He nodded then, still stunned by what they had just discovered. “If it is the box that I am thinking of, then it was custom-made by a craftsman in Germany—a gift from my grandmother to her sister, the Duchess of Marveille.”
Mary stared back at him. “Are you telling me that a French duchess... your great aunt... was working with your grandfather and the third Earl of Duncaster in an effort to save as many members of the French aristocracy as possible from The Electors?”
“I know how absurd it must sound, but—”
“On the contrary, it makes perfect sense that they would have needed someone in France to help coordinate their rescue efforts.” She pointed to a spot on the paper. “It says here that she was readying a final cargo of twenty and that the box would be included. Forgive me, but I still do not understand the importance of the box.”
“My grandmother used to refer to it as the only surviving part of her family. Everyone else was killed by the guillotine, including her sister.” Taking the letter from Mary, he tucked it into his jacket pocket. “According to my grandmother’s diary, my grandfather received a letter from Lord Duncaster, informing him that the box had arrived at Thorncliff. He set out immediately in order to retrieve it, but never returned. Instead, he and Lord Duncaster chose to travel to France without notice, perishing, as you know.”
“So, the box—”
“Contains my grandmother’s family heirlooms—an estimated worth of over five hundred thousand pounds.”
The shock on Mary’s face was evident. Her mouth literally dropped open. A small pause followed, and then, “It must be here somewhere.”
“What?”
“If it was sent to England, as this letter claims, and your grandfather was called upon to pick it up, then it must still be here at Thorncliff or perhaps even in this very villa. At any rate, we should try to find it.”
Richard couldn’t help but agree. It would have been illogical for his grandfather to take the box back out to sea with him, so it seemed unlikely for it to be at the bottom of the Channel. It was far more plausible that something unexpected had forced his grandfather and Lord Duncaster to flee England. Especially in light of what he now knew about them and their involvement with The Electors. “You are right. They probably knew that they did not have time to arrange for the box to be returned to my grandmother and hid it somewhere instead.”
“Let us search the remaining room,” Mary said, already heading for the door. But upon entering the room opposite, they found it to be no different than the one they’d just exited. “There is nothing here of significance. Just the necessary furniture and some clothes.”
Agreeing that their search had come to an abrupt end and feeling somewhat discouraged in the wake of the excitement that he’d felt only moments earlier, Richard turned toward the stairs. “Shall we see where these lead?”
“We would be fools not to,” Mary said, offering him an encouraging smile that immediately lifted his spirits.
Hand in hand, they started up the stone steps, following the staircase as it turned to the left, carrying them away from the brightly lit hallway and up into darkness. Richard’s lantern cast a hazy glow around them as they walked. Occasionally swinging from side to side, it made the shadows dance across the walls.
Unexpectedly, it appeared as though their ascent had been stopped by a wall blocking the way in front of them. But when Richard investigated more closely, he found a narrow gap in the wall to the right—just wide enough for a person to squeeze through. This led them into a tiny vestibule that opened up to the left behind a large pillar that effectively hid the entrance to the staircase completely.
“Where are we?” Mary asked.
“The tunnels and storage rooms beneath Thorncliff,” he said as he went to an arched doorway. The room in which they were standing was cold, the floor beneath their feet uneven. Mary followed closely behind. “I have been here before,” he told her, happy to be able to share the experience with her for a change. “The tunnels allowed me to leave Thorncliff unnoticed so I could at least enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun upon my face.”
“I never would have imagined such a network existing beneath the ground,” she said as they entered the tunnel that lay beyond the room they’d just been in and turned right.
“It was meant to supply soldiers with food and shelter, as well as easy access to the sea during times of war.”
“Considering how cold it is right now during the summer, it must have been terrible having to live down here during the winter—for any duration of time.”
“I am sure there must be some sort of ventilation system so they could build fires for warmth. It hardly makes sense otherwise.” The pungent aroma of apples drifted toward them. “We are getting closer. The food storage is just up ahead. Next to that there is a staircase that you can use. It will take you up into Thorncliff’s interior courtyard.”
“You are not coming with me?” She sounded surprised, perhaps even a bit disappointed.
“I will use a more private route.” Reaching the door to the staircase, he placed his hand against her elbow and turned her toward him. “This past week in your company has been incredible, Mary. I know you have your reservations about committing yourself to anyone—that you would like to retain your independence—but I would like you to know that if you were to accept the offer that I plan on making you, I will never try to prevent you from singing. Of course, doing so publically, disguised as someone else, might not be possible...” Seeing the sadness in her eyes, he added, “But if there is any chance of you continuing to perform as yourself, I will help you do so. More than that, I can assure you that I will proudly applaud you for it.”
“You are...” Her voice trembled, and Richard knew that she was overcome by emotion. “Thank you,” she managed, “but there is something else.”
“What is it?” Whatever it was, Richard couldn’t imagine it being more of an obstacle than her penchant for opera or his reluctance to be seen in public. But, with their acceptance of each other and the news he’d received last night, informing him that he’d finally managed to ruin his rival, Richard was ready to put the past behind him and start a new life with Mary at his side. If she would have him.
“I was not completely honest with you when I told you about my singing,” she began. “In fact, there was a very deliberate purpose behind my performances. I did not do it for fame, for any kind of acknowledgment or even for the music alone.”
He studied her closely. “Then what was your reason?”
Inhaling deeply, she confided the truth. “For the past two years I have been using my wages from the theatre to help my brother.” Richard arched a brow. “He spent his own fortune on running his estate, so when he began speaking to me about making investments, I immediately offered to do what I could, hoping that he would secure an income. Unfortunately, he made some poor decisions, and as a result, the money I gave him is all gone. I know he must take responsibility and that I should not help him any further, but I fear what might happen to him without my support.”
“You must not fret,” he told her calmly, relieved that it wasn’t anything more serious than her desire to help her family that now stood between them. “I may be a second son with no title to my name, but my investments have been extremely profitable. It goes without saying that my offer will include support of your family, albeit within reason. If your brother needs help of any kind, I will be happy to oblige.”
