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‘So I am,’ Elinor said. ‘But it is much better now.’ It seemed politic to move to Theo’s side. ‘You found your way down here all by yourself? How clever, I would be lost in an instant if it were not for Leon. Shall we go back the way you came?’ She tucked her hand under his elbow, looking back over her shoulder at the count. Faintly, there was the sound of a low growl, then she realised it was Theo. Her smile was becoming somewhat fixed, she realised, urging Theo in the direction of the door. ‘I’ve found something,’ she hissed. ‘Can we please get out of here?’
He had taken a shorter route and they emerged through a door into the inner courtyard of the chateau. The countess and Mademoiselle Julie were sitting in the shade, sewing. Elinor felt their speculative scrutiny and moved closer to Theo. ‘How wonderfully atmospheric!’ she exclaimed. ‘Thank you so much, Count. I have to confess I would have been terrified to find myself down there alone—those spiders.’ She gave an exaggerated shudder. ‘Now I had better go and help Mama again. Theo, could you come and carry my easel, please? I left it in my room.’
When they reached the door she pulled him in, ignoring his protests about propriety and the damage she was doing to his sleeve. ‘Theo, I think I know where it might be.’
‘Sit over there.’ He pointed a long finger at the window seat and took a stool by the door. ‘If Aunt Louisa comes in, I want to be at a very safe distance from you. Now, tell me, what have you been doing, besides making love with the count.’
‘I have not,’ she began indignantly.
‘The back of your gown is dusty, there is a slight red mark on your cheek. He needs to shave twice a day if he is kissing women.’
‘He did kiss me, but that is all.’ She had nothing to feel defensive about. Theo was not her guardian, certainly not her brother. Which was how he was sounding.
‘Lying down?’
‘I tripped. Theo, listen. You know I went down there with him to explore, so stop being so…sanctimonious. And why should I not kiss him if I want to? He is a very attractive man.’
Theo seemed to be counting silently. Eventually he said, ‘So what have you discovered?’
‘The room where you found us is very strange. Did you notice?’ He shook his head and she felt a strange twinge of satisfaction that he had been so focussed on her. ‘Look at the plan.’ Her copy was still spread on the table and she went to trace her route. ‘See? Like a chapel, with lots of deep alcoves, like side chapels. And there are rings on the walls.’ She felt herself go pale and kept talking. ‘And a low platform, like an altar, with rings at all four corners. That’s what I fell back on to and I realised that it was probably used for…for…’
Standing on the other side of the table, looking down at the plan, Theo’s face was grim. He probably knew, far better than she in her inexperience, the sort of activities that room had witnessed. ‘You think it would be the place to hide the Chalice?’
‘Surely there would have been somewhere to keep the silver and so forth, in the days when it was in use?’
‘I think you are right. And look, the chamber is almost directly below the servants’ lodgings.’ He tapped a finger thoughtfully on the curling edge of the parchment. ‘What do you think—someone searching, or someone checking it is still there?’
‘Checking,’ Elinor said, uncertain why she was so sure. ‘What time shall we go tonight?’
‘We?’ Theo raised an eyebrow. Elinor mimicked him, earning herself a grin. ‘You are not going anywhere, certainly not down into nasty, spider-infested dungeons.’
‘Theo, if we don’t go together, then I will go by myself,’ she warned.
She thought he muttered, ‘Give me strength.’ Then, ‘Very well. I will collect you at two. If you scream at spiders, I’ll gag you.’
‘Yes, Theo,’ Elinor murmured with mock meekness. She liked the way he did not try to order her to do things simply because he said so—or, at least, he did try ordering her, but when she refused he did not bluster and get indignant, which she had observed was so often the male way when confronted with obdurate females.
Theo began to fold the paper and she watched his hands, wondering why she had an ache inside. He folded it meticulously, with exaggerated care, running his thumb down the creases, then standing with it in his hands, looking at it. Then he tossed it on to the table, took three long strides around it to her side and pulled her against him with one arm around her shoulders.
‘Did he frighten you?’ he asked, his voice gruff.
‘No.’ She shook her head, certain. ‘No, it was very odd. There was something about that chamber, the atmosphere. When he kissed me I felt nothing from him, but I did feel fear—almost as though it was another woman’s emotions.’ Elinor gave an exaggerated shiver. ‘Foolishness.’
‘Perhaps.’ Theo kept hold of her. She felt a pressure on the top of her head as though he rested his cheek there. ‘Something is ve
ry wrong in this place, Nell, but I do not think it is ghosts from the past.’
Elinor let herself lean, indulging herself, realising that it was an indulgence and that revealed some truth about her feelings. And suddenly she did not care. Perhaps she was in love with him. What if she was hurt? Perhaps it was better to feel strong emotions than to go through life on a safe, dull, even keel. She lifted one hand and laid it on Theo’s chest, just above his heart, feeling the strong beat pulse through her.
Yes, said the voice in her head. Yes, he is the one. At last.
‘Nell? Are you all right? You sighed.’ He let her go, setting her back a pace and holding her by the shoulders to look into her face. ‘You know, you are damnably pretty in that colour.’
‘For which you may take all the credit,’ she said, making light of it. ‘I freely acknowledge that my wardrobe was full of dreadful gowns. But you should not lie to me, Theo—I am not pretty.’
‘No, you aren’t, are you?’ He frowned at her. ‘That’s too lightweight a word. I am no sure what you are, I will have to think about it.’ He bent, kissed her on the lips with a fleeting pressure and turned abruptly to the door.
‘Theo!’ It came out as a somewhat strangled gasp, but at last she could still articulate. It hadn’t been a proper kiss. It had been, she supposed, just a friendly gesture. No doubt he had got whatever desire he had felt for her out of his system with that kiss in the study and now she was just a friend to be reassured, and protected from the count. ‘My easel? Mama will be waiting.’
