Darcy waited until Elizabeth was seated before he joined her. “He does not need to watch theMary Catherinedirectly since he can easily learn where we are headed from the Port Authority. It is possible that he waited until we departed and then joined the next ship bound for Athens. If that vessel did not stop in Messina, he may already be here.”
“Or his captain was not as wise as ours, which could have positioned him in the path of the French,” Her father suggested. “There are too many variables, I fear.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam glanced at Prudence, his gaze protective. “We need to discuss security protocols that we will maintain from now until after Alexandria.” Elizabeth caught a glimpse of his pistol beneath his coat. “From this point forward, we trust no one outside our immediate party. Darcy, are you armed?”
His cousin nodded and touched the knife at his belt.
“Good. Miss Bennet, Mrs. Bell, you must stay within sight of one of us at all times. No wandering off, even in daylight.”
“Very good, sir,” Elizabeth agreed, and Prudence nodded.
“I suggest that Darcy and I hire men the captain deems trustworthy to stand guard over us while we search for the next clue. They will have a thorough description of Wickham.”
Everyone saw the wisdom of his suggestion.
“Now then, let us turn our attention to our quest,” her father said, his voice vibrating with excitement. He opened his journal to the words of the clue they had found in Rome.“Where the Lyceum’s heir taught kings, and wisdom walked in covered halls, the merchant of words left his final gift. Seek the owl’s blessing where philosophy was born.”
Darcy leaned back. “Time is not on our side.”
Her father nodded. “I agree. Thus, it behooves us to share ideas and plan where we will go first when we step foot on land.”
“‘The Lyceum’s heir’ must refer to Aristotle.” Darcy’s brow furrowed in concentration. “He inherited Plato’sphilosophical tradition, though he founded his own school.”
Her father’s face was bright with scholarly fever. “Quite right. And Aristotle taught kings, most notably Alexander the Great. I suspect that the reference tocovered hallslikely indicates the Lyceum itself, or one of the other schools nearby. So that is where we start.”
Elizabeth’s mind raced through possibilities, her pen moving rapidly across her journal as she recorded every thought, every connection. “The owl is Athena’s symbol, so we are seeking something connected to the goddess of wisdom. But the city is likely full of owls and statues of Athena. How do we narrow our search?”
Prudence was apologetic. “Unfortunately, I can offer little assistance with Athens. I have been to Piraeus several times, but Athens remains largely unexplored territory for me.”
They were so close, and Elizabeth felt an urgency that surprised her. When had finding these clues become so desperately important to her?
No doubt it had come from the mention of Mr. Wickham.
28
The morning sun painted the Greek coastline in brilliant gold when Elizabeth set foot on the ancient stones of Piraeus harbor. Every nerve in her body seemed electrified by the proximity to Athens.
The warm, dry air carried scents of herbs, olives, fruit, and the smells common to a busy port. The light was more intense. The shadows were deeper. The very atmosphere hummed.
A sharp tug on her reticule sent shock racing through Elizabeth. Her head snapped around in time to see a young man sprinting away through the crowd, her small bag tucked under his elbow.
“Stop thief!” The words tore from her throat before she could think—and then the reality of her mistake crashed over her. Tommy’s warnings echoed in her mind, making her stomach clench with shame and anger at her own carelessness.How could she have been so stupid?
“Let him go,” she managed, catching Darcy’s armwhen he started forward. “He will be long gone before anyone can catch him.”
“Was anything of value in your purse?” The colonel’s concern only intensified her embarrassment.
“Very little, thankfully.” Elizabeth was shaking, not from the theft but from how easily it had happened. “A few coins, a comb, and a handkerchief. Nothing of real value.” She pulled her journal to her chest. Thank heavens, that was not the target of the thief.
Darcy paled with what looked like self-recrimination. “The fault is mine. I should have been more vigilant about your safety.”
“Nonsense,” Elizabeth replied, though his protective fury sent warmth through her. “I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. I simply became complacent.”
As their carriage rolled toward Athens, Elizabeth found she could not shake the incident from her mind. If she could be caught off guard so easily in broad daylight, what other dangers might she face in their increasingly urgent quest?
Before noon,George Wickham adjusted his ragged coat and straightened his shoulders as he approached theMary Catherine’sgangway. His timing was perfect. Early enough, the treasure hunters would be on their way to Athens, and late enough that the crew would be alert and working.
“Good morning!” he called to the boatswain with confidence. “I am George Wickham, an old friend of Mr. Darcy and the Bennets.”
