak.

“I told you, I don’t know. You are hardly the only person in this house under Rellik’s command. He is resourceful enough to surprise even you, I think.” Katherine swallowed with obvious difficulty. “Maybe it was Gage. He’s been snooping around as well. He is always up in the gallery.”

Bryant released his hold. “What do you know about Gage?”

Katherine sank into a chair, her hands still clasped around her neck. “My lord will kill me if I say anything.”

“What makes you think you are any safer with me?”

Katherine watched him. He could see her weighing her options. “Lord Rellik sent me to find the necklace. We will be announcing our engagement shortly. I was the perfect solution. He knew he could trust me and with Lady Courtland’s troubles, we knew she’d be more than happy to admit me into her little finishing school. It was the perfect opportunity to gain access to the house. But when I failed to produce the necklace, he became impatient and sent you. But then you were taking so long. He’s desperate to find it! I’ve never seen him like this. He sent Gage to keep an eye on you. I know Gage told him about your little distraction issues. Perhaps he thought her removal might remind you why you are here.”

Bryant gripped Katherine’s face, forcing her to look at him. “If anything else happens to Min, there will be hell to pay. I do not take kindly to threats, especially when they are directed against those who have nothing to do with this distasteful business.”

There was a sudden knock at the door, and Agnes called from outside.

“Katherine. Are you there? Open the door!”

Bryant ignored the interruption.

“If Min gets hurt again, someone will pay. And I do not particularly care whom. If I have to kill the lot of you to keep her safe, I will.” Bryant released her and stalked to the door, throwing it open to reveal a startled Agnes. She gasped and took a step back as Bryant brushed past her.

Chapter Twenty-eight

Min woke and stretched, grimacing at her stiff muscles. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed in Arthur’s clinic. Enough was enough. The term was over and Bryant had been alone at the school for three days. She couldn’t wait any longer. He could have found the necklace and been halfway to Australia by now.

Charlotte entered just as Min was about to stand. “Min! What are you doing? Get back in bed this instant!”

“I’m fine, Charlotte. And I’m tired of lying around here doing nothing when I need to be out looking for the necklace. Where’s Arthur?”

Charlotte didn’t lose her disapproving frown, but at least she stopped protesting. “He’s visiting a patient in town.”

“Perfect!” Min threw her clothes on, growling in frustration as her clumsy fingers tangled in the laces of her boots. Charlotte batted her hands away and took over. As soon as Min was presentable, she grabbed Charlotte’s hand and tugged her to the door. “Let’s go! We need to get out of here before he gets back.”

Arthur hadn’t been able to get back into the mausoleum, as the key seemed to have disappeared. He’d tried picking the lock but he apparently didn’t have the aptitude for it that Min did. They were both growing desperate to get into the tomb, but for once Arthur was siding with Bryant. Both insisting (separately) that she stay in bed and let them handle the necklace situation. But Min couldn’t let the men handle things on their own. Arthur, because she was afraid he wouldn’t get the job done, and Bryant, because she was afraid he would.

“I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on you,” Charlotte said, only halfheartedly struggling. “You aren’t supposed to leave the clinic and certainly not unaccompanied.”

“But I am accompanied. By you.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. They’d reached the small sitting room at the front of the clinic. Min drew up short at the sight of a familiar redheaded gentleman.

“I would have told you if you’d given me half a second,” Charlotte said.

Bryant’s redheaded friend stood up and gave Min a little bow. “Mr. Julian Durant, at your service.”

Min glanced at Charlotte, who shrugged. “In this one instance, at least, Dr. Carmichael and Mr. Westley are in agreement. You are not to be left alone and under no circumstances are you to be allowed to go near the school. Mr. Durant is—”

Julian smiled. “I am your babysitter for the afternoon.”

Min’s jaw dropped. What was she? Some wayward toddler? “You must be joking.”

“Unfortunately not. It wasn’t my first choice of pastimes, I assure you. Still,” he said, appraising her like a pony up for auction, “I’ve had worse assignments.”

“I doubt it,” Min mumbled, trying to keep her flaring temper under control. She needed to get out of the house and she could tell just by looking at Mr. Durant that she wouldn’t be able to talk her way past him.

He chuckled. “Don’t be so angry. Our dear Mr. Westley simply wanted to ensure that you would come to no harm and Dr. Carmichael concurred. After all, you do seem rather accident prone.”

Min gasped in outrage and Charlotte gave an amused snort, which she made no attempt to conceal.

“Since the good doctor couldn’t continue to neglect his patients, and as I had no outstanding commitments for the time being, I volunteered my services. I am to provide any assistance you might need.”

Min’s slight dash of hope was quickly crushed when Julian continued, anticipating her next question. “So long as I keep you here.”

Min glared at him for a moment before she released her breath in an exasperated rush.

“Well,” she said, hoping he’d buy her compliant attitude, “any friend of Mr. Westley’s, I suppose.”

“I am happy to be in your good graces, Miss Sinclair,” he said. “I will try my best to live up to your expectations.”

“I’m sure you will.” Min took Charlotte by the arm. “You know, I suppose I am still feeling a bit tired. Perhaps I’ll go lie down for a bit.”

“Good girl,” Mr. Durant said, returning to his seat with a yawn.

Min resisted the urge to smack the condescending look off his face and dragged Charlotte back to her room.

“Well, at least you are being sensible,” Charlotte said.

“Very sensible,” Min agreed. She walked to the small window and threw it open, revealing the neat little yard at the back of the clinic.

“Min! What are you doing?”

“I’m going to get to that school. Really, Charlotte, you can be so slow sometimes.”

“But—”

“I’ll need you to stay here and keep the charming Mr. Durant company.”

Charlotte sputtered, for once at a loss for words.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

“I can’t let you just go running off… How are you going to get there, anyway?”

“Arthur’s horse. You said he was seeing someone in town, so I assume his horse is available.”

Charlotte’s arms were crossed so firmly across her chest Min wasn’t sure how she could breathe. Her eyes darted from the window to the doorway. “So now you are resorting to horse thievery?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am.” Min gathered her skirts, ignoring the protest of her aching limbs, and climbed gingerly out the window before Charlotte decided to call for help. “Now go distract the babysitter.”

“But Min!”

Min jumped to the ground, stifling a grunt of pain as the landing jarred her ribs. She looked back at Charlotte, who was still hanging halfway out the window. “Go!” Min waved at her.

Before Charlotte could say another word, Min disappeared around the corner and made her way to Arthur’s shed.

Chapter Twenty-nine

Bryant must have heard her horse, for he stood on the front steps wearing a somewhat confused frown on his face as Min rode into the front courtyard. She slid down and tied Arthur’s horse to the hitching post. She didn’t know how long Charlotte would be able to keep Mr. Durant occupied, but Min doubted she had much time.

Bryant marched over to her. “You were to stay at the clinic.”

The softness of his voice made his anger all the more apparent. But it was tinged with something else—a tone Min had never heard from Bryant before. One that made her fear she might have made the wrong choice in coming back.

“I couldn’t stay away.”

“I had a reason for wanting you to stay away, Min, especially today. You aren’t safe here.” He gripped her arm and steered her back to her horse. “You need to leave immediately.”

Min pulled away. She’d debated over and over what she’d say to him, but now that she was here…and after what he’d said when she’d been hurt, how he’d looked…maybe it was time to trust him. Besides, she was desperate.

She ignored the quaking in her gut and just spit it out. “I think I know where the necklace is.”

Bryant’s eyes widened. Not quite the reaction she was going for. Nor were his next words. “Perhaps we could discuss it later. But for now, I need you to get on your horse and get out of here.”

“What?” Min asked, confused beyond her bearing.

“Now, now, Westley. No need to send our guest off so soon. I’m certainly interested in what she has to say.”

Min’s blood ran cold at the unexpected sound of a taunting and unfamiliar voice. Bryant drew her close to his side. A sickly thin, brown-haired man walked down the steps toward them.

She returned the man’s stare, refusing to turn away from his malice, even though her heart seemed ready to burst with fright. She knew from the man’s elegant clothing and domineering attitude that she must be face-to-face with Lord Tyson Rellik.

Bryant stepped slightly in front of her. Rellik clasped his hands behind his back and turned to Gage, who followed him.

“I assume from Mr. Westley’s sudden protectiveness that this must be the young friend you reported?” Rellik questioned.

“Yessir, that be ’er. Miss Minuette Sinclair,” Gage said.

Rellik turned back to Min. “Well, Miss Sinclair. I cannot say that returning here was an incredibly intelligent decision on your part, especially since I am sure that our fierce Mr. Westley instructed you to stay away. However, I confess that I am delighted to make your acquaintance, as I understand you were quite instrumental in helping Mr. Westley. I’ve only just arrived myself. You can imagine my excitement when I received Mr. Westley’s letter informing me he’d finally located my necklace. I came as quickly as I could.”

Min glared at Rellik. “I’m afraid you are mistaken, my lord. The necklace belongs to the Courtlands.”

His eyes narrowed. “Then that would make you a thief, my dear, as you are not a Courtland.”

“My aunt is a Courtland—”

“By marriage. And you are not your aunt, so the point is moot, wouldn’t you agree?”

Min opened her mouth to debate him further but he held up a hand, his patience obviously at an end. “I have been waiting a long time for this, Miss Sinclair. I hired my old friend here to do a job for me, and as of late, his performance has been exceedingly disappointing.”

Rellik leaned closer to Min. She glanced at Bryant, hoping for some sort of sign as to what she should do. But Bryant’s attention was riveted on Rellik.

“Do not make me ask again.” Rellik pulled a pistol from beneath his coat and leveled it at Min’s head.

“That won’t be necessary,” Bryant said, his ice-cold voice freezing Min to the core. He leaned over and grabbed the silver chain that peeked from her collar. She gasped, her hands flying to her throat, but Bryant was quicker. With one sharp tug, the locket was in his hands.

“What are you doing?” Min asked, his betrayal snaking through her heart.

“What I was hired to do.” Bryant barely spared her a glance. “Our dear Miss Sinclair has an unusual attachment to this locket,” Bryant said. “I wondered why.”

It only took a moment for Bryant to remove the two eye portraits and the paper hidden beneath them. Min bit her lip to keep from crying out.

“Well, well.” Rellik’s pleased grin made Min’s stomach roil in protest.

Bryant replaced Edward’s portrait in the locket and shoved it in his vest. He held the two halves of the map out to Rellik.

“Aren’t you the clever one,” Rellik said. Then he reached out and yanked Min closer, pointing to the maps with his gun. “Why don’t you share the secret with us all?”

