Page 99 of Lord of Fortune
“So yes, you’d use these two alphabets to decipher the code. But we’re missing a step.”
She recalled his translation. “The ‘left five.’ Whatever that means.”
“It’s a cipher Julius Caesar used. Since this employs two different kinds of ciphers, we must take another step. We must shift each letter in this bottom alphabet to the left five spaces.”
He scratched the pencil over the parchment, writing the new alphabet at the top of the two lines he’d drafted previously, rearranging the letters as he described. “Now, we can use this to decipher the message on the heart.”
She reached for the paper with the message and set it closer so he could see it, anxious to see what it read. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
He lifted the pencil again, then paused, turning his head to look at her. “There is no one I would rather share this discovery with than you. In fact, I’d never considered sharing discoveries with anyone. Now…” He didn’t finish but dropped his head to focus on his work as he deciphered the letters from the broken heart.
Broken heart.
Yes, that described this situation perfectly. The two pieces of that stone could very well be the ruptured halves of her own heart.
He set the pencil down with a pensive look.
“What does it say?” She could hardly stand it and found his reticence frustrating. “Don’t keep me in suspense.”
He turned his head with a twinkle in his cobalt eyes. “The Vale of Neath.”
“Where is that?” she asked, hoping it wasn’t terribly far.
“The valley of waterfalls. It’s the most beautiful place in the world.” His tone was rapturous, his gaze equally so. “It’s about two days’ ride from here, maybe three if the weather doesn’t cooperate.”
“That is where the heart is?”
“So it would seem. The vale is quite large, however, so we’ll need to decipher whatever is carved onto the dagger to define the exact location.”
She thought of Gideon’s quest to obtain the dagger and hoped he was all right. “I hope Gideon can find it. And that he’s safe.”
Penn’s forehead pleated with concern. “I hope so too. I should have gone with him.”
She put her hand over his forearm. “I’m glad you didn’t.”
His brows arched briefly, and she removed her hand. She shouldn’t touch him.
“It’s all right for you to court danger, as you did this afternoon with Forrest, but I am not to do the same?” His tone held a playful edge, but she wouldn’t let his teasing go unanswered.
“It was dangerous for you too. I had to stop Thaddeus from going into that room. He would’ve seen you for certain.”
Penn’s gaze took on a steely glint. “I wouldn’t have minded. Would’ve given me an excuse to fight him.”
Gone was his lively tone and replaced with something darker. Stress speared through her, and she worked to hide it from him lest he only grow more upset.
He turned his chair, angling his body toward hers. “What will you do, Amelia? With Forrest?”
“Do? Nothing. Hopefully I won’t see him again.”
“He’s your husband. He may decide he wishes to claim his rights—”
She jumped up from the chair and paced toward the bed. “Must we discuss this?” Anguish spiraled from her belly, prompting her to wrap her arms around her midsection.
Turning, she startled to find Penn just a foot away. He’d moved so quickly. And silently.
“No,” he said. “But I can’t help it. I’m in agony thinking of what your future may hold.”
She was too. And in that moment, she didn’t want to shoulder that burden alone. “Penn,” she asked softly. “Can we pretend to be what the innkeeper thinks? If just for tonight.”
