To Trust a Thief (10 page)

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
bed
clothes. 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.