Min hesitated, unable to predict whether telling Rellik the location of the necklace would help matters or doom them all.

“Min.” Bryant’s voice, though soft, left no room for argument, and his eyes were filled with a fury that matched her own. “Tell him.”

Her gaze lingered on him before she turned to face Rellik. She took the pages, cursing her trembling hands, and pieced them together. “I think the necklace is buried with Edward Courtland’s mistress, Anne Benton.” She pointed at the boxed-in star. “Here.”

Min looked again at Bryant, whose every muscle was tightly coiled and ready for a fight. This made her even more terrified for their safety and anxious about what would happen after the necklace was found. She found it hard to believe Rellik would simply offer his thanks and go on his merry way. She needed to make it through this so she could throttle Bryant with her bare hands.

“And where exactly does this map lead?” Rellik asked.

Min hesitated just a second too long. Rellik raised the gun again.

“The family mausoleum,” Bryant said. He stepped between them, blocking her view of Rellik and his gun, and took the map from her.

Rellik frowned at Bryant but gestured with his pistol for him to lead the way. Bryant grabbed Min’s arm and turned her toward the cemetery.

“You aren’t going on a treasure hunt without me, are you?” a decidedly young and feminine voice asked.

Min wheeled in the direction of the voice, surprise replacing a bit of her anger as she recognized the newcomer.

Lady Katherine smiled and continued down the front stairs, coming to a stop beside Rellik.

“You seem surprised to see me,” she said to Min.

“Not really. Lord Rellik seems the type of gentleman with whom a lady such as yourself would keep company.” Min flinched at the sudden pressure on her arm. She shot Bryant a glare but refrained from saying anything further.

Katherine ignored Min and walked around Bryant, running her finger across his chest. She stopped in front of him and pushed her body against his, tracing the line of his jaw with her finger. “I think she is jealous of us, my dear. Someone must have told her of our little interludes.”

Bryant’s face tightened in rage. With a disgusted sneer, he grabbed her arm and pushed her away.

Katherine tittered smugly and sauntered to Rellik’s side. Rellik scarcely glanced at her.

“Enough,” he demanded. “Let’s go retrieve my necklace, shall we?”

Rellik jerked his head and Bryant propelled Min through the gardens, with Rellik, Katherine, and Gage following a short distance behind. Min stumbled, and Bryant slipped an arm around her waist.

“Get your hands off me,” Min said, trying to twist out of his grip.

He held her tighter, leaning down to whisper furiously in her ear. “I’m trying to get you through this alive. It would be helpful if you’d stop making it so difficult.”

Rellik spoke before Min could respond. “I think Miss Sinclair is capable of walking on her own, Westley. Keep your distance.”

Bryant released Min with a little shove, forcing her ahead of him, keeping his body between her and Rellik’s gun. She bit back a curse.

They slowed as the cemetery came into sight, sprawled in a clearing guarded by an old wrought-iron gate, with a sizable copse of trees beyond. Min and Bryant passed first through the gate and walked straight toward the enormous mausoleum at the center of the burial yard.

They found the mausoleum’s large ironbound doors securely locked, just as Min had left them.

A burst of panic ran through her. “I don’t have the key,” she told Bryant. “I had it a few days ago, but…” Min had no idea what had happened to it after she’d fallen.

“No matter. Gage,” Rellik ordered.

The horrifying little man had come prepared with a crowbar. A few minutes later, the doors fell open and a cloud of dust and stale dead air met the group.

Gage stepped aside, his face twisted in a greasy smile of satisfaction. “There ye go, guv.”

Rellik looked at Bryant and nodded. “After you, Westley.”

Chapter Thirty

Bryant grasped Min’s hand and they entered the gloomy interior together. She allowed the contact. With a gun at her back and a tomb to the front, she felt the sudden need for a little comfort. They paused just inside the doors to allow their eyes to adjust. Weak light filtered in through the stained-glass windows, bathing the interior with geometric slivers of yellow, green, and pale blue that fell across the granite coffins at the back in myriad hues and shapes. Bryant released her and moved along one wall, searching the names embossed on the stone slabs. Then he made his way to the coffins and read the plaques at the head of each.

He turned to her. “Where is she?”

Min clenched her jaw. She had no desire to play this game with him. He knew exactly where to look. But something in his eyes pierced through the anger beating in her veins. Bryant was afraid. The realization hit her like a slab of ice. She pointed to the last sarcophagus. “I think it must be that one. There is no name, but look at the pattern on the lid.”

Bryant bent closer. “Hoyas.”

Min nodded.

Rellik joined Bryant at the coffin. “What is the significance of the flowers?”

Bryant pointed to a perfectly carved stone bloom. “Star-shaped flowers. Stars on the map. Stars in the passageways.”

“And there are hoyas in Anne’s portrait and on her locket,” Min chimed in, though when Rellik’s gaze swung to her she wished she’d kept her mouth shut.

“Gage.” Rellik gestured to his minion with a nod of his head.

Gage walked to the coffin and elbowed his way past Min and Bryant. They stood back as he tried to shove the heavy lid of the stone box. It didn’t budge. He looked helplessly at Rellik and tried once again.

Bryant went to the other end of the coffin and pushed in unison with Gage’s efforts. The stone cover yielded an inch or so, protesting with a dull grinding noise. A small opening finally began to appear as the men continued their progress. Motivated to redouble their efforts, they shoved even harder, groaning, spitting, and cursing under the exertion. The stone finally slid away from the coffin, falling with a grating, resounding thud. Min hurried over to Bryant and stared in wordless awe at the contents.

Inside, Anne Benton’s skeleton was still covered by the thin wisps of gauze employed by her undertaker. Min shuddered, seeing nothing at first but the bleached bones. Something glittered in the faint light and Min looked past the horror of the body. At the skeleton’s neck, in all its glory, was the fabled Courtland necklace. It was magnificent, even more spectacular than Min had ever dreamed. Light from the windows fell into the casket and set fire to the faceted diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. The tales of the treasure had been true; the jewels were utterly breathtaking. Min couldn’t even tell where Arthur’s grandfather had pried out a gem. He had certainly been clever about it.

The quiet of the moment was broken by a shriek of greedy excitement from Katherine. She lunged at the coffin, pushing Min out of the way as she stared openmouthed at the fortune before her. She plunged an eager hand into the casket and yanked at the necklace, thoroughly unconcerned by the dusty bones she broke and scattered in her haste. She held the strand to the light and cackled in lascivious pleasure.

Bryant collected Min from the corner into which Katherine had shoved her as Rellik moved to the casket. He, too, was mesmerized by the untarnished gems. During his moment of astonished reverie, Katherine lifted the jewels to her neck.

Rellik seized her hand in a viselike grip. “Let’s not be so greedy, my dear. You need to share your toys.” He snatched the necklace from her.

Rellik held the necklace toward the light and stared at it in ruthless appreciation before lowering it carefully into his pocket. Then he addressed Bryant.

“Well, old friend, it took you long enough to complete your task, but I must say, I am very pleased with the results.”

Bryant regarded Rellik with a face of stone that betrayed no hint of what he was feeling. “I’m happy to be of service, as always. Since we no longer have need of her,” he said, gesturing at Min with a contemptuous expression that stung like a slap in the face, “I suggest we send her on her way so we can be on ours.”

Rellik turned to Katherine. “Go wait with the horses.”

Katherine looked as though she’d like to argue, but a deep frown from Rellik kept her silent.

“Katherine.” Bryant grabbed Min’s arm and shoved her toward the door. “Take your little friend with you. I have no use for her anymore.”

“You lying bastard!” Min yelled at him, unable to keep still any longer. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I must agree with Miss Sinclair,” Rellik said, waving everyone away from the door.

Bryant shifted slightly, his body blocking Min’s view of Rellik and his gun. “She is of no further use to us,” Bryant said, his deep voice echoing through Min’s breaking heart. “Let her go.”

“Now, you know I can’t do that.”

“Rellik! This wasn’t part of the deal.”

“Oh, come now. I certainly can’t allow your darling Miss Sinclair to spill this story to the first person she sees. You’ve been in this business long enough, Westley. You of all people know that you never leave a witness.”

Bryant took a slow step backward, closer to Min. His muscles twitched, his body strung so tightly Min thought he would snap. She’d never seen him so tense. Her fury at him dissipated with every drop of ice-cold fear running down her spine. She may have just argued her way out of her last chance to escape. And after Bryant tried everything but throwing her out the door. She really was a bloody fool.

“She won’t talk, Rellik. I will guarantee it. Take your treasure and disappear.”

Rellik shook his head. “Sorry. I just can’t do that. You may have faith in her, but I most certainly do not. And my faith in you, my old friend, isn’t what it used to be, either.”

Katherine glanced uneasily at Rellik and put her hand on his arm. “Tyson, darling, we have what we came for. Is this really necessary? Surely there isn’t any danger of them turning us in. How would they explain their presence here? They would be considered accomplices. Neither of them would be stupid enough to risk destroying their own lives.”

Rellik shook Katherine’s hand away. “I told you to go wait with the horses, Katherine,” he said, without looking at her. “We will be leaving shortly. Though Miss Sinclair and, I’m afraid, our gallant Mr. Westley won’t be joining us.”

Katherine hesitated, looking between Min and Bryant before she turned and sulked out. Min frantically tried to think of something she could do to get them out of this mess.

Surely someone would arrive soon. Mr. Durant! He must have come after her. Min had full confidence in Charlotte’s charming abilities, but she had no delusions that Charlotte would have been able to delay Mr. Durant for long. They just needed to stall Rellik a little longer. Min focused her attention on him and tried to ignore the sight of the pistol pointed at her chest.

“Katherine has a point, you know,” Min said. “If we were to turn you in, we would risk exposing ourselves. We were searching for the necklace, after all. Besides, it simply isn’t logical to kill us. Don’t you think it might look a bit odd to the authorities when they find two dead bodies in the mausoleum of a family that was rumored to have a legendary treasure hidden somewhere? How will you explain the coincidence of our deaths in this place and your sudden expanded wealth?”

Min trained her eyes on Rellik’s face while her ears strained for the slightest sound from outside. Was that a shout she just heard?

Rellik’s arrogant laugh interrupted her concentration. “You may not like me much, my dear, but please give me some credit. It is very simple, actually.”

Min stared in disbelief.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised! Remember, I have known your Mr. Westley for years. While he frequently proved himself to be quite talented in his line of work, he always had more honor and integrity than was strictly necessary. I do regret your change of heart, Westley. You’ve been extraordinarily useful to me over the years. I hate to replace you. But I really can’t have you growing a conscience on me.”

