To Trust a Thief Read online

  “Min…”

  “Charlotte, I must go now. Please don’t worry. I will be perfectly fine.” I hope. The memory of Bryant’s thunderous face when she’d left him in Arthur’s shed stuck in her mind.

  “Humph.” Charlotte jammed a small candle into Min’s huge candlestick and lit it for her. “If you aren’t back in one hour, I am coming after you.”

  Min just smiled and hurried to the door. “Good night,” she whispered as she slipped into the hall.

  The climb to the top of the house winded her every time she made it, and when Min reached the top of the stairs, she paused to catch her breath. She looked into the gallery and saw a small flicker of light. She recognized Bryant’s well-developed frame silhouetted in the candlelight. Might as well get it over with.

  “Mr. Westley,” she whispered, hurrying toward him.

  Bryant’s eyebrow rose as he looked at her candlestick. Min raised an eyebrow of her own and ignored his unspoken question.

  “So,” she said, taking care to keep her voice low. “How does this work?”

  “You tell me what you know, show me what you’ve found, and I do the same.”

  “You first.”

  “Untrusting, are we?”

  “You proposed the deal. Only fair for you to go first.”

  Bryant gave her a little bow in concession. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers. Min stepped closer.

  “What is it?” Min asked.

  “Evidence that Edward Courtland really did have a mistress who died well before her time. Along with magistrate records detailing the disappearance of a rather valuable family heirloom, including newspaper clippings and interviews of the family and staff. And accusations of a murder.”

  “What!” Min exclaimed. Had Arthur’s grandfather murdered someone to get the necklace? Or was his the murder to which Bryant referred? She reached out to take the papers but Bryant jerked them away. She looked up in surprise.

  “Your turn,” he said.

  Min’s eyes narrowed, her body tensed with frustration. But she nodded. Fair’s fair, she supposed. And there was nothing in the room that was helpful, so showing him really wouldn’t hurt. She turned, assuming he’d follow.

  They passed the paintings of Edward and his mistress, pausing in front of the tapestry that concealed the hidden door. Looking around to be sure they were alone, she lifted the edge of the tapestry, slipping her hand behind the fabric. Min searched the seam of the paneled wall until her fingers found the small, carved star. She pressed it and was rewarded with a quiet whoosh as the door swung open.

  Bryant’s eyes widened with amazement as she held the tapestry up for him to enter. Once inside the room, Min tugged the tapestry back into place and closed the door, sealing them in. Bright moonlight streamed in through the window and illuminated the tiny space almost completely. Bryant looked around for a moment. Min remained silent, letting him take it all in.

  “Well, this is quite a discovery, isn’t it?” he said.

  Min nodded, thoughts of treasure beginning to fade with the realization that they were alone. Really, truly alone. She shifted away from him, struggling to keep her pounding heart under control.

  He placed the papers on the table next to the chaise. “How long have you known about this place?”

  “Not lon—” Min tried to answer, but her voice came out in a strangled whisper. Bryant glanced at her, his eyes moving from her hairline down to her toes and back up again. Min looked away and cleared her throat. “Not long.”

  A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and Min scowled at him.

  “Had a chance to explore it yet?” he asked.

  “Not really.”

  “Well, this could be promising.” He looked around once more before resting his gaze on Min. “Any other discoveries to share?”

  She paused just a second too long before answering, “No.”

  “This won’t work if we don’t share everything with each other.”

  “Oh really.” Min’s anger spiked at his hypocrisy. “So you were planning on telling me all about your trip to the Swan’s Neck tonight to meet your partner?”

  Blast. She hadn’t meant to say anything.

  Bryant froze, his eyes glittering like a trapped, angry animal’s as he stepped closer to her. “How much did you overhear?”

  Min tried to put some space between them but was up against the chaise. She raised her chin up a notch. She wouldn’t let him see the fear that was quickly diluting the anger in her veins. “Enough.”

  He came closer, close enough that she could feel his breath on her face.

  “And did you ever plan on telling me about your little…partner?” Bryant spit out.

  Min clenched her jaw to keep from speaking. Nothing she could say at this point would help.

  Bryant simply nodded. “I heard enough, too.” His eyes raked over her face for a moment before he finally backed off.

  “Well then,” she said. “We haven’t got all night. Let’s see if there is anything in this room worth finding.”

  Bryant hesitated. Then he pulled a small box of matches from his pocket and began to light the rest of the candles on the table.

  “Wait!” Min cautioned. She went to the window and drew the heavy drapes. “One candle is all very well, but several might give us away. Although it may help reinforce my ghost stories,” she added.

  Bryant finished lighting the last candle and gave her a puzzled look. “What ghost stories?”

  Min picked up a candle and began to examine the wall nearest her. “We can talk while we work. I will search this way and you go that way. We can meet in the middle.”

  Bryant watched her and then started exploring the wall in front of him.

  Min spoke while she searched her side. “During supper, the girls mentioned that they wanted to come up to the gallery. Katherine had been spinning tales about Edward and his mistress and they were curious about the paintings. In case you didn’t notice, their portraits are in the hall near the secret door. The girls were excited because the one of Edward’s wife, Tabitha, shows her wearing the necklace.”

