Crystal Gardens (33 page)

Lucas smiled faintly. “Perhaps I should set up a booth and sell tickets.”

“That is an interesting notion. It is a pity that so many parts of the garden are dangerous.”

They exited the maze into the Night Garden and made their way to the shadow gate that guarded the ancient bathhouse. Evangeline braced herself for the mild shocks of energy and followed Lucas through the entrance.

They moved through the first pool chamber and went along the vaulted corridor into the next. The waves of sparkling energy from the second bath rolled over her senses like liquid jewels. Hot memories of the night of passion briefly overwhelmed her. She was aware of the sudden warmth flushing her cheeks.

Lucas surveyed the chamber. A little heat kindled in his eyes.

“I don’t know about you,” he said, “but speaking for myself, I will never forget this room.”

She cleared her throat and concentrated on the door of the stone passageway that led to the third chamber.

“I assume you have a key to the door of the third chamber?” she asked briskly.

His brows rose. “Are you attempting to change the subject?”

“We are here on an investigation. I hardly think this is the time to discuss unrelated subjects.”

“Right.” Lucas looked down the stone passage. “Back to the business
of the third pool. The door itself will not be a problem. There is no key. The lock is an ingenious device that requires a code. One pushes a series of steel pins in a certain sequence and the door opens.”

“You have that code, I assume?”

“Yes. Chester gave it to me years ago. The more difficult problem is dealing with the energy in that chamber. You will understand when I get the door open. Neither Chester nor I could get more than a few steps into the room. Believe me, we both tried on a number of occasions.”

He walked down the hallway and stopped in front of the massive steel-bound door. Evangeline followed and watched him push several pins in the big lock.

There was a grinding rumble of the hinges but the door swung open slowly, revealing an arched doorway framed in large blocks of solid stone.

One of the stones glowed with an inner light, storm-dark and ominously radiant.

A cauldron of hot energy boiled in the doorway. Flashes of paranormal lightning pierced what appeared to be impenetrable chaos. The currents of power spilled out into the room, charging the already overheated atmosphere. Evangeline’s senses flared in response. Her hair lifted, floating around her head. Excitement twisted with dread inside her. She was fascinated, thrilled, enchanted.

She moved forward slowly and came to a stop in front of the energy gate.

“Astonishing,” she whispered.

Lucas looked at the gate. “Do you think you can work that kind of energy?”

“Yes,” she said, very certain. “This gate was fashioned by a person, not by the forces of the earth.”

“Not by my uncle, either, I can tell you that much. He installed a new door but the energy gate was here when he bought the abbey.”

“This gate is old,” Evangeline said. “Centuries, perhaps thousands of years old. But it was created with the power of a human aura, so dampening it with my own wavelengths should work. The pattern feels … female.”

“You can tell that?”

“Yes. A very powerful woman crafted this gate. I think that only a woman could open it.”

She studied the glowing crystal embedded in the doorway. “And I think I know exactly where to begin.”

She took a step closer and then another and put out one hand. Gingerly she flattened her palm against the slab of crystal. It brightened immediately. Paranormal electricity crackled through her but she felt no pain, just a euphoric exhilaration.

Slowly she probed for the fierce currents of power radiating from the crystal. When she had identified the strongest waves of energy, she countered with a dampening force. At first nothing seemed to be happening, but after a few seconds the energy of the gate started to abate.

A moment later the storm winked out of existence like an extinguished candle flame.

“Incredible,” Lucas said. “You are an amazing woman, Evangeline Ames. But I believe I have made that observation on previous occasions.”

The admiration and respect in his voice warmed her. “Yes, you have, but I thank you.”

“Now to see if the treasure is in there,” Lucas said.

She laughed at the anticipation that shivered in the atmosphere around him. He was as caught up by the adventure as she was.

He moved through the doorway and stopped, looking at something that Evangeline could not see.

“I should have known this was not going to be simple,” he said.

“What is it?” Evangeline walked swiftly into the room and followed his gaze.