Min listened to Rellik’s smug voice with a sinking heart. They were done for. Rellik leered at her as if he could read her every thought.

“When the theft is discovered, the authorities will find the broken body of our poor Miss Sinclair, who was tragically crushed beneath the heavy stone lid of the coffin, a result of her—and her accomplice—trying to remove it. Mr. Westley will be shot as he attempts to flee the scene. Naturally, I am the good citizen who happened upon the crime as it took place while on a ride with my fiancée, the lady Katherine.”

Min lowered her head in defeat.

“I will most likely be commended for the hero that I am. Maybe I will even receive a reward! After that, I will return to London a vastly richer and much more celebrated man. As for my new financial circumstances, I doubt they will be noticed much. I have been living extraordinarily beyond my means for years. The only difference will be that I will finally have the capital to pay off my creditors and sustain my rather lavish lifestyle. And as long as I am careful, a few more well-chosen extravagances should not draw too much attention.”

“You are a vile bastard, Rellik,” Bryant spat.

Rellik stepped closer to Min but kept his eyes trained on Bryant. “Be that as it may, time really is running short. Miss Sinclair, if you will be so kind as to wait here, I believe it would be best to dispatch Mr. Westley first.”

“Outside, Westley, now.”

“No!” Min screamed as she threw herself at Bryant. No matter how Bryant felt about her, she loved him with an intensity that frightened her. They might not have a future together, but she couldn’t stand by and watch him be killed.

Rellik calmly placed the barrel of his pistol against her forehead. “Do tell your whore to cooperate, Westley. I would hate to ruin my carefully designed plan, of course, but I am sure I can come up with a scenario where both of you get shot.”

Bryant looked at Min and gently pried her fingers from his arm. “Do as he says, Min.”

Her eyes filled with tears, and she blinked at them angrily. Every bone in her body screamed out to hold onto Bryant, to refuse to let him go. But she looked into his eyes and slowly backed over to the corner.

“That’s a good girl,” Rellik said. “Now, outside with you, Westley. And don’t worry, my dear, I won’t leave you waiting very long.”

Rellik handed a gun to Gage. “Lock her in.”

As Gage began to push the heavy doors closed, Min screamed again. She rushed at the doors, attempting to get through before they closed. Gage simply doubled up his hand and stepped in her path. Min slammed full force into his fist. She crumpled to the floor, trying desperately to catch the breath that had been knocked out of her.

Bryant howled in rage as Min fell, but before he could move, Rellik aimed the gun in Min’s direction. “One twitch from you and I end this miserable little scene here and now.”

Bryant’s face twisted in pain and anger but he held himself back, his body trembling with the effort. He tore his eyes away from Min and leveled a gaze at Rellik. The man’s cool countenance faltered momentarily at the cold fury that blazed from Bryant’s eyes. He cleared his throat and turned back to Gage as the doors banged shut. Min crawled to the locked portal and pressed her ear to the crack between the panels.

“Is it secure?” she heard Rellik ask.

“Aye, sir.”

Min heard something slide through the handles of the doors. She pulled herself to her feet. Her stomach and ribs throbbed and her head pounded as she dragged air into her tortured lungs. She pushed and hammered at the doors with all her might. She opened them the merest inch, enough to see the piece of wood that had locked her inside.

Outside, just a few feet beyond the doors that held her prisoner, Rellik returned to business. “Take care of them,” he instructed Gage. “I have a horse waiting.” He stomped toward the trees.

Min listened at the door again and found only silence. Then she heard Gage grunt. “Let’s move off a bit, mate,” he said, leading Bryant away from the door. “Wouldn’t want your lady friend to ’ear you being blown to bits now, would we?”

Pressing her eye to the crack, Min saw Gage walking behind Bryant toward the house. Gage stopped and sunlight glinted off the gun in his raised hand. She screamed and threw herself against the door, ramming her shoulder against the unyielding wood again and again, unconcerned that her sleeve had ripped to reveal her bruised and bloodied shoulder. On her next frantic push, Min heard the barricade splinter.

Her strength renewed by the progress, she stepped back to give herself space to run. Leading with a primal yell delivered at the top of her lungs, she charged the door, throwing her body where she thought the door was weakest. The wood splintered, cracked, and finally gave way. Min tumbled through into the bright sunlight. She lay stunned for a moment and then picked herself up, shaking her head to clear the fuzziness. She sprang to her feet and bolted toward Bryant, screaming his name.

Bryant turned at the sound of Min’s voice. Gage, his gun still raised, glanced at her, smiled, and pulled the trigger.

Chapter Thirty-one

Min skidded to a halt, watching in disbelief. Bryant stood for a split second, staring at her, and then collapsed to his knees. His white shirt turned red as blood flowed from the wound. He reached his hand out to her just before he crumbled.

Min clamped her hands to her ears, trying to block out the noise of the gun that still echoed through her senses. The smell of gunpowder filled her nostrils as she scrambled toward Bryant, calling his name with a soul-shattering shriek.

Gage turned and aimed his gun at Min and the sound of another gunshot rang out. Min kept running toward Bryant, ignoring the awful explosion. Gage stood frozen, his expression one of complete surprise. Then he dropped to the ground and was still.

Mr. Durant stood a few feet away, the pistol in his hand still smoking. Charlotte came to a halt beside him, taking in the scene with openmouthed horror. Mr. Durant approached Gage’s body and kicked the gun from his hand.

As Min neared Bryant, she fell to the ground and crawled the last few feet to where he lay. She touched his already deathly pale face and cradled his head in her lap. He opened his eyes and gazed into her tear-stained face. Charlotte dropped to her knees next to Min, who sat rocking Bryant in her arms. Mr. Durant knelt and stripped Bryant’s clothing enough to reveal the wound that slowly drained his life away. He removed his own coat and shirt and pressed the shirt to Bryant’s side, trying desperately to staunch the flow of blood.

Min ignored their efforts. She kept her eyes focused on Bryant’s as she stroked his face, making quiet shushing sounds. Bryant reached up and took her hand, his arm trembling from the effort.

Arthur, his bag already open, approached the group. He bent over Bryant’s chest, disregarding everyone as he mumbled under his breath. He finally stood, wiped Bryant’s blood from his hands, and mumbled something to Charlotte, who went running to the house. Several minutes later she returned with some of the manservants who had fashioned a makeshift stretcher.

“Get him inside. Quickly!” Arthur ordered. He turned to Charlotte and rattled off a list of things he needed, sending her back to the manor to get things prepared. Charlotte spared a worried glance for Min before she went running back to carry out Arthur’s instructions.

The men set the stretcher next to Bryant. Min made a sound of protest when one of them attempted to remove her from Bryant’s side. Arthur took her chin in his hand and gently forced her to look at him.

“I need to get him inside the house, Min. Let go.”

She looked at Arthur in a daze, feeling as though he were miles away instead of right in front of her.

Arthur spoke again with more force. “Min, let him go.”

Bryant squeezed her hand and Min’s eyes returned to his.

“Let me go, love. Everything will be all right,” he whispered. “I love you.”

Tears ran unchecked down Min’s face, her heart breaking at the words she’d thought she’d never hear. She released him. The men laid Bryant on the stretcher and Min glanced at Arthur. His face was pale, unreadable. After a moment he turned away and headed toward the house.

As Bryant was lifted from the ground, he grabbed Mr. Durant’s hand.

“Take care of her for me.”

Mr. Durant stared at Bryant for a moment, and then nodded. Bryant closed his eyes as they carried him off.

Mr. Durant put on his coat, covering his bare chest before he came to stand beside Min, offering his silent support. She stood trembling, her arms wrapped against her stomach. Intermittent sobs still racked her body, like small aftershocks she could neither stop nor control. Mr. Durant took her arm to steer her toward the house but stopped with a dismayed outburst.

“You are hurt!”

Min looked at Mr. Durant for the first time, not quite understanding his words.

“You are hurt, Miss Sinclair,” he repeated.

She glanced at her shoulder as if it didn’t belong to her. The pain beginning to scream through her body seemed monumentally unimportant. After several seconds, she returned her gaze to the hill over which Bryant had disappeared a moment before. She wanted to shriek, cry, and hurt something…or someone.

The throbbing in her shoulder intensified. Why did these things never hurt until you’d looked at them? Not that it mattered. She’d live. But Bryant…

“Let’s get you inside,” Mr. Durant said. “Your shoulder needs attention.”

Min made no protest as he put his arm around her waist, supporting her while they walked. She paused when they passed a few officers who were placing the lifeless body of Jack Gage on a stretcher. She felt nothing…only a sense of relief that the odious man was dead. Is that wrong?

She was curious about the officers, though. She looked at Mr. Durant to ask, but he anticipated the question. “Charlotte sent for the constable before we followed you out here. I was against it,” he said with a shrug. “But I suppose they are coming in handy now.”

Min had the urge to laugh but swallowed it, afraid if she started she wouldn’t be able to stop.

“Are you in trouble? For shooting Mr. Gage?”

“There will be an inquest,” Julian answered. “But there are enough witnesses to prove I had no choice. They are, of course, skeptical that Lord Rellik is involved, but as Gage was known to have been in his employ, it looks bad enough that they will question him. Nothing you need to worry about now.”

Min led Mr. Durant to her room, stopping outside to allow him to open the door. She went inside and sat on the bed, making no sound as he went to the dresser where the large porcelain bowl and ewer sat.

He poured some water and returned to her side.

“Ow!” she growled as Mr. Durant cleaned her shoulder.

“Sorry,” he muttered, sounding anything but.

Min knew it was unfair to take out her fury on him, but she couldn’t help it. Finally, he finished torturing her shoulder, giving one final tug to the makeshift bandage. She stood up and walked toward the door, but he intercepted her.

She glared at him. “I need to see Bryant. I want to make sure he is all right.”

Mr. Durant slapped his hand against the door, keeping her from opening it. “Bryant asked me to care for you, and he would never forgive me if I were to fail. You are about to collapse. Your shoulder is a bloody, torn mess and you were already a mass of bruises from your little trip down the stairs. Now, please, get into bed and I will bring you something to eat and find the doctor to get a bit of medicine for that shoulder.”

Min took a deep breath, ready to scream at him, but instead gasped with pain. She doubled over, her arms pressed fiercely against her ribs. Mr. Durant grabbed her to keep her from falling, taking care not to jostle her shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his face losing its annoyed superiority and registering alarm at the terrible groans coming from between her clenched teeth.

