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Jarvis faced the stairs to watch below.
Stockton’s desk had been cleared and the drawers locked. Simon withdrew the picks he’d brought, then motioned for Miles to bring the light closer. He hadn’t picked many locks, and it took several minutes for him to release the drawer.
“Why don’t you look through the contents while I try my hand at the next one?” Miles suggested.
Simon handed him the pick and stepped aside to page through the papers. “Nothing of interest in this one,” he whispered. Perhaps this mission would prove to be a waste of time. He put the papers back in the position he’d found them and started on the next pile from the drawer Miles had already managed to open.
In this stack, he found an unsigned letter that referenced a meeting, which was curious as it didn’t specify any names. He sighed in frustration. Discovering more questions did him little good. He needed something definitive that either cleared Stockton or incriminated him.
The rest of the drawers yielded nothing. Disappointed, Simon considered his options while Miles re-locked the drawers.
“Let us check the storage area before we leave,” Simon suggested.
“Excellent idea,” Miles agreed with a nod.
Simon led the way down to the first level, then along the corridor to the rear of the house, and took the stairs that led to the kitchen, where incoming exhibits were uncrated. The room was eerie in the dark with odd shadows that caused him to glance about warily.
Simon was surprised by the number of crates stacked in the space. Though new Incan artifacts had arrived, they had already been unpacked. “Help me look in a few of these crates,” he directed Miles.
Jarvis held the light aloft while they set a crate on the floor and pried off the lid. Straw packing filled the interior, which Simon moved aside. The crate seemed to be empty. But in the very bottom corner, Simon found a small gold statue. Had someone been so careless as to leave it inside?
“Let’s check another.” To his dismay, an item had also been left in that crate. The next one as well. They were Egyptian, so hadn’t been part of the Incan shipment. Why were they there?
“Odd.” Miles studied Simon. “Is there a possible explanation?”
“Other than sloppy work?” Simon couldn’t believe the staff was so inept as to not completely unpack not just one crate but two. He stared at the last crate, puzzled by the situation, only to have a stamped number on the side catch his eye. It seemed familiar. Awareness dawned as he realized it was similar to the ledger paper he’d examined earlier in the day on Stockton’s desk. What was going on?
Chapter Twenty
Norah wiped awayhappy tears as she and Lena, both bridesmaids, watched Ella and Marbury say their vows to each other in the church the next morning.
Ella looked positively radiant in an understated white silk gown with a train, both trimmed in lace and embellished with seed pearls. She wore a tiara of orange blossoms with a fine lace veil. She looked exactly as a bride should.
Marbury was tall and handsome with his dark hair. His elegant attire included a white waistcoat as well as a white rose secured in his lapel. They truly made the perfect couple, both in looks as well as demeanor. The pair gazed at each other with such tender regard, their love obvious. They spoke the vows with a solemn certainty that tugged at Norah’s heart.
“Mother and Father would be happy, don’t you think?” Lena asked while they waited for the newly married couple to sign the register after the ceremony with their grandfather looking on.
The question was one they had all pondered since their arrival in London. Given the fact that their parents had left this life and everything it offered behind, none of them were completely sure.
For a time, Ella had felt as if they’d undone all their parents had wanted by coming to London. But the difficult circumstances had given them little choice. With their father gone and little money, there had been nothing left for them on Oak Island.
“I think so,” Norah replied. “Above all, they would’ve wanted us to be happy.”
“Are you happy?” Lena asked.
Norah turned to face her in time to see a shadow cross her sister’s face. “For the most part. Are you?”
“At times.” Lena frowned. “It’s just that I don’t feel as if I belong here yet.”
Norah placed an arm around Lena. “I know. I feel that at times as well. It’s not home.” Yet she had to admit that since meeting Simon, she’d felt more settled.
Lena looked almost relieved at her admission. “Exactly. It is very nice, and I enjoy parts of our life. But…”
“It’s difficult to describe, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Lena’s gaze sought Ella and Marbury again. “I worry if that feeling will grow worse with Ella gone.”
“She’s not really leaving,” Norah said, though she knew exactly what Lena meant. “Still, it won’t be the same without her in the house.”