  “I hadn’t noticed the paintings.”

  Min snorted. “Really, for a professional thief you aren’t very observant.”

  “Who said I was a professional?”

  Min shook her head. “I didn’t want anyone getting overly interested in the Courtlands or the necklace. I might have mentioned something about a ghost. And Charlotte, Miss Kensington, may have shared a few stories. The creepy atmosphere up here helps make the girls a little more susceptible to tales of ghosts and murder than they might otherwise be, especially with the recent reports of strange noises and eerie lights. Speaking of which, you really should be a little more careful, you know.”

  Bryant gave her an endearingly irritating half smile and resumed his search of the wall in front of him. Min rolled her eyes.

  “Well, that solves that problem, I suppose,” Bryant said. “By the way, how did you find this room?”

  “I, uh, stumbled across it, so to speak.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I was walking in the gallery the other night I… Well, I tripped. Fell into the tapestry. But rather than hitting the wall, I fell through it.”

  “The other night? Did you find this room before or after I found you hiding by the drapes?”

  “Before.” Min cleared her suddenly tight throat and continued. “In any case, when Charlotte and I came back up here, I found the secret catch that I must have fallen against the first time. A faint carving of a star is etched on one of the seams of the paneling. When you press it, the door swings open. So, I thought a similar clue might exist in here, one that could lead us to where the necklace is hidden—or another secret room or passageway.

  “One thing bothers me, though,” Min added. “If this house really has secret rooms, wouldn’t the family know about them? Someone must have stumbled upon at least one of them in the last sixty years
or so. I’ve never heard anything about them.”

  Bryant shrugged his shoulders. “I suspect the Courtlands did know about this room, at least the older Courtlands. But while they may have found it, they probably discovered nothing of any value in it. Or perhaps the room really has remained hidden all these years. What others have found before us doesn’t really matter. What matters is what we find.”

  Min nodded her agreement. They had completed a circuit around the room and met at the middle of the wall opposite the door. Min looked at Bryant, her hands on her hips. “Nothing,” she said, disappointed.

  “I wouldn’t say nothing.”

  Min looked where Bryant pointed and gasped. Centered in each of the three panels of the window seat was a star-shaped flower. A flower that looked very much like the one on the locket she wore. And very similar to the star on the panel of the secret door.

  Min removed the cushions and Bryant opened the top of the bench, revealing a storage compartment beneath. Which contained…nothing.

  “Hmm. Well, that’s disappointing. Although…”

  “What?” Min moved closer as Bryant leaned inside the bench and began tapping on the inside panels. Each rap on the wood returned a solid echo. Until he reached the back corner.

  “A-ha.” Bryant pushed on the back panel and slid back a small hidden door. He rooted around inside, finally extracting a bundle of old rags.

  “Or perhaps not,” he said with a laugh.

  “Are you sure there’s nothing wrapped inside?”

  Bryant gave them a cursory squeeze. “Just rags,” he said.

  Before Min could argue, Bryant asked, “What is that?” and pointed to her neck, where the distinct outline of a large locket showed through the thin fabric of her nightgown.

  Min wrapped her robe more tightly about her, but it was too late.

  “Well?” Bryant asked, shoving the rags into his pocket and crossing his arms. Min didn’t answer and Bryant’s brow furrowed. “Is there something you’d like to share with me?”

  Min again hesitated just a moment too long. Bryant cocked that infuriating eyebrow and Min loosened her robe with a huff. He was right. They’d never find the treasure if they didn’t confide in each other. “I have this.” She undid several buttons at the collar of her nightgown.

  Bryant froze. “Min,” he cautioned, a slight tremble running across his bottom lip.

  Min paused, a jolt of empowerment shooting through her. Hmm. Interesting what a few little buttons could do.

  She reached inside the neckline and pulled out the locket on its silver chain. Bryant’s face revealed nothing. He reached over to open the locket. Min held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t inspect it too thoroughly. Maybe it was wrong, but she had no intention of sharing the paper she’d found beneath the portrait. At least not yet.

  Min tried to ignore the thread of guilt tugging at her heart. She would bet her two front teeth and a good portion of the rest of them that Bryant knew more than he was sharing. Keeping a little back herself was the only wise thing to do.

  “An eye portrait. Very interesting.” He turned it over, inspecting every angle. “I’ve heard of these. Never had the pleasure of receiving one, though.” He gave Min a smile she couldn’t quite match. “Where did you get this?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “It could,” he said, tugging the necklace, and Min, closer to the candle. “A.B.”

  “Anne Benton.”

  “It could be—” Bryant looked up, his voice cutting off. His face was only a fraction away from hers. His eyes devoured her, dark and hungry.

  “Did that doctor give this to you?” he asked, his low-pitched voice nearly a growl that rumbled through every inch of her.

  Min didn’t answer while she weighed the disadvantages of telling him more.

  “Did he?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where did he get it?”

  “His grandmother. She was a servant for Edward Courtland.”

  “Anything else?”

  “According to his grandmother, it belonged to Edward’s mistress.”

