Nicholas shrugged. “Why should it?”
“Do you think that in a twisted way, sincehe didn’t have your mother, he substituted the Rutland children ashis own? That there might be subterfuge and patience to get back atyour father? Samuel always told me to look at my closest friendsbefore my distant enemies. The Duke would have the resources topull off such a scheme to destroy your family.”
Nicholas stopped to ponder. “That is themost absurd notion I’ve heard to date. I’m also thinking of afellow in the House of Lords. My father has gone up against thosepushing the war in the Colonies because it is bankrupting England.He has many war-mongering enemies who stand to profit fromcontracts and have the funds to seek his demise. I would startthere.”
“You are probably right.” Alexandra stoodand dusted her bottom. “Look, Nicholas, an ‘E’ is carved into therock, probably by Captain Sharp. We have not climbed this highbefore. Remember his diary.Lovely,Only,ValuableandEnthralling. If we take the firstletters of each word”
“Not too hard of a clue to figure out. Hislove for Lady Jane.”
She whooped loudly. “Yes, but you’ve missedCaptain Sharp’s point. As we speculated before, he used the firstletters of each coordinate, and then applied each letter to alandform. Lagoon, Ocean, Valley, Escarpment.”
Nicholas snorted. “And?”
She pointed to the rocky ground, and then tothe ‘E.’ We stand on the escarpment which is to the west of theother land features. The ocean is down there to the east. South isthe lagoon and the valley is to the north.”
The sea crashed on the sand below, seagullssoared and cried overhead. She waited for Nicholas to see herpoint.
The emergence of recognition flooded hisface. “The cottage was built where the four coordinates merge.”
ChapterSeventeen
They tore up floorboards. Nothing. Theysearched the beams. Nothing. They started on the lean-to. Alexandraclimbed up in the rafters and opened a box before Nicholas couldstop her. He folded his arms in front of him, waiting to weatherthe storm.
“Nicholas! You were aware of this fabric allthe time and let me gallivant around with nothing on. How dareyou.”
He surveyed her from head to toe. “I likethe way you look.”
She burst out laughing and held a bluecotton up in front of her, smoothing it with her hands. “You areincorrigible, Lord Nicholas. I should rain a hundred curses on yourhead. I’ll get even. To think, I will make all kinds of dresses formyself and be covered from head to toe.”
He grimaced, clearly not liking theidea.
She huffed and carried the box into thecottage. “Would serve you right for lying to me.”
He followed her. “I didn’t lie. You asked meif there was achestof fabric. The material was in abox.”
She lifted several of the fabrics up forclose examination, and then narrowed her eyes, looking him up anddown. “Your breeches are in tatters. For misleading me with yourdance of words, you will be tailoring your own pants.”
He grabbed her from behind and tossed her onthe bed. “How about we walk around like Adam and Eve?”
She put a hand on his chest. “What about thetreasure?”
“To hell with the treasure. You enticed methat whole climb up the cliff.”
“I didn’t think you noticed.”
He didn’t answer and hungrily crushed hismouth to hers, his gut ablaze with need. He suckled her breastthrough her shift and she groaned, circling his arousal with herhand. He cupped a hand beneath her bottom, tilted her hips andburied himself inside her, as deeply as he could and let go of hisseed. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She brushed asweaty curl from his brow, the treasure hunt forgotten for the timebeing as they lay side by side.
A moon, grown to half, hopscotched overfast-moving grey clouds. He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles,weariness enclosing him like a vice. He tried not to think of theendless problems they faced ahead. It was good she couldn’t getpregnant. Childbirth brought complications, even death. He couldnot imagine a life without her. Rain pattered against the roof andhe closed the shutters he had restored. The wind was alreadypicking up.
* * *
Every day, they watered the gardens andeverything grew rich and fine under Alexandra’s administrations.Nicholas leaned toward her until his mouth was a hairsbreadth fromher. “Do you desire my kiss, Alexandra Rutland?”
To his amazement, she shook her head.“No.”
He grinned, understanding he had the abilityto befuddle her when he wanted to get out of work.
“Liar,” he said, rubbing his lower lipagainst hers.
