“It might be,” Crisp agreed as she flipped through the pages until she found another piece of paper where Apollo was first mentioned.
“Contains what must rise,” she read. “What must rise? It is not the sun as that cannot be contained.”
Four
Crispin’sfirstthoughthadnot been the sun. However, he was just as certain Lady Osbourne had not meant smallclothes or trousers. Further, his manhood shouldn’t have been the first thing to come to his mind either. The only reason it probably did was because he was with Vanessa.
He’d nearly kissed her in the music room. When she stood before him, looked up with her petal soft lips slightly parted, he’d nearly bent forward, pulled her close and kissed her. The need and desire had been so overwhelming that he’d nearly acted. Thankfully he restrained himself, but it was a close thing.
Vanessa pursed those lovely lips and leaned against the desk. “What rises?”
“Balloons,” he suggested.
“We would have noticed if a balloon had been on the lawn,” she pointed out. “How could it be contained?”
“I’m certain something contains a balloon when not in use, but I’ve no idea what that would be,” he admitted.
“Flowers?” she suggested.
“That would mean walking the whole of the gardens,” Crisp offered. “Would it be hidden in something so vast?”
“Unlikely,” Vanessa said. “But we will need to search them eventually.”
“I would think a gardener would have come upon the brooch by now.” The ruby couldn’t be in any place where it would be easily discovered and given how ornate and impeccably trimmed the estate gardens were, it was unlikely the ruby was within.
“We should look anyway as I have no idea what else is contained and rises.”
Crisp offered his arm as they exited the library to make their way to the gardens. As they passed the room where Lady Osbourne and Lady Sewell were taking tea, he nearly stopped. On the table between them was a tiered tray of biscuits, and… “Cakes rise.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened and shone with delight. “A baking tin.”
“It is a rather odd item. I’m not certain any of Lady Osbourne’s guests ever visited their own kitchens.”
“Unlikely.” Vanessa laughed. “I’ve only been in ours once and that was when I was a child and wanted to sneak a biscuit. I was caught and sent away.”
“So, you stole about even before meeting me?” he whispered.
“It’s a failing of mine,” she returned. “Once I’m told that I cannot go somewhere, then I must. But within reason of course.”
Crisp nearly snorted. “Some of the places we slipped off to weren’t within reason.” The dark walk of Vauxhall came to mind. She had wanted to walk it with him because she’d been told that shemuststay away.
Vanessa waved her hand. “I was with you, in no danger of being harmed and it was enjoyable.”
Crisp wasn’t certain what to make of her words. He was glad that she had not feared him, but he also could have easily taken advantage if he had wished. Not that he would ever behave in such a low manner, but did Vanessa not see him as a man who had wished to seduce her, even back then?
He paused at the thought ofeven back then,realizing that same desire remained.
It was a thought he quickly dismissed. He could not seduce Vanessa no matter how much he wished to, or how much he had dreamed of doing while away on his travels. Despite his adventures, she was never far from his thoughts even though he also accepted she would never be his and had assumed she’d married. Had he known the truth, would he have sought her out when he had returned? Would he have come home sooner?
He may have called on her upon his arrival in England, but not after his young brother brought scandal to the family. His family was still recovering from two scandals that had shocked everyone. It was likely none of them would wed after everything that had happened. Well, except for his brother, the duke. Some transgressions, no matter how serious, could be overlooked when a title was lofty enough.
“Shall we invade the kitchens?” he asked, pushing aside all thoughts of scandal.
“Most certainly.” She grinned up at him, much as she’d done so many years ago when she proposed sneaking off to somewhere that they shouldn’t.
“Where are they?” he finally asked.
“I’ve no idea, but I’m certain we will find them.”
