Page 69 of The Wise Daughter
“Nora.” He took her hand. “We don’t need to solve this tonight.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I know, but I wish we could. I don’t know what our thieves think this is all leading up to, but if we don’t stop them soon, someone is going to get hurt.”
The fire on the logs snapped. Aaron reached an arm around her and hugged her to him. Though stiff at first, she softened with her next breath.
“Aaron, I have to ask, is there anything else you are not telling me? Will some new obstacle surprise me one day, a condition in your father’s will that says you can only marry women born in June? Or do you have some secret mistress or reckless habit I don’t know about?”
He gently rubbed her arm in the hug. “No more conditions in my father’s will, no mistress, no reckless habit. Well, sometimes I pick my teeth after eating. Terrible, I know, but I am working on it. I hope that won’t make you change your mind about our engagement.”
The corner of her lip rose. “Not today. If you are willing to make such a disclosure, I should probably tell you I can be quite stubborn sometimes.”
“You, stubborn?” He chuckled. “I’ve noticed. And I’ll take it. The only other thing I can think to tell you is that I have a secret twin hiding in the dungeons.”
“What?” She jumped to face him.
When he started laughing, she took a cushion and lightly smacked him in the arm with it. He didn’t mind, though. He liked seeing her flush and snicker.
“You’ll pay for that, my duke.”
Chapter 25
Nora walked to the stables as quickly as she could. Time was slipping away, time to think, time to solve, time to choose. Though nothing had been reported stolen the past few days, she caught herself looking over her shoulder while walking down corridors and listening a moment before entering any rooms. Who had started that fire? It was a question frequently on her mind, but still, she found herself worrying over Lady Ellen, who was tall and pretty and probably looked more the part of a duchess than she did.
Oh, confound it!Nora didn’t have time to waste on silly jealousy, but mostly, she didn’t have any time at all. How long until the thieves finally cornered her? How long until they hurt Aaron?
She shuddered, unwilling to think any further along that line. All she knew was that she had to do more. Quietly observing was no longer enough. It was time to make her own strike. If only she knew how.
Ruthers. Bilford. Carver.
Their names rolled through her thoughts as she sifted through their possible motives for stealing from Aaron. Even Chuff was under her suspicion, though after careful observation, she didn’t think he had any part in the thieving. Ruthers, however, was hiding something. That much was obvious, and though Aaron claimed to trust him, she couldclearly see that something had changed in the last while. A new tension existed between them. Lord Bilford had the most obvious reasons for wanting to stop Aaron from marrying Nora, and Carver, with no obvious motivation other than money, merely had circumstances stacked against him. Was it possible all these men were allied in their thefts? Or was there someone else entirely slipping beneath her notice?
I will solve this mystery, so help me!
Even with the details scrambling through her mind, she inevitably turned to one thought that kept repeating itself whether she wanted it to or not.
I kissed Aaron.
That kiss finally made her engagement real. With that kiss, she was committed. Without it, she wouldn’t have been able to talk to Lady Ellen with such surety. Without those moments of finally feeling like Aaron was meant for her, she might not have fumed about there being a Lady Ellen at all.
That kiss marked the beginning of losing her heart to Aaron. Though, if she were being honest with herself, he had stolen pieces of it ever since meeting him on the riverbank.
She mindlessly reached to twist the signet ring around her thumb only to remember nothing was there. Since placing it with her hairpins the other day, she hadn’t been able to find it again, though she had searched her entire room for it. What would Aaron say when she told him it was missing? She didn’t think she could face his disappointment until she shared her troubles with Locket.
Outside, the morning air wiggled its way through her shawl, but she ignored the chill and pressed her way to the stables. The gardens and curves of the path were now entirely familiar. Just outside the slightly open doors to the stables, she heard two men exchanging quick words, their voices tense. Nora knew better than to listen in on others’ conversations, but she also knew better than to ignore such an opportunity.
She drew back and held as still as stone.
“Ruthers, I’ve had enough of this nonsense.” Mr. Carver’s voice was easy to recognize, though he assumed an air of authority she never heard him use around Aaron. “I don’t want to hear any more of it.”
“Nonsense? It’s the truth. The foal was delivered right here mere days ago.”
“Did you deliver it?”
“I believe the mother did that part on her own. I only helped catch the creature.”
Nora covered a snicker.
“You have no clear evidence beside your word–”
