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Her heart beat faster. It would be nice to share a secret with Daniel.
“If we keep them it can only be for a few days,” she said firmly. “You will sketch the coins and I’ll write detailed descriptions and then we’ll present our findings to the museum.”
“Who’s to know if we keep just a few as tribute for our hard work?” Daniel rifled through the coins. “What about this one? Look.” He held it up between his thumb and forefinger. “It’s you, Indy.”
“What do you mean?” She looked closer at the coin he held. Minerva, goddess of wisdom and warfare, standing tall with a spear in one hand, an owl perched on her other hand, and a shield at her feet. “Are you saying that I remind you of a goddess?” she asked teasingly, punching his arm lightly.
“Ha.” He poked her arm with the edge of the coin. “I’m saying you always have your nose in a dusty old book if you’re not fighting with me.”
Very true. Reading was her favorite escape from her father’s unpredictable rages. She liked reading Mr. Shakespeare’s dramas most of all. She imagined herself as an actress portraying Juliet to Daniel’s Romeo, or Cleopatra to his Antony.
She rifled through the slender crescents of temptation.
There was victory in the lopsided curve of Daniel’s smile. He knew he had her. She’d never been able to resist his grin.
“This one should be yours,” she said a little shyly, dropping a coin into his palm.
He examined the coin. “I thought you would choose Hercules,” he teased.
She rolled her eyes. “You wish.” She’d chosen a silver coin showing two clasped hands. “It probably symbolizes a military treaty, or something like that, but I thought... well it reminded me of our... friendship.”
“It’s perfect, Indy.” His gaze locked with hers and there was a new softness in his eyes. He closed his fingers over the two coins.
Her heart warmed as though it hadn’t seen the sun in thousands of years. Happiness clasped her mind... until a strident voice ruined the moment.
“Lady India, you’re covered in filth! Come away this instant.”
“Mother?” India leapt to her feet. “What are you doing here?” Her mother rarely ventured from the house, and she always sent a servant if she needed to fetch her daughter.
Something was wrong.
Daniel jumped up as well. “Your Grace, we were just play—” he began, but the duchess cut him off.
“Not another word. Follow me, both of you.” She caught Daniel’s eye. “Your mother is here to collect you.”
India and Daniel exchanged a look. Something was afoot. He always rode his horse to India’s house. Why had his mother come searching for him?
“What on earth are those?” asked the duchess, gesturing at their treasure trove.
India moved in front of the coins to block her mother’s view. “Just some old counterfeit coins. Probably worthless.”
“Leave them, then.” Her mother made an impatient tsking sound. “Hurry now.”
Daniel knelt and scooped the coins into his handkerchief. India tied the ends of the handkerchief into a knot and thrust the small bundle into the inside pocket of her cloak.
They followed the duchess out of the woods and back toward the house, tracing the long avenue that branched in two around a circular rose garden with a gray marble fountain at its center. Two crows were bathing in the fountain, splashing the water with blue-black wings, but they cawed hoarsely and flew away when the duchess marched past, her blue gown fluttering behind her in the wind that had suddenly arisen.
“Who’s that man?” India asked Daniel in a low whisper. His mother was standing next to an unfamiliar man beside a carriage whose crest she didn’t recognize.
“Father’s friend Sir Malcolm Penny. But I thought he was in France with Father...”
India could tell by the uneven set of Daniel’s shoulders that he was worried.
Sir Malcolm had his arm about the duchess’s shoulders, helping to support her. Daniel’s mother, usually so cheerful and smiling, looked faded and sad.
“Daniel.” She held out her hand. “My dear, dear son.” His mother’s voice caught, and for an awful moment India thought the duchess might burst into tears.
Sir Malcolm gripped her shoulders tighter. “Daniel, come with us now.”
