Page 74 of Four Promises to Love

“I ate a blackberry.”

Finn felt foolish lying—and even more foolish for succumbing to vanity. Yet her disguise as Madame Seraphina was beginning to take its toll. She yearned to wear something other than the oppressive black bombazine…to be more herself again.

“Hmm,” was Tansy’s reply.

Finn hoped the rest of her gang wasn’t planning on subjecting her to the Spanish Inquisition. She knew they questioned her plan for this evening—but it was a sound decision. And she was the leader, wasn’t she? It was her job to steer the ship.

Entering the attic, she saw that everyone was at the table, a bowl of fresh-picked plums in the middle. To her annoyance, Caleb had taken the head seat. She strode to the seat at the opposite end where she remained standing, gripping the back of the chair.

“What’s this about?” she said coolly. “I have to get ready for tonight’s mission.”

“You are not going on a mission,” Caleb spat. “You are prancing off to a bleeding rendezvous with that toff!”

Finn forced herself to take a breath. “As I explained at Bottoms House, I am following a clue. Weren’t you listening?”

“I bloody well was, and what I heard was that, on the pretense of searching for the next clue, you and that lord are enjoying a cozy tryst by the stream.”

“It is not a pretense,” she said through gritted teeth. “The clue clearly says to look where the water runs pure. The stream is the logical next place to search. And don’t forget that was where Gigi and Owen found the Mulligans’ marriage license. Which could refer to the together and unafraid part of the clue—since Rose and Thomas made a fearless decision to be joined at the end.”

Caleb crossed his arms. “That doesn’t justify you and that cove going there alone.”

“How am I supposed to look for the jewels with the entire Harrington clan looking over my shoulder?” she asked pointedly. “I said that I needed to go alone to commune with Rose, but Owen insisted on providing an escort. To put up a fight would draw suspicion. If I find something, there’s a good chance that I can nab it on the sly if he’s the only one around.”

“You would do that?” Caleb sneered. “Steal the stash from under your sweetheart’s nose?”

“He is not my sweetheart.” As she said it, she felt a flutter in her chest—which she ignored. “But he knows where the marriage license was hidden, and he knows the woods better than anyone. He will prove of use.”

“That still doesn’t explain the sudden care you’ve taken with your appearance.” Caleb narrowed his gaze. “Is that lip dye you’re wearing?”

Oh, for God’s sake.

“I am your leader.” She gave him her hardest stare. “No matter how much you covet the position, Iris gave the job to me. If you challenge me, you challenge her. Is that what you want?”

Righteous anger blazed on his pale face. For a heartbeat, she thought he might do it—that he might make a grab for power here and now. She kept her gaze fierce, daring him to try.

Curling his hands on the table, he dropped his eyes.

“Saving Iris is what matters,” he muttered. “You remember that.”

“I am hardly going to forget.” With the crisis narrowly averted, she released a breath. “We must all work together. While I investigate the stream, the rest of you have another assignment.”

“Does it involve the bashing of heads?” Tansy lifted two plums from the bowl, smashing them together.

“No head bashing,” Finn said sternly.

Then she sighed, passing a handkerchief to Tansy, who was busy licking plum juice from her fingers.

“I want you to have a look at the spa tonight,” Finn went on. “The duchess mentioned that the water there is known for its purity and that she saw Rose and Thomas there in her visions. It is possible that the clue refers to the spa rather than the stream.”

“That is a good idea,” Nell said. “We cover all contingencies.”

“But you must take care during your visit. Miss Letty, the spa’s owner, lives in a cottage at the back of the property, and you must not alert her,” Finn warned.

“We aren’t babes,” Caleb said sulkily. “We know how to break into a place without getting caught.”

“How many clues do you think there are before we find the treasure?” Nell asked.

“I don’t know.” Finn gnawed on her lip. “But I will send word to Carver of our progress. Hopefully, this latest clue will appease him.”