His Wicked Embrace (35 page)

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Authors: Adrienne Basso

BOOK: His Wicked Embrace
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Epilogue
“I have been reading Lady Anne's diary again, Mama.”
Isabella glanced up from her embroidery, slightly startled at hearing herself called
Mama.
Although Ian had been addressing her by that name for nearly a year, Catherine had only recently begun using it. Isabella was touched and honored to have finally earned such an important place in Catherine's life. It made her feel even more joy at the coming birth of her own child, knowing this newborn babe would be a welcome addition to an already loving family.
“Have you made a new discovery while reading the diary, Catherine? I hope you will share your latest theory about the treasure with me.”
Catherine sat up tall in her chair, the pink ribbons on her new gown shaking with enthusiasm. She had changed in the two years since Isabella and Damien's marriage. She was no longer an intensely self-contained child existing in a narrow world. There were visits to neighboring estates and interaction with other children. Catherine had formed a special friendship with Lord Simmons's daughter, Elizabeth, and the two girls spent a great deal of time in each other's company.
Isabella was delighted that Catherine had become more frivolous and inclined toward mischief, although the family's governess, Miss Ballinger, found Catherine's high spirits trying at times.
“After much thought, I agree with Father's theory that the poem, which is the final journal entry, contains the secret of the treasure,” Catherine informed Isabella.
“Oh Gloriana of titan hair, thy savior I shall be; for through the rose of the noon day sun, thy enemies shall flee.
The poem tells us we must search for the treasure at noon. But I believe the time of year we search is also important. Miss Ballinger has recently taught us about the sun, and she says it is higher or lower in the sky according to the season of the year.”
“That is correct.” Isabella pursed her lips and considered Catherine's theory. The treasure story had once again become a focal point of interest for the children, and both Damien and Isabella agreed it was a harmless diversion. “The time of year could be the essential factor that has been missing in prior searches. Have you figured out what time of year we need to search?”
“Oh, yes.” Catherine jumped up from her chair with girlish enthusiasm. “According to the journal, Lady Anne fell ill on the second of July and the family bible says she died on July fifteenth. She must have hidden the treasure soon after she became ill.”
“That is very sound reasoning,” Isabella said, impressed with Catherine's logic.
“I found another passage in the journal where Lady Anne writes that her favorite room in the house 'glowed with rosy warmth.' Elizabeth and I have talked about this, and we agreed that if we were going to hide something very important, we would put it in our favorite room. I think that is what Lady Anne did.”
Isabella experienced a moment of concern. The room Catherine was referring to was well known, for in that very chamber they had become trapped inside the hidden passageway. And later discovered Emmeline's remains.
“It has been a long time since we entered the bedchamber with the 'rosy glow,' ” Isabella said gently. “Would it not trouble you to explore it again?”
“No. I will not feel troubled. I want very much to find the treasure,” Catherine insisted.
“Then we shall search for it.” Isabella stood up and placed her sewing on the chair. “Today is the sixth of July. That falls within the appropriate week. What time is it?”
“Half past eleven,” Catherine whispered, her eyes round with excitement.
“Come along, Lady Catherine, we have some treasure hunting to do.” Isabella held out her hand, and Catherine took it eagerly.
The renovation of the east wing had begun in early spring, and the workers had achieved marvelous results in a short span of time. All the rooms had been thoroughly cleaned, broken panes of glass repaired, chimneys swept, and fireplaces re-stoned.
As Isabella walked the hallway with Catherine by her side, none of the memories of her previous trips to this part of the castle gripped her thoughts. It was as though she had never walked these floors, so complete were the changes and improvements.
There were other happy changes at The Grange, too. Maggie was expecting her second child soon, and the three other maids had successfully given birth, Fran to a boy and Penny and Molly each to a daughter. Mrs. Amberly had retired to a cozy cottage on the estate, and Catherine and Ian visited her faithfully every week.
Damien had mentioned to Isabella only last week that Mrs. Amberly had been hinting rather broadly about returning temporarily to The Grange when their child was born. Isabella amazed herself by seriously considering the idea, for despite her past rocky relationship with Mrs. Amberly, she knew in her heart that she would never find a more loyal, devoted nursemaid for her baby.
Isabella and Catherine entered the rose room just as the clock in the great hall struck noon. The bedchamber was bathed in a rosy glow, but when the final gong struck, the glow faded, and a single shaft of rose sunlight fell across the floor.
“Mama, look!” Catherine shouted in awe.
“It's amazing,” Isabella agreed. The tip of the sunbeam fell nearly in the center of the empty room, directly on a square of parquet flooring. It looked like a giant, rose-colored arrow.
“
Through the rose of the noon day sun,
” Isabella whispered.
“ 'Tis just as Lady Anne's poem says, Catherine.”
The little girl clapped her hands together with delight. “The treasure must be hidden under the floor.”
Shaking her head in agreement, Isabella knelt down to examine the floor. The inlaid wood was in good condition and had not been replaced during the renovation, but it had been cleaned, scraped, waxed, and buffed to a high shine.
Isabella ran her hand cautiously over the smooth, polished surface and through the sunbeam. The section of wood was flush to the floor, no different from any other panel.
Balling her hand into a fist, Isabella rapped her knuckles sharply on the floor. A deep, solid sound echoed through the room.
