“Youmake your interest obvious.”
Keeping her gazetrained on Stephen, she greeted the Earl of Ashburton. “Do I, mylord?”
Leaning casuallyon the plinth’s edge, he grinned. “I believe you are drivingFarlisle spare with your pursuit. It is a glory tobehold.”
“Isthere a point to this, Lord Ashburton?”
“Notreally. Just wanted to let you know I approve.”
She risked asidelong gland at him. “Oh, good, just what I was longing for. Yourapproval. Truly, I feel completely validated.”
His grinbrightened. “Perfect. You are absolutely perfect forhim.”
Her cheeksburned. “He doesn’t seem to believe I am.”
“He’s just being Farlisle. Continue with your pursuit, LadySeraphina. He’s a prickly one, is Farlisle, and he likes to pretendhe doesn’t care.”
“Buthe does,” she said firmly.
Lord Ashburtonnodded. “But he does.”
“Tell me, do you know how he disappears from each room? Inever see him enter or exit.”
The earl crossedhis arms over his chest. “I suspect it’s the secretpassages.”
Surprise drewher to glance at him. “Secret passages?”
“TheHall is riddled with them. Always used to brag about how he and hisbrothers would run about in them.” He shifted uncomfortably. “Youknow, before...”
“Before his brother disappeared,” she said when he didn’tcontinue. “How is he? Has he spoken to you of Lord Maxim’sreturn?”
“Idon’t know. Farlisle won’t talk about it. Won’t talk about much ofanything.” He looked at her. “He might talk to you.”
“He’s doing his level best not to,” she saidtartly.
That grinreappeared. “I have faith in you, Lady Seraphina.”
Across the room,Stephen glanced about him and then ducked behind the drapes besidehim. She frowned. “I believe he’s about to employ the use of one ofthese secret passages now.”
Lord Ashburtonsaluted her. “Good luck.”
A quick smileher response, she made her way across the room. None seemedinclined to impede her, talking amongst themselves and disregardingher presence. Reaching where Stephen had stood, she looked abouther to make sure none glanced her way and then ducked behind thedrapes.
It was notobvious, where the entrance to the secret passage was. Whoever haddesigned it had been clever about it, concealing the join almostimperceptibly. However, once one knew it was there, the faintest oflines between one panel and the next fairly screamed secretpassage. It took her a little longer to discover the trigger, butsoon the panel opened smoothly to reveal a darkened passage. Takinga breath, she stepped inside.
The panel closedbehind her, but the path before her was dimly lit by cracks in thewalls. Cautiously, she moved forward, holding her skirts off thefloor as she picked her way through the passage. Stairs appearedbefore her and she climbed them, the murmurs of those she’d leftbehind becoming more distant with each step.
She wasn’t surehow long she’d climbed before the stairs levelled out to a shortcorridor leading to a wall with a large circular handle displayedprominently. This must be the end of the passage. Taking hold ofthe handle, she twisted it. The wall slid open, displaying a roomlit by moonlight. Cautiously, she entered as silently as she could,unsure what she would find.
Three small bedsflanked the walls at opposites to each other, wooden chests at theend of each. A rocking horse stood off the side, a bookshelf filledwith what could only be children’s tales occupied one wall, and atall basket filled with cricket bats, croquet mallets, andfootballs. Two large windows punctuated the wall to her right and,standing in front of the one farthest from her, wasStephen.
The curtainsopened, he stared out into the night, the light of the moon playingover his severe features. He looked troubled, and tired, and dear.So dear.
Softly, shesaid, “Stephen.”
He tensed.Waiting was an agony before he finally turned, his expressionneutral.
“Sera,” he said.