“There is no treasure in here.” He moved one hand to indicate the bare stone chamber. “So much for my theory.”

The only thing in the room was the large, deep pool in the center. Unlike the two pools in the outer rooms, this one was rimmed with slabs of silvery crystals. The water glowed, just as it did in the outer baths, but the light was very different. The surface resembled a moonlit mirror.

“Well, it was an excellent theory,” Evangeline said.

“Thank you,” Lucas growled. “I certainly thought so.”

Evangeline walked closer and looked down into the pool. The outer baths were crystal clear but this one was not. Lucas came to stand beside her. Their reflections flashed and sparked on the surface of the pool.

“It’s like gazing into a liquid mirror,” she said. “One can sense the depths but one cannot see beneath the surface.”

“A trick of the light,” Lucas said. “It’s difficult to even look at the water.” He turned away to survey the chamber.

Evangeline knelt on the rim of the pool and dipped her fingertips into the silvery water. She did not have any problem looking at the water. Energy shivered through her.

The mirrored surface brightened. Ghostly visions appeared. She glimpsed a woman in a white gown, her hair coiled and braided in a style that could be seen in the remains of ancient Roman wall murals.

She stirred the waters again and watched, fascinated, as other images came and went, floating across the surface of the pool—a woman wearing the habit of a medieval nun, another dressed in the style of the seventeenth century.

Over the centuries other women had unlocked the storm gate and entered this room to look into the pool, Evangeline realized. Somehow the mirrored surface had captured and retained some of their reflections. She wondered what the others had seen, what they had sought to discover in this place.

She stirred the dazzling waters with her fingertips, seeking the patterns of the currents of power. Another wave of exhilaration flashed through her when she found what she was looking for.

“What the devil do you think you’re doing?”
Lucas reached down and seized hold of Evangeline’s shoulder. He started to haul her to her feet. “I told you, those waters are dangerous. According to the legends they induce hallucinations and visions.”

“Look,” she said quietly. She shook off his hand and put her fingertips back into the waters. “That is no vision.”

Lucas kept his hand locked on her shoulder but he looked down into the pool.

“Damnation,” he said. “The treasure.”

The waters had cleared, revealing the bottom of the ancient stone bath and a single stone bench built into one side just below the surface. There was a heap of objects on the bottom. Earrings, necklaces, rings and delicate bracelets sat on the bottom of the pool and all of it gleamed dully with the unmistakable luster of ancient gold.

“So many valuable things,” Evangeline said, awed by the staggering sight. “Whoever left this treasure here was extraordinarily wealthy by any standards.”

“Perhaps this was a jeweler’s hoard,” Lucas said. “He may have stored his wares in this pool so that they could not be stolen.”

“The owner of the objects may have been male but I am certain that only a woman could access this pool to retrieve the gold.” Evangeline hesitated. “And she would have to be quite powerful.”

Lucas looked at her. “To get through the storm gate, do you mean?”

“Yes, but I believe that is only the first obstacle. I am certain that the pool waters provide a second barrier.”

“I understand that one would have to have the talent to clear the surface so that the bottom of the pool is visible, but I don’t see why the water is an obstacle.”

“Not every woman who could reveal the treasure would be able to enter the pool to retrieve it. The waters are deep. They would come up to my neck at the very least and I think they could be very dangerous, even lethal.”

She pulled her fingers from the water. The surface shifted, once again becoming a liquid mirror. The treasure was no longer visible.

“What do you think would happen if I put my hand into the pool?” Lucas asked.

“I have no idea but I’m certain that there is considerable risk involved.”

“What kind of risk?”

She looked at him. “I cannot say.”

“I’m going to conduct the experiment.”

She made a face. “I rather thought you might.”

Lucas took off his coat and rolled up one sleeve. Carefully he dipped his fingers into the water.

And yanked them out again at once. His features tightened in agony.

“Damn it to hell.” He clenched his jaw, gritted his teeth and gasped for breath. Hastily he shook the droplets of water from his hand.

