“What are those?” Ella moved behind him and pointed to a stack of three boxes under a blanket.
Gabriel pushed the blanket away with the toe of his boot, retrieved one of the boxes, and placed it on the table. He chuckled, attempting to lighten the heavy mood. “What’s your guess as to what’s in here?”
She exhaled and raised her brow. “I’m almost afraid to look.”
Gabriel lifted the lid to reveal several bound stacks of letters. He loosened the twine securing the first stack, handed half the stack to Ella, and began flipping through the other half.
“They are all addressed to Timothy Grenshaw,” she stated, angling the missive toward the light filtering through the tattered curtain. “Do you think that’s him?”
“I would think so. Let’s take these with us.” He handed his stack to Ella and retrieved a much heavier crate. It thudded as he dropped it on the table, sending up a cloud of dust and debris. There was no lid, and inside was a collection of books, pamphlets, and papers on phrenology. He reached for a portfolio and opened it to find a collection of newspaper clippings on Thomas Bauer. Like the obituary, several of these had a drawing of the man.
Ella’s sigh echoed from the low ceiling. “So this is how he learned about Thomas Bauer and his work. There must be a dozen pamphlets here by him.”
“And look, here are some clippings on the Society.”
Ella groaned. “It just makes me so angry! How gullible we all were to believe him!”
Gabriel returned the items to the box and packed them back up, eager to get out of this room as soon as possible. “Unfortunately, it appears he did his research and knew exactly what to do. But don’t worry. Even the most detailed criminal will slip at some point. We just need to figure out how to be there to catch him when he does.”
By the time Ella and Gabriel returned to the office with the boxes of letters and correspondence, the afternoon had grown late. Night would soon arrive, and Ella had originally informed Phoebe she’d arrive by dusk. They enlisted the help of Gabriel’s clerk and began the tedious process of laying out letters and sorting documents. Individual bits of information were scattered like puzzle pieces.
She stood from her chair, placed the letter she’d been reading on one pile, and reached for a different letter. As she did so, she snuck a peek at Gabriel.
He’d shed his jacket in the heat of the day, and he was leaning back against the table as he read. A striped tan waistcoat hugged his athletic torso, and a watch fob hung at his waist. His blousy white linen sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his muscular forearms.
He glanced up, caught her looking at him, and grinned.
How that grin, combined with the careless manner in which his dark hair fell over his forehead, affected her. She pivoted to mask the giddy smile that threatened.
He lowered the letter he’d been reading to the desk and approached her. “Did you find anything of interest?”
She propped her hand on her hip and shrugged, trying to ignore the effect that his nearness had on her. “A great deal of correspondence but not a single word that even speaks to phrenology.”
He looked toward the window and tugged at the edge of his waistcoat to straighten it. “It will be dark soon. Shall I call a carriage and escort you to Hawthorne House? I don’t want them to worry if they’re expecting you.”
She pressed her lips together. That was the last thing she wanted him to do, but he was right. She might not be opposed to testing the boundaries of social convention, but her reputation was already at risk.
With a sigh she refolded the letter. “Yes, thank you. I am sure Phoebe is already wondering where I am. I can take some of these letters with me and continue searching for clues.”
Across the room the clerk, whether by accident or by noticing that his employer might want privacy, lifted a box and moved through the corridor to disappear completely.
Keenly aware of Gabriel’s proximity and the fact that he and Ella were alone, she battled an onslaught of feelings. His nearnesscatapulted a fire through her, invigorating her every sense. His scent of sandalwood weakened her resolve.
Before Ella had met Gabriel, she’d never even considered allowing another person to get truly close to her. Her focus on preserving a legacy had left no room for thoughts of romance, but a new, exciting dream was emerging. Now that she’d glimpsed it, was there any possibility of denying it? Gabriel had to feel it too—this overwhelming attraction. The pull was far too strong to be one-sided. How could such an attraction develop so quickly, so intensely?
The late-afternoon shadows were gathering, bathing the office in a soft glow. Gabriel reached for her hand. He swayed toward her. Or perhaps she’d swayed toward him—it was impossible to tell. The line between them was blurring.
The intimate inflection of Gabriel’s tone made her feel giddy and girlish. “I’ll call a carriage whenever you are ready, but in case I didn’t tell you earlier, I’m so glad you’re here. When I first saw you I thought I must be dreaming. I hated how I left Keatley Hall, how chaotic it was. I was worried about you.”
“I’ve told you before that there’s no need to worry about me, Gabriel.”
“I know, I know. Believe me, you’ve proven yourself more than capable, but Iwantedto be there. Tohelpyou. The last few days can’t have been easy for you and your father.”
As he took her other hand in his, she found it difficult to concentrate on his words. She swallowed hard and managed to whisper, “It is nice to have a friend to talk to about things.”
“A friend?” he exclaimed, as if surprised by the word. He dropped one of her hands and slowly, gently touched his forefinger to her chin. Each subtle movement brought him closer to her, andhe tilted her chin upward, forcing her eyes to meet his. “My dear Ella. I am, of course, your friend, but is that the extent of your affection for me? If it is, I’d accept it, but I’d be lying if I said what I felt for you stopped at mere friendship.”
His fingers dropped to her shoulder, and the warmth of his palm radiated through her gown’s sleeve. Her breath caught, as if her lungs refused to breathe, and her heart beat in half measures, hanging on his next word.
