Page 66 of A Governess' Forbidden Flame
With everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten what started all of this. Amelia had found the symbol, the same one he and his brother had been searching for their entire lives, the same one that had cost Henry his. Sebastian’s heart clenched in pain, marred by the memory of the one who had always been so close to him.
“You found it,” Sebastian spoke in a soft murmur, almost a whisper, as his eyes shone brightly at Amelia.
“Yes.” She smiled back, a beacon of hope and love that she was, that she had always been, but he was too blind to see it. He was too blind to see many things, but he had learned his lesson. He would never make that mistake again.
“Would you please show it to me?” he asked, taking her by the hand.
She returned that loving gaze. “There is nothing I would love more than that, Sebastian.”
They remained like that, staring at each other, with their eyes speaking more than mere words ever could. He couldn’t look away. He couldn’t pull away. Not now that he was so close to telling everything that lay within his heart, things he was certain that she already knew, things he had heard her say, but which he needed to say back to her.
“Come!” Anna grabbed them both by the hand, and unfortunately, it was the wrong hand.
“Argh!” Sebastian shouted loudly, biting his lip.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Uncle!” Anna stopped immediately, pressing her hand to her lips, her eyes wide with regret. “I didn’t mean to, honestly…”
Sebastian was breathing through the pain, a smile appearing on his lips. “Remember those million kisses and hugs that I got for taking you and Amelia to the village to see Elizabeth?”
“Mmhmm.” Anna nodded, confused.
“Well…make it two million for this,” he said, much to everyone’s delight. “Now, can we please go and see what all this fuss is about?”
Ana burst into a lively chuckle, leading them out of the drawing room and into the garden as the last rays of the setting sun painted the entire landscape into a soft, golden hue. The color of gold awaited them beneath the house they had inhabited.
But to Sebastian, it didn’t matter. He didn’t care about any gold or treasure. It had already cost him a father, a brother, almosthis niece, and the love of his life. He didn’t need nor want any gold. He already had everything he wanted, holding him by the hand.
But he knew he had to do this for his brother’s sake. He owed him that much. So, eagerly, he allowed Anna and Amelia to guide him through the garden, waiting to see what they would unearth.
Chapter 34
Amelia, her gaze filled with a mix of curiosity and trepidation, led Sebastian and Anna to the secluded part of the manor where the ancient wooden door stood in quiet obscurity. As they approached, the scent of blooming flowers and the earthy undertones of the garden enveloped them, creating an oddly serene backdrop for the unfolding mystery.
She thought she would find it difficult to locate the exact spot, especially taking into account everything that had happened. However, she was led here by some invisible force, as if someone took her by the hand and showed her the way. She wasn’t sure if it was the breeze, the setting sun, or perhaps the spirit of some long-lost relative who, just like them, wanted to see this come to a satisfactory end.
She found the patch of flowers, and underneath them, the symbol etched into the stone wall.
“It is the same!” Sebastian gasped, staring at it.
“I know.” She nodded, also staring at it. Its intricate lines and archaic design hinted at a much deeper significance. She knew this was the one they had been looking for. “And…the door…”
His keen eyes traced the contours of the symbol as Amelia pointed it out, his brow furrowing in contemplation. The aged wooden door, obscured by a flourishing bush in full bloom, was the answer they had been looking for. Still, there were more questions to answer. The mystery that lay behind that ancient door beckoned, weaving an intricate tale of the past that demanded to be unraveled. There was not a moment to be lost.
The heavy wooden door creaked open, revealing a narrow staircase leading downward into the depths of Ravenscroft Manor. With a lantern in hand, Sebastian, Anna, and Amelia cautiously descended into the hidden basement, their footsteps echoing in the subterranean silence.
As they reached the bottom, the flickering lantern revealed a trove of forgotten history—ancient books, yellowed documents, and mysterious artifacts adorned the shelves and tables that lined the hidden chamber. Dust danced in the air, catching the warm glow of the lantern and creating an ethereal atmosphere.
Sebastian’s eyes widened as he surveyed the wealth of knowledge and secrets concealed beneath his ancestral home.
“Could this really be it?” Amelia wondered aloud, in awe of the history around them.
“I…I think so,” Sebastian managed to muster as the same realization dawned on them. This was the long-lost Templartreasure, a collection of wisdom and artifacts that had eluded the Blackthorn family for generations.
Overwhelmed by a mix of astonishment and joy, Sebastian and Amelia sifted through the carefully preserved relics. The weight of the family curse seemed to lift with each page turned and every artifact examined. The air in the hidden chamber carried a sense of liberation as if the ghosts of the past had finally found peace. As they reveled in the discovery, a new chapter unfolded for the Blackthorn family. The hidden basement became a sanctuary of wisdom, a testament to resilience, and a beacon of hope for generations yet to come.
Amelia knew that this was only the beginning. They could not conceal such a wealth of knowledge from the rest of the world. They could also not be the only ones benefiting from it.
“I have an old friend at the British Museum,” Sebastian spoke up finally, after what seemed to be an eternity of silence that rested in awe. “He will be able to date all of these, but I think this is what we have been looking for, what my entire family had been searching for all those generations.”