“Are you all right?” she asked quickly.

“Yes, I think so,” he rasped. He took a deep, steadying breath. “But I don’t think I’ll conduct any more experiments for the moment.”

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure. Let’s just say I had the distinct impression that I was about to fall straight into the fires of hell.”

“Hallucinations?”

“More than just visions. I could
feel
the flames.” He hesitated, frowning. “There was a soul-eating cold as well. It was indescribable.”

“I think I can reach the treasure safely.”

Lucas did not look convinced. “Are you sure?”

She put her hand into the water and sent a delicate charge of power into the gently shifting current. The surface cleared.

“Yes,” she said. “I’m certain it would be safe for me. What now, Lucas?”

He got to his feet. “We have found the treasure but we are no closer to finding Mrs. Buckley or the answer to a number of other questions. We may as well leave the hoard here until I can make arrangements to transport it safely to London. This chamber has kept the gold safe for centuries. It can continue to do so for a while longer.”

“You will need me to retrieve it for you.”

He smiled. “Another excellent reason for keeping you close, my sweet.”

She stirred the waters, savoring the exultant sense of feminine power that was sparkling in her blood. “Always nice to feel useful.”

A thoroughly masculine, thoroughly wicked gleam lit his eyes. “Never doubt that I have innumerable uses for you, Evangeline. But we won’t go into that here and now. Time for us to leave.” He paused, growing more serious. “One more thing. We will not speak of this to anyone when we return to the house. Not yet.”

“Not even to the members of your family?”

He shook his head. “I’m concerned that in their excitement they will accidentally let the secret slip out. There is always the risk that Molly or one of her relatives might overhear a conversation meant to be private. The news would soon be all over town. I do not want to have to waste time rescuing treasure hunters from the gardens.”

“I understand.” She started to pull her hand back out of the water
but the sight of the object that had fallen on the submerged step gave her pause. She looked more closely at it. “Lucas?”

He turned back. “What?”

“Do you see that cylindrical case on the step?”

“Yes. What of it?”

“It appears to be silver, not gold like the other items in the treasure. After all these centuries it should be black with tarnish.”

“I expect that the paranormal properties of the pool waters prevented tarnish from forming,” Lucas said.

“There is something about the shape and the workmanship that is modern. I don’t think it is part of the treasure.”

Lucas crouched at the edge of the pool again and took a closer look. “You’re right. Someone else did manage to access this chamber and quite recently. Whoever it was, he dropped that object into the water. It landed on the step but he was unable to retrieve it. I wonder if that belonged to my uncle.”

“No,” she said, “I don’t think so. I must get it out of the water so that I can be sure.”

“That step is nearly two feet below the surface.”

“I can reach it if I lean far enough over the side. You will hold me to make certain I don’t fall in.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Lucas said.

“I will be safe, I promise you.”

“You’re sure that object is this important?”

“I’m positive.”

She was already unfastening the bodice of her gown. She pushed the top down to her waist, leaving just her chemise.

“At another time I could very much enjoy this,” Lucas said. “But right now all I can think about is making certain you don’t fall into the pool.”

“I won’t.” She knelt again at the edge of the pool. “Hold my hand.”

His fingers clamped around her wrist. She leaned forward and extended her bare arm into the water up to her shoulder. The energy of the pool caused her senses to spark and flash. The sensation was breathtaking. She had a sudden, almost irresistible impulse to undress entirely and bathe in the waters, to abandon herself to the mysteries and secrets locked in the pool.

“Evangeline.”

Lucas’s sharp voice shattered the spell.

“Right,” she said. “Sorry. Got distracted.”

She grasped the object on the step and brought it out of the water. Straightening, she held the silver case so that they could both see it.

“It’s a chatelaine designed to carry a pair of spectacles,” Lucas said. “Chester wore eyeglasses but he did not keep them in a case.”

“This was made for a woman,” Evangeline said. She turned the case in her hand and looked at the initials engraved on the back. “What is more, I know who she is.”