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Courtney's reasoning annihilated them all. If what her friend suggested was true, Julian might be taken aback, even unnerved by her declaration of love; but ultimately he would need that love, rely upon it as his foundation while he sought not only the missing stone, but an internal peace both he and his past had wrested away.
Groaning, Aurora swung her legs over the side of the bed and tossed back her thick mane of hair.
Hell and damnation, Courtney was right.
With that woeful admission she rose, an ironic smile curving her lips. Love obviously did change a person. For the first time, deferral had seemed infinitely more appealing than candor.
Crossing over to the wardrobe, Aurora pulled out one of the few gowns she'd left behind for those times she visited Pembourne—a welcome fact, given that the dress she'd worn yesterday was torn beyond repair. She washed and dressed hastily, her thoughts now veering in a completely new direction.
Julian had never come to bed. That could mean but one thing: that he and Slayde were still in the library, poring over James's books in the hopes of finding the one from which the hidden page had been torn.
And she wanted to be there when they found it.
Running a brush through her hair, she glanced briefly at her reflection in the looking glass, then dashed out the door, through the hallway, and down the stairs.
She burst into the library.
"What have you found…?" Breaking off, she stared about in amazement. The library shelves were three-quarters bare, the floor piled high with volume after volume of discarded texts. Amid the debris sat Slayde and Julian—Slayde slouched in an armchair, Julian sprawled on the settee. Each of them had an open book spread across his lap, and each of them looked up red eyed when she entered.
"Nothing." Julian snapped shut the book he held, raking a frustrated hand through his hair. "Not one damned thing, that's what we've found. Countless books on falcons, dozens that specifically pertained to the merlin and the kestrel—not one that was missing a page."
"You both look like death." Aurora crossed over, plucking the book from her husband's hands. "Did you get any sleep at all?"
"No." Slayde's tone was equally curt, his stare glazed and disoriented. "What time is it anyway?"
"Morning. Or hadn't you noticed the sunlight peeping through the windows?"
"I'm not in a lighthearted mood, Aurora." Her brother flung down the volume he'd been reading, rising unsteadily to his feet. "So don't try to be amusing."
"I'm not." Aurora turned on her heel and walked out.
Returning a few minutes later with a steaming tray, she announced, "Cook is preparing an early breakfast and two more pots of coffee—one for you and one for the staff. I pleaded your case to everyone in the kitchen. Once the servants heard the sorry state you were in from working all night, they insisted you take the first pot of the day." She lowered the tray to a sideboard, pouring two full cups. "Here." She handed a cup to each of them. "This will soothe your foul tempers and make you far easier to live with."
"I doubt that," Slayde muttered, taking an appreciative gulp. "But thank you."
"You're welcome." She turned to Julian and watched him down the entire cup. "Better?"
"Much. Thank you, soleil." He set down the saucer, rubbed the back of his neck. "We've covered almost the entire library. We also searched the study and several of the salons, just in case James stored the book elsewhere. It's nowhere to be found."
"Nowhere you've yet looked," Aurora corrected. "James didn't go to all the trouble of concealing that page in a buried strongbox for nothing. We just haven't stumbled on the right location yet. We will. Or rather, I will." She folded her arms across her breasts. "Julian, neither you nor Slayde is in any condition to continue. You can scarcely see, much less concentrate. I, on the other hand, have had a hot bath—which you sorely need after our digging expedition—two plates of food, and several good hours of sleep. I want you both to follow suit: eat the breakfast Cook is preparing, soak in the tubs I'll have sent up, and go to sleep. Not for the entire day," she added hastily, seeing her husband's oncoming protest. "Just for a few hours, until your body has recouped enough strength to push on." She touched his unshaven jaw. "Julian—please."
An odd look crossed Julian's face, and he nodded slowly. "Very well—but only for a short time."
Aurora flashed him an impish grin. "I promise to awaken you if I discover anything significant," she teased, parroting his vow of last night.
Julian's lips curved. "That puts my mind at ease." His lips brushed her palm before he turned away. "Come, Slayde. We've received our orders."
Slayde hesitated, glancing restlessly toward the bookshelves.
"Don't even consider it, my love." It was Courtney's voice, her tone adamant as she entered the room. "If Aurora hasn't convinced you, then allow me. Should you decide to push yourself further, without food or sleep, I shall be forced to romp about the grounds with Tyrant, stroll to the lighthouse and visit with Mr. Scollard, and prune the flowers in the conservatory—all of which I'm perfectly capable of doing, albeit at a slower pace, but have foregone over the past month due to your incessant worry." She gave him a beatific smile. "Shall I tell Siebert I'll be exercising Tyrant this morning?"
"You made your point." Slayde shot her a warning look. "You stay put. Julian and I are on our way to the dining room."
"I'm glad to hear that."
Courtney and Aurora waited until the men had stalked off before they dissolved into laughter.
"Slayde turned sheet white when you suggested dashing about with Tyrant," Aurora commended. "I think he would have agreed to anything to keep you and the babe in the manor."
