“Might I remind you that I will only reveal this cavern to you if you share your research with me,” she said.
He supposed there was no harm in having a discussion about the treasures. She’d already read through the notes and heard much of his conversation with Jensen. “It is part of Scotland’s heritage,” he said simply, answering the question that she’d asked a moment ago.
“I was under the impression it did not need to be located since King Edward I stole it from the Scots in 1296. Is it not sitting in Westminster Abbey, where it has been since then?” she asked. She held her hand out to him so he could assist her over several of the larger rocks. At least she was intelligent enough to wear boots and not try to maneuver out here in those flimsy soft-soled slippers that many women wore. Although her dress seemed like it might hinder her, she managed to maneuver quite well within her skirts. “Or rather had been in Westminster. Did your friend not inform you that it had been recently stolen?”
“Yes, someone absconded with it. And yes, most people believe it to be the true Stone of Destiny,” he said.
“But not you,” she said. “You think the real stone is still out there waiting to be found.”
“I do.” He paused before continuing. “Well, I believe that a counterfeit was made, and that is the one that was stolen—the one that was in Westminster,” Graeme said. “I’m merely trying to find the authentic stone.”
“You believe that the Scots knew the English were coming, and they hid the real stone, replacing it with a fake one before the theft?”
He tried to gauge her expression to see if she believed him to be utterly mad. But she was not hiding a smile or snickering at him; instead, her questions and tone all seemed to express genuine curiosity. “Something like that,” he said.
“And once you find it, what do you plan to do with it?”
Before Graeme could answer, they’d reached the mouth of the cave. “Be mindful of your steps. We do not want a repeat of this morning. Let’s not set off any other disturbances or explosions,” he said.
“Of course.” She nodded. “I should think the Stone of Destiny’s proper place would be in a museum, rather than Westminster,” Vanessa continued. “It is a biblical treasure, Jacob’s pillow, as it has been called. Do you believe it reveals prophetic dreams when you sleep upon it? I read about that once and thought it sounded interesting, although certainly it must be untrue.”
“I’ve never given that much thought.” Though he’d read about that theory as well, he’d only ever wanted it because it was a Scottish relic—their coronation stone—and he thought his kinsmen deserved to have it back.
“It would be nice if it were true,” Vanessa said, and a hint of wistfulness tinged her tone. “Did you know that some believe it was the cornerstone upon which the Tower of Babel was built?”
Graeme had to admit that she surprised him with her knowledge of the antiquity. Not many people ever gave the Stone of Destiny a single thought, let alone were aware of the number of random facts she’d been rattling off. And none of what she’d just said could be found in his notes. This was information she’d gathered from reading elsewhere. “You seem to know an awful lot about this particular relic.”
Vanessa shrugged, a pleasant smile on her lovely face. “I know about many different things. I very much enjoy reading, and history is one of my favorite subjects.”
“What else do you read?” he asked, finding himself genuinely interested.
“Science, of course, philosophy, and religion.”
“I came back around this way to find you yesterday,” Graeme said, leading the way down the tunnel. His lantern funneled light ahead of them.
“I suspect there are many ways to connect all these caverns,” she said.
“Indeed.” More than likely he could find the new cavern on his own. Yet he’d allowed her to convince him that he needed her assistance. Allowed her to blackmail him into accepting help. He still was unsure of his reasons, although he suspected it had more to do with the pleasure of her company than any research necessity, something he didn’t want to think about for any length of time.
Once again, they found themselves in the area with the crumbled wall where she’d originally been trapped. “We’ll have to tear more of this down to make room for all of you,” she said, letting her eyes roam the length of him.
She didn’t wait for him to take action. Instead, she immediately went about moving rocks out of the way, building a larger opening for his broad frame. Not to be outdone by a woman, Graeme helped, grabbing the larger stones, carefully pulling them down, and then setting them aside. Finally, their efforts paid off; they had created a big enough entrance.
“That should do it,” Vanessa said, exertion lining her voice, making it husky and as rich as it had been when they’d made love. Perspiration dampened her hair, and tight wispy curls now framed her face. Delicate brows arched over her eyes, and here in the darkness of the cave, her long black lashes highlighted the blue of her eyes. Her rosy-stained cheeks and labored breathing spiked his desire. Damned if he couldn’t take her right there on the cold stone floor.
She stepped through the entryway, then turned expectantly toward him. Her head tilted, and again her eyes traveled the length of his body. “I do believe you’ll fit, although you might have to turn your body and perhaps bend some.” She demonstrated the motion, bending her body to illustrate how it was done. “You really are rather large.”
He suppressed a laugh. He’d been climbing through these caves since he was a small boy, but he’d let her play the expert. He did as she’d shown him and followed her down the tunnel and into the chamber.
They walked in silence for a while, the sounds of their footfalls echoing in the cavern. Soon they came to an area in the passageway with a gap in the floor. “Vanessa?” he asked. “Are you certain this is the right path?”
She maneuvered herself around him. “Of course I am. See down there? That’s the boulder I was telling you about, the one attached to some manmade structure.”
“Precisely how did you manage to get across?” he asked. Before she answered, she shoved him out of the way, then ran and jumped across the gap. “Like that. It’s not that difficult.”
Graeme swore, then rubbed the back of his neck. This was going to be a trying marriage, full of surprises both pleasant and nerve-racking. He followed behind her. “You really must try to be more careful.”
“I was quite careful,” Vanessa said. “I have jumped it twice now without even a scratch.