Min tried to relax, locking her jaw to make the moans subside. She hated the weak whimpers that escaped when she exhaled, but she couldn’t seem to control them. After a moment, the pain relented and she took several shallow breaths, relieved that the sharp stabbing pain had faded to a dull ache…at least for the moment.

“I think I’m all right now,” she said, her voice strained. “Gage struck me. He must have reinjured one of my ribs. I am sure the pain is just a result of that. I’ll be fine.” But even as she spoke, she gasped and pressed her hands to her chest again.

Mr. Durant took her hand, his face a mask of helplessness. Though it sent a small twinge of guilt through her, she wasn’t above using his distress to get her way. She needed to find out what was going on. Something had snapped in her when she’d seen Bryant fall, when he’d uttered those words.

She was done. Done pretending nothing was going on. Done pretending she felt nothing. Done lying to everyone, and most importantly to herself. She loved him and she didn’t care who knew it.

“Mr. Durant—Julian—please. I must go to him. I need to know what’s happening.”

“I will check on him myself and bring you word. Please just remain here.”

Min hesitated but another pain stabbed through her ribs and she put her face into her hands, not wanting him to see how it hurt her. Then she looked at Mr. Durant once more and whispered, “Please.”

Her voice sounded small, almost childlike, and she despised it. He nodded. To her surprise, Mr. Durant pressed a kiss to her forehead before he left. She nearly sobbed at the kind gesture. Instead, she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. Her entire body blazed with pain, but at least she’d managed to control her breathing.

Until she thought about the wound in Bryant’s side. The look in his eyes when he’d asked Mr. Durant to look after her… Why would she need anyone to look after her unless he didn’t believe he would recover?

Chapter Thirty-two

Bryant felt strange, almost separate from his body. His side hurt, which he knew was good. If he could feel, he wasn’t dead. Yet. Though he was sure he should be in a lot more pain than he was. He could hear movement around him, felt himself being prodded, something cold on his skin. Blankets being drawn over his bare chest.

Voices. People talking. He could hear Julian talking to the doctor but couldn’t seem to make his eyes open.

“How is he?” Julian asked.

“Not good. The bullet went deep. I was able to extract it, and the wound should heal cleanly. But…”

“May I see him?”

There was silence for a moment, then the bed sagged on one side as if someone had sat down. Bryant could hear the curtains being drawn and the room felt dark and sinister, even through his daze.

“He’s very pale.” Julian’s voice was close but hushed.

“Yes. He’s lost a great deal of blood. And I can’t be certain how much damage was done internally. I fear a fever is taking hold as well. That is his worst enemy at the moment.”

Bryant felt Julian’s hand on his forehead and fought a twinge of fear at how cool his friend’s skin felt against his own. He forced his eyes open and wanted to shut them again to block out the fear on Julian’s face.

“How is she?” Bryant asked, the question nearly inaudible.

“Sleeping for the moment, I think. She didn’t want to leave you.”

Bryant smiled. “Nor I her.” He caught the way the doctor’s face twisted before Arthur turned from the bed, busying himself with his instruments.

Bryant took a shallow breath and reached for his friend’s hand. He tried to grasp it firmly but couldn’t seem to make his hand work.

“You must watch her for me, protect her. Rellik will not leave witnesses. You need to take Min from here. Take her home. Take her to my mother if you feel that is safer. But protect her at all costs.”

The force of his plea left Bryant breathless, and his eyes fluttered closed. Julian began to stand but was stopped once again by Bryant’s hand.

“Promise me,” he whispered.

Julian nodded and grasped Bryant’s hand. “I will protect her with my life, Bryant.”

Bryant’s breaths came in wheezing gasps. “Rellik will come after her if he cannot get to me.”

Julian’s head jerked up. “Why?”

Bryant didn’t answer the question. Instead, he winced as he tried to force back a cough, desperate to forestall additional pain.

“He’ll know…eventually… He’ll discover it… He’ll go after Min first. Protect her. Keep her safe…”

Julian frowned, and Bryant hoped he understood. He couldn’t seem to get the right words out. But Julian nodded again, assuring Bryant he would follow his wishes. Bryant smiled, his mouth trembling from the effort. He let his eyes close.

He could still hear everything going on in the room, though it sounded like it was coming from far away. Someone crossed to the armoire, rustled through the drawers. Probably Julian taking a shirt. Had he been wearing one? Bryant thought he remembered Julian taking his shirt off but couldn’t remember why.

Julian’s voice again. “What do you think his chances are?”

“Not good.” The doctor? “Honestly, I think it would take a miracle to save his life now.”

Bryant wanted to argue, insist that he’d be fine. In fact, he felt pretty good. The pain was almost gone. Fading.

The doctor shouted.

A tray crashed.

Why couldn’t they be quiet? He was so tired…

Chapter Thirty-three

The door opened and shut with a quiet click. “Bryant?” Min asked, sleep still dragging at her.

“Shh, it’s just me,” Charlotte said, coming to sit beside Min on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. Sore,” she said with a smile that probably came out more as a grimace. “Have you seen Bryant?”

“Yes.” Charlotte seemed reluctant to elaborate. “Min, I think…I think you may need to prepare yourself…”

“No.” Min wouldn’t even consider the possibility. “Bryant is a thick-headed, arrogant prat. He’s too stubborn to die.”

Charlotte gave her a ghost of a smile. “I saw him, Min. He was so pale, barely breathing. I just… I don’t know.” Her next words struck Min right through the heart. “Perhaps it is better this way.”

“How can you say that?” Min asked, anger and grief beating a constant thrum in her chest.

“Min, he isn’t good enough for you. You never could have trusted him. He is a liar, a cheat, and a thief. A dangerous man who used you for his own gain. He even turned on his own partners. Even you can’t deny he was only here for the necklace. He didn’t care about anything else. Or about anyone. Look at what’s happened to you since he came into your life.”

Min shook her head. “You don’t know him like I do. Besides, I’m no better. I wanted that necklace too. Helping Bryant was betraying Arthur and my mother, and helping them would have betrayed him. And he does care about me. He loves me.”

Charlotte cocked an eyebrow, looking at Min like she was a stubborn child. “He actually told you he loved you?”

“Yes, he did. Just after…” Min’s voice trailed away.

“Just after he was shot? When he lay dying?” Charlotte asked.

Min nodded, turning her face away.

“Min…if he really loved you, would he not have told you sooner? Why wait unless he had never planned on saying it at all? Perhaps knowing he was about to meet his Maker, he wanted to die with a clear conscience. Maybe he just wanted to do a good deed before he died and thought that making you happy by saying what you wanted to hear most would accomplish that. I don’t know.”

“No,” Min seethed, “you don’t know. Why are you saying all this, Charlotte?”

Charlotte took a deep breath, her eyes filling with tears. “I thought maybe it would be easier… Min, Mr. Westley is gone.”

Min shook her head, every cell in her body screaming out in denial. “No he isn’t,” she whispered.

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Min, not ever. He is gone. I don’t know if he is dead, but when I saw him, he looked…” Charlotte choked on the words. “There was a long black carriage in the courtyard, the kind they use for dead bodies, and when it left he was gone. I looked in his room; he isn’t there anymore, Min. If he was alive and loved you as you say he did, would he have left you?”

“Get out,” Min whispered. She knew Charlotte meant well, but she couldn’t stand to hear another word. “Please, Charlotte, just leave me alone. I need to be alone.”

Min’s heart clenched at the sorrow on Charlotte’s face, but she couldn’t deal with anyone else’s pain at the moment. Bryant was gone, maybe forever. The necklace was gone. She had no hope of helping her mother. Rellik would be coming after Arthur when he couldn’t pay what he owed. He never forgot a debt. They were all done for. Min had never felt such a crushing, all-consuming despair. It strangled her, overwhelmed her with its grasping tentacles. She couldn’t breathe.

“I’m so sorry, Min. I’ll be here if you need me.”

Charlotte left Min alone with her misery.

Chapter Thirty-four

“Please, I beg of you,” Katherine complained. “It has been weeks and there’s been no mention of the so-called ‘Courtland Case.’ Everyone assumes the tomb was empty. There has been no sign of Mr. Westley. Why can’t we just sell the thing and be done with it?”

“Just be patient!” Rellik snapped at her, his head pounding. He was starting to tire of the little harpy. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to be rid of her—at least not yet. Once they were married he could safely dispose of her and bribe a midwife to say she hemorrhaged to death during a miscarriage. Or better still, arrange for her to have a riding accident or other such mishap. Until then, he was stuck with her.

She was nervous and edgy and had been since they had taken the necklace. Bryant’s body had supposedly been taken to his family, but no formal funeral had followed. If one occurred, it had been handled with incredible haste and secrecy. This uncertainty had Katherine wound up, and Rellik was uneasy, as well.

He grudgingly admitted to himself that he did agree with Katherine in this instance. He wanted to be rid of the necklace as badly as she did but for different reasons. He needed money. His creditors were growing restless; he wouldn’t be able to hold them off much longer.

Naturally, he would break the necklace into small pieces and sell the individual gems one at a time, and never more than a few to the same jeweler. Old families often had stashes of jewels that they kept for emergencies, so no one would notice the sale of a precious stone here or there. But he wanted to be absolutely certain no one remained who would question his sale of a few jewels.

Rellik glared at Katherine a moment longer and then rose from his chair. Indeed, the time had finally come. If anyone had intended to come forward about the theft of the necklace, he or she would have done so by now. Besides, who would believe such a story? In the long run, of course, Miss Sinclair would have to be dispatched. She had witnessed Rellik’s involvement in both the theft and Bryant’s murder…not to mention her own attempted murder.

Rellik went to the last bookcase on the far side of the library and dropped to his knees. He slid a panel to one side and opened the small hidden safe. Katherine leaned forward and held her breath as Rellik removed a velvet bag and a small leather pouch of tools.

He carried the items to a nearby table, opened the pouch, and withdrew the sparkling Courtland necklace. He held it up to the window for a moment, and Katherine smiled as the rainbow of lights shimmered on her face. Rellik ignored her, snipped off one of the smaller pendants, and replaced the rest of the necklace in the safe.

Katherine scooped up the pendant and held it to the light. Rage burned through Rellik. The jewels were his! The spoiled little brat obviously needed to be reminded of her place. A snarl escaped his gritted teeth. He reached her in just a few steps, spun her around, and cuffed her, the rings on his fingers slicing open her flesh.

Katherine shrieked, dropping the pendant as she fell. It crashed to the stone floor a split second before she did. Her head struck the pendant and the floor with a sickening crack.

