Caroline sighed. “I can see that your mind is made up. “Please be careful. Someone who could do such a thing is capable of doing even worse.”
“I am not afraid,” Magnolia said again. “He has done his worst. What else would he do? He has already hurt me terribly. I don’t see how he can hurt me again.”
* * *
Caroline left about an hour later. Magnolia tried to get some sleep but could not. She wished morning would come and Adam would arrive on time. She couldn’t wait to tell him everything she had been holding inside for so long.
* * *
It took longer than usual for morning to come. Magnolia found herself waking up multiple times, only to discover it wasn’t morning yet.
When she later opened her eyes to the glare of the morning sunlight that brightened her room, she was relieved, and washed quickly before Mrs. Clarke came in that morning to do her usual morning duties.
“Miss Richmond,” the woman greeted. “Hope you had a pleasant night.”
Magnolia nodded. “Yes, I did. Thank you.”
The woman frowned, observing her as she got dressed. “May I ask if you’re going somewhere this morning?”
Magnolia shook her head. “No. I’m not. Why did you ask?”
“You are awake earlier than usual, and you are dressed without my help,” replied the woman.
Magnolia chuckled. “Lord Strickland will be here any moment from now.”
The woman looked surprised and smiled. “You two are on speaking terms! Now, that is a great improvement.”
“We found a common interest,” she replied. “What about my aunt? Is she awake yet?”
“Yes, Miss Richmond. She had to leave for a tea gathering at the Wilcom’s manor.”
Magnolia was surprised at this small stroke of luck. It was actually perfect timing.
A knock sounded on the door. Mrs. Clarke went to get it and found the butler at the door. “Lord Strickland is here,” he said, with a bow.
Magnolia could feel the excitement building up inside her as she heard the announcement. “Thank you. I will be downstairs shortly.”
The man bowed and left.
Unable to wait any further, she left the room and fairly flew down the stairs to where Adam waited in the parlor. “My lord,” she said, sweeping a clean curtsey.
“Magnolia,” he said, walking closer to her. “I am sorry. I came as early as I could.”
“You came at the right time,” she said. “Aunt Dorothy left early, so we should be as discreet as possible. She has no idea of my suspicions.”
“You did not tell her?”
“I told her once, but she didn’t believe me. Even if she did, she wants me to let it go and focus on my marital situation. So, I decided to keep it to myself.”
“I understand. What is it that you want to show me?”
She hesitated and turned to Mrs. Clarke who was standing in the room with them. Magnolia had to be alone with Adam in her father’s room in order to show him the evidence, so she would have to get her maidservant occupied. “Mrs. Clarke?”
“Yes, Miss Richmond?” the woman said, walking closer.
“Could you please help with the breakfast?”
“Yes, Miss Richmond,” she answered, and in a moment was gone to the kitchens.
Magnolia turned to Adam. “Follow me,” she said, leading the way to her father’s study.
* * *
Magnolia opened the study door and she and Adam stepped inside.
“I have a feeling that the information we need, as regards the murderer, is in one of these files.” She pointed to the cabinets.
“You think there are clues in here?” Adam inquired.
“Yes. Exactly my thought,” she replied. “Father and James spent ample time in here. I believe they left enough details about what they had been researching somewhere in one of these files.”
“How do we find these details?”
“We have to search. I am done with this cabinet,” she said, pointing to the first cabinet to their right. “But the other three, I have yet to check.”
“Maybe we can do that together,” he replied, looking at her with a slight smile.
Magnolia smiled back. She liked the sound of that. “Very good. I shall take the first row and you take the other.”
They both moved together to the cabinet and began to go through the files one by one. “What do you suppose your aunt will do when she finds me here?” he asked, jokingly.
“She would be surprised, I daresay; but I hope to have this done before she comes back home,” Magnolia replied.
“How has she not discovered you are keeping things from her?” he said, standing close beside her as they continued examining the files.
“I have been discreet.”
Neither of them spoke for some time – until Adam began to laugh. She frowned, unable to understand what was so funny.
“Do you remember the time we played hide-and-seek and James hid under this table and your father found him before we could?”
Magnolia tried to remember, and then burst into laughter. “Of course, I remember! Father was so furious. He told him never to come here again.”
“I can never forget the look on his face that night. Your father did us a favor by finding him for us.”
Magnolia chuckled at the memory and returned the next file at the exact time that Adam moved to do the same. Their hands bumped into each other and her file dropped, its papers scattering all over the floor.
“I am so sorry,” he quickly said.
