Page 53 of The Earl's Secret
“No?”
She shook her head. “We would be best to solve the riddle first.”
“Do you have any ideas?”
“As a matter of fact—”
“Lord Covington, how wonderful to see you again.”
Lady Madeline, who Devon recalled was Cassandra’s closest friend and the only one who knew of their first tryst, sat down in between them.
“And you, Lady Madeline,” he said, bowing his head toward her. “You look lovely, as always.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I trust that you and Cassandra have been getting on well in your time here alone?”
There was a glint to her eye, and he knew that she was suspicious of him – as she should be.
“We have been having a wonderful time, thank you.”
“Good.” She leaned toward him, lowering her voice so that only he could hear, although he noted that Cassandra was watching her closely. “If you hurt her again, I do not care who you are or how powerful you are, but I will never let you get away with it. Do you understand me?”
His eyes widened, but he nodded. “Understood, Lady Madeline,” he said, trying to prevent the smile from forming on his lips, for he knew how serious she was and he had no wish to cause her to think he was mocking how much she cared for her friend.
“I am glad to hear it,” she said, sitting back with some satisfaction. “Shall we toast to it?”
He eyed her drink as well as Cassandra’s, wondering just what was within their glasses.
“I am always happy to toast with beautiful women,” he said, earning him suspicious looks from both of them, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “One day you will learn that I wish nothing but the best for you,” he said, holding up his glass. “To solving riddles.”
“To solving riddles,” they said, and as they drank them back, he wanted nothing more than to make all of Cassandra’s wishes come true.
CHAPTER21
Cassandra flew up into a sitting position in bed in the middle of that night, after waking with a start.
They had been speaking the entirety of the day about the riddle, and she had gone to sleep with the words still swimming around in her mind.
Something must have jarred itself loose in her subconscious, for a thought had come to her in her dreams, one that made so much sense now she felt silly that it hadn’t previously occurred to her.
All she had to do was check the veracity of one fact – and then perhaps she had solved a piece of the riddle.
She should wait until morning, truly she should. Then she could enlist the help of Gideon, who would actually know just as much as she would regarding this particular conundrum, but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to return to sleep until she had ascertained the truth for herself.
She flung her wrapper around her shoulders, tying the belt of the red silk tightly before tugging slippers onto her feet and padding toward her door. She opened it to make sure that no one was about in the hallway – she wouldn’t want anyone to believe she had some secret nighttime assignation – and then continued down the carpeted corridor. The house was dark and silent but for the occasional creak. Cassandra, however, had no fear but instead was comforted by the familiarity of the house.
The library was near the front of the manor, and where she had left the riddle.
She pushed open the door, surprised to find a fire still burning in the grate.
“Is anyone here?” she called out, but only silence responded.
At first.
Then suddenly a figure materialized from the shadows of a corner and she had to stifle a scream at her surprise, until she recognized the stature of the body that was walking toward her.
“Devon?” she called out, placing a hand over her heart. “Why didn’t you say anything? You scared me out of my wits!”
He smiled but lifted a hand and raised a finger to his lips before tilting his head toward the sofa. She tiptoed forward and saw her brother lying there, fast asleep outstretched on the cushions.