“Get up!” Rellik roared, yanking at her arm. Whimpering, Katherine scurried back to her chair, cupping her hand to her bleeding cheek.

His blood ran cold as he caught a glimpse of several small blue shards of glass mixed with the blood on her fingers. Katherine raised her horrified eyes to his as he moved to stand over the spot where she had fallen.

His chest heaved, each breath fighting past the panic that seized him. At his feet were the crushed remains of the pendant.

“It’s not possible,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “It is just not possible! A fake? It’s a fake?”

Katherine cowered in her chair.

Rellik rushed to her. He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to where he had been standing. She screamed when he grabbed her neck and forced her nose inches from the ground where the shattered pendant lay.

“It’s glass! Glass! Look at it!”

Katherine shrank from him, staring in terrified fascination at the pile of colored shards that had, minutes before, been a beautiful diamond and sapphire pendant. Rellik threw her from him. If she didn’t stop her whimpering, he’d strangle her into silence and be done with her once and for all.

…

Katherine gathered her skirts in her hands and fled. She didn’t stop running until she had reached the front door and threw it open, blind to everything but her need to escape Rellik’s fury. She ran down the steps to the carriage. Her startled coachman jumped down from his perch and helped her inside.

“Oh, Miss! You’re hurt! Your cheek is bleeding. Should I go for help, m’lady?”

Katherine shook her head, terror clawing its way through her belly until her teeth chattered. She just wanted to be miles away. “No, no, please, take me to my father. Be quick!”

The coachman turned at the sound of Rellik’s howls from inside the house.

“Westley, damn you! You won’t get away with this! No one cheats me!”

The coachman hastened to close the door of the carriage and jumped back into his place, whipping the horses into an immediate gallop. The carriage lurched forward and Katherine sank into the cushions, tears mixing with the blood that coursed down her face.

Chapter Thirty-five

Min concentrated on breathing in and out, letting the cool morning air soak through her. There had been no word from Bryant. No sign of Rellik. Nothing. Min’s injuries were little more than dull aches now, but she feared if Bryant was truly gone, her heart would never heal.

“Here you are,” Arthur said, sliding down to sit beside her on the greenhouse bench. “What are you doing out here?”

“Just getting some fresh air.”

Arthur bumped her shoulder with his. “He’ll come back for you, Min.”

“If he can.”

Arthur snorted. “He wants you, Min. He might even love you. And that stubborn bastard won’t let a little thing like a bullet stop him from getting what he wants.”

Min’s startled laughter rang through the greenhouse. It felt good to laugh. For a moment. She took Arthur’s hand and threaded her fingers through his. “I’m sorry, Arthur.”

“Don’t be. I just want to see you happy.”

Min kissed his cheek but before she could say another word the door to the greenhouse crashed open.

Arthur jumped to his feet. “What the hell?”

Rellik and two of his henchmen marched in. Arthur lunged in front of Min but one of the men swung his fist, knocking Arthur to the ground. Min screamed.

Relllik marched right up to her and wrapped his hand around her throat.

“Where is it, you little bitch? What did you do with it?”

Min sobbed, trying desperately to loosen his hold. “What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything!”

Rellik’s grip tightened, forcing her to her knees. “The necklace! Where is it?”

“You have the necklace,” she whispered, gasping for air.

Oh sweet heaven. Min remembered seeing the necklace, lying there in the casket, glittering, free of the dust that surrounded it…and perfectly whole. No missing gem. Somehow Bryant had switched the necklace with a fake. He must have. And Rellik had obviously discovered his treachery.

But Min was going to pay the price.

Her arms tingled and an icy cold flowed down her limbs, leaving her lightheaded and terrified.

Rellik let go and slapped her. Min’s head snapped backward and Rellik grabbed her by the hair. Black spots swam in her vision but she blinked at them, not wanting to lose consciousness with a madman at her throat.

“No!” Arthur shouted.

Min twisted free but didn’t get far. Arthur spun away from the man who’d attacked him and lunged for Rellik, but he shoved Arthur out of the way and grabbed Min by the hair before she could run. She screamed, the sound nothing more than a hoarse screech. Rellik dragged Min out of the greenhouse, yelling at her as she stumbled, trapped in his grip.

“Rellik!” Arthur thundered after them. “What are you doing? Let her go!”

Rellik tightened his hold on Min and had her out the door, hauling her to where his waiting horses stood just outside the greenhouse, pawing at the ground in their agitation.

Arthur flew out the door and launched himself at Rellik. Rellik, momentarily stunned, let go of Min.

“Run!” Arthur yelled.

Min hesitated. She couldn’t leave him!

“Get the girl!” she heard Rellik shout at one of his thugs.

The man was blocking her path to the house so she turned and dashed into the copse of trees behind the greenhouse, running as fast as she could.

A large body tackled her, rolling her to the ground.

“No,” she moaned, closing her eyes as the man flipped her on her stomach, wrenching her arms behind her. She struggled, kicking and thrashing, when she felt a thick length of rope being wound around her wrists. The man let go of the rope for a moment and shoved her face into the ground, grinding it against the twigs and rocks in the dirt.

“Just hold still, missy, and I won’t have to hurt you,” he grunted, giving her head one last painful shove before he resumed tying her. When he was finished, he picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

“Wouldn’t want you trying to run again, eh, girlie!” He laughed, giving her bottom a hard slap. Min sobbed against his shoulder, spitting dirt out of her mouth.

He brought her back to Rellik and dumped her to the ground on her belly. Min cried out at the pain pulsing through her body.

“You won’t get away with this!” Arthur shouted.

Min watched as Rellik and Arthur circled each other. Arthur was bleeding from his lip and nose but looked like he’d gotten in a few hits as well.

Rellik paced in a slow circle around him. Arthur stood rigid, standing his ground. He met Min’s eyes for a brief second, his face a mask of regret. It was all the time Rellik needed. He lunged at Arthur, knocking him to his knees. He wrapped his arm around Arthur’s windpipe from behind. Arthur pried his fingers beneath Rellik’s elbow, trying in vain to relieve the pressure on his neck. Rellik pressed a knife to his throat. Arthur froze in place.

The knife sliced into Arthur’s flesh and Min’s rasping scream echoed through the air.

Chapter Thirty-six

Bryant groaned and cracked his eyes open. It took a few tries before he could focus on anything, and the effort didn’t help the pounding in his skull. He lifted his head for an instant before letting it fall back onto the pillow.

“Don’t try to sit up just yet,” a brusque voice ordered. “Just lie still for a moment while I check your bandages.”

“Where am I?” Bryant asked. From what he could tell, he was in a small room, furnished with little more than the bed he was on, the table beside it, and a few chairs. The window was covered with curtains that were thin enough to admit a bit of light but sufficiently patterned to prevent him from looking outside.

“You are in a house I rented in Fairgate,” the voice answered.

Bryant tried to focus on the face behind the voice and found himself staring at Julian, whose usually animated features were drawn and haggard. Bryant closed his eyes again, sucking in his breath as Julian removed the bandage from his side.

“How long have I been here?”

“Nearly two weeks now. You have been in and out of consciousness. I’m glad to see you have finally come around.”

Two weeks. Bryant tried to remain calm. Min was safe. Julian had promised. But he knew he wouldn’t rest until he could see her and assure himself of that fact.

“I have to leave here as soon as possible. There are things I need to take care of. And I need to make sure Min is all right.”

Julian looked away and a shard of apprehension pierced Bryant.

“What’s wrong? Is Min all right?” Bryant finally recognized the signs of stress and worry on Julian’s face. The mingled fear and anger that blazed from him made Bryant’s blood run cold.

“I failed you.” Julian’s voice was barely audible.

Bryant sat bolt upright and cried out at the pain in his side. “What? Where is she?” Bryant swung his legs over the side of the bed and staggered to his feet.

Julian jumped to his side and tried to press him back into the bed. “What are you doing, man? Are you mad?”

Bryant shook him off. “Talk.”

“She’s been missing since yesterday. I only let her out of my sight for a moment. She wanted some air, and the doctor was with her. They were on the school’s grounds, so she should have been safe.”

“I need my clothes. Now!”

“She’s alive, Bryant. I’m sure of it. The doctor was killed, left where he’d fallen. There was no sign of Min, but there was evidence of a struggle and several horses.”

Bryant paused for a moment, his staggering relief that it hadn’t been Min’s body they found almost immediately overcome by anxiety for her.

“Where are you going?” Julian asked as Bryant stalked to the dresser.

Bryant wrenched open the drawers, found pants and a shirt, and dressed as quickly as his injury would allow.

Julian, with a sigh of exasperation, reached over and helped him. “She isn’t at the manor, and we’ve combed the woods. A whole team of policemen from Scotland Yard, her family, and half the villagers are searching for her. I don’t know how you think you can help when you can barely stand!”

Bryant gripped Julian’s arms. “They’re at the mausoleum.”

“That was the first place we searched.”

“Then he waited for you to leave and went back. Trust me. He wants that necklace. He’s there.”

Julian stopped arguing and ran from the room. Bryant took a deep breath, willing his heart to keep beating through the terror engulfing him. He sat on the bed, finished buttoning his shirt, and pulled on his stockings and boots.

He ran for the door, thoughts of what was happening to Min pushing him past the protests of his body.

“Julian! Gather who you can and follow me!” He ignored Julian’s shout and jumped on his horse, spurring him toward Thornmont.

His thoughts tortured him, pounding into his brain with every strike of his horse’s hooves on the road.

He’d never forgive himself. Never. His greed had already cost her more than anyone should have to pay. If she was dead… No. Rellik wouldn’t have killed her yet. Not yet. Rellik would try to get the necklace’s location out of her first.

Bryant wasn’t sure if he should pray that Min was dead or not. Because by now, she might be wishing she was.

Chapter Thirty-seven

Min lay bound and gagged and face-to-face with a corpse. She was bruised, battered, and defeated. She pressed herself against the side of the stone coffin, as far from Anne Benton as she could get. Though one of her eyes was nearly swollen shut, she kept her gaze glued to what was left of the stained-glass window above her head. Her prayers for someone, anyone who could help her, went unanswered.

Poor Arthur was beyond help. Min couldn’t erase the sight from her mind. His face as the knife had pierced his skin. His eyes burning into hers. Her name on his lips. She choked on a sob, desperate to keep silent.

Another deafening crack resonated through the mausoleum and Min flinched at the sound. Rellik was going tomb by tomb, breaking them open with the crowbar. If she didn’t produce the “real” necklace soon (and she couldn’t, as she had no idea where the “real” necklace was), Rellik was going to lose his tenuous hold on sanity.

