Page 9 of The Earl's Secret
He knocked quickly on Gideon’s study door before letting himself in. He considered the man as close to him as his own brother was. Not only had their families spent a great deal of time together when they were children, their mothers being close friends, but Gideon and Devon being of the same age, they spent all of their years at school together, accompanying one another nearly wherever they went.
Gideon had been reserved as a youth, and Devon had been the one to speak for him for so long, eventually learning how to bring him out of the dark places Gideon would go into, where he would try to hide from the world that was asking too much of him at such a young age.
Gideon may be a man now, but it was one of the reasons that he could never find out what had happened between Devon and his sister. He would feel so betrayed – and rightly so.
“Devon,” Gideon said, waving him into the room. He was standing at the sideboard, pouring a drink, and Devon couldn’t help but be reminded of the drinks Cassandra had poured just two days ago while sitting on the banks of the Serpentine. As he had been rowing, he had felt eyes on him, and knew even before turning around that it had been her. He could sense her, no matter who else was near them or what else was happening – even from across the park, that connection had held true.
Not that she would ever admit it. He wished he knew why she hated him so, especially when she had been as eager as he that night and he had thought everything had changed. How wrong he had been.
“Are you comfortable in your chamber?” Gideon asked him, to which Devon nodded as he accepted the drink.
“Of course,” he said. “I will always feel at home at Castleton.”
“It is not what it used to be,” Gideon said, shaking his head, which Devon understood. Gideon had been unable to make repairs to the estate for years, and the staff was not as hearty as it had been in the past. Yet, they did what they could, and the place was still clean and comfortable. Gideon and his mother had made sure that their country home – and the duke’s permanent residence – was everything that it could be based on what they were able to provide.
“It is a wonderful place to stay now and will be as majestic as it ever was very soon,” Devon assured him. “You have worked hard to return the Ashford name to its earlier fortunes.”
“But will it ever be enough?” Gideon murmured. “I do not know if I can right everything.”
“You are doing more than most other men would do,” Devon said. “Do not be so hard on yourself.”
Gideon nodded, even though Devon knew he likely wouldn’t listen to his words. It was Gideon’s way – he never thought he was good enough.
“Now,” Devon continued, wanting to change the direction of the conversation and give Gideon something else to focus on, “what is our plan for this riddle?”
“If we were to solve it, perhaps it could restore our fortunes,” Gideon said, brightening somewhat, and Devon nodded, although as much as he wanted to provide Gideon with some hope, he also didn’t want those same hopes to be dashed if this all came to nothing.
“It will be an amusement, if nothing else,” Devon said cheerily. “The first lines have led us here. What about the next lines?”
Gideon began to murmur them once more, obviously having committed them to memory.
“Those of the house may never know,
A treasure of magnitude that does lie below.
Right before one goes to bed,
Where that one might set his head,
He guards what many would try to seek,
If worthy enough they will make themselves meek.”
Gideon frowned as he shook his head. “I have been over them time and again, and it could be so many places. Out of doors, perhaps, or in the servants’ quarters? That would be a strange place to hide treasure, but then, sometimes what you are looking for is right in front of you.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Devon said, trying not to think of Cassandra. “What of the last lines that mention the treasure itself?”
“I haven’t come up with anything based on the words, but for something of value to be so hidden, I would guess it must be jewels or coins, would it not? What else could be easily hidden?”
“That is a good guess,” Devon murmured, although he considered that an eccentric ancestor might have had much different ideas about what could hold such value. “I was thinking—”
He stopped when he heard a thump on the other side of the door. He lowered his voice. “Did you hear that?”
Gideon’s brow furrowed. “I did.”
Devon jerked his head toward the door, not saying anything else for fear of giving away that he had heard the sound and alerting the culprit. He took slow, careful steps toward the entry, stopping just in front of it. He placed his hand on the doorknob, paused, and then wrenched the door open quickly.
Only to have a bundle of skirts, woman, and trouble fall right on top of him.
