Heart Search (25 page)
Laev grimaced. “I haven’t been able to find it for years.”
“Try again.”
Shrugging, Laev closed his eyes, thought of his HeartGift. For an instant he had the same feeling as all the other times, a dark, cramped place, a hint of scent—Nivea’s scent, that had him instinctively pulling back.
Then his senses whirled and he almost
heard
the chatter of people, the warmth of a gathering, bustle. His HeartMate radiated contentment.
heard
the chatter of people, the warmth of a gathering, bustle. His HeartMate radiated contentment.
He jerked his mind away, opened his eyes, sank into his balance to keep his feet as the morning blue of the sky seemed to wheel around him. And he understood the point Primross had wanted to make. Any focus he might have for his HeartGift was being diverted by a true attachment to his HeartMate—whom he also
should
have wanted to find. His body and Flair yearned for her, wanted him to look for her, find
her.
His emotions didn’t.
should
have wanted to find. His body and Flair yearned for her, wanted him to look for her, find
her.
His emotions didn’t.
“So,” the impassive detective said, “do you want me to continue to look for the lost Hawthorn objects and your HeartGift?”
With his own gaze steady, Laev met Primross’s. “There was nothing new in my search for my HeartGift.” He took a couple of sea-cleansed breaths.
“And?” Primross prompted.
“And none of my Family or the Residence is as upset as I was about the missing Hawthorn heirlooms.
“But, yes, I want you—Prime Investigations—to continue to look for my lost property.” The quest had become less important since his nightly loving with his HeartMate. She’d begun to soothe Nivea’s wounds, and he and his HeartMate seemed to have an unspoken understanding.
“Then the deal is still on.” Primross relaxed beside Laev.
“Yes.” Laev angled himself more to the ocean. “If you ever want an investor . . .”
Primross’s fingers bunched into fists. “No.”
“The offer stands,” Laev said mildly. “Don’t let your pride get in the way if you need help.”
“I don’t. I won’t.”
Laev sent him a half smile. “I’m good with gilt, but as you are no doubt thinking, I have much gilt to be good with. I’ve also had exceptional training.”
Primross slid his gaze toward Laev, stretched out his fingers. “You’re good at invest
ing
not at inves
tigat
ing.”
ing
not at inves
tigat
ing.”
“Not my specialty.”
“And you’re still beating yourself up about misjudging a woman when you were seventeen, though I bet you haven’t misjudged a person with regard to that business of yours for years.”
Laev said, “Is that all you want to say this morning?”
“Not hardly.”
“All right, talk and walk, the breeze has become cold.” Laev turned back toward the Residence.
After a couple of minutes Primross stopped again, this time staring at the castle, the long lawn and pretty paths up to it. “Makes a statement.”
“That it does. I imagine the colonists were so relieved to find Celta and land here that they built the city in a fit of exuberance.”
“All the FirstFamilies made good castles,” Primross said grudgingly.
“Takes some gilt to run and maintain,” Laev said.
“I’d guess a damn fortune.”
“You’d guess right. Where do you live?” It was a question a friend would ask. Would Primross answer? Was Laev testing himself and his judgement of the man, whether Laev was right in thinking the detective was a friend?
“I don’t have a house of my own,” Primross said, but Laev heard the
yet
.
yet
.
“But you get to choose where you live,” Laev said lightly.
“Yes. I do.” Primross sounded surprised at the thought. He grunted. “Right now I’m living in MidClass Lodge.”
“Pretty place,” Laev said. “I like the courtyard and the fountain.”
That Laev was familiar with the property also seemed to take Primross off guard. “Yeah,” he replied.
Once they reached one of the outlying gardens, Primross again angled off, gesturing to a greeniron bench. Since he didn’t sit, Laev didn’t, either, just lifted his brows.
“Since our deal is still on, I’ll tell you that I took the initiative in buying this.” Primross dipped his hand in his pocket. When he withdrew it, his forefinger had a large ring on the tip. “It has no Hawthorn mark, but I was assured it originally belonged to your late wife.”
