Page 37 of Every Duke Has His Thorn
He replied, “I’ll have my housekeeper look up the maid’s references. Mayhap the girl likes to tell Banbury tales.”
“And I’m sure Anne was speaking to a man in the kitchen one day, but when I entered the room, no one was there,” Miss Davies continued.
A fantastic idea had started to form in his mind. Once he’d thought of it, it had taken hold. He would speak with Mrs. Barnes before telling anyone of his suspicions.
He addressed Miss Davies, “Lady Barton had some information about the clues to the treasure she wanted to share with you.”
“Oh yes?” The young woman’s eyes widened.
His aunt explained about the barn that had burned down and her grandmother being known as a trickster.
“So you think your grandmother wanted us to ‘skip’ over the clue about the barn?” Miss Davies asked.
The older woman replied, “If so, we are left with a clue that leads nowhere.”
“I left my copy of the poem in the drawing room of the dower house,” Miss Davies said with a grimace.
“You may look at mine,” he replied quickly, pulling it from his trouser pocket and pushing the paper across the desk toward the young woman.
He caught his aunt’s eye and she actually grinned at him.
Miss Davies read aloud:
Fire can be helpful to the forest you know
A building constructed where flora may grow
I’m known as a trickster you will soon learn
Skip over just one step, your reward you will ---
The young woman let out an exaggerated sigh. “The last word is merely a series of dashes.”
“The last word should rhyme with learn,” Sir Joseph said with a shrug. “Burn, earn, fern, learn, turn…”
“Earn makes sense,” his aunt replied.
Miss Davies bit her lip momentarily before exclaiming, “I’ve got it! The last word is u-r-n. It’s a play on the word earn.”
“You’re amazing, Miss Davies!” He added more calmly, “I’m sure you’ve cracked the last clue. We can check decorative urns in the house, although none may be old enough to be the urn in question. There is a rather large urn in the terraced garden, but it was only recently installed; if the clue does refer to an urn, it doesn’t refer to the one in the garden.”
“Shall we search all the urns in the house, Miss Davies?” His aunt rose to her feet. “I imagine Preston and your father have more pressing matters to address.”
He nodded, remembering his suspicions. “Yes, I must speak with my housekeeper.”
* * * * *
Lady Barton led Marina into the drawing room as her father and the duke went about their business.
The lady came to a halt near the octagonal table in the center of the room. The table held assorted pleasing trifles, to include a black Tole chestnut urn.
“I don’t believe this item is old enough, but it doesn’t hurt to examine it,” the lady said, lifting the lid to the urn and looking inside. “It is empty.”
Marina looked about her. “Is that the only urn in this room”
“It is.” Lady Barton replaced the lid on the urn. “My nephew has left the house as it was when his mother died. Shall we proceed to the entrance hall?”
There were no urns in that room. Despite her belief that there were no urns in the dining room, Lady Barton was of the belief they should check every room.
