Page 104 of To Treasure an Heiress
Her friend stood there with the complete collection of people who had been with them on Gugh, and another handcart besides, this one laden with a blanket-wrapped something.
How in the world ... ? Senara shot a questioning look at Ainsley, who had a look on his face that seemed an odd match to the uncharacteristic smudges of dirt—pride and satisfaction. He smiled at her, a slow-blooming smile that made her newly aware of the pearl in her pocket.
Mrs. Tremayne was chuckling. “Right on time, darlings. I have its hiding place ready for you. Have you opened it yet?”
Oliver stared at his grandmother for a moment but then shook himself, and his head too. “We didn’t want to take the time. We spotted sails behind us, and I wouldn’t put it past Nigel Scofield to tear through the whole island chain looking for the chest.”
“Luckily, Beth can sail the straits with her eyes closed.” Lord Sheridan picked up one corner of the blanket.
“And Mamm-wynn apparently has a hiding place ready for us.” Oliver took another corner. “Which would be?”
“The record cupboard, dear. Where else? We’ll have it hidden in minutes if you lads hurry.”
The lads hurried. Senara trailed them by a few steps as Tas and Mark disappeared with the now-empty carts. In short order, the wrapped bundle, blanket and all, was slid carefully into the space left for it, and the record books still on the desk were piled in front of it.
Beth grabbed Senara’s hand. “Come on. We’d better get back to the house before he shows up there. Think you can keep up?”
Senara laughed—and leaped into a run even before Beth did. She’d been chasing after little ones for the last decade, after all. She had no trouble flying through Old Grimsby. Though she would have liked to hear the story of how they ended up here with a mysterious chest in their church and an adversary on their heels.
“Through the back!” Beth darted to the back of their home even as she gave the advice, and Senara followed suit. They dashed through the door, shouted a quick greeting to Mam as they sped by the kitchen, and went straight to the front door.
A fist was pounding on it even now. Senara sucked in a long breath, willed her chest to quiet its heaving, and pulled Beth up short. “I’ll answer.” To prove it, she called out, “Just a moment,” and then stepped toward the door.
One more deep breath. A polite smile affixed to her lips like she’d always put on whenever Lady Clifford came to the nursery for oneof her obligatory visits with her children. And then she tugged open the door to an absolutely furious-looking young man who bore a marked resemblance to Lady Emily.
“Good day,” she said, voice flat. “May I help you?”
He looked right through her, both figuratively and as literally as he could manage, craning to see around her. “Where are they? Where is it?”
She’d only opened the door about a foot, enough to fill the space herself. “I beg your pardon, sir? If you mean the Tremaynes, they’re not at home.”
It was society code for “they don’t want to see you,” but the man spun on his heel and snarled out, “Then I’ll go and find them!”
The rest of the groupmightbe back at the house by now ... but they might also be on the road between here and there, which was a bit more likely. And since that was the last thing she wanted him to discover, she called out in her governess voice, “Sir.”
It worked on him just as it had always done on the Clifford girls. He paused, turned back to face her.
He would have been handsome, had he bothered to control the cruel glint in his eyes and the sneer curling his lip. Senara narrowed her gaze in the way she imagined his own governess had, back in the day. The look that said,“Don’t slouch, chin up, where are your manners?”
He straightened and schooled his features.
Which nearly made her give in to a victorious smile. But she had plenty of practice controlling such responses. “Kindly refrain from terrorizing our neighbors with that attitude of yours, as I can see you are set on doing. By ‘not at home,’ I obviously meanindisposed.” She made a show of checking over her shoulder. “They only just got back from a night out who-knows-where. My mother is feeding them, after which I imagine they will be retiring. But I am happy to take a card or even a message, and—”
“So theyarehere?” He surged toward the door.
She held it tightly, but she hadn’t expected him to come barrelingtoward her, and she stumbled back with a shout when he shoved her aside and pushed his way in.
Wasn’t this a lord? A gentleman? Why was he behaving like a ruffian in his cups? “Stop at once! What do you think you’re doing? Father!” She’d never in her life called himFather, but she wanted this rude man to know she was calling for a man—and hopefully imagine a huge one—and didn’t trust him to know whatTasmeant.
She needn’t have worried. When she regained her balance and turned, she found that Beth wasn’t the only one standing in the entryway. She was surrounded by a veritable host of glowering friends.
30
Beth was aware of the reassuring crowd of friends and family behind her. She saw Ainsley slide his way along the wall toward Senara. She felt Sheridan at one elbow and Oliver at the other and knew that this time, they wouldn’t leave injured from their encounter with Scofield. She didn’t care what level of mastery he’d achieved in karate, he couldn’t take all of them down in their own home. Especially not given the hunting rifle she heard being cocked. It would be in Mr. Dawe’s hands, no doubt, and he would be serious as a hurricane over Scofield’s rough handling of his daughter.
Beth folded her arms over her chest. “Really, Mr. Scofield, for an earl’s son, your manners are atrocious.”
He at least came to a halt upon spotting them. “You’ll not get away with this. The site is mine, the whole island. Whatever you discovered today will be handed over to the museum by the week’s end, so you might as well deliver it to me now.”