A sudden silence sent terror ripping through Min.

Rellik’s face appeared over the edge of the coffin and she shrank away from the fury in his face. “I know you know where the real necklace is! Where is it?” Rellik shouted. He flicked his knife toward her and the tip of it caught at the fabric across her mouth. Her cheek burned as the material split. Min vaguely wondered how deeply he’d cut her as warmth trickled down her chin.

His eyes bulged and a thin line of spittle hung precariously from his mouth. “Tell me!”

“You’re mad,” Min whispered, her bruised throat nearly incapable of producing any sound.

Rellik wrapped his hands around her throat and dragged her out, forcing her to her knees on the floor in front of him. “I suggest you talk while you still can.” His fingers tightened.

“I told you,” Min rasped. “You already have the necklace. There is no other!”

Rellik howled and struck her. Min’s head snapped back, her vision spinning as she tasted blood.

“Liar!” He hit her again and she crumpled to the floor, unable to stop the fall with her hands still bound behind her.

Min stared in stunned fascination for a moment as drops of blood ran from her face to drip on the polished marble floors. She could barely support her throbbing head, but she inched upright as best she could and leveled her clouded gaze at Rellik. “Not lying. You have the only one.”

She tensed and waited for the next blow. Her horror intensified as, instead of striking her again, Rellik’s eyes roamed over her body. His face was flushed, and Min realized the madman was enjoying himself.

He ran the bloodstained knife that had killed Arthur lightly down her cheek, trailing it from her neck to her breasts. Min held her breath, fighting her panic. He wrapped his free hand once again around her neck and hauled her to her feet. She tried to pull away, to no avail.

“Hmmm,” he breathed, pulling her closer. “There is no one coming to save you, you know. Westley is dead. No one else knows where you are. By now, everyone will think you are dead as well.” He put his lips to her ear. “No one is coming, no one is coming, no one is coming.” He laughed at the whimper that escaped her swollen lips.

“Tell me where it is,” he whispered.

Rellik nuzzled at her neck and Min recoiled as he licked his way up her cheek, tasting the blood trickling from her cheek and lips. He pierced the fabric of her dress with his knife, his laugh sending darts of freezing terror through her. A liquid warmth seeped down her chest and her mind flashed to the blood that had poured from Arthur’s neck.

Rellik’s breath came faster. “Perhaps we can have a little fun while you think about it, hmm? Maybe that will help you remember.”

“Step away from her, Rellik. Now!”

Min nearly laughed, hysterical with relief and horror as she heard Bryant’s voice from the doorway. Was it real? Or had Rellik finally broken her? Bryant was dead. No one was coming to save her.

“Rellik!” Bryant’s voice was more a growl of rage than human language. This time Min had no doubt he was really there.

At Bryant’s entrance, Rellik released her and spun Min around so her back was pulled up against him. She blinked her swollen eyes, trying to bring Bryant’s face into focus. He really had come for her. She nearly sagged in relief, but then froze as Rellik pressed the knife to her throat, the tip grazing her ear.

“Don’t come any closer, Westley. Well, well, well. I guess I shall have to try harder to kill you next time. Tell me where the real necklace is, and I might let you have what you came for.”

Bryant stepped farther into the room. Rellik pressed the knife into Min’s flesh and she flinched. Bryant stood still. Tears leaked from Min’s battered eyes as the blade drew a thin line of fire across her throat, leaving a trail of wet stickiness in its wake.

“Rellik, damn you, let her go!” Bryant roared. “If you want the necklace, I’ll give it to you. But you must let her go first.”

Min stared at him in shock. Did he have the necklace? Impossible! Surely he was just stalling for time. She couldn’t tell anything from his expression. His face was a mask of fury, his eyes raking over her like one possessed. Her gaze locked with his and she nearly sobbed.

“Give it to me now or she dies!”

Rellik dragged Min back as Bryant risked another step into the room. He froze again and Min heard the muted sound of a boot crunching on glass. A muffled shout was cut short. Bryant’s eyes flared in relief for a split second. Rellik was too far gone in his madness to notice anything. Bryant continued to talk to Rellik, trying to distract him from Min.

“You win, Rellik,” Bryant said in a voice that brimmed with supplication. “She has nothing to do with this. Let her go and I will take you to the necklace. Here is proof if you need it.” He pulled a shining pendant from his pocket. Min’s battered jaw dropped as she stared at the glittering jewels in Bryant’s hand.

Rellik hesitated, stunned into silence as though trying to figure out how to grab the pendant and keep ahold of Min at the same time. He opened his mouth to speak but whatever he was going to say turned abruptly to a startled yelp as Mr. Durant crashed through the broken window behind him and knocked him to the floor.

Bryant lunged toward them at the same instant, grasped Min by the shoulders and shoved her to safety. She scrambled to the door, stumbling blindly into an unfamiliar man who had run up. He quickly surveyed the scene, taking stock of Min’s face and the blood seeping down her face and neck. He quickly cut her hands loose and Min gasped at the pain that shot through her limbs as the circulation returned to her arms. The man pressed a cloth to her throat and tried to lead her from the scene, but Min shoved him away. She wouldn’t let Bryant out of her sight again, no matter what.

Across the room, Bryant and Mr. Durant struggled to contain Rellik, who seemed to channel his fury and madness into an impossible strength. Julian finally wrapped his arms around Rellik from behind and yanked him savagely to his feet. Bryant stepped back, chest heaving, and glanced at Mr. Durant, who seemed to have an unexpectedly limp Rellik under his control. Satisfied that Mr. Durant had a good hold of him, Bryant turned to the door and started toward Min.

“Bryant!” she croaked.

Rellik had arched backward, taking Mr. Durant by surprise as their heads smashed together with a horrible clunk. Mr. Durant slid to the floor, momentarily stunned. With a crazed laugh, Rellik pulled a small pistol from his pocket and leveled it at Min.

“No!” Bryant erupted in a feral scream. Min dove. Bryant threw himself at Rellik just as he pulled the trigger. The blast mingled with Bryant’s shout as Min crashed to the floor. Her head struck the marble and she slipped into emptiness, the sound of a second shot echoing in the darkness.

Chapter Thirty-eight

The next several weeks were a blur. Min lay in her room, her hand traveling often to the bandage at her neck. The knife hadn’t done any permanent damage, but it had sunk deep enough that it would leave a thin scar across half her throat. She could speak again, though it had taken a couple of weeks before she could do so without having to clear her throat. Her face, luckily, was almost healed. Min’s aunt, harried by the realization that Min had been in danger from Lord Rellik, had been overjoyed that she was alive but distressed to find her beaten, bruised, and in love with her dance instructor. Min didn’t think it prudent to reveal his true profession.

Aunt Laura had called in reinforcements and Min’s sister, Linnet, and her husband had come to help care for her. Or smother her, rather. They alternated between scolding her for becoming involved in such a crazy scheme and mumbling prayers of thanksgiving that she had come through alive. They chided her for her poor choice in men; though they were thankful Bryant had saved her, they were very disapproving of his profession. Aunt Laura almost had a fit thinking Min would follow in her mother’s footsteps and run off with a penniless teacher. Her disposition improved considerably when she discovered that this particular dance instructor was independently wealthy. Min was glad they hadn’t asked her to explain how he’d acquired his wealth.

Most of all, they were simply proud of Min’s strength and courage.

Min had a difficult time recalling the aftermath of the confrontation. When she had regained consciousness, the scene was one of utter chaos. Because of Lord Rellik’s involvement, inspectors from Scotland Yard were everywhere, talking, measuring, taking notes. Min had been wrapped in a blanket, patched up, and given over to Charlotte’s weeping, loving care.

Rellik’s bullet had gone wild. Without Bryant’s interference, Min would have been dead.

Arthur was gone. Min swallowed past the lump in her throat. It hurt to cry. It hurt not to. Thoughts of Arthur would always hurt.

Bryant, blessedly unharmed, had been led away for questioning, and Min hadn’t seen him since. Her need to be with him was almost crazed. If she hadn’t been injured, she would have leapt from the bed to get to him. Her family seemed to understand this and had set Charlotte to watching her. Min loved Charlotte, but if she suggested one more game of chess or worse, a nice little nap, Min was going to throttle her.

Mr. Durant had gone to Scotland Yard several times to offer testimony, and he was optimistic that Bryant would soon be released. Which calmed Min a little. The officers seemed to realize that there had been no choice in the situation. It also helped that they didn’t know about Bryant’s previous profession.

However, Rellik was dead, by Bryant’s hand. In the wrestling match that had ensued after Bryant had knocked him down, the gun had fired yet again. The bullet had struck Rellik in the head.

Min wasn’t sorry for Rellik’s death, but she was terrified for Bryant. Rellik had engaged in criminal activities, had kidnapped Min and had provoked Bryant by his assault on her. And while what had happened was an accident and witnessed by several officers of the law, still, Rellik had been a prominent member of society with many influential friends who were loathe to let his killer go free, no matter what the circumstances. It had been hard to devise a story that would explain their presence at the manor and the bloodbath that ensued, so they stuck as close to the truth as possible.

Their story gained credibility with help from an unlikely source. After fleeing Rellik, Katherine had gone straight to her father and confessed the entire sordid affair. Wanting to preserve his daughter’s reputation and prevent the newspaper from running an atrocious story about her involvement with a criminal, her father informed the authorities that Rellik was a dangerous man who had commenced a savage hunt for the Courtland treasure. There were plenty of clues that indicated Rellik’s involvement, especially once the authorities found the fake necklace on his body.

The real necklace was missing again, though most people were unaware it had ever existed in the first place. How Bryant had managed to make the switch, and where the real necklace was now, were only two of many things Min was desperate to discuss with him.

And her mother… Min couldn’t even think of her. A panic so intense she thought she’d die erupted every time she tried. Her aunt continued to do what she could to help, which consisted mostly of attempting to keep Min calm and optimistic. Communication with the authorities in Nevis took such a dreadfully long time, they never knew if the information they were receiving was current or even accurate.

Min shifted against her pillows, restless and anxious. The door to her room opened and she turned her head cautiously, trying to avoid stretching the newly healed wound at her throat. When Bryant poked his head inside, she sat up with a glad cry. He smiled and sat beside her on the bed, gathering her in his arms.

“Hello.” He stroked her hair from her face.

“Hello.” She snuggled into him for a moment, for the first time allowing herself to feel nothing but happiness in his arms. And then she began to cry.

Bryant held her, let her sob her heart out like a baby. Min was embarrassed by her weeping but just couldn’t gather enough strength to stop.

