Page 24 of Lord of Fortune
That was an excellent notion and one Penn ought to have thought of. He turned to Amelia. “We can speak with Burgess, if you’d like.”
“Iwouldlike that, thank you.”
“What of Septon?” Cassie asked. “He has to know something, particularly about the theft of the dagger. Do you think you can get it back?”
“I hope so.” Insofar as it could possibly help them find the real heart and dagger—thatwas what Penn was in pursuit of. He also supposed he wanted to get it back for Amelia. Fake or not, it had belonged to her grandfather, and she wanted it. Yes, he’d get it back for her. He gave her a look that held a silent promise. “We’ll find it.”
She blinked at him. “We’ll?”
It seemed she still hadn’t decided they should work together. Dammit, what else did she need to know to accept that he could be trusted?
Penn glanced around at the other women. “Perhaps you could tell Mrs. Forrest that I am both trustworthy and loyal.”
“It’s true,” Cassie said. “As far as men go, he is one of the—few—good ones.”
“I would trust him with my life,” Andy said. “His sister is our dearest friend, and we’ve known them for years. In the antiquarian community, Penn is greatly admired.”
“I appreciate your votes of confidence; however, there are things you don’t know.” She paused, perhaps weighing whether to tell them the rest. “He believes the heart in the museum is a fake. He seeks to discredit my grandfather. While it may seem reasonable for us to align our efforts to find the dagger, we are at cross-purposes.”
“Oh dear,” Selina said.
“I see,” came Andy’s response.
Cassie shrugged. “Then it probably is a fake. I highly doubt Penn means to discredit your grandfather; however, the truth must out.” Amelia pursed her lips, and Cassie added, “And now you won’t like me best anymore.” She sighed.
“On the contrary, I value your candor,” Amelia said. “You will understand when I say that I must still decide for myself.”
“Of course,” Andy said hastily. “And please allow us to assist you in any way that we can. Indeed, how can we help?”
Amelia stood, surprising everyone, and Penn jumped to his feet beside her. “I think I’ve learned all I can for today,” she said. “I look forward to you coming for a visit to survey my grandfather’s library and antiquities collection, small though it may be.”
“Size doesn’t matter,” Cassie said, completely missing the subtle, humor-filled look her sister and Selina exchanged.
Amelia coughed. “Yes, well, thank you for the tea and your kind invitation.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Penn offered. He was encouraged when she said nothing and simply strode toward the door.
Everyone said good-bye, and Penn trailed Amelia from the town house. She descended the stairs and walked straight to her coach, where her coachman waited.
Penn touched her elbow to stop her from leaving. “Amelia—Mrs. Forrest.”
She swung around. “You are too familiar, sir.”
“Haven’t we moved past all this?” He didn’t bother keeping the exasperation from his voice. “So our goals aren’t exactly aligned. I am not going to humiliate your grandfather. Perhaps we’ll find that he knew the heart was a fake. Perhaps he hid the real heart somewhere. Who knows what we’ll find, but we have to at least look.”
“Actually, we don’t—at least not for the heart. The dagger is another matter. Will you really help me find it?”
He rested his hand over his heart. “With my dying breath.”
She rolled her eyes. “There’s no need to be melodramatic.”
“Perhaps not, but it seems a little levity might be in order.” He moved closer and looked into her eyes. “I am not your enemy.”
“Neither are you my friend,” she said softly.
“I’d like to be. Let me demonstrate my earnestness in helping you. Yesterday, I gave you the letter. Today, I invite you to dine with me tonight at Septon House, where, together, we can search for clues about the heart and dagger.”
Her eyes flickered with surprise before darkening. “This sounds a bit scandalous.”
