If they still lived at Rose Cottage.
She sighed and lifted the reins, signaling Molly to move toward the small shed in the back that served as her barn. With tired, aching arms she rubbed the horse down, saw that she had food and water, then went into the cottage.
It had a dank, musky odor to it. She wrinkled her nose and quickly went around the cottage throwing open windows. Upstairs in her small bedroom with its dormer window, she stood for a moment looking outside. Clouds were beginning to gather. There could be a storm before morning. She’d have to check on her wood supply.
She took off her hat and unbuttoned the closely-fitted jacket of her riding habit, eager to take the outfit off. It felt like she’d been in it over twenty-four hours. She knew that wasn’t possible, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. She’d feel better for a change of clothes. Tiredly she flopped down on her bed next to her portmanteau. Humming a tuneless song, she opened the case and pulled out her dressing gown. From its folds fell a glittering stream.
Leona froze, then slowly, she reached down to touch the pile of coruscating gems. It was a diamond and pearl necklace. With shock she realized that she recognized it. It was the heirloom suite of the Countess of Nevin!
A slight trembling kept Leona motionless; then she forced herself to reach down into her portmanteau to see what else might be found. Under a clean chemise were the earrings. Buried at the bottom, the tiara. She laid them out on her bed, staring at them. How did they end up in her possession? If someone found out she had them, she’d—it didn’t bear thinking of. But yes, it did! Someone was definitely out to frame her for allthe Deveraux ills! That person was clever, too. She had to get to Nigel. She had to explain. . . .
It was then that the idea came to her. It was simple. She would hide the jewels, then ride to find Deveraux. Together they could set a trap for the would-be kidnappers cum jewel thieves. Yes, simple. But first, she had to hide the jewels.
She dug in her small dresser until she found a clean scarf. Carefully she wrapped the jewelry in it, knotting the ends together securely. She looked around her room, searching for a secure hidey-hole. There was nowhere that a cursory search would not uncover. She glanced in Maria’s room, but it was like hers. She went downstairs, roaming about the big room, poking in chests, around furniture, but nothing satisfied her. A rising frustration clawed at her. She tamped it down, refusing to let it cloud her thinking. She entered the large kitchen with its cupboards, pantries, and bake ovens. Again nothing satisfied her. Perhaps she was too particular. Who would look, for example, at the bottom of a flour barrel or in the back of a bake oven? Still, she rejected those choices.
It was getting late. If she intended to attain Castle Marin before dark, she’d best decide quickly. She went back through the cottage and outside, circling the building. She thought briefly of burying the jewels but discarded that notion for the ground was soft and would certainly show evidence of digging. Maria’s work shed was a possibility, but still, it did not feel right. Helplessly she looked up at the cottage, her eyes roaming over it as if to ask its opinion of where she should sequester the jewels.
Her eyes stopped at the two dormer windows with their thatched overhangs. Critically she studied where the curving section of thatch met with the thatched porch roof that ran the length of the house. It was an unusual construction for thatch and caused untold complaints by the old querulous fellow who had repaired the roof for her before she and Maria moved intoRose Cottage. She remembered him warning that those angles invited birds to build their nests. And so they had, at her window. But not at Maria’s.
Leona ran back into the house and up the stairs to Maria’s room. She pushed open the window. She tried to crane her neck to see that thatched meeting place, but she couldn’t quite. Quickly she dragged the stool from Maria’s dressing table to the window and stood on it.
Yes. There was a little niche there just big enough to fit the parcel of jewels into. But getting it there would be the problem. She leaned out the casement and reached under the window, her fingers feeling for the niche. She found it, and it felt dry enough. She transferred the jewels to her questing hand and carefully fit the scarf-wrapped parcel into the tiny space. She shoved it back as far as she could. Luckily, she’d chosen a dark blue scarf so it didn’t stand out badly. Quickly she climbed back into the room and shut the window. Just looking straight out, no glimpse of the scarf could be had. But she had to go outside and check. Replacing the stool, Leona ran back down the stairs and out, all the way to the narrow road that ran past Rose Cottage. She could see nothing. Slowly she walked forward, trying to spot the little cache. It was invisible, even from directly beneath it. She heaved a sigh of relief.
Quickly she rebuttoned her jacket, replaced her hat, and fetched her portmanteau. Then she closed all the windows and went outside to re-harness Molly.
“Sorry, old girl, but this is an emergency!” she murmured as she backed the horse up to the small carriage.
She took one last look at the cottage before she sped back toward the Golden Goose. A raven perched on the roof, looking down aloofly as if to proclaim all before him his domain. Leona frowned and shook her finger up at him.
“You leave that bundle alone, do you hear me?” she said severely.
At the sound of her voice, the bird stretched his dark wings and took flight. Leona had to be content with that. She’d forgotten about a bird’s possible inquisitiveness. She just hoped the bundle was too heavy and wedged in too tightly for one of those airborne marauders. There was no time to change the hiding place now. It would have to do.
CHAPTER 13
Nigel Deveraux stareddown at the casket of jewels. His man was right. The Countess of Nevin suite was missing. He swore violently and viciously. How could that have happened? He looked at his valet inquiringly, his blue eyes glittering dangerously behind his thick veil of lashes.
The man gulped. “I-I don’t know, sir. When Miss Jewitt returned the casket last night, I placed it in your dressing room. This morning she brought me the sapphires Lady Lucy wore last night. When I went to put them away, it was then I noticed that the—that the diamond and pearl set was missing!”
“Did you leave my rooms at all last night or this morning?”
The man shuddered. “Y-yes,” he admitted. “When Jason, the footman, came and told me of the to-do up at the keep, I stepped downstairs with him to the servants’ hall to hear the news. But I was only gone fifteen minutes, sir! I swear to you! And . . . and then again, this morning, when I nipped down to the kitchen for some coffee. I’m quite partial to that beverage in the morning,” he mumbled miserably.
Deveraux nodded. He closed the casket. “Did you check to see that the heirloom suite was still in the casket when you took the box from Miss Jewitt?”
“No, sir. She told me Lady Lucy chose the sapphires. I didn’t think. . .
“That’s quite understandable. Go put these away. Afterward, tell Miss Jewitt I’d like to see my sister when she wakes.” He handed the man the casket then sat a moment in silence, his fingers absently drumming a rhythmic pattern on his desk as he considered the situation. What had the family done to spawn this unrelenting revenge? It could not be anything else. And not for a moment did he think that the jewels' disappearance was unrelated to the other events.
The sharp sound of boots on marble roused him from his reverie. He looked up through the open library door to see Fitzhugh and Turcott crossing the hall toward the morning room. They were up early for a morning after a ball. It was only nine.And Fitzhugh dressed?He shook his head in wonder and rose from his desk, slowly making his way toward the morning room to join them. In the hall he spied Keirsmyth descending the stairs. He paused to wait for him. Did the events of last evening leave them as troubled and unable to sleep as he? And now this! Jewelry theft!
“You appear distracted, Deveraux,” the marquess said, stopping him before the door to the morning room.
The corner’s of Deveraux’s mouth kicked up wryly. “Is it any wonder? Besides last night’s events, this morning, I discover that the Nevin jewelry suite is missing!” he said in disgust.
Both of Keirsmyth’s thin brows rose. “Am I to understand this is an important set for your family?”
“Yes. A tiara, necklace and earring set of diamonds and pearls, worn only by the current countess.”
