Shewasnothing but a simple shopkeeper. That he thought her more both thrilled and saddened her. “Yes, indeed, quite simple.”
Tonight while he was out, no doubt losing more of his fortune in frivolous games, she would sneak into his house and take what was rightfully hers.
“And you just happened to learn about my map?”
“Purely by luck,” she lied.
He eyed her suspiciously, clearly not believing her poor attempt at deception.
“Pardon me, ma’am,” a woman said. “I have a question about these products.”
“I’ll be right with you,” Sabine said, then turned her attention back to Max. “I have customers to attend to. If you’ll excuse me.” Sabine stepped away and gave the woman her attention, but she remained oh-so-aware of Max’s presence. When she glanced back to where he’d been standing, he was gone. He’d vanished with a stealth she found unsettling.
The customer, who realized Sabine was no longer listening to her, cleared her throat loudly. “Is something wrong, miss?” the woman asked when Sabine turned back to her.
“No, it was nothing.” Sabine forced a smile.
Max was a distraction she could not afford. She could only hope that’s all he was, for she had the feeling he would be a most formidable foe.
Cassandra St. James climbed into her carriage with a smile on her face. She opened one jar and inhaled the rich herbal scent. There were definite hints of rosemary and jasmine, perhaps lavender, but she was unsure. With the end of one polish-tipped finger, she scooped a bit of the crème and smeared it across her cheek. The luxurious crème slid over her skin, absorbing immediately.
She had heard the gossip around town about the new beauty crème and had noticed a marked difference in several of her friends’ complexions. But this could be even better than she’d hoped. This could be what she’d been searching for—the fountain of youth, jarred, and on sale in the heart of London.
What other reason would Maxwell Barrett have for being in such a shop? He would never purchase such a personal gift for another man’s wife. No, his presence there could mean only one thing.
Atlantis: that mythical land that he had once told her had been the home to the fountain of youth. Somehow, that Tobias woman had made the ultimate discovery, and Cassandra would definitely uncover whatever beauty secret the woman hid.
She was an odd woman, dressing in a boring, ill-fitted gown of gray wool. Yet somehow, instead of making the woman appear drab and dull, the steel-colored dress had contrasted nicely with her darker complexion. Her dress, though, was not what interested Cassandra.
She had to find a way to get into that shop to see what ingredients that woman was hiding. If she had found the Atlantis secret to eternal beauty, Cassandra wanted it for herself.
Tonight she would send Johns and his men to see what they could find.
CHAPTER3
What was the lovely Sabine Tobias hiding?
She was a woman of mystery. Last night at the poker game, she’d been a temptress. Her dress had been daring with its plunging neckline. Yet today when he’d gone into her shop, she’d been dressed plainly, though her thick chestnut locks had been unbound, draped around her shoulders. Rather inappropriate for a young woman, though Max found it utterly appealing.
If she wouldn’t be forthcoming with him about why she wanted his map, he’d find out on his own. There were other ways to uncover such information. But for the time being, he had decided a little covert investigation of his own was the appropriate choice.
Which was why he was currently hiding in the darkened alleyway behind Miss Tobias’s shop. He withdrew a tool from his pocket and slid the sharp point into the keyhole of the shop’s back door. A few moments of maneuvering the piece, and he heard the lock give way. He pushed open the door, and it moved without a sound.
The room was dark and quiet and clearly served as a storeroom. He stood still for a moment, allowing his eyes to grow accustomed to the darkness. Fortunately, the two windows against the back wall allowed enough light to give adequate visibility.
It was a tidy space, sparsely furnished. A large shelf lined the far wall and various ingredients and empty jars crowded the surface. Herbs tied in bunches were hung to dry above the windows. Ahead of him was the curtained doorway to the front of the store, and on either side of that doorway were some cupboards. To his left was a stairwell. His preliminary research indicated it would lead up to the living quarters above, where Sabine and her aunts had resided for the past seven months. It was not an uncommon practice among merchants.
Max moved farther into the room. He wasn’t even certain what he searched for specifically. But Sabine Tobias must know something about Atlantis. Why else would she be so secretive about her desire for his map?
He knew there were other people, besides himself, who sought the lost land. Some searched for treasure, as it was said that Poseidon had built the entire central palace out of gold. Some searched for ancient texts with secrets to medical cures, because Atlanteans were rumored to have achieved advancements in all areas of science. Still others sought the fountain of youth or healing waters that were rumored to flow through the canals in Atlantis.
Max, though, wanted it all. He wanted to find the actual city. Just as Pompeii had been lost beneath mounds of ash, so he believed Atlantis survived beneath the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. He was not foolish enough to believe it would have remained unscathed. Water erosion certainly would have altered much of the rumored land. But something existed below the surface, and he intended to find it.
He couldn’t resist pursuing the possibility that there was a new clue, especially not when it came wrapped in the tantalizing package that was Miss Tobias.
He crept forward to better examine the items on the shelves. Along with dried herbs and oils, he found lanolin and glycerin and all other manner of ingredients. A basket of ribbons sat next to the empty jars.
What was the crème Cassandra had purchased? Some fashion of smoothing crème. And Sabine wanted his map. She, too, sought treasure, though of a different sort. She was after the fountain of youth; that had to be why she’d come in search of him.
