Beneath its right foot was a tiny gold key.
CHAPTER 20
ANNE
Igasped, a wave of delight seizing my entire body. The head of the key was shaped like a heart. I slowly picked it up before placing the rabbit back on the floor. I wrapped my fingers around the key, enclosing it tightly in my fist. I was already terrified of losing it.
“I can’t believe I actually found it.” I muttered, throwing Alexander an exhilarated smile.
“You’re clever.” His eyes creased at the corners with a broad smile. “I knew you would.”
I stared at him. My stomach ached from laughing, and my excitement had dulled my senses. The sudden urge to throw my arms around his neck and kiss him senseless struck me as unexpectedly as the flame that had struck that rabbit’s face. A different fire spread quickly through my chest, bringing a wave of heat to my cheeks. What the devil was wrong with me? I tore my gaze away from his. In moments like these, I usually stared at his cravat, but it was gone. He had used it to snuff out the flames. His sharp jawline and bare neck made him look casual—recklessly handsome—like the sort of man who started fires but never put them out.
To distract myself from my wayward thoughts, I opened my palm and looked at the key. I scolded my heart back to a normal rhythm. “Now all that remains is finding Lady Tottenham’s heart and unlocking it.”
“When I first arrived here, I wasn’t certain she had a heart,” Alexander said with a laugh.
I stood up, the backs of my knees aching from crouching for so long. “That’s what I thought when she warned us all that we might be sent away.” My voice lowered to a whisper. “Ever since then I have been overly wary of that possibility.”
Alexander’s dark eyes captured mine as he stood tall beside me. “You have nothing to be concerned about. You keep the rules.”
“Yes, but now we have burned the face of one of her rabbits,” I said with a groan. “That seems like grounds for dismissal.”
“I’ll take the blame if necessary.” He gave me a reassuring smile. “I’ll ensure she sends me away instead.”
“No! I need you.” I clamped my mouth shut. “I mean—I want you…to stay.” My aimless corrections brought a surge of heat to my face. Thankfully the room was dark.
Alexander’s smile softened. “I would never leave you behind. Not to worry.”
I twisted my hands together, nearly forgetting about the key in my palm. His words nestled over my heart like a blanket. I tried to kick it off, but it was tangled. I couldn’t shake the feeling of security that enveloped me. “Good,” I said in a hoarse voice. I cleared my throat, tipping my chin up to look at him. “You have to stay at least long enough to see me win the prize.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” His eyes searched my face, a wry smile twisting his lips. “Do you suppose the prize could be a pet rabbit of your own? Or perhaps, even your choice of one of the animals in that case?”
I put a hand to my forehead. “Don’t say such a thing. I have worked too hard.”
My reaction only seemed to encourage him. “A cricket feast all to yourself, perhaps?” He raised one eyebrow. “Or a private moment alone with Lord Kirkham between the drawing room doors?”
I swatted at his arm. “You’re ridiculous!” My laughter echoed off the six walls, and I had to cover my mouth to quiet it. I glanced at the door. We had to ensure we were back in our rooms by the end of the midnight game. If any guests saw us roaming the corridors together so late, gossip was sure to spread beyond the house party. Lady Tottenham may have allowed certain liberties amongst her guests, but Mrs. Pike would still frown upon suspicious behavior. As a widow, I had played the role of chaperone many times, but I did not require one myself. That was a dangerous position to be in. It had made me too relaxed.
With the key in hand, I walked toward the door. I turned the handle and pulled. It didn’t move. I pulled again and rattled it. My stomach sank. I whirled around just as Alexander approached. “It’s locked.”
“Again?” He tested the handle himself, prying and pushing against the door. “Who would have known we were in here?” He met my gaze over his shoulder.
I shook my head in bewilderment. Did the household staff lock all the doors late at night? Perhaps only the hexagon room, with its valuable collections displayed inside, was deemed necessary to lock when the house was filled with strangers. I paced away from the door, my heart thudding in my chest. “We could be trapped here all night.” The reality settled into my bones. My stomach twisted.
Alexander pried at the lock one more time, but the effort was futile. The bolt was solid. He turned around, raking a hand over his hair with an exhale through his lips. “I think we are.”
“Do you think it was intentional? Could Lady Tottenham have heard us?”
“She would be two floors below in the parlor at this hour.” He shook his head. “It must have been a servant who thought the room was empty. The doors are thick. They may not have heard us.”
“It also could have been a servant who Lady Tottenham sent to do her bidding.” My prevailing suspect was still our hostess. She thrived on impropriety. She was losing her mind, I was certain of it. Not only was she turning a blind eye to improper situations, but she was orchestrating them. She had been doing so the entire house party. Why should locking Alexander and me in a room together a second time be any more scandalous than the first? There were no boundaries Lady Tottenham wouldn’t cross.
“I suppose that could be the case,” Alexander said. “She has been known to do such a thing before.”
I gave a grim nod. He remained by the door as I walked toward one of the brown velvet chairs. I sat down in one swift motion, crossing my arms over my chest. The silence in the room was deafening. My heart pounded. I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream in frustration. I could bear spending an entire night in the company of all those horrifying stuffed creatures in the glass case. I could endure every single pair of glass eyes watching me fall asleep.
But Alexander?
