Page 42 of The Scholar's Key
“Percy, do you know what time it is?”
“I’d say shortly after midnight.”
“Far past time for me to return you.”
“At this point, everyone is sleeping. Another hour or two won’t change anything,” she said, her smile obviously meant to convince him, and it annoyed him that it was working. “Where can we go?”
“Percy, if you are caught—”
“We’ve escaped capture so far, though, have we not?” she asked with that gleam in her eye that made him forget all of his protestations and go along with whatever she suggested. He sighed. He knew that agreeing to this was ill-advised, except not only did it mean more time with her, but he did want to inspect the necklace himself and he had a feeling she wouldn’t let him do so without her.
“Very well,” he said. “My aunt and uncle are attending an engagement and they usually stay out until the early hours of the morning. We could return to their home.”
“Wonderful!” she said, turning onto their square and he stopped.
“How do you know where they live?”
“I followed you from here,” she said simply, and he couldn’t help but laugh as he shook his head.
“How did you know I would go tonight?”
“Just a guess,” she said, bumping her shoulder into his. “I feel that I am coming to know you well enough to guess your movements.”
He had no retort for that but rather had to swallow the lump in his throat. He was also enjoying the intimacy they shared, but he was worried that it would only lead him to a bitter heart when this was all over and she went on her way.
“Wait here,” he said when they reached the house, and he ascended first, opening the door to ensure no servants were about. From what he knew, most of them retired for the night until his aunt and uncle returned. He waved Percy in, and she slipped up the steps and through the door, staying silent as he led her down the corridor and up the staircase.
“We are best to go into my bedchamber if you don’t mind. I know it is far from appropriate, but it is the place where we are least likely to be discovered.”
She stopped on the top step, smiling up at him. “I trust you, Noah.”
He nodded, though he wondered if she would say the same if she knew the imaginings racing around his mind at the thought of what he would truly like to do with her in a bedroom.
They had been in the room for less than a minute when there was a knock on the door.
Percy turned to him with wide eyes, looking back and forth, and he gestured to the wardrobe.
Once she was standing behind it and out of sight, Noah answered it, relieved to find only his valet on the other side.
“I do not need anything this evening,” he said. “Retire for the night, Andrews.”
His valet rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he wished him a good night, and Noah breathed a sigh of relief as he shut the door and locked it for good measure.
When he turned around, he found that Percy was standing over the foot of the bed, upon which she had placed the box that held the necklace.
He walked over to stand beside her, and together, their fingers brushing, they opened the box to look down upon the necklace once more.
“It’s beautiful,” Percy breathed. “I can see why Cassandra’s aunt had it hidden for so long.”
“I wish I knew how it was stolen,” Noah said. “I feel as though that would answer many of our questions.”
“Likely, yes,” Percy said. “But unless you can convince Mrs. MacNall to tell you who gave it to her, we will be out of luck.”
“Do you think she will guess that I was the one to take it?” Noah asked as the question had been gnawing at him for some time. “How much of a coincidence is it that you and I both asked about the necklace and the next night it goes missing?”
“We could blame it on one of her servants.”
“Then I’m sure she would remove them from her employment, which would hardly be fair.”
