Page 59 of The Heir's Fortune
He truly couldn’t ask for anything more.
CHAPTER 23
As it turned out, it was a bit more than an hour by the time they had all gathered in the billiards room. It had taken time to store the treasure, ensure that it was under proper lock and key, see to the horses, and become presentable enough that they would be able to make the dinner hour after their meeting with the servants in the billiard’s room.
Madeline still wasn’t quite meeting Gideon’s eye, which he didn’t like – not at all. But that was another mystery he supposed he would have to solve later. He had enough concerns at the moment.
She still sat next to him, although they were not particularly close to one another as they had each taken one of the chairs that lined the wall, usually reserved for other gentlemen, Scout sitting at attention between them. He had remained at home when they went for the treasure and now was sitting so attentively, as though he had to ensure that he wasn’t left behind again. The servants sat across from them, and it seemed that Anderson was going to take the lead and speak for them.
“What would you like to know?” Anderson asked, appearing the most comfortable of them all, as he had spent most of his lifein the house, living next to Gideon’s father and accompanying him in most of his daily activities.
“Everything,” Gideon said, but before Anderson could start, Scout’s head turned, his ear twitching up as another presence filled the doorway.
“Mother?” Gideon exclaimed as she stopped abruptly, looking around at the lot of them with a shocked expression. “What are you doing here?”
“I was looking for Anderson,” she said. “Your father is particularly lucid and he would like to go riding. What is happening?”
Gideon saw his father hovering behind her, and, after a moment of hesitation in which he wondered if he was making the right decision, he waved them in. They deserved this story as much as anyone else, especially now that there was no danger remaining for his mother to worry about. “Come in. You might as well learn all of this at the same time.”
“All of what?”
“It has to do with the treasure that I had asked you both about.”
“Very well,” she said, walking in with his father, who looked to Anderson instead of Gideon.
“Anderson? What is happening?”
“I will explain all,” he said while John and the groundskeeper appeared even more uncomfortable in a room full of lords, ladies, and now a duke and duchess.
Anderson took a breath before he began his story.
“As you know, my father worked here until his retirement and raised me in this house. He was the one who told me that working here at Castleton meant more than just regular servant duties. It came with an element of protection if you will.”
“Protection?” Gideon repeated. “What do we need protection from?”
Anderson chuckled lowly. “From the very people we saved you from.”
Gideon nodded, feeling foolish as Anderson continued.
“It was not just you who needed protection, however. We were sent to protect the treasure as well.”
Gideon’s jaw tightened at the news that servants within his very household had known not only about the treasure but where it was located, while he had raced around like a fool searching for it.
“You knew about the treasure this entire time?” Gideon said, trying to control his ire.
“We have known since we were told about it by those who came before us,” Anderson said. “When your great-grandmother and great-grandfather brought the treasure here from Spain seventy years ago, they were accompanied by men loyal to them. They hid the treasure and knew they needed someone they could trust to look over it. They chose loyal servants, who vowed to always watch out for the treasure until the timing was right for someone worthy to find it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will,” Anderson said. “My father worked here, as did his father. The legacy was passed down to me.” He waved to the rest of the servants. “As it was for them.”
“Did you know we were searching for it?”
“We were not aware at first,” Anderson said, exchanging a look with the groundskeeper. “There were a couple of accidents that were entirely our fault as we thought someone else was after it and we were trying to scare them away.”
“The shot in the woods?” Devon asked. “When Cassandra and I were searching for the cabins?”
“That was one of us, yes,” Anderson admitted. “We didn’t realize it was the two of you. Our sincerest apologies.”
