Page 58 of Lord of Fortune
“You came here very quickly,” Mother said as she sat on the settee in front of the window.
Confused, Penn blinked at her. “What do you mean?”
Mother’s eyes showed a flash of surprise. “You didn’t receive our note?”
“I did not.”
Father turned from the table. “Ah, well, we can discuss that later. Penn, tell us what brings you and Mrs. Forrest here.” He smiled warmly at Amelia and waited for her to take a chair near the settee before sitting down beside his wife.
Penn took the chair at the other end of the settee. “You’re aware that Jonathan Gardiner found the Heart of Llanllwch. He also found the dagger that counteracts it.”
The anticipation in Father’s gaze heightened. “And you have it now?”
“No, but I did.” Penn hated disappointing his father. “It was stolen from us, and now we are on the hunt to recover it.”
His mother looked between him and Amelia. “You both found it?” Her eyes narrowed perceptively. “How long have you been working together, and how did that come about?”
The tea arrived then, and Mother dismissed the housekeeper immediately so they could continue their conversation.
Penn exchanged a look with Amelia, whose eyes widened briefly. She had to be wondering if Penn planned to tell his parents that she’d threatened to shoot him. “We, uh, happened to stumble upon it at the same time.” That was true enough. “Her grandfather had asked her to find it, but unfortunately didn’t leave her with enough information. What he did was write a letter with the dagger’s location, which he sent to Carlton Burgess.”
“Naturally, Burgess sent you to retrieve it,” Penn’s father said as he helped himself to a biscuit from the tray.
“But who stole it?” his mother asked. “And I trust you’re all right?”
“Yes, though Egg sustained a minor injury. Which Mrs. Forrest was kind enough to tend with a homemade salve. He’s fine now.”
His mother looked at Amelia with a hint of admiration. “Thank you, Mrs. Forrest. Egg is dear to us, despite his sometimes sour demeanor.”
“You were telling us who stole it,” Father prompted.
Penn continued. “We aren’t certain, but I would wager it was the Camelot group. Septon insists it wasn’t the Order.”
Penn’s father leaned back against the settee and stretched his arm out along the back behind Penn’s mother. “You’ve already seen Septon?”
“We went there afterward. I wanted to consult his library.”
“But not him?” his mother asked. Unlike her husband, she didn’t entirely trust Septon. Not since the Order had attacked them all those years ago.
Penn shrugged. “His library usually provides the answers I need.”
“In this case, Septon proved helpful,” Amelia said. “We were looking for the origin of the Ranulf and Hilaria story.”
“It’s in the White Book of Hergest,” Father said immediately. “Unfortunately, that book is lost. But the tale was copied in many other books.”
Penn poured himself a cup of tea. “We know. However, the White Book may not be lost. We tracked it to the bookbinder in London. After speaking with them, I believe it was stolen during the fire—and that the fire was set as a diversion to make it look as though the book was lost.”
His father’s eyes widened. He pulled his arm back to his side and leaned forward. “You can’t be serious.”
Mother elbowed him gently. “Of course he is, dear. He’s our son.” The note of pride in her voice warmed Penn’s heart.
“I am going to find the White Book because I believe it holds the key to finding the real Heart of Llanllwch.”
“You still believe the one in the museum is fake?” Father asked.
Penn pulled it from the pocket of his coat where he’d stashed it that morning at the inn. “I do.”
His mother gasped. “You stole it from the museum?”