  Bryant stared at her long enough that she grew uncomfortable, but she wouldn’t let herself squirm under his gaze. “So I suppose the papers, the gallery portrait, eyewitness accounts, and now the locket all prove Anne Benton did exist. And if she existed then surely the necklace—”

  “Do you love him?”

  “What?” Min breathed, scarcely daring to believe he’d ask such a personal question.

  He grasped her chin, making her look at him. “Do you love him?”

  “We are engaged to be married.”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  “I… My…my feelings for Dr. Carmichael are none of your concern, Mr. Westley.” Min forced her eyes to meet his glare for glare.

  He held her for half a heartbeat longer. Then he released her. “We had better get you to bed before anyone notices that you are missing.”

  Min nodded, dazed at the turn the night had taken. Bryant pulled back the drapes a few inches to look at the horizon. It was still night, but the sky had already begun its inexorable change from black to violet. Not much time remained.

  “Meet me again tonight, same time,” Bryant said. “We’ll look over the portrait again. Perhaps we’ll find something. I’ve searched most of the estate grounds and haven’t found anything to speak of.”

  “Is that what you were doing in the greenhouse?”

  “What?”

  “When I found you in the greenhouse, you said you were looking for something. Did you think the necklace was buried in there?” Min tried to keep the smile from her lips but didn’t quite manage.

  “It was the only place I could search with students and staff crawling all over the house during the day. It seemed as good a place as any. It’s removed from the main house but still close to it. Not a place many people would frequent.”

  Min’s smile faded. She hadn’t even considered the greenhouse, but now that he pointed it out, she could see the merits.

  “Besides,” he continued, “I don’t like to leave any stone unturned. I’ll be able to explore much more thoroughly during the summer break.”

  Min’s amusement died completely. She knew it was a sound plan. The girls would all return to their homes. Her aunt was planning a long holiday, traveling to visit friends. Min, of course, was expected to accompany her. But she didn’t like the thought of Bryant being here all alone…to find the necklace.

  “Perhaps I should stay here and help you search,” Min suggested, trying to keep her tone casual.

  “And how would you manage that? Surely your aunt wouldn’t leave you here unattended.”

  “Perhaps Charlotte could stay. Mrs. Potter and the rest of the staff will be here, so we’d hardly be on our own.”

  “I don’t think that would be wise.”

  “It’s a large house. Much too large for one person to search alone.”

  “I’m sure I’ll manage.”

  Min wasn’t going to back down. She opened her mouth to speak again but he held up a hand.

  “If we are going to be in this together, you are going to have to trust me. At least a little bit,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips.

  “Certainly. About as much as you trust me?”

  Bryant chuckled, his genuine amusement lightening his features.

  Min knew she couldn’t walk away and just trust him. She also knew she wasn’t going to win this argument now. But if he thought she was going to sit by and let him find the necklace without her, he was crazy.

  “Here,” he said, grabbing the papers off the table and handing them to her. “Why don’t you take these and go through them. Maybe you’ll find something useful before tonight.”

  She raised an eyebrow at him but accepted them. They still had a few weeks until the summer break, after all. Maybe they’d find the necklace before she left. They had to. She and Arthur were running out of time. And so, apparently, was Bryant.

&nbs
p; Min jumped at the sound of a soft, almost inaudible scratching coming from the hidden gallery door.

  Bryant grabbed her candlestick and started toward the door. Min followed close behind, her hand grasping the back of his shirt.

  Just before Bryant reached the door, it reverberated with two sharp knocks. They stopped in their tracks and listened carefully for any other sounds from beyond the door. Bryant straightened. “Oh, this is ridiculous.”

  He reached out to open the door, but as he did, it swung open. The slight breeze its movement created extinguished the candle, and Bryant jumped back, pushing Min farther behind him. He raised the candlestick like a club and held it in midair. Min covered her mouth to stifle the terrified scream that was trying to fight its way from her throat.

  “Min?” a voice called softly. A lit candle seemed to float into the room of its own accord before Min recognized Charlotte holding it above her head. Charlotte’s eyes widened as she caught sight of Min, who stood shaking behind Bryant.

  “Charlotte,” Min said, releasing a breath of relief. “What are you doing up here?”

  “I came to get you. You’ve been gone for hours. You told me you would be back before now… I got a little concerned.” She regarded Mr. Westley out of the corner of her eye.

  Min would have laughed at the two of them eyeing each other if there hadn’t been so much tension in the air. Bryant looked far less than pleased at Charlotte’s presence.

  “It’s all right,” Min hastened to explain. “Charlotte was my lookout.”

  The look he flashed at Charlotte was not friendly. “Miss Kensington is proving to be a rather adept spy.” He ignored Charlotte’s outraged gasp. “Does anyone else know?”

  “No. No one else,” Min promised.

  “Keep it that way.”

  “Look, what happens between the two of you is none of my business,” Charlotte said, glaring at Mr. Westley. “My only concern is protecting Min. A rumor can do more damage than the truth and if she’s going to go gallivanting about in the middle of the night, she needs someone to keep an eye out for trouble. I am not a spy,” Charlotte snapped at him.