Page 77 of His Wicked Charm

After a long, uncomfortable silence, Sir Jasper said, “Yes, well...um...then I shall bid you good-night and leave you to...your work.” His eyes flickered over the opened cabinet, the books piled on the floor and the objects Con had discarded on the desk.

Turning on his heel, he left the room. The other three stood, listening to the ring of his retreating footsteps until they were gone. Lilah relaxed, letting out a sigh.

“I must say,” Aunt Vesta offered. “It seems most peculiar that Sir Jasper is sneaking about the house in the dark.”

“I think he hopes one day to be master here,” Con replied.

“Is that why he’s here?” Aunt Vesta asked. “I wondered. I suppose Helena encouraged his suit. I can’t imagine why. He hasn’t the slightest interest in anything but the mundane.” She shrugged. “Of course, neither does Helena. Your mother was always so much livelier. No, no, dear, no need to fire up.” She waved a dismissive hand as Lilah frowned. “I know she is your beloved aunt.”

Lilah heard the faint stress on the word beloved. She wondered if Vesta was jealous of Aunt Helena. Had Vesta really expected to pick up with Lilah where she left off, after all these years?

“How did you know we were in trouble?” Con asked.

“I actually did look out the window and saw the light. I knew it must be you. Then I heard Sir Jasper going down the stairs, so I followed and saw him disappearing into the old wing. Well, I guessed he must be coming here to investigate, so I cut across the courtyard. I thