She laughed. "An expensive flower holder indeed."
Several clues later they found themselves standing in the main corridor studying a particularly difficult riddle.
Everend frowned thoughtfully. "Garden," he declared suddenly. "It must be the garden."
Seraphine immediately shook her head. "No."
He blinked. "No?"
She pointed at a specific line. "This reference is clearly to the house itself."
Everend looked unconvinced. "I still think it is the garden," he insisted.
Seraphine lifted her chin. "And I still think you are wrong."
Everend laughed. "You are remarkably stubborn."
She raised an eyebrow. "That accusation comes from a gentleman arguing with me."
He opened his mouth, paused, then sighed dramatically. "A fair observation." She smiled triumphantly.
For several minutes they continued debating the clue. Neither yielded an inch.
Eventually Everend threw up his hands in surrender. "Very well," he said with a grin. "We shall settle this scientifically."
Seraphine narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Scientifically?"
He nodded. "You search the house. I shall search the garden. Whoever finds the next clue is proven correct."
"An excellent arrangement," Seraphine replied immediately.
Everend laughed. "I knew you would agree." He offered her a quick bow before turning towards the nearest door, leading outside. "When I emerge victorious, I expect a gracious apology."
Seraphine watched him go. "Do not hold your breath, my lord."
His laughter echoed behind him as he disappeared.
Left alone, Seraphine glanced down at the riddle once more. The answer seemed perfectly obvious now. She knew she was correct. Everend could search every flowerbed in Amberhall and still find nothing. A spark of determination rose inside her.Clutching the clue sheet, she turned deeper into the house. If she was right, the next answer was waiting somewhere inside, and she intended to find it before anyone else.
She ventured deeper into the back of the house, where only the servants tread. She passed the larder and found a small door underneath the back staircase that the servants used to move throughout the house.
She opened the door. Seraphine stared at the beautiful Chinese vase in triumph, hardly able to believe she had found it. It sat upon an old wooden crate in the small storage room, surrounded by dusty linens, broken furniture, and forgotten household items.
A shaft of afternoon sunlight slipped through the tiny window above, illuminating the delicate blue-and-white porcelain like treasure from a fairy tale.
“Yes.” Her heart swelled with victory. After an hour of riddles and clues, she had been right.
Then a familiar deep voice sounded behind her.
“I knew you'd find it first, sweetheart,” Damien drawled as he leaned one shoulder against the doorway and folded his arms across his broad chest.
Seraphine jumped and spun around so quickly she nearly knocked the vase from its crate. Her hand flew to her chest as she glared at him.
“Good heavens!” she exclaimed, pressing her palm against her racing heart. “Are you determined to shorten my life, Your Grace?”
A slow smile tugged at his mouth as he straightened from the doorway.
“I would never deprive Society of its most proper young lady,” he replied smoothly, his eyes glinting with amusement.