“It is quite all right,” she replied, picking up the scattered papers just as he leaned down to help her.
While they were both bent down, picking up the papers on the floor, Magnolia was suddenly aware of how close they were standing to each other.
The faint breeze brought his scent of sandalwood, with the faintest hint of horses and leather, to her nose. The aroma filled her with a hollow ache at the thought of what could happen if one of them leaned a bit closer. She quickly stood up as he picked up the last paper and handed to her.
* * *
Adam Avery, the Earl of Strickland
About thirty minutes later, they were both checking the last row of the last cabinet. So far, they had not come up with anything. Even though it had been a fruitless effort, Adam had enjoyed every bit of it.
Magnolia had been quiet and Adam decided he wanted to make things more lively. Perhaps, they could talk about why she had snubbed him all this time.
“Magnolia?”
“My lord?”
He sighed. He really hated it when she became formal with him. “There is something we ought to talk about,” he stated.
She looked up at him with a frown. “What is that?”
“I’ve been thinking about this. And the more I think, the more confused I am.” Adam closed the file and returned to the cabinet before picking up another. “Magnolia – you will recall the last time you came to my house, some two years ago. What happened on that day to make you cease talking to me?”
Her facial expression went from confusion to surprise. “Nothing happened,” she replied, taking another file.
“We used to be close, you and James and myself. Suddenly you just kept to yourself.”
She smiled. “We were children then. It was normal if one of us chose to stay on their own.”
He smiled. “James said you brought me a gift for my birthday. Why did you not give me the gift?”
Adam knew he had touched a nerve, for she reddened all of a sudden. Yet he continued. “Hartley said he saw you outside, close to my window. He said you dropped something and ran to the carriage, where you refused to come out. Since that time, you stopped talking to me entirely. If we are going to be working together, we must be truthful and remove this discomfort between us.”
* * *
Miss Magnolia Richmond
Many things ran through Magnolia’s mind as she listened to Adam. She knew he was right. Whatever they w
ere doing was important and if they would work together, they would have to be honest with each other.
But what was she supposed to do now? Tell him she’s been infatuated with him for years? And that she caught him kissing Trista?
“Magnolia,” he started again, gazing at her. The way he looked at her was causing several reactions deep inside her body, and she looked away. “I thought my gift was terrible,” she lied. “So, I changed my mind about giving it to you.”
He gasped. “Terrible? You know I would have appreciated it no matter how little it was.” Then Adam stood up and moved closer to her. “I actually looked forward to seeing you that day. It pained me that you did not come in.”
What was he talking about? Magnolia’s heart beat erratically while she pretended to be absorbed in reading the papers of the file she was holding.
“I would not have minded coming to stay with you in the carriage that day,” Adam said. “I did not, but only because of the guests I had to attend to.”
Now she looked up at him. His look enraptured her and the gleam in his eyes sent a flash of heat that traveled from her breasts to down between her legs. Her face flushed and he answered with a cold smile, as if knowing what he was doing to her. He was temptation personified.
“It is all right,” she said, and then shrugged. “Apparently there is nothing in these files that will help us.” Her throat was dry, but she felt she had to change the topic and lessen the tension. Needing a space to breathe, Magnolia walked away from him.
“Where else do you think we might find some clues?” he asked.
“In James' journal .” Magnolia knew that James used to keep a journal when they were younger. She once tried to take a peek into it, but he caught her and changed where he hid it.
“James kept a journal?” Adam asked, looking surprised.
“Yes. You did not know?”
He shook his head.
“We must find it. I think it is our last chance at finding this evil man who wanted so much to silence my family that he went to the point of planning their deaths!”
Chapter 14
Miss Magnolia Richmond
“As you said, let us hope we find the journal in time,” Adam said. Together he and Magnolia descended the stairs just as Aunt Dorothy came in.
“Oh, Adam!” she said, looking at them both suspiciously. “I did not know you were coming. I would have stayed behind to give you a….”
“It is all right, madam,” Adam chuckled. “I only came to see how Miss Richmond is faring.”
Magnolia exchanged a look with her aunt.
“That was very thoughtful of you,” said Aunt Dorothy. “You are leaving so soon?”
“Yes, Miss Richmond. I have been here for a while,” Adam replied. “Besides, the physician will be coming later today, and I would like it very much if he meets me at home.”
“But, may I ask why you came unannounced? It does feel rather strange. I hope all is well?” Aunt Dorothy asked.
Magnolia was about to speak but Adam beat her to it. “I was only passing by and I could not resist saying a ‘hello.’”
