Page 121 of Possession

He stood behind me until the tide roared up the beach and drifted over the eroded rocks at the edge of our property. When I finally couldn’t take the cold a moment longer, I led him inside and brought him to my grandmother’s room.

The four-poster bed was the only thing I hadn’t been able to remove from the house. It was simply too big. I gathered up a few quilts and he held me through the night.

When the early gray of morning swept in over the water, he finally stirred. “I need to go into the office.”

“Now you have the iPad for Jack.”

“I do. And I’ll make sure he gets it right away.”

I nodded. “Good.”

“Are you coming in?”

“I need a little time.”

“I don’t like leaving you alone.”

“I know. I see you’ve got the security all set up. And if I know you—and I do—you’ve got it rigged up with cameras.”

He sighed. “Yes, but I still don’t like leaving you anywhere.”

“Then you know I’ll be safe. I saw the Chapel boxes in the entryway. There’s not a corner you left to chance, I’m sure.”

“I still don’t like it.”

“I’ll come in before lunch, I promise.”

“If you don’t, I’ll be at the door to drag you in.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

He leaned in and kissed me softly. “I called a car for me, so you can take the Rover in.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

I dozed as I heard him moving around. I hadn’t slept much through the night and when I was conscious again, it was closer to ten in the morning.

I looked around the room. Most of the furniture had been removed and the paintings that had been here forever had left rings on the walls. I slipped out of the nest of quilts I’d created and went over to the large built-in that surrounded my grandmother’s picture window.

I traced the little mermaid that I’d carved for her during my woodworking phase in college. I never strayed far from the glass and lead that I loved, but I did have to learn other mediums. I slid my thumb along the scales of her tail and felt a click.

I frowned.

It had never done that before.

I pressed harder and a spring popped. More secrets. I shook my head and opened the little door. There was another hinge hidden inside. I flipped that open and found a sheaf of papers and something wrapped in oil cloth.

I opened the papers, but they were filled with legal jargon and lost my interest immediately. There was a smaller envelope, but the golden edge of the object in the oil cloth captured my attention.

I flipped it back and gasped.

Recognition was instantaneous. There was no way that I couldn’t recognize it. I stared at it a few times a week when I walked the wharf during my lunches.

Theclock.

Blake’s clock. The cornerstone of his empire was in my grandmother’s home.

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