by Robyn DeHart
Niall downed his drink and then forced himself to take steadying breaths. His stomach rolled with the thought of that bastard laying a hand on his sweet wife. But he couldn’t afford to panic now. Penny needed him. As did young Jonathan. His fingers curled around the glass in his hand, then he fired his arm back and hurled the glass across the room. It shattered against the heavy wood paneling, falling to tiny shards on the floor. Like a million sparkling gemstones, mocking him.
He’d searched every bloody cave that he could get to, and he’d never found anything that resembled a treasure. But he also knew there were more caverns hidden in the depths of that mountain. He only needed to blast his way into them. He was running out of time.
Vanessa still felt the hum of discovery coursing through her as she and Graeme walked back to the cottage. Not only had she discovered her first fossil—she gripped the stone, which sat at the bottom of her bag—but she had come upon another cavern, ripe with potential discoveries. She wanted to tell Graeme about it, but decided it might be best to be more discreet about the exchange of information. She was still quite curious about the notes she’d read in the study.
If she wanted him to give her additional information regarding the treasure hunt and the search for the Stone of Destiny, perhaps her discovery would provide her with some negotiating room.
“What were you doing in there?” Graeme asked.
“Exploring,” she said simply. “I am a scientist. It is in my nature to be curious.”
“And?” he asked, prodding for more information. His eyebrows arched up from his warm green eyes.
“And what?” she said, feigning ignorance.
He actually huffed like a little boy, then released some sort of frustrated growl.
She was annoying him; that much she could tell. There was some small part of her that relished the thought. Childish, she recognized, but still it was there. She knew what he wanted, and she even had something specific to tell him. Something about his own personal interests. But dragging it out was informative and revealing about his character.
“Did you see anything?” he asked slowly through gritted teeth. “Or find anything of interest?”
“Such as?”
“Vanessa, stop playing games with me.” He pulled her close to him. His green eyes bore into her own. “Tell me what you discovered.”
She exhaled slowly. Perhaps she had tested his patience more than was necessary. She kept her gaze on his eyes for a breath, before looking pointedly down at his hands, then back up. He released her. She caught sight of the bloodied shirt piece tied across his injury, and guilt gnawed at her.
“For starters, I came upon a body,” she said. “Though I could not determine precisely how, I decided he must have died a most painful death.”
A heavy frown creased Graeme’s brow. “You’re quite serious.”
“Oh, indeed.” Vanessa began walking again.
“He was dead, though?”
She smiled. “Oh, most decidedly. He had decomposed almost entirely.” When his frown had not resolved, she touched his hand. “It was skeletal remains, Graeme. There is no need for concern. So I suppose I cannot be certain it was a man.” It suddenly occurred to her. “Though he did seem to be wearing trousers. Not to say women don’t on occasion don a pair of pants, but it isn’t common. Unless it is more so here in the Highlands.”
When he said nothing, she said, “Graeme?”
“What?” His brow was still heavily creased.
“Do you suppose it could have been a woman?” she asked.
“It’s doubtful other women have been traipsing about in those caverns,” he said sardonically.
It was a thinly veiled chide, one which she would completely ignore. “I don’t think we can assume that. Scottish women are strong and courageous.” She smiled sweetly.
“You’re not going back into those caves. As soon as the weather allows, you’ll be back on a train to return to London.”
There he went again assuming he could control her behavior. Yesterday at the train station he’d been overbearing and demanding. Trying to send her home. As if he could assert some manner of control over her. And that was before he’d known they were truly married. Honestly.
She stopped short of rolling her eyes. Clearly he had a very specific idea about the rights and duties of a husband. It may take a fair bit of work on her part, but she would have to disabuse him of that notion.
“That is utterly ridiculous,” she said. “I have work to do in those caverns. But for the sake of your argument, why? Because I found a dead body? I can assure you he was long since dead. No harm could have come to me.”
“It’s far too dangerous for you. And no, not simply because of the body.”
“I think I managed just fine today even without your assistance.”
He nodded. “Yes, discovering a skeleton is precisely what every man desires for his wife.”
“So far I have not heard a sound argument. Not only did I discover a fossil today—a perfect one, I might add—but I came upon a new cavern,” she said.
“You went down a new tunnel?”
“No, I found an entirely new cave. There was a hidden passage that led to it.” There, now he knew that if he wanted to find it, he’d need her assistance.
They descended the hill from the castle ruins and skimmed the shoreline of the loch. The cottage was not far, and though she was eager to get back to the cavern for more exploring, Graeme’s wound needed tending.
“What do you mean you found another cavern?” he asked.
“I’m not speaking in riddles. I said precisely what I meant.” Why was it that men assumed women needed help expressing themselves? She’d always said what she meant, how she meant to say it, yet people were always asking her for additional clarification. Vanessa stepped through the gate that Graeme held open for her. The cottage sat in front of them. Smoke billowed from the tops of the chimneys, promising warmth.