“Oh, I see. In that case, do send my warmest regards to your mother.”
“I shall,” he said, kissing her on the cheek before leaving.
Magnolia saw him off to his carriage but before he got in, he turned to her. “I enjoyed my time with you,” he said. “I do hope we can do it again some time. I hope you will not mind if I come see you again. Perhaps sometime next week?”
She smiled and nodded. “Of course, my lord.”
“Good. Do take care of yourself. Be careful and please, stay safe.”
Magnolia nodded, and then waited until he got into the carriage before returning to the house. Once inside, she met her aunt who was still waiting expectantly in the parlor.
“Aunt Dorothy, how was your meeting? I hope it went well?”
Her aunt nodded. “Yes, it certainly did. So,” she went on, walking closer to Magnolia with a peculiar look. “It is so good to see you and Adam talking again. But where is Mrs. Clarke? I expected her to be in there with you.”
“Yes, of course, Aunt Dorothy. I asked her to tend to breakfast.”
“I see. Well, I do hope all is well. I must say it is strange how Adam would come in without announcing first.”
Magnolia sighed. Clearly, her aunt had been observant enough. “Lord Strickland called because he and James were friends, and he was here only to check on me as his friend’s sister.”
“I am not saying otherwise,” her aunt continued with a smile. “It is just good to see you on friendly terms. I hope we get to see him more often.”
Magnolia gasped. “Aunt Dorothy! How did you know about that?”
Her aunt laughed. “I know everything that has been going on in this house.” She moved closer and put a hand on Magnolia’s shoulder. “Be kind to Adam. I think he is quite infatuated with you, if not outright in love. But I doubt if he knows about that.”
Magnolia was speechless. That was impossible! She watched as her aunt walked towards the stairs. “However, Magnolia, due keep in mind proper manners when you and Adam are together, especially when you are not in this manor,” her aunt warned as she when up the stairs.
Suddenly Magnolia felt confused. It was impossible that Adam had an infatuation for her, much less love. She was the one who had been nursing feelings for him all this while. It must be that her aunt just couldn’t see that.
The butler walked in. “Miss Richmond, Miss Johnson is here.”
Perfect! She badly needed to speak to someone. “Bring her in, please.”
The butler walked away and a moment later, Caroline came in. “Is everything all right?” she asked, on seeing Magnolia’s face. “You look like someone who is greatly troubled. What has happened to you?”
“You came at the perfect time, dear friend,” Magnolia replied. “You will not believe who just left!”
Caroline frowned before sitting beside her. “Who did?”
“Adam.”
Her friend gasped. “So, he did come, just as he said he would.”
“Yes. And you would not believe all the things he said to me, nor what Aunt Dorothy had to say as well.”
“I do not understand. What could his lordship have said, aside the same thing you two have been talking about?”
“Aside that, we bonded during the little time we spent together …” Magnolia smiled, standing up. “I found him less snobbish and more admirable. He was really quite nice and showed a deep concern for my safety.”
“You are blushing, Magnolia,” she teased.
“No. I am not,” she insisted, though she could feel the hotness in her cheeks.
“Your face is red. You still like him, do you not?”
Magnolia couldn’t deny it. She was still very attracted to him. “He said the most confusing thing. He asked why I couldn’t give him the gift I brought for him on his birthday those years back.”
Caroline looked surprised. “He asked you that?”
She nodded.
“And what did you say?”
“I had no choice than to give him a flimsy excuse. Then he said…” She stopped, smiling. “He said he would not have minded spending time with me in the carriage if not for the guest that was around.”
Caroline smiled. “That is so sweet. But what did Aunt Dorothy say, and how did she know about your conversation?”
“She came in when he was just on his way out. She said I should be nicer to him.
“Did she, now. What is your aunt’s conclusion about the two of you?”
“She believes Lord Strickland has had an infatuation for me for a long time – and that it is possible he is not aware of it.”
Caroline gasped. “Do you believe that?”
“Of course not. We both know that is not true.”
“But did you at least think of the possibility?”
“No, because it is not possible. He is not infatuated with me, Caroline. I am
the one who has – who has had such feelings for him, all these years.”
Caroline took in a sharp breath while Magnolia returned to her seat. “I must say, though, that I agree with your aunt. I should not be surprised if he does indeed have ‘such feelings’ for you in return.”
Magnolia shook her head. “That’s preposterous. Enough talk about Adam! Come, there is something you must help me with.”
A Mysterious Quest of a Seductive Lady: A Regency Historical Romance Novel Page 10