Chapter One
Nicole Bastian jiggled the doorknob to the study and, at the same time, strained to listen to what was happening down the hall. It was early in the evening, and the bulk of the guests for the masked ball had yet to arrive at Lord Reynolds’ estate in Great Meols. While the family greeted guests and the staff readied last-minute details, Nicole took the perfect opportunity to search for the very object she came to the ball to find.
The walk up the stairs went smoothly, and even down the corridor. She stopped in front of the door she had been told was his study, and glanced around to make certain she was still undetected. Thankfully, not even servants lingered up this way.
She grasped the doorknob and turned, but it didn’t budge. Grumbling under her breath, she wished Lord Reynolds hadn’t locked it. That only told her the lord was hiding something, and she suspected, it was the item she was after.
Nicole’s father, Conrad Bastian, worked for the Metropolitan Police as a detective, but for years, he had allowed his only daughter and two sons to help with cases. She couldn’t tell anyone about what she did, only because women were not taken seriously as detectives, which was one of the reasons she put herself in different situations. Thankfully, her family didn’t know half of what she had done, and she hoped it stayed that way.
She reached into her styled hair for the extra pins meticulously placed in her mass of waves just for this very occasion. When she pulled one out, her knuckles bumped against her mask, making it tilt on her face. Quickly, she adjusted the black silk cover over her eyes and then pulled free the second hairpin. She artfully stuck the pins into the lock and maneuvered them slowly. Her oldest brother, Gordon, had taught her this trick at a very young age, and she had quickly mastered the skill.
The latch finally popped, and Nicole opened the door. She took one last peek down the corridor. More light spilled into the corridor from the stairs, but the lamps were dimmed on this side of the manor. Only shadows and sounds played with her now. She stepped into the room and eased the door shut, letting her ears take over where her vision failed in the darkened room.
Standing by the door, she pushed her mask on top of her head and waited until her eyes adjusted. The only window hung like a picture on the far wall, and nearly as lovely. The lanterns from outside the manor peeked through the slits of the thin, gray drapes, showing her the way.
Slowly, she slid her feet across the carpet, feeling for any obstacle that might block her way and alert someone to her presence. A clock ticked noisily in the room, and her fast-beating heart was nearly as loud.
The window grew closer until she could touch the drapes and part them, bringing in more light. She swung her head, scanning the room carefully. She was only after one item. A journal. Unfortunately, as the shadows in the room changed into actual shapes, she noticed Lord Reynolds’ study was filled with a vast collection of books.
She grumbled under her breath. Locating the journal amongst his personal library could take all night. She only had a few minutes to locate the item and get out. Gordon waited outside at the carriage for her to pass him the journal so he could take it straight to their father.
The heat inside the room was insufferable. Carefully, she pushed open the window and peeked outside. She flattened herself next to the wall, hiding in the shadows. Satisfied she wouldn’t be seen, she leaned her face out into the cool night air and inhaled deeply. A rose scent infused the air from the bushes just under the window.
Laughter from the side of the yard erupted, and she quickly pulled back against the wall again. She sneaked peeks into the courtyard below, searching for the people who had made the noise. A boisterous couple walking through the gardens gradually made their way to the front of the house. Nicole released a relieved sigh and turned back to the room.
Lord Reynolds’ large oak desk sat near the hearth, and one sofa leaned against the wall. The rest of the room was occupied by shelves upon shelves of books. She sighed. Indeed this would take her more time than she liked, but she was determined to find it.
After aggressively searching for a few minutes, she stopped and blew out a frustrated breath. There had to be an easier way. Think Nicole. You can do this.
Closing her eyes, she cleared her mind. If she were trying to keep something hidden, where would she place it for safekeeping? Once more, she scanned the room, slower this time.
The most logical choice would be inside the desk, which some people might think, but because that location was too obvious, she knew it would not be there. Now she needed to decide where the least obvious hiding spot was in the study.
Nicole took careful steps to the far wall. A filled decanter of liquid and two glasses sat on the small table. She took a deep sniff. It was brandy. Some of the rumors she had heard about Lord Reynolds was that he was quite accustomed to drinking brandy. Would he keep his important papers nearby his favorite drink?
She crouched and searched the area, on the floor, and behind the table. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted something odd. As she studied the wooden chair near the desk, there was an item stuck under the seat.
She inspected the furniture more thoroughly, reaching beneath the seat and running her hand across the wood. Immediately, her fingers connected with a book. In haste, she turned over the chair. A journal—exactly like her father had described—had been purposely fastened to the bottom with thin ropes. Grinning, she maneuvered the booklet out of the bindings and rose to her feet. She carefully set the chair upright before hurrying to the window, hoping the light would be able to see the object better.
Nicole held up the journal and opened it. After flipping through a few pages, she saw the important ledger, which was the proof she needed. Several opium dens throughout England were listed on the pages, as were the purchases for each sale. In her hands lay the very evidence that would have Lord Reynolds arrested.
At long last, relief was only days away. She and her brother had been working hard on this case and traveled all over the country trying to track down the journal, but it always seemed to pass from one hand to another and they were constantly a day late from catching up to it.
Everyone involved tried to keep the journal a secret. She and her brother had followed their leads, which brought them to Great Meols. Nicole figured Lord Reynolds keep this book in the study where only he resided in the evening so as not to make his wife suspicious. Nicole was relieved that her instincts were correct, again.
She ran her thumbs over the old, brown edges of the journal. Now it was in her protective hands. Men would kill for this evidence. Already people had died trying to find it, so she must keep it out of sight.
Footsteps in the corridor clipped on the wooden floor at a hurried pace. Gasping, she swung toward the door, knowing that she had to hide quickly. A wardrobe was nearby. She rushed to it, opened the doors, and tried to fit inside. As she squeezed in, shelves and hooks jabbed at her head and back. Squishing herself any closer was impossible, but she must. As she pulled the door mostly shut, Lord Reynolds strolled into his study.
Thankfully, she was able to spy on him through the open slit. He took two steps inside the study and stopped. He swung his attention toward the window and narrowed his eyes. Silently, she scolded herself for not remembering about that.
The man grumbled aloud and marched to the window. She tilted her head to follow his actions, but a hook caught in her hair and yanked it. Gritting her teeth, she slowly raised her hand to tug on the strand, and eventually freed it.
Before the lord closed the windowpanes, he paused and stared at something down below. “You, down there,” he barked. “What are you doing?”
Nicole’s heart sank. Had someone been outside the window this whole time? Had they seen her? She prayed not since the room had been too dark.
“Are you lost, man?” the lord demanded loudly.
