“I don’t.” Miss Prince shook her head. “I just don’t think it will work and that it will cost us this opportunity.”
“Right, but my idea is that it need only cost one of us. You needn’t even disagree. You must only remain staunchly in favor of whatever the Van Arsdales want.” Dominic shrugged. “If it goes our way, you’ll tell them how beloved they’ll be for their donation. If it doesn’t, assure them that your preference was always to see their American museum established.”
“You’re asking me to betray you?”
Dominic placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Eve, it’s not betrayal. It’s an insurance policy. One of us must continue on this dig. And you, most of all, have spent years suspecting we’d find a hoard here.”
“You won’t be happy walking away from this dig, Dominic. I know you better than that.” She slid a glance at Tess and smiled. “But I also know there’s now something far more important to you.”
Tess watched him as his expression remained decisive, unwavering, and then he fixed his gaze on her. Though they weren’t standing next to each other, she felt that look of his as a cascade of love and warmth that washed over her.
“And you, Miss Hawthorne,” Miss Prince added, drawing Tess’s attention away from Dominic. “What will you think of me if I side with the Van Arsdales?”
Tess approached and twined her arm with Dominic’s. “I agree with your brother. One of us—” A thought struck Tess and she turned back to Tristan.
“I’d prefer to stay on the dig too,” he told her, as if he could read the unspoken question.
“Then we divide.” Dominic’s voice had taken on a firmer tone. “At least as far as the Van Arsdales are concerned. And then we can be sure that at least part of our soon-to-be-joined families can be a part of this historic dig.”
“We just have to hope Gordon Van Arsdale believes siblings would oppose each other this way.”
“He’ll believe it.” It was the one aspect of their plan that Tess did not doubt. “Van Arsdale thinks everyone is motivated by money. If anything, he’ll realize that Miss Prince and Tristan no longer need to divide their payments.”
Eveline Prince eyed her brother and then smiled softly at Tess. “I am hoping the two of you succeed and we can all take part. I truly am.”
“So are we,” Dominic told her and then bent to press a kiss to Tess’s forehead.
She felt it to her toes. And though they’d all just agreed to divide, she felt they’d gained allies.
Next, they had to inform Lord Fenbridge of their plan.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“You two look as if you’re full of the joys of spring,” Fenbridge said as he stood behind his mammoth desk and eyed them through a pince-nez.
Dom stood next to Tess, their arms warming each other’s, hands clasped, as they allowed for the old man’s inspection.
The gold-framed lens dipped down as he examined the ring glinting on Tess’s finger. She stepped forward and proudly lifted it for his perusal.
The old nobleman whistled. “Quite a gem that is. Convinced her quickly, Prince, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t require a great deal of convincing, my lord,” Tess told him pertly.
He lowered the handheld lens and squinted one eye at her. “Just courage, eh? Which I knew you had in abundance.”
Dom couldn’t help a swell of pride. “She is a lady of courage, and I’m the luckiest man in England.” He stepped forward because, whether the grumpy nobleman knew it or not, he’d given them the perfect segue.
“What of your courage, Lord Fenbridge?”
The nobleman visibly bristled, then pulled at his cuffs. “What are you on about, Prince?” He locked gazes with Dom and then Tess, his face pinched in a scowl as if that might cause them to cower.
Dom wondered if he’d tried it on the Van Arsdales.
“If this is regarding the Americans and how they—”
“Took over Fenbridge Hall as if it was their own?” Tess asked sharply.
“I took the path of least resistance to save my staff and myself. Do you know that half the staff and all the food for those days was ordered in by them from Norwich or London?”
