Tess exhaled, and Ed hugged her.
“They’ll put a bulletin out for Lee, but he’s probably gone to ground,” Brandon continued. “He knows his way around the bush.”
Matt nodded. “I’ll call my parents and ask them to keep an eye out for him.”
“I doubt he’ll come back,” Faith said. “We all know him. He’d have to be desperate.”
“Should I ring my brother-in-law?” Tess asked. “They’re cousins, and he might find out where he is.”
“Let’s ask Dot and Nhiari tomorrow,” Brandon said.
Silence filled the room as they contemplated Lee’s betrayal. There was nothing they could do about it tonight, and they had the best form of distraction sitting next to Sam and Georgie. Ed gestured to the trunk. “I think everyone’s dying to see what’s inside.”
Lara clapped her hands and Georgie said, “Finally!”
Tess smiled, though she bit her lower lip, her mind obviously elsewhere. They crowded around the trunk, and Georgie and Lara lifted the lid.
Damn. Tess slumped next to him.
The inside was lined with floral paper, and it was empty.
“Well, that explains why they left it down there,” Darcy said.
Lara turned to Ed. “Where’s the tape measure?”
“In Granny’s craft room.”
She ran out and returned shortly after with the tape measure. The others had returned to the table, but Ed helped her measure the inside and then the outside. There was about an inch difference, but the thick bottom accounted for that.
“We should rip the paper,” Lara said.
“No,” Darcy said. “It’s bedtime. You’ve got school and pony club tomorrow.”
Lara turned pleading eyes to Ed.
“I’ll do some research tonight, La La. We don’t want to damage the trunk, but I’ll see if I can find references to trunks with false bottoms and how to find them.”
“If you find anything, you’ll wait for me?”
“Of course.”
She hugged him. “Thanks, Ed.” She followed Darcy and Faith out of the room to get ready for bed.
“That wasn’t worth the trip out here,” Georgie groused.
“We’ve been reading your great grandmother’s journals.” Tess handed her the one they’d been reading. “You might find them interesting.”
Georgie smiled. “Thanks.”
“What time are you working tomorrow?” Ed asked her.
She nibbled on her nail. “It’s my day off.”
What was she worried about? “You going to stay the night?”
“I might as well. Can I look through the other trunks?”
Damn. He’d been looking forward to sleeping in the same room with Tess again. “They’re in the craft room.”