“I thought you might find the cavern interesting considering your own research,” she said. Of course she didn’t know for certain that any of those notes had belonged personally to Graeme, but it did seem that, at the very least, he’d been hired to do some investigation in those caves.
He stopped walking and eyed her, his green eyes narrowing. “What research?”
“There’s no need to be so secretive.” Perhaps she had crossed a line reading through that material, but it had been left out in the open in an unlocked study for anyone to read. She waved her hand in front of her dismissively. “Now that we’re married.” There, she could toss that about just as he did.
“Yes, but how do you know I even have research, as you call it?” he asked.
“I read through your notes. In the study.” She shifted her weight, uncomfortable in the cold now that they were no longer moving. “The ones on the Loch Ness treasure.”
He said nothing, but he was listening very carefully to her words.
“And the Stone of Destiny.” Gooseflesh covered her entire body, and her teeth began to chatter.
“Indeed,” was all he said. But she noted a slight twinge along his jawline.
“Could we perhaps go inside and continue this conversation? It is rather frigid out here,” she said. No amount of wool could have stifled the chill that permeated her body, as if her very bones were cold. “Not only that, but I am concerned about your injury. We should get that cleaned and make certain you don’t need stitches.”
He nodded and led them inside and into the very room in question, his study. “Wait here,” he said. He was gone but a moment and then returned with a bowl and some torn pieces of fabric.
Once they were seated and the fire stoked so that the flames spread warmth into the small space, Vanessa continued. “While I might ordinarily think that chasing treasure is a waste of time, it is my understanding that you’ve been commissioned to do this work. At least that is what I gathered the other night.”
“I beg your pardon,” he said. Vane
ssa untied the tourniquet. Graeme removed his shirt, wincing when he pulled the sleeve off his arm.
“When that gentleman came to call upon you, I could hear the conversation.” She picked at her fingernail, the one she’d snagged on the stone. “Small excerpts are truly all I heard, but I put the pieces together later that night when I read through the books and notes. I wasn’t precisely trying to invade your privacy. I’m afraid my curiosity simply got the better of me.” She smiled with a slight wince. “My mother always said it would be my downfall.”
“Reading?” he asked.
“No, my curiosity. But now that you mention it, she probably thought reading as well. She’s from the generation that believes that women are better uneducated. The fewer ideas a woman has, the fewer disagreements she can have with her husband,” she said.
“I see.”
That was all he said. Vanessa was uncertain if that meant he agreed with her mother, that if they were to stay married, he’d prefer that she sit at home and not read or think or speak her mind. But nothing in his demeanor nor words gave her a hint to what he was thinking. She ran the dampened cloth over his injury to wash off the blood. He sucked in a breath through his teeth.
“In any case,” she continued, “back to the subject at hand. I suspect my expertise could prove useful to you.” And perhaps it could, but in all honesty, all he needed was to know where the cave was, and she wanted to show him, if doing so would provide her the additional time in the caverns that she needed. Again she gripped the wrapped fossil that was tucked into her bag. She was eager to get back to her room, wash it up, and spend some time examining it beneath the light.
“Your expertise. Please enlighten me,” he said.
“I believe I’ve mentioned before that I speak and read a number of languages which can be helpful in deciphering ancient texts. I’m rather clever, so figuring out riddles comes easily to me.” She continued to clean his wound as she spoke. It was a rather deep cut that could probably warrant a stitch or two.
“You haven’t yet convinced me,” he said.
At least he was gracious enough to give her an opportunity to make her appeal. In the end, it would matter not what he said; she’d do as she chose. Exploring the caves with him would be infinitely preferable, though, considering he could offer her additional muscle. Not to mention a measure of protection if a spider should appear. Or something more nefarious.
“Do you want me to stitch this up for you?” she asked.
“Have you done that before?”
“No; in fact I’m terrible with a needle and thread, but it didn’t seem the time to discuss one of my weaknesses,” she said.
He smiled. “I’ll get my mother to do it.”
Whether he thought he needed her help or not didn’t matter. “I didn’t want to handle things in this manner, but you leave me no choice. I will not show you the whereabouts of the new cavern I located unless you share details of your research with me.” She held up a hand to ward off his protest. “And if you think to leave me behind, you can rest assured that I will follow you or wander through those caves myself.” She shook her head and did her best to appear innocent, silly even. “And you never know what can happen when a woman is left to her own devices.”
“You think to blackmail me, woman?” Graeme asked.
He released a string of curses that should have had her blushing, but for whatever reason, she found it fascinating. The angrier he got, the thicker his accent became. He rose to his feet. A large, angry Scotsman towered over her.
She came to her feet and did her best to glare up at him. He wouldn’t bully her. She wouldn’t stand for it. “I will do whatever is necessary to continue my research. You,” she poked him in the chest for emphasis, “might be my husband now, but you will not prevent me from doing my work.”
