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Icy fingers crept up her spine. Fox was near, she sensed it. Apparently she didn’t need the shadow of the raven to warn her anymore. His interest was warning enough.
Her hackles rose, her blood pumping fast.
“And keep an eye out for that damn harridan of a guide,” Cullen added. “If I’m caught doing this there’ll be trouble. They’ll claim what I’m looking for is theirs, but it’s never been part of this estate.”
She was none the wiser about what he was up to, and panic was beginning to set in. Where had Eben and Rowena gone? Did they sense Fox’s presence too?
Cullen stepped to the right, then to the left, dodging and shifting as he eyed the wood panels with consideration. He seemed to be counting the panels, and then he reached out to touch one panel with his hand. He rapped it with his knuckles, then the one next to it, taking a quick glance down the hallway to where the tour had gone. The rapping sound on the second panel was hollower.
“I hope I get this right,” he murmured. He shut his eyes and put his head back as if appealing to the heavens. “Let it work.”
Sunny stared in awe as he pressed the panel in the bottom left corner, applying pressure and watching with his eyes gleaming as the panel slowly squeaked opened and turned on a central axis.
“Amazing,” he whispered. “It worked, even after all this time.” He reached into the open slot and withdrew a long leather wrap, as big as his forearm. “Look,” he said, blowing the dust off its surface and unrolling the bulging object against one arm.
She watched, mesmerized, as he revealed the contents of the leather wrap and, on each turn, another clutch of jewels slid out of its folds. “I don’t understand, what is it?”
“It was my mother’s.” He stared down at an exquisite necklace, his thoughts a million miles away. “My mother’s jewels, her inheritance.”
She glanced over her shoulder, wondering what the hell would happen if the tour guide caught them.
“My father didn’t want her to wear them,” Cullen continued. “He gave her muc
h more beautiful and valuable things, but to her, these jewels meant the world, they were her mother’s before her.” He looked at her, seeking her understanding, and his expression was heavy with emotion. “She showed them to me when I was a lad, maybe nine years old. I was the second son, I wouldn’t inherit all this.” He nodded up, indicating the house. “She wanted to hide these away for me, for my future...should I choose to make my own path...Sunny, this is for us.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s meant to be, all of this.”
“But Cullen, this will belong to the owners of the house now.”
“No, it doesn’t,” he argued. “We’ll share it, if that’s what you want, but my mother wanted me to give them to my woman, to my wife.”
Wife? Her heart constricted as his words sank in.
“I want you to be my wife.”
“Wife?” She shook her head. “You mean you’ll stay with me?”
He gave a disbelieving laugh. “Sunny love, there’s never been any doubt about that. Now, please, say you’ll be mine.”
Sunny stared at him.
“Say you’ll be mine,” he demanded.
“But what about Celeste? The magic?”
“I don’t care how it happened. She was right, we were meant to be together. I want you, forever.”
Her heart bloomed with joy. “Yes. Yes, I’m yours, but Cullen...are you sure? Really sure? I couldn’t bear it if you changed your mind.”
“I’m sure. Don’t fret.” He smoothed her hair back and she could see the deep, honest contentment in his expression. “Fox can’t keep us apart if we are betrothed.”
Sunny shook her head. “I’m afraid we have to be realistic. It won’t matter to Fox.” Inwardly, she groaned. Cullen’s intentions were pure and loyal, but it would mean diddly-squat to Fox, and if her senses were to be relied upon, he wasn’t far away.
She was about to say more, to warn him, but the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor toward them. I’m not ready, she thought frantically, fearing it would be the viscount.
The guide appeared around a corner, hunting them down.
