Page 22 of Every Duke Has His Thorn
“My mother is distantly related to the poet or I probably wouldn’t have heard of his work,” Miss Davies replied, taking a seat on one of the leather arm chairs in front of his desk.
Preston scanned the pages of the book until he found the poem he was looking for. He read aloud:
An Horatian Ode Upon Cromwell’s Return from Ireland
The forward youth that would appear
Must now forsake his Muses dear,
Nor in the shadows sing
His numbers languishing.
’Tis time to leave the books in dust,
And oil th’ unused armour’s rust,
Removing from the wall
The corslet of the hall.
So restless Cromwell could not cease
In the inglorious arts of peace,
But thorough advent’rous war
Urged his active star.
“The seventh and eighth line are: Removing from the wall, the corslet of the hall.”
“Corslet?” Miss Davies asked.
He was pleased to finally discover that the young woman didn’t know everything. “It refers to a piece of armor.”
“I haven’t seen any suits of armor in the hall,” she replied with a frown.
“Neither have I.” He thought a moment. “There must have been one here at the hall some time. We need the armor to decipher the next clue. I will speak with my senior staff and see if they can recall there being a suit of armor in Barton Hall.”
The young woman reached out and picked up a book from his desk, Designs in Architecture by John Soane. “Are you interested in architecture, Your Grace, or merely looking to add outbuildings to your estate?”
“Both,” he replied self-consciously. He’d forgotten about his rough sketches for an outbuilding. “I’m designing a folly for a little piece of wilderness on the estate.”
“That sounds a worthy endeavor.” She put the book back down and rose to her feet. “If you find the armor, you will tell me?”
Her smile was coaxing. Preston felt dizzy, as if he were under a spell. He shook himself and replied gruffly, “Of course.”
* * * * *
“You look awfully pleased with yourself,” her father said when Marina passed him in the entrance hall.
“The duke and I deciphered another clue.”
Her father studied her closely. “You’ll not get attached to the man, will you? He is quite handsome.”
She laughed. “Oh, Father! Me enamored of a member of the peerage. Never say so.”
Her father did not look convinced.
