Page 64 of The Earl's Secret
“I could, but I know you would be far too impatient.”
“In that, you are correct.”
She reverently brushed away loose straw and loosened the drawstring around the top of the bag before slipping her hands within, her eyes widening and meeting Devon’s before she drew out the treasure.
They all stared in shock at the old dusty book that sat in front of them.
“That’s it?” Whitehall said incredulously. “All of this for a book?”
Cassandra ignored him as she opened up the first page, and Devon waited with a quickly beating heart as surely there must be more to it. Could the book be hollow? Or was it some priceless manuscript hidden within an old, dilapidated cover?
But all that was within was a few images and text. Text that belonged to the book.
“What the bloody hell is this?” Gideon asked, causing them to all stare at him in shock, for Gideon never, ever swore, no matter what company he was keeping.
Cassandra cleared her throat.
“It appears to be a book.”
“I can see that,” he said, rubbing his fingers against his forehead. “And just what are we supposed to do with a book?”
“I have no idea,” Cassandra said, holding it out to him. “Perhaps there is more to it. Why do we not take it inside and look further into it?”
“There could be something hidden within the pages,” Devon suggested.
“It could hardly be anything of value,” Gideon muttered, and Devon saw the despair enter his eyes as he realized that his friend had been placing more hope upon this than he had even guessed.
“There is only one way to find out,” Hope said from outside the stall with her usual bright optimism, and Devon met Gideon’s eyes and nodded to him, silently telling him that there was nothing else they could do at this point.
Devon held out a hand to help Cassandra to her feet, and she clutched the velvet bag as Devon bent and set the floor and the straw to rights before Rowley led Annabelle back into her stall.
“Well, thank you, Belle,” Gideon said, running his hand down her flank one more time. “I wish you’d had something else for me, but this will have to do.”
Their party was practically silent as they returned to the house, stopping briefly for Gideon to find the butler and ask him to tell the stable hands they could return to their duties.
They all gathered in the drawing room as Gideon placed the book on the table amidst them all, and they sat staring at it as though it would suddenly gain magic and open to reveal a spell.
“Oh, there you all are!” They started when the duchess appeared in the doorway. Devon had nearly forgotten that she was in residence, although she spent most of her time upstairs with her husband. The chaperones had been keeping to themselves for the most part. “Are you all enjoying yourselves?”
“We are, Mother, thank you,” Gideon said, and Devon didn’t miss her eyes finish upon him with a wide smile. Apparently, the news of his engagement to Cassandra had made his way to her.
“Good,” she said, clasping her hands together, her eyes flitting back and forth as though she was aware of the tension that filled the room, but had far too much breeding to address it. “Tonight we will have a celebratory dinner on the engagement. I know your family should be in attendance, Lord Covington, but we shall have another with them. I can hardly believe that my Cassandra will be married.”
Her smile widened as her expression seemed filled with relief more than excitement, causing Cassandra’s own smile to appear somewhat pained, and Devon decided that it was up to him to ensure that was put to rights.
“Thank you, Mother, that sounds lovely,” Cassandra said, and it was then that the duchess’ eyes fell upon the book on the table.
“What is this?” she asked, coming closer, picking it up.
“It is a book that we found,” Gideon said, standing and coming behind her, holding out a hand. “We are… playing a game with it.”
“A game?” This came from the doorway, as the duke now filled it. “I always enjoy a good game.”
He entered the room with a smile for them all as he came over to his wife.
“What’s this now?”
“A book, Father,” Gideon said, his eyes landing upon the duke as he was obviously trying to ascertain whether he remembered his true identity today.
