Immediately, the teams assembled into two knots on opposite sides of the drawing room. Whispers and snatches of conversation filled the air.
William regarded his team. “Thoughts? Obviously, the clue is referring us to the library, but why?”
Doctor Marsden shrugged. “You have the experience on us, for my brother and I have no knowledge of anything here at Hadleigh Hall.”
“Neither do I,” Miss Bancroft said, doubt in her voice.
“Lucky for you, William and I do,” Isobel said as she poked her head up from their huddle. “If you wish to finish one step ahead of Cousin Andrew, we’d best take ourselves off to the library post haste. Perhaps the rest of the clue will come to us there.”
“Quite right. Come on, everyone.” William crossed the room at a run. He waved to his mother as he passed. The collective sound of footsteps ringing against the hardwood assured him that his team followed as he navigated the corridors. Finally, he pushed open the library door, and then his first task was to light a few candles that sat about the familiar room. Scents of leather, the sulphur of struck matches, and old books filled his nose.
Isobel twirled around. Her eyes were alight with mischief and excitement. “The clue said to look among the shelves.”
“As well as within something on those shelves,” the younger Mr. Marsden added.
There was certainly no shortage of shelves in the room. “Divide up. We can cover more ground singularly and do it quickly before Andrew arrives.” He moved to a shelf that housed books on agriculture and farming techniques, his fingertips gliding along the spines as he conducted a quick, cursory search.
“It’s not inside this vase,” Isobel called.
“Neither is it in this weird chalice,” Doctor Marsden said from his section of the shelves at the opposite side.
“Damn.” William rested his hands on his hips. Echoes of conversation drifted to him from the corridor outside. Andrew’s team was on the way. “Think.” His father had mentioned an antiquity. As his heartbeat thrummed through his veins, he scanned the shelves. The other team streamed into the library, and obviously his cousin had issued orders, for they worked quietly and without much conversation. Then his gaze landed on a nondescript, carved wooden box resting on one of the higher shelves. The library hadn’t changed much since he’d been a child. He’d always assumed it was a keepsake box, but what if it had indeed come from somewhere else around the world? “I wonder…”
A giggle issued from Andrew’s wife, and when William sent them a glance, his cousin used the opportunity to sneak in a caress as the countess stretched to retrieve an object from a higher shelf. How interesting his cousin made light of Finn’s wish to spend time alone with his wife while Andrew couldn’t keep his hands off his. Ignoring the sharp stab of jealousy, and with the roll of his eyes, William maneuvered a ladder on squeaky wheels to the shelf he wished to examine. Once it was in place, he mounted the rungs.
“Let’s see if my guess is correct.” The thin layer of dust on the upper shelf had been slightly disturbed. Obviously, the maid in charge of this room either didn’t do her job thoroughly or she had an aversion to heights. No matter, he plucked the walnut-stained box from its place. At one time, the Grecian carvings had been brushed with gold, but that had mostly faded throughout the years. The box fit into his palm, and gingerly, he removed the lid. Pleasure curled through his gut and a slow grin curved his lips. “I found it!”
A tarnished brass key and a slip of paper rolled into a scroll and tied with a scrap of red ribbon lay inside. He held up the box as all eyes turned toward him. “I believe this is the next clue.”
Annoyance glittered in Andrew’s eyes. His cousin made a gesture with a hand. “Well, come down from there and let’s have it.”
William shook his head. “Perhaps we should return to the drawing room?” The fact he’d won this round against his cousin buoyed his spirits. There was indeed a feel of nostalgia in the air.
“Absolutely not.” Andrew shook his head. “That wastes time. Read it here.” The command in his voice rang with all the authority of the earl.
Isobel fairly vibrated with anticipation as William descended the ladder with the box in hand. “Here, let me read it.”