But while he was away, she would make herself useful.
She whipped off the covers and scampered out of bed. Not caring that she wore a nightdress, she hurried to the large oak dresser in the corner of the room. Resting her hands on the handle, she took a moment to listen for any noises outside the door. Luckily, the hallway remained quiet.
Careful not to make much noise, she slid open the first drawer. Piles of Nash’s underclothes took up most of the space. Her heartbeat thudded rapidly as she realized she would have to touch his most personal garments to move them aside during her search.
The first drawer didn’t hold any hidden secrets, so she moved to the second, then the third. The fourth drawer wouldn’t budge, as if something was caught inside. She resisted tugging harder for fear of making too much noise.
Quickly, before Nash decided to return, she hurried to the nearest closet. His clothes hung neatly inside, and his strong, manly scent melted her insides. Why did he have to smell so wonderful?
She knelt and searched through the closet, but the blasted thing was too clean. He definitely didn’t have anything hidden here.
Letting out a frustrated breath, she moved to the trunk sitting near the window. A lock hung open on the latch. Excitement grew in her chest as she opened the lid and peered inside.
Knickknacks and drawings littered the bottom. There wasn’t enough time to study every item, but she skimmed through a few. Most of the sketches were of a little boy and a woman. Probably Nash and his mother. So far, none were of an older man, Nash’s father.
Although the absence of his father in the drawings didn’t prove anything, it made her wonder what had really happened to make Nash and his father part ways. What had Nash truly done to make himself an outcast?
The trinkets mixed with the sketches were not expensive, and the family’s ruby ring, really what she’d hoped to find, was not amongst the items in the trunk. She sat back on her heels and glanced around the room. Where else could she search?
Voices and thudding footsteps in the hallway drew her attention. Her throat clutched with panic, and she hurried to the bed and jumped on the mattress before climbing beneath the covers and pulling them up to her chin.
She barely had time to breathe before the door opened and Nash walked in.
He met her gaze and smiled. “Good evening, Maxey. I trust you slept well?”
She shrugged. “As well as could be expected, I suppose.”
“Have you been awake long?”
“Not long at all.” It really wasn’t a lie, but a pang of guilt stabbed at her for not being entirely truthful with him. Even though she knew he still held secrets, that didn’t mean she should lie as well.
He glanced around the room before his focus rested on his trunk. When she realized she had left the lid open, she stiffened and subdued a groan.
He shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, Maxey.” He walked to his trunk. “I suppose I should not be surprised you searched my room. After all, my clueless sister-in-law tried to turn a governess into an investigator.”
Heat burned her face, and she wished she could control her embarrassment.
He closed the lid and turned to her. “Did you find anything of value? A stolen ruby ring with the Wentworth crest, perhaps?”
In defiance, she lifted her chin. “A good investigator never gives away her secrets or findings.”
“Ah, so I have heard.” He grinned as he moved to the bed and touched her cheek. “But, my sweet, your face cannot lie to me. Your blush tells me you did not find anything.” Giving her a wink, he pulled away. “Now, you must dress quickly. Adorn yourself in your best traveling gown, because we will leave within the hour.”
Fear grew inside her. “Leave? Already?”
“Indeed, it is time. I assume you want to help me discover the truth about who killed my brother, correct?”
Hesitantly, she nodded. What else could she do? She had already tried to reason why she should not go, and he ignored her plea.
“Splendid. Then don’t dally. We do not want to miss our ship.”
Fear slowly crept into her. Was she making the right choice? Could she sail alone with him, knowing how the attraction between them was so great that she felt helpless? And could she keep her emotions from becoming involved? She had to.
“Nash?”
“Yes?”
“I think you have overlooked one important matter.”
