Page 71 of His Wicked Charm

“Hush.” Lilah chuckled. “Sir Jasper isn’t elderly.”

“He will be.”

“So will you.”

“Yes, but I’m not trying to manacle you to me for the rest of my life.”

There was no reason his remark should hurt. She wanted to be tied to Con no more than he did to her.

Con tucked her hand into his arm, and they strolled out of the maze. “Let’s say I’m wrong and there is no mysterious energy at work. I’ll set aside the fact that I dreamed about the place. There is still this indisputable fact—you walked in your sleep to that room. Another thing we agree on is that your grandfather’s Clock Room is unusual. Last, but not least, that room is precisely the sort of place where one might expect to find a hidden key.”

Lilah looked up at him and smiled. “Then I suggest we go through the tower so we won’t run into Sir Jasper.”

They cut across the grass and around the end of the house and entered the tower through a sturdy wooden door. The tower was empty save for stone steps against the wall, curving upward. They began to climb.

Con glanced around as they went past the next floor, also empty. “There’s no door. Isn’t this the level below the gallery?”

Lilah nodded. “The tower doesn’t open into the house anywhere except the top floor.” She waved off his question before he could ask. “I don’t know why.”

“I’d say your ancestor was trying to hide something.”

“Probably.”

“What do you think it was?” he asked cheerfully. “Mad relative? Secret trysts?”

“Maybe he just liked to read undisturbed.”

“Well, that would be disappointing.”

When they reached the Clock Room, Con took a long, slow look around, still amazed by how close it was to his dream. “Do you see anything different?”

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen it in ages. Even when I lived here, I was rarely in this room. It wasn’t forbidden like the maze, but the door was kept closed, and my governess didn’t like to be in this part of the house. She said it was because I might get lost, but I think that it was more that she found this wing eerie.”

* * *

THEY MOVED METHODICALLY around the room, checking the wall for a safe and examining the clocks for hidden compartments. It was a time-consuming process, and by the time they had to leave to dress for tea, they had made their way through only a third of it. They hadn’t even looked in the cabinets.

Lilah sighed, wiping the dust from her fingers. “This will take days. It’s going to be very difficult to search with Sir Jasper hanging about.”

“I’ve been thinking about him.”

“Jasper? Why?”

“Don’t you think it’s suspicious that your cousin showed up at your house right now?”

“Not really. It’s clear Aunt Helena sent him. She worried that I’ll fall prey to your lures.” She stopped abruptly, blushing. That was exactly what she had done.

A light flared briefly in Con’s eyes, but he said only, “Maybe not. Sir Jasper would make an ideal culprit for stealing Dearborn’s keys.”

“Sir Jasper?” Her voice rose in incredulity. “Why?”

“He’s male and he’s a Holcutt. He took over your father’s title.”

“You think he wants to join the Brotherhood.” Lilah considered his words. “I don’t know. It seems little to go on.”

“It would explain his determination to marry you.”

Lilah lifted her brows. “I’m glad you don’t feel the need to flatter me.”