“Where was the lever that moved your bookshelf?”
She clearly didn’t want to tell him.
“Tell me, Tilly.”
“It was under the lowest shelf.”
“Do not shut this door or I shall be exceedingly annoyed.”
“But as that’s something I aspire to daily, surely you can see the lure,” she snapped back.
Refusing to smile at those words, Ambrose dropped into a crouch and ran his fingers under the lowest shelf. He feltthe lever and released it. The shelf opened, and he had a full view of her.
He’d long since given up wondering what it was about this woman that constantly vexed and lured him closer. She was beautiful, but then so were many.
“You have a cobweb in your hair.” He stepped closer to inspect it.
“Argh!”
Before his eyes, she turned into a crazed woman, attacking her hair and jumping.
“Tilly, calm down. It is merely a cobweb,” he said, grabbing her wrists and lowering them to her sides.
“Do not touch me!”
“If you have no wish for someone to find you here, then I suggest you lower your voice,” Ambrose hissed.
She stilled. “Remove it at once… please.”
He did so, peeling the long thread off her hair. “All gone.”
She shuddered again. “I loathe cobwebs.”
“Why?”
“Why do you wish to know?”
“If someone loathes something, there is usually a reason,” Ambrose said.
“It matters not. Now I have things to do. Good day,” she said dismissively.
Ambrose had a feeling there was a great deal more to her fear of cobwebs, but now was not the time to pursue this conversation.
“What did you find in the passage?” Ambrose pressed, his interest piqued.
“Steps that lead down, which I will now go back and inspect.”
“Right, then, lead on, and we shall explore together.”
“Absolutely not. I’m not exploring with you,” she saidthrough her teeth. “My reputation would also be in shreds were we to be found together.”
“Who would find us?”
He knew she was trying to come up with something to stop him going with her, but she was failing.
“You are not exploring alone. What if there is danger down there?”
“How could there possibly be danger?” Her eyes were now shooting sparks at him.
