The simple truth in those words shredded pieces of William’s heart. He had a long way to go in repairing his relationship with his sister, and he hoped to God what happened in the past hadn’t ruined the future.
He threw a frantic look to Andrew. Please help. No wonder his cousin had suffered anguish, among other things, when he’d taken the title. The responsibilities therein coupled with broken bonds with his brothers—to say nothing of his estranged cousins—must have come at a high price. His respect for the earl grew. “If you’d be so good as to examine that painting?”
“Of course.” Andrew cocked an eyebrow, perhaps silently questioning that William was all right. When he nodded, William blew out a breath of relief. “Pardon me, Doctor Marsden, but I’m going to need your assistance.”
The older Marsden brother sprang up from his chair. “Most certainly.”
William followed the men. The rest of the company remained in place but watched the proceedings carefully. He peered at the painting, but there was nothing untoward or out of place in the brushstrokes of the landscape. In fact, the view was that of a portion of the acreage surrounding Hadleigh Hall. Surely his uncle wouldn’t want everyone to trek out to that spot in the blowing snow.
“Let’s lift it off the wall. Perhaps there’s a note glued to the back,” Andrew suggested. Since both he and the doctor were of a height, they had no issue removing the gilt-frame piece and lifting it off the hooks. However, once the painting rested against the wall, a cursory examination didn’t produce a note, hidden or otherwise.
“Buggar,” William said beneath his breath. “What now?”
The countess glided over to stand beside Andrew. “The riddle said look behind. What if it’s not meant for the back of the painting? What if it’s the wall?”
“How interesting.” William stepped past them and ran a hand along the wall where the painting had rested. “It’s smooth. Just… wait.” The blue and ivory striped wallpaper cleverly concealed a panel, perhaps a cupboard of some sort. “See here? The edges of a panel align perfectly with the ivy and stripes in the paper.”
“Press on various parts of it,” Andrew suggested. “There might be a pressure lock.”
Finn had wheeled himself over. “I’ve heard of that. Sometimes ships have cupboards like that to ensure the contents remain in place during transport. Isn’t that so, Brand?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Quite,” his youngest brother confirmed, once he’d wrenched his focus from his wife.
As they talked, William tested various places on the wall. He felt a barely discernable bump beneath a fingertip, and when he pressed it, a panel swung open. Perhaps twelve by eighteen inches, it had been perfectly hidden by the heavy oil painting. Behind the panel, a secret safe waited, built into the wall. If it hadn’t been for that clue, no one would have ever known of its existence.
A collective gasp went through the room.
William glanced about the growing crowd. “Who has the key from the first riddle?”
“I do.” Sarah withdrew the brass key from a small, clever pocket sewn into the waist of her gown. “Here.” She handed it to him while excitement danced in her eyes. “Oh, this is quite splendid! To think we’ll uncover a treasure tonight.”
“Indeed.” When Andrew snaked an arm about her waist, William easily inserted the quaint key into its corresponding lock. It took some wiggling, but the key finally turned, and the click of the mechanism echoed in the sudden silence. His pulse thudded in his ears as he gingerly swung the door of the safe open. “Bloody hell,” he breathed in some awe.
“What’s in there?” Isobel wanted to know.
“An honest to God treasure chest,” Andrew said in a voice filled with reverence. “Or rather a trunk, but it’s no less splendid.”
Finn came a bit closer. “Well, let’s have it out and see what the treasure is.”
“Stand back. We’ll put it on the table by Mother so everyone can see.” William tugged on the tarnished silver handles on either side of the leather-bound trunk that fit snugly inside the safe’s interior. It was the only item inside the hidden nook. By the time he’d hefted the trunk across the room and laid it on the table—his mother hastily removed the tea tray—everyone in the room had clustered about the area. “Let’s see what’s inside.”
“Oh, I hope it’s jewels!” Isobel fairly bounced up and down in her place.
Brand snorted. “Gold would be nice too. It could fund another vessel for my shipping business.”
William cracked open the lid. The hinges gave way with a groan. One of the old leather straps crumbled from age. He sucked in a breath. “It’s nothing but… toys from our childhood.” A mix of disappointment and amusement cycled through his chest. “That is the treasure.”
“What the devil?” Andrew reached a hand into the trunk. He withdrew a tin solider, the paint still bright and fresh as if it had been painted yesterday. “I thought one of my brothers had stolen these,” he whispered and took another few from within the trunk. “I’d received them for Christmas one year. Only played with them a couple of times before they vanished.”
“Ha!” Finn chortled with laughter. “See? I kept telling you that Brand and I were innocent, but you kept raising hell about their disappearance.” He leaned forward in his chair. “What else is in there?”
“Let’s see.” William rooted about the contents. He held up a porcelain doll dressed in the height of last century’s fashion, complete with a white powdered wig. “If I’m not mistaken, this was once Isobel’s.”
“It’s Madame Antoinette!” She pounced, taking the doll from his hand. “Mother wasn’t pleased when I started reenacting the slaughter. I thought it was she who’d removed this from my playthings.”
When Finn rolled over to the table, he sucked in a breath. “Dear God, it’s old Billingsley.” He brought forth a stuffed beagle. The brown velvet “fur” was immaculate, as was the jaunty red collar around its neck. “Uncle gave this to me on my tenth birthday. I’d taken it out with me that summer exploring the acreage and it was lost. I searched weeks for it but never found it.” He cuddled the toy to his chest and then tossed it to Jane with an embarrassed laugh. “Do you think Wellington might want this now?”
“We can see if she’ll be friends.” Her eyes glowed with happiness as she helped to wheel Finn away from the crowding Stormes.