Laev recognized the light yellow of the square-cut topaz set in the rainbow-catching metal called glisten. Channel diamonds glittered on either side of the main stone. His gut clenched in surprise and pain, and the day seemed to dim.
Someday Nivea’s actions would not surprise or pain him. His renewed anger split, also directed at himself that he was still affected by the past.
“That was Nivea’s,” he confirmed. “It was part of a set: necklace, two bracelets, and earrings.” He’d commissioned T’Ash to create the jewels from the first good gilt Laev had made through investments, no more than six months after he’d married Nivea. His shock and disappointment at her not being his HeartMate had faded under her charm and sexual ministrations. She’d kept that up until they moved from Laev’s small estate outside southern Gael City to T’Hawthorn Residence in Druida.
He supposed she’d considered she’d earned all the jewels and other expensive presents he’d gifted her throughout the years. Laev’s FatherSire had not given her any of the Hawthorn ancestral jewelry.
“Nothing was said about a set.” Primross studied the ring.
“I don’t want it,” Laev said. “But I will pay for it and any information regarding anything else that was Nivea’s.”
“Understood,” Primross said. He flicked his fingers and the ring disappeared. “I’ve translocated it to the breakfast table. I’m sure one of your staff will take care of it.”
“Yes.”
Primross’s gaze was cool. Obviously Laev hadn’t hidden his reaction well enough.
The detective inclined his head. “Sorry for the news. I’ll keep on looking.”
“Fine,” Laev answered, knowing he’d have to delve into the past and figure out what happened to Nivea’s personal jewels. He’d thought they were in some Residence safe.
“Later.” Primross teleported away.
There was a yowl and Brazos trotted up.
I wanted to talk to him.
I wanted to talk to him.
“Too bad. About what?”
The cat’s tail flicked.
He smells of feral fox,
Brazos grumbled.
He smells of feral fox,
Brazos grumbled.
A chuckle escaped Laev and he was glad of it, glad Brazos was his. He picked the cat up, petted him, and looked into the yellow green eyes, answered his Fam mentally.
You wanted to rub against him so he smelled of you.
You wanted to rub against him so he smelled of you.
Brazos didn’t answer, but as Laev strode back to the gardens, he purred.
“So, Brazos, have you been up in the attics yet?”
The cat’s eyes gleamed.
Everywhere, but I paid little attention to bad-smelling woman’s stuff.
Everywhere, but I paid little attention to bad-smelling woman’s stuff.
“Um-hmm.” Laev kept up his pace until they entered through a side door, then he addressed the house, “Residence, where are Nivea’s clothes, jewels, and personal items stored?” He hadn’t dealt with them himself.
Seventeen
T
he Residence answered Laev, “Many of the personal objects your
late wife had when she came here and those that she purchased were given to her Family, as you wished.”
he Residence answered Laev, “Many of the personal objects your
late wife had when she came here and those that she purchased were given to her Family, as you wished.”
“But not the jewels.”
“Not the jewels, nor expensive gowns such as those you or she purchased from D’Thyme.”
“Where are the jewels?”
There were a few seconds’ silence from the Residence, then it said, “I sense jewelry cases in the MistrysSuite safe. I do not think that your FatherSire did anything with them.”
“Thank you.” Laev walked through the Residence to the wing that housed the MasterSuite and MistrysSuite. He hadn’t moved into his FatherSire’s rooms—the MasterSuite—yet. He liked his own suite that had been remodeled for him during the time he’d been courting Nivea at seventeen. A move on his FatherSire’s to keep him happy.
When he and Nivea had returned to Druida, she had wanted the MistrysSuite and he and his FatherSire had agreed. The beginning of his and Nivea’s estrangement.
He climbed to the third floor, and pushed through heavy spellshielded security doors. Brazos leapt from his arms.
We are going into rooms forbidden to Me!
We are going into rooms forbidden to Me!
Laev hadn’t known that, but it sounded reasonable. “Yes.” He opened the door to the MistrysSuite and stared.