He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. He glared at her for a few seconds before saying, “You could draw me a map.”
“No, I don’t think so.” She moved to stand in front of the hearth. Slowly she rubbed her hands together in front of the flames. “I truly think it would be best if I showed you.” Heat radiated up her arms and warmed her legs through the heavy fabric of her skirt. “That is my price.”
“You think you are clever.” He stood behind her now. He’d moved there so silently, so quickly that she had not heard his approach.
A different kind of heat shimmered over her skin, one that had nothing to do with the flames from the fireplace. Vanessa closed her eyes and fought the urge to lean into the man standing behind her.
“I don’t take kindly to these types of games.” His deep brogue was soft, close to her ear. His hot breath slid over her exposed neck.
Her nipples hardened, and she inhaled a shaky breath. She waited for his touch, but it never came. Instead she felt a draft behind her as Graeme moved to the door.
“Two hours,” he said. “Eat something, rest or whatever it is that ladies need to do, then meet me outside.”
Graeme stepped outside the cottage, the cold winter wind biting into his cheeks. He needed to clear his thoughts. How the devil was he supposed to focus on his bloody work when he had to deal with that woman? She infuriated him. And damned if all he could think about was making love to her, slow and sweet.
He was quickly learning that his duchess would not be controlled no matter what his reasons. She would do as she pleased. So far, she’d managed to keep herself out of too much trouble. Still, he knew he’d have to keep an eye on her.
Hadn’t she just admitted that she’d sneaked into his study and read through not only his notes, but all of the notes that Jensen had given him regarding Niall’s research? Which meant she knew about everything.
Hell, maybe she would prove useful. But he’d been so bloody distracted by her… hell, her hair distracted him, the way the fiery curls hovered around her face begging to be brushed behind her ears. And the way her nose wrinkled when she thought.
Yet she’d faced the sight of a dead body today. Most women would have fainted at the sight of such a thing and needed smelling salts to be awakened. Then they would have had to take to their bed to recover. But Vanessa not only managed to survive the incident on her own, she intended to return. She was not an ordinary lady.
Chapter Ten
Two hours later Graeme walked beside Vanessa, trying to keep his focus on the task at hand. His immediate purpose was to investigate his cousin, but he couldn’t ignore his own interests. Graeme had searched through these caves looking for possible hiding places for the Stone of Destiny. If Vanessa had truly located a new cavern, then he wanted to look around. He was not without his own curiosities.
Vanessa walked next to him. He liked that she was tall. His mind flashed to this morning in the cave when he’d pressed her against the wall and how close her sex had been to his. He’d almost lost control and taken her up against that cavern wall. Certainly not the way to treat a lady. Lust stirred in his loins.
That direction of thinking would not prove useful for this task. He concentrated on the frigid temperatures as they descended the hillside to get to the next. The frost-covered grass and leafless trees formed a barren landscape.
“You read all of my notes?” he asked.
“I did,” Vanessa answered without hesitation. “I heard you speaking with that gentleman outside my door.”
“We weren’t precisely outside your door. We were in the next room.”
She shrugged and smiled broadly. “I might have pressed my ear to the door a few times to amplify the sound.”
“That conversation was really none of your business,” Graeme said.
“Perhaps not, but you did leave the notes out on the desk for anyone who was walking by to see.” She smiled. “Not only that, but I could make the argument that whether or not I dig around in those caves is none of your business,” she said.
“I am your husband, and it is my duty to protect your welfare.”
“Indeed. And I am your wife,
and it is my duty to oversee what happens in my household. Granted that was your mother’s home, but you had a visitor, and his comfort could have fallen to me.” She carefully skirted some slippery stones; the ice atop them shone. “I was listening so intently to ensure he didn’t need anything.”
He hid a smile. He could find no fault with her line of reasoning, even though he knew her argument was weak. “You read the notes on the Loch Ness Treasure,” he said.
“And the research on the Stone of Destiny, which I can only assume is your vocation.”
Her tone revealed nothing about what she thought on the matter. Some people thought treasure hunting was a waste of time, nothing more than chasing a fantasy, but he’d seen evidence to the contrary. A friend found Pandora’s box, and Solomon’s was full of other men who’d discovered hidden treasures. “I have a friend who located the last library of Alexandria,” he said abruptly. Then felt foolish for trying to impress her.
“Truly?” Vanessa asked with interest, her eyes widened. “Now, that is a treasure I would find worthwhile and most interesting. Could you introduce me to him?”
“He’s married,” Graeme said dryly.
“I wasn’t asking you to find me a paramour, Graeme. My only interest would be his scholarly work.”
At that Graeme snorted. “Fielding would never consider himself a scholar. I suspect you might get along famously with his wife, though.” Fielding had always said that Esme had a special knack for finding trouble. He suspected that the two women would get along quite well. Of course, he wasn’t certain that either he or Fielding would benefit from the women’s combined propensity for mischief.