Catherine sat beside Isabella. Imitating Isabella's actions Catherine tapped the surrounding floorboards, then hit the floor again directly in the beam of light. There was a hollow, thumping noise, distinctly different from the others.
Catherine's head shot up in triumph. “We found it!”
“We have found something,” Isabella corrected, trying to keep the excitement from her voice. “If we lift the flooring, we might find only an empty space.”
“But we must look,” Catherine insisted.
“Of course we shall look,” Isabella agreed with a grin. “If we do not pry this floor open, we will never be able to sleep tonight. Quick, run and find your father and Ian. They should be out in the stables. The new horses from Tattersall's were expected this morning.”
Catherine left with an undignified flurry of skirts. Isabella sat back on her heels and glanced about the room. The sun had shifted again as the minutes passed. The rosy glow created by the many panes of colored glass set in the windows now replaced the solitary beam.
In the space of a few short minutes, the single shaft of light was no longer pointing the way. Isabella sat directly in front of the floor panel, vowing not to move an inch lest she forget which panel the sunbeam had marked.
As she waited, Isabella's eyes wandered involuntarily to the wall on the far side of the room that once hid the secret passageway. It no longer existed. Damien had ordered the entrance bricked closed and the latch removed from the wall.
The children had asked questions about their mother's death and were told she had died accidentally, as was the truth. By coming here today, Catherine had amply demonstrated that she suffered no lingering effects from her previous ordeal of being trapped inside the cold, dark passageway.
Isabella had received a brief letter from Thomas, who had resigned himself to a quiet life in America. She thought occasionally of her half sister and half brother, but did not dwell on the past. There were too many important things happening in the future. Isabella's hand rested comfortably on the slight swell of her stomach. If all went well, there would be a new baby to love by Christmas.
“What have my two favorite girls discovered?” Damien asked a few minutes later as he breezed into the room with Catherine and Ian hard on his heels.
“It is the most miraculous thing, Father,” Catherine said enthusiastically. “There is a beam of light that points to the floor. That is where Lady Anne hid the treasure!”
Isabella saw the confusion and disappointment mar Catherine's face. “What happened to the beam, Mama? It has disap-peared!”
“It is past noon, Catherine,” Isabella said. “The beam only appeared briefly, but I have sat directly on the spot so we would know where it was.”
“How clever,” Catherine said with approval. “Hurry, Father. We must break through the floor.”
Isabella noticed that Damien carried an ax, hammer, and chisel in his hands. His gray eyes sparkled with good humor. He was dressed in the comfortable attire of a country gentleman in buff breeches, a rust riding coat, and a white cravat neatly yet unostentatiously arranged.
He was still the most tantalizingly attractive man Isabella had ever known. Her heart skipped a beat when he cast her a loving gaze that sent a riot of warm feeling coursing through her veins.
“Are you sure about this, Catherine?” Damien asked. “I should hate to ruin this beautiful floor for no good reason.”
“Father!” Catherine screeched. “You must break the floor to find the treasure!”
“Stop teasing her, Damien,” Isabella said. She shifted her position and pointed to the wooden floor. “Start here.”
“Stand back, all of you,” Damien commanded, helping Isabella rise to her feet. They all obligingly stepped away. The earl took careful aim and swung the ax in a high arc over his head. It hit the panel dead center. The wood split and cracked.
“It's hollow underneath,” Damien said with some surprise. He knelt on the floor. Using the hammer and chisel, he removed the square completely.
Everyone crowded around the small opening and peered inside.
“I don't see anything,” Ian said.
“Neither do I,” Isabella chimed in. “Put your hand inside and feel around, Damien.”
The earl grimaced at his wife, but did as she requested.
“Can you feel the treasure, Father?” Catherine hopped from one foot to the other, looking as if she would burst from the suspense.
“I can feel lots of dust and spider webs on my hands,” Damien reported.
“Spider webs! May I try?” Ian asked, inching closer to the earl hopefully.
“Your arms aren't long enough, son,” Damien replied. He spread himself flat against the floor and stretched his arm inside the hole.
“Anything?” Isabella asked.
“More dust, I think. No, wait—there is something solid. It is probably a cross beam.” Sweat lined the earl's brow as he pushed and strained his body to reach farther inside the hole. “It moved.”
Catherine's small scream of excitement ricocheted through the room.
“Don't tease us, Damien,” Isabella said, striving to contain her emotions. “Have you truly found something?”
“Yes, I have,” Damien said. “It appears to be a wooden box, and it is too heavy to lift with one arm.” The earl picked himself off the floor and brushed the dust from his jacket. “Run and fetch a rope, Ian. I will try to tie the cord around the box and pull it up.”
Ian returned with the rope in record time. It took the earl a while, but eventually he fashioned a noose and successfully looped it around the mysterious wooden box.
Isabella could barely breathe as she watched Damien slowly drag the box from beneath the floor. It was not overly large, but Damien's grunts and groans indicated that it was very heavy.
The earl placed his find in the middle of the room. Everyone stood in silent awe for several moments and stared at it.
“There is a big lock on the front,” Ian said. “We don't have a key. How will we open it?”
Damien stepped forward and whacked at the lock with his hammer. It came apart on the fourth hit.
. “Since you made the discovery, Catherine, 'tis only fitting that you do the honors,” Damien decided.
Wide-eyed Catherine lifted the lid, and when Isabella saw the child's lower jaw drop, she knew they had discovered Lady Anne's treasure.
“It is so shiny,” Catherine whispered, putting her hand inside and coming up with a fistful of gold coins.
Ian immediately plunged his hand inside. “It feels cold,” he giggled, waving an emerald necklace. “Does this mean we are very rich?”

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