It was completely empty. He blinked. The last time he’d been here, when he’d spent septhours by Nivea’s bedside when she was sick and dying, the walls of all the rooms had been shades of sunny yellow, with dark brown and green accents, sunflower colors. The furniture had been curlicued iron, the carpet a medium beige.
Now the walls were a flat and expensive cream—indicating that they were ready for imprinting with complex Flaired murals. The floor was polished wood of red brown.
“Where is the furniture?” he asked.
The Residence answered, “We did not dispose of it, but it is stored in the last corner of the highest attic.”
“Ah.” Laev thought of the tall and fanciful lines of the wrought iron bedsponge platform and etagere. He looked down at Brazos. “You wouldn’t want such furniture to climb on in your room?”
“Eeek-urk!” Brazos said, then made a strangling noise.
They are not good wood perches, they are slippery metal, could get neck caught in bad spots if fell.
They are not good wood perches, they are slippery metal, could get neck caught in bad spots if fell.
Laev supposed so. “All right.”
I have seen a nice arrangement of wooden climbing posts and walkways and hoops and toys in the Fam store Mica told me of.
“Ah-ha. Already burnt through your allowance this month?”
Needed toys and pillows.
Brazos lifted his nose.
My Sire has many toys and pillows and does not share.
Brazos lifted his nose.
My Sire has many toys and pillows and does not share.
“Hmm.” Laev knew for a fact that some members of the household had made toys and pillows for Brazos.
The cat coughed, a hair ball hit the floor, then vanished to the last drop of spit. Good housekeeping spells.
I think my catnip is inferior. I would like to go to the Ship and purchase more.
I think my catnip is inferior. I would like to go to the Ship and purchase more.
Laev smiled. Bent down and stroked the cat. “Sure, go.”
I would like you to come with me.
“Yes, definitely have burnt through your gilt.”
Lots of things to do on
Nuada’s Sword
.
Nuada’s Sword
.
“Very true.” And Laev had decided that he wanted more plant life in the HouseHeart. “But right now we’re investigating missing jewels.”
Pretty, shiny rocks.
“Yes.”
Lots of those around Druida.
“We do like our pretty baubles.”
I do not need many pretty rocks on My collar.
“I understand that a FamPerson doesn’t buy a collar for Fam until after six months have passed.”
Buy! I am a Hawthorn cat. My Sire, Black Pierre, has a collar commissioned by your FatherSire from T’Ash himself.
“I think that’s Black Pierre’s third collar and he was Fam to my FatherSire for many years.” Laev pretended to think. “Perhaps if you’re an excellent cat, I will consider a collar in two months.”
Brazos muttered a growl but said nothing more.
As Laev walked through the MistrysSuite sitting room to the bedroom, he asked, “Residence, why were these rooms refurbished and when?” He frowned. “I don’t recall authorizing any major expenditures.”
The window frames creaked a little as punctuation to the Residence’s answer. “Your FatherSire informed me that upon his death I should remodel these rooms unless you specifically ordered me not to do so.”
And Laev hadn’t even known of that. “Any other requests that my FatherSire made that you haven’t informed me of?”
“No.”
But there was something in the Residence’s tone that snagged Laev’s attention. “Are there other secrets that my FatherSire and you had that you didn’t inform me of?”
The floor groaned under his feet.
“Residence, I made a direct request for information. You are not allowed to refuse.”
Brazos’s ears pricked up.
What would you do if the Residence is bad?
What would you do if the Residence is bad?
Over the months Laev had considered this. “As T’Hawthorn I can program certain matters—such as the Residence’s personality. It’s been a long time since the Residence had a female persona. Perhaps, for instance, that I am tired of being a youngling and would like a less contrary Residence. I believe my twice G’Auntie Inanis’s soft persona and voice are an option as a Residence for me.”
“Eee!” Brazos rolled over and laughed and Laev stared at him. Cats were the ultimate anarchists, unless their own comfort was involved.
The air pressure around Laev changed, dropped until it was thin, then hurriedly increased to the perfect combination of humidity and warmth that he preferred—and kept in his rooms. From the exclamations he felt through his Family links, the whole castle had been changed—except for the kitchen, conservatory, and greenhouses.
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