“I’m sorry,” she finally choked out. “Oh, of all the bloody times to turn into a total ninny…”

Bryant turned her face to his, wiped her tears from her cheeks. “You are the bravest, strongest, most beautiful, and most stubborn thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Min laughed, hiccupping as she sucked back another sob. “I think I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should.” He kissed her forehead, then let his finger trail gently over the bandage at her throat. “You’ve been through so much. I don’t think there is anyone in the world who would begrudge you a few tears.”

“But that’s just it. We’ve been through all this, and Arthur…” Her voice cracked and she shook her head, determined not to break down again. “Arthur is gone. My mother is still in danger. It was all for nothing.”

“Shh, Min. Your mother is going to be fine. In fact, she should be on her way home as we speak.”

“What? What do you mean?”

Bryant had the grace to look sheepish. “I should have told you before. But I… Well, I should have told you.”

“Told me what, Bryant?” Min had never been one for surprises, and Bryant was wearing her patience thin. If he didn’t talk soon…

“Well, it’s lucky for the both of us that I’ve made a few friends over the years.”

“Friends?”

“Yes, both of the high and low variety.” He smiled at her. “You can’t survive in my business for very long without having a good lawyer or two in your back pocket. It’s equally handy to know a few people well versed in bribery. In short, love, I sent my lawyer on a little trip with a good-sized payoff in his luggage. Your mother should be at your door in a few weeks.”

“Bryant!” She threw herself at him and he laughed at her assault.

“I’m only sorry he didn’t arrive in time to save your father.”

“Oh, Bryant,” she said, burrowing into him. “You’ve saved my mother. I’ll never be able to repay you for that. Ever.”

“You already have, love, a million times over.”

He spent the next several minutes showing Min just how happy he was to be with her, his lips tenderly caressing every inch of her face, her neck, her lips. Finally Min pushed him away, a question burning in her mind.

“So are you going to tell me how you did it? You couldn’t have switched the necklaces in front of Rellik. Which means you must have done it beforehand.”

“Are you trying to imply something?”

“No. I’m outright accusing you. You followed us that night. And I have the feeling you didn’t have as much trouble getting into Anne’s coffin as we did. You did have help that night, didn’t you?”

“I did?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Hmm. Perhaps I did.”

“The charming Mr. Durant?”

Bryant smiled and kissed her nose. “He does come in handy every now and then.”

“So you switched the necklaces that night.”

“Yes.”

“But where did you get the counterfeit version? It was very good.”

“I told you, I have friends of all varieties. I never really believed in the necklace, but if it did exist, I’d have been a fool to give it up. And I’m no fool. But I wanted out from under Rellik’s thumb and he wasn’t going to rest until he had his treasure. So I was going to give him what he wanted. There is a portrait of Tabitha Courtland wearing the necklace hanging in the London Library, in their patrons’ gallery. I had the false necklace commissioned before I ever set foot on the Thornmont estate.”

“Then why were you searching for it so hard?”

“It’s worth a fortune,” he said, sounding surprised that she’d have to ask. “A man could do a lot with that kind of money. Retire and live like a king with a beautiful queen by his side.” He paused to give Min a long, lingering kiss.

When he let her up for air, Min did her best to glare at him. “Stop distracting me. Keep talking.”

Bryant laughed. “I couldn’t give Rellik the counterfeit necklace until I’d found the real one. I’d have had no reason to stay at Thornmont once I’d turned it over to him. So I needed to find the real necklace as quickly as possible. Once I did, I switched them, contacted Rellik, and was about to lead him to the false jewels when you showed up.”

“And ruined everything.”

“Precisely.”

Min scowled at him but couldn’t hold on to her irritation for long. She was too happy it was over and he was there in her arms.

“Well. Now that Rellik is dead and we are on the same side, supposedly,” she said with a pointed look, “are you going to tell me where the real necklace is?”

“Perhaps. In good time,” he said, smiling from ear to ear.

“Bryant! I know you have the necklace. What will you do with it?”

He hesitated. “To be honest, I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

He raked his hand through his hair with a sheepish grin. “Under normal circumstances, I’d already be on my way to sell it off, bit by bit. But…”

“But…”

“Well, as the last living Courtland, the necklace technically belongs to your aunt.”

“Oh, Bryant,” Min said, throwing her arms around his neck. “You’ve gone all noble on me.”

He buried his face in her neck and chuckled. “Not too noble, no fear.” He kissed his way up her neck, across her jawline, to the corners of her mouth.

“So what will you do?” Min asked, her breathing growing more erratic with every brush of his lips.

“Shh,” he whispered, leaning down for a kiss. “We can decide that later.”

Chapter Thirty-nine

Min and Bryant sat across from Aunt Laura in her office. They recounted as much of the story as they safely could. Min explained that Bryant, upon discovering Min during her search, had decided to help her. They continued to look for the necklace together, drawing closer in the process. The end culminated in the story that everyone knew: a fake necklace was found and a mortal fight ensued when opposing treasure hunters met in the search.

Aunt Laura listened to the tale, her expression becoming increasingly confused. “I appreciate you telling me all this, my dear, but I am afraid I don’t understand why you find it necessary.”

“We are telling you, Lady Courtland, because we know where the real necklace is located,” Bryant said.

“The real necklace? But you said you searched where it should have been and found only the counterfeit.”

“That is the official version of the story, yes. We would rather not go into too many details.” Min flicked her eyes to Bryant. “However, over the course of several strange events, we ended up in possession of something we believe belongs to you.”

“Hold out your hands, my lady,” Bryant said with a smile.

Aunt Laura obeyed, her hands trembling as she cupped them beneath Bryant’s. He opened the bag, pouring the glittering stones into her waiting hands. Min laughed at the expression on her aunt’s face. The older woman lifted the necklace toward the sun streaming in through the windows, a rainbow of colors bathing her delighted face.

“Well,” she said. “This is a strange turn of events, I must say.”

“That it is,” Min agreed.

Aunt Laura looked thoughtful for a moment and then turned to Bryant. “Am I right in assuming that coming forward with the real necklace now would raise questions we might not want to answer?”

“You are correct.”

Aunt Laura leaned forward, her shrewd eyes staring into Bryant’s. “Would I also be right in assuming that an independently wealthy dance instructor such as you might have the knowledge and means to dispose of an asset such as this?”

Min’s jaw dropped.

“Oh come, my dear,” her aunt said. “I’m not senile yet. Lord Rellik recommended Mr. Westley for the instructor’s position, after all. I can put two and two together.”

Bryant just laughed. “Yes, my lady, I can help you if you wish.”

Aunt Laura nodded and put the necklace back in its bag. “Good.”

She hesitated before sliding the necklace to him. “While coming forward with the necklace was an admirable thing to do, I hope you won’t be too offended by what I’m about to ask.”

“You’d like to know if you can trust me to return.”

“Precisely.”

Min bit back a laugh. She might trust Bryant now, but she’d be lying if she said the thought hadn’t momentarily crossed her mind as well. Bryant looked at her, a fleeting smile crossing his lips. Min had no doubt he knew exactly what she was thinking.

“May I?” Bryant asked, picking up writing materials from Aunt Laura’s desk. At her nod, Bryant spent a few moments scratching down a list of information, and then handed everything back to her aunt.

“These are the names and addresses of my mother and Mr. Barrett, my legal representative. If I fail to reappear, you may contact either one of them. If anything happens to me, they will know of it. Also, as an added precaution, my close friend and associate, Mr. Julian Durant, will be staying in town until I return.”

Min frowned, not fooled for a moment as to why Mr. Durant was staying. Even with Rellik gone, Bryant apparently wanted to take no chances where she was concerned. Bryant smiled down at her.

“Very good,” Aunt Laura said, pushing the bag across to Bryant. “Now, my dear boy, if you’d be so kind as to give me a moment alone with my niece?”

“Of course,” he said, putting the bag back into his vest. “I’ll wait for you in the library,” he said to Min. He bowed politely to Aunt Laura and left them alone.

Once he was gone, Min’s aunt sat back in her chair, a bemused smile playing at her lips. “Well that was certainly unexpected.”

“What will you do now?”

“I’m not sure. I suppose I’ll no longer need to keep the school open. Yet…”

Min raised an eyebrow. “Yet?”

“It’s been rather nice having these dusty old halls filled with people again. I enjoy having my girls here.”

“You could always use the money to expand the school, hire more teachers, take on more students.”

“Yes, I suppose I could. Definitely something I must consider, to be sure. And what about you, my dear?”

“Me?”

“I wouldn’t be in this position without you and that young man out there. He deserves some sort of finder’s fee at the very least.”

“I think he’d like that,” Min said, happy for Bryant and relieved that her aunt had offered before Bryant’s newfound good behavior was tested by the temptation to skim a bit of the profits.

“And what would you like?”

Min looked down at her clasped hands. “To be honest, I’m not sure. My mother is on her way home. Linnet is taken care of. For me…I just want…”

“Freedom?”

Min laughed. “I know it sounds a bit melodramatic, but yes. I would like to be able to choose my own path.”

Aunt Laura nodded. “This new development affects you as well.”

“How so?”

“Several months ago, I had my will drawn up. Making you my heir.”

“What?” Min asked, too stunned to say anything else.

Aunt Laura smiled. “The title, of course, will go to Edward’s distant cousin. However, the estate is not entailed, which means I can dispose of it as I’d like. And I’d like to give it to you.”

“Aunt Laura, are you sure? I mean, why…”

Her aunt reached over and cupped her face. “My dear girl, you put the smile back on my face when I had thought it was gone forever. You encouraged me to start this school, to make a life for myself. Despite my best efforts, I fear you’ll never be the proper young lady your sister managed to become. But I admire your spirit and envy your strength. I am glad that I can ensure you have the freedom to put those traits to whatever use you see fit. Since I apparently have the means, I’ll leave a little something to your sister, of course. But as she is securely married, the bulk of what I have will go to you. And you deserve it now more than ever.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Just say thank you and leave it at that.”

Min laughed. “Thank you.”

“You can do anything now, my dear. You can do anything you want.”

Min gave her aunt a wry smile. “So can you, Aunt Laura.”

“That may be true,” she said with a grin, “but then, I might want to enjoy my freedom as well. Now, go say good-bye to that young man of yours so he can be about his business.”

Min jumped up and came around the desk, wrapping her arms around her aunt in a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you, Aunt Laura.”

“Oh my dear. It is I who owe you my thanks.” She gave Min a swift kiss on the cheek and shooed her out the door.

Into Bryant’s waiting arms.

Chapter Forty

Min turned her face to the breeze, willing it to clear her mind. She knew it wasn’t safe on the ancient balcony, but it was away from the concerned gazes of her family and Charlotte. She could think in peace up here. And she could watch. Wait.

She paced the length of the walkway, careful to stay away from the crumbling wall of the balustrade. Bryant wasn’t there to save her should she fall again. In fact, six weeks had passed since she had last seen Bryant, and she was beginning to doubt whether she would ever see him again. How long did it take to sell a blasted necklace? Surely if he was able, he would have come to her by now. Unless he couldn’t. Or didn’t want to. Unless he’d taken the money and disappeared.

Min spun away from the wall and continued her pacing, trying to put the thought from her mind. He loved her. He would return for her. After all they’d been through she was ashamed at the thought creeping into her consciousness. Yet once there, she couldn’t dislodge it.

Mr. Durant had finally grown concerned when Bryant had failed to check in at a designated meeting place and had gone to find him… If he still lived…and wanted to return.

The wind calmed for several seconds and in the silence, Min thought she heard the sound of horses approaching through the dell. She peered at the road below and spotted two riders moving toward the manor. Min’s heart raced.

Her agitation grew as the riders drew nearer. She leaned over the walkway and strained to see them clearly. For an instant, she saw a shock of black hair peeking from beneath one of the rider’s hats and her heart leapt. They cantered into the courtyard and the rider lifted his head and caught sight of her. He waved and jumped from his horse. Min cried aloud and ran for the stairs. She flew through the attic and down the staircase, for once in her life not pausing to grip the handrails. Bryant thundered up the stairs just as Min reached the last few steps leading into the picture gallery.

Her foot caught in one of her petticoats and instead of elegantly slipping into his embrace, as she had intended, she tripped down the remaining steps to land in a heap at his feet.

“Blast,” she mumbled, swatting away Bryant’s hands as she hauled herself to her feet.

Bryant chuckled. “Come here, Madam Grace.”

He opened his arms and Min threw herself at him with such force he staggered back a step. She wrapped herself around him, determined to never let him leave her side again.

Bryant tightened his grip around Min’s waist while he stroked her hair with his free hand. He whispered, “Shh, love, it’s all right. I’m here now.”

Min released her hold on him only after he had repeated himself several times. She stepped far enough away to be able to place her hands on his cheeks. She gazed at him for a moment and then buried her head into his chest.

Bryant kissed her gently. “I’m all right, Min.” He kissed her again, his lips caressing hers as he murmured assurances to her. “I told you I would come for you, my love. Did you doubt me?”

Min embraced him for a moment longer and then pulled back and clasped his face in her hands, her fingers reaching to entwine in his hair.

“You’ve been gone for weeks! I had no idea what might have happened to you. Do you have any idea what that did to me?” She gave him a little shove, perilously close to losing her self-control. “Don’t ever do that to me again!”

Bryant gathered Min close, tilting her face up, his fingers gently stroking her cheek. He chuckled. “Well I can’t promise anything, but I will try.”

Bryant’s lips descended and Min spent the next several minutes floating in a happy haze of intoxicating sensation. All too soon, he pulled away.

“Don’t you want to know where I’ve been?” he asked, his voice smug and satisfied at the reaction he was able to wring out of her.

“Yes!” Min exclaimed, tugging him toward one of the benches that lined the gallery. She sat down, pulling him to sit beside her. “What on earth have you been doing for the last six weeks?”

“Well, selling a well-known piece of jewelry isn’t the easiest task, you know. Even broken into pieces, I had to be careful. I had to go through half a dozen of my contacts, and it took time to find the right buyers willing to pay the right price.”

“And?” Min asked, suddenly finding it hard to breathe through the excitement bursting inside her.

“See for yourself.” He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a long leather wallet. She opened it and, with shaking fingers, revealed a thick stack of bank notes. Tens of thousands of pounds.

“Bryant,” Min breathed.

“Shall we go surprise your aunt?”

Min laid the wallet on the bench and reached for him. “Not just yet,” she said, pulling his face down for a very thorough kiss.

“Marry me,” he whispered against her lips.

Min smiled and kissed him again. “No.”

His delicious mouth turned down in a frown though his eyes laughed into hers. “You cut me to the quick, madam.”

“Ah, then perhaps you shouldn’t ask questions to which you already know the answer.”

“Perhaps this is one instance where I wasn’t sure of the outcome.”

“Well, don’t be too hard on yourself,” Min teased. “It happens to the best of us.”

Bryant smiled at her but the amusement in his eyes was tempered with…something else. Sorrow? Uncertainty? Min swallowed against the sudden rush of overwhelming emotion that threatened to choke her. She loved him. More than anything. But…

“Why won’t you marry me, Min?”

“I don’t wish to hurt you, Bryant. I just… I don’t know that I ever want to marry.”

“So it’s not just me? I mean, I’m not the reason…”

“No! Bryant, I love you.”

Bryant looked into her eyes and released a long breath. “How did such an irritatingly wonderful creature like you worm your way into my heart?”

“I’m not sure if you just complimented me or insulted me.”

He laughed, and raked both hands through his hair until parts of it stood on end like a hedgehog. He dropped his hands, letting them dangle. She waited for him to unload whatever was on his mind.

He drew his thumb along her bottom lip, smiling a little sadly. “It’s been a long time…”

He broke off his thought and turned his attention back to the floor. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, hesitant. “It’s all right, Min. I understand. I know I haven’t lived the most pristine life. I’ve stolen, lied, cheated, and occasionally inflicted harm. I did try never to hurt an innocent person, but there were times…” He stopped and rubbed his hands over his face. “Min, I just… I’m not…”

“I know exactly who and what you are, Bryant. Oh, I don’t know all the particulars, and frankly I don’t think I want to. But”—she took his disfigured hand in her own—“I know enough.”

Min could feel the tension in Bryant’s hand as he stared at her. She placed a hand on his chest, the butterflies in her stomach cavorting in a mad dance. “I understand all I need to, Bryant.”

His heart pounded beneath her fingers and Min held her breath, waiting for his response.

Bryant gathered her closer and kissed her brow. “Then why won’t you marry me?” he asked again.

Min hesitated, not wanting to voice the doubts in her head. “If being a good wife means guarding your hearth and home and bearing your children and losing myself to whatever is expected of me, I don’t know that I…that I can do that. I don’t know how to be a wife. And there are so many things I still want to do.”

Bryant kissed her, pulling away much too soon. “Is that all?”

“What do you mean, is that all?”

“My dear Minuette, if you would be happier traveling the world than ‘guarding my hearth and home’ then I would be very happy to escort you to the ends of the earth. I will follow you wherever you wish to go, support whatever you wish to do.”

“And what about you, Bryant? Surely you won’t be happy living life at your wife’s whims. Don’t you have plans, desires?”

“My only desire, Miss Sinclair, is to spend my life with the woman I love. I am more than willing to do so on her terms.”

“Bryant, I—”

“No. Don’t say it. Don’t overthink this, Min. Do you love me?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Then that is all that matters. The rest will take care of itself. There are no constraints or rules we have to follow. Society be damned.”

Min smiled slowly, the love she felt for the man in her arms nearly overwhelming in its intensity. “You may regret those words, Mr. Westley.”

“Doubtful, Miss Sinclair.” He kissed her again and leaned his forehead against hers.

“You’re sure?” Min asked, still not quite believing she could really have everything she ever wanted. Including this amazing man.

“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”

Min took a deep breath. “Then yes. I will marry you.”

Bryant grabbed her about the waist and spun her around, his happiness filling Min with exhilarating delight. He put her down and kissed her until her head swam. When he finally released her lips, he gathered her to his chest, cradling her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

“I know I will never deserve you, Minuette. But I swear on all that is holy that I will spend my life trying. It seems, for better or worse, you have me. But you may live to regret it, you know,” he teased.

Min brushed the hair from his face. She rested her hands on his cheeks and drew him down for a lingering kiss. “I will never regret choosing you, Bryant. I will love you through this life and into the next. No matter what happens, I’m afraid you will never be rid of me.”

He took her hand, pressing his lips to her inner wrist. “Then I will live and die a happy man, my love.”

Acknowledgments

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this book possible and supported me along the way.

To Tom, for everything you do to help me out when I’m deep in a story. To Connor and Ryanna, for your love and patience when Mommy is in writing mode, and for making me smile no matter how bad my day has been. You are my everything.

To my awesome editor, Erin Molta, you’ve truly helped make a dream come true, and you made that dream better than I could have ever hoped. And to Pat Brigandi Renee Rosen, Danielle Barclay, Elana Johnson, Jessica Cantor, and the rest of the amazing Entangled team, I am beyond thrilled to be a part of such an incredible company.

To Lisa Amowitz, for really getting me and loving me anyway. To Christine Fonseca, Bethany Wiggins, and my amazing Operation Awesome girls—Amparo Ortiz, Lindsay Scott, Kelly Andrews, Angie Townsend, Kristal Shaff, and Katrina Lantz—for your support, friendship, and encouragement. Thank you a million times over.

To Bonny Anderson—for your support, critiques, and friendship—and for creating a stunningly beautiful To Trust a Thief necklace. Seeing Min’s locket come to life was beyond amazing. It is something I will always treasure.

To Jeannie Reusch—you took me under your wing, showed me the ropes, and were the first to kindly give To Trust a Thief the shredding it deserved. You helped set my feet on the path, and I’ll always be grateful.

And most of all, to my sweet family and friends—my parents, Mike and Laurie Marquis; my sister and number one fan, Jeanette; my brothers and sisters-in-law, Ryan, Gail, Shaun, Michelle, and Brandon; my amazing step kids, Kyelie and Matt; and to Mindy, Tammi, Joey, Leslie, and Emily—thank you all for your love, support, and encouragement.

Table of Contents

- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Chapter Fifteen
- Chapter Sixteen
- Chapter Seventeen
- Chapter Eighteen
- Chapter Nineteen
- Chapter Twenty
- Chapter Twenty-one
- Chapter Twenty-two
- Chapter Twenty-three
- Chapter Twenty-four
- Chapter Twenty-five
- Chapter Twenty-six
- Chapter Twenty-seven
- Chapter Twenty-eight
- Chapter Twenty-nine
- Chapter Thirty
- Chapter Thirty-one
- Chapter Thirty-two
- Chapter Thirty-three
- Chapter Thirty-four
- Chapter Thirty-five
- Chapter Thirty-six
- Chapter Thirty-seven
- Chapter Thirty-eight
- Chapter Thirty-nine
- Chapter Forty
- Acknowledgments