He conceded the point with a nod. “Let us set to work.”
Mary watched as Gabriel walked toward the bookshelves that lined the right most wall and ran his fingers along the spines, testing the books for a potential latch. His hands were strong and nimble as he moved. She imagined they’d be just as capable on her.
Stop it, she admonished herself. Shaking herself and focusing on her task, Mary slid her hands around the edges of the chaise lounge and rectangular table that stood before the left wall. Besides nails and the edges of the upholstery, Mary found nothing.
She quickly moved on, examining the wide sideboard that sat against the wall behind the desk between two large paintings that stretched from ceiling to the dark wood planked floor. She opened the cabinet door.
* * *
Abandoning the bookcase, Gabe turned his attention to the desk and opened the bottommost left side drawer. He tapped it from the underside, noting the solidthunk. He moved to the next drawer, and then the next, each knock leading to the samethunk. He finally reached the topmost drawer, but it would not open.
“Mary,” he whispered.
She looked up from where she searched in the vases on the fireplace mantle.
Gabe extended a hand. “One of your hair pins.”
Mary hurried over, pulling a pin from her coiffure. Gabe accepted it with a nod then placed it in the lock.
“Shouldn’t you use two?” Mary whispered in his ear, the warm, womanly rose scent of her very nearly making him dizzy.
“For locks in doors and safes, yes, but this…particular lock…” he bit his lip as he concentrated on his task, “aha!” He looked at her with a grin. “Just requires one.”
He slid the drawer open to find it empty. Undeterred, Gabe reached beneath the drawer and knocked.Clunk.He looked up at Mary with a triumphant smile before searching the underside of the drawer for a finger hole. He found it and slid his finger inside then pressed the latch within.Click. The top of the hidden compartment popped open and Gabe lifted it to examine the contents.
Mary sighed in disappointment. “Nothing but lists of items purchased.” She reached in and fingered through the slips of parchment. “The modiste, the tailor, cobbler, bookshop, milliner…” she sighed once more, “this is not at all what we are searching for.”
Gabe frowned, frustration riding him, as he looked at the entirely innocent documents. Blast it! He had been so certain…
Carefully replacing the bills and closed the drawer, he used Mary’s hairpin to lock it. He quickly turned his attention to the bookshelves. Mary had already searched for an opening mechanism, but men had been known to hollow out large tomes and hide documents within. Finding the thickest book on the shelf, Gabe withdrew it and flipped it open. Nothing. He found another and opened it. Nothing.
“Gabriel—er, Tony,” Mary said in hushed tones. “What do you make of this pedestal?”
Gabe turned to see Mary gesture to a tall, cylindrical, dark oak pedestal that reached about waist height. It stood in the far-left corner of the room, and an enclosed display case on top that held what appeared to be a rare book. His lordship’s prized possession no doubt.
“Lord Kerr must value that book a great deal,” Mary murmured thoughtfully.
“Or what’s beneath it,” he mused. Gabe snapped the tome shut and replaced it on the shelf, then moved toward the pedestal.
Gabe watched as Mary slid her fingers along the edges of the wood. “There is a small indentation in the rear corner.” She glanced up at Gabe. “You don’t suppose it’s trapped, do you?”
He shook his head. “Anyone with confidence enough to steal such documents has enough confidence that their hiding place will not be discovered. Hardly someone cowering in fear.”
She extended her finger, pressing firmly into the indentation. There was a loud grinding and an echoingclick. The front of the pedestal swung open on undetectable hinges and Mary knelt to view the contents.
“A strong box.” Gabe knelt behind her.
Behind the hidden door sat a thick metal box with a lock holding it shut.
“This must be it,” Mary whispered.
Just as she reached toward it, Gabe halted her. “Shh. Do you hear that?”
He tilted his head toward the study door. The murmur of male voices sounded down the hall and his heart slammed in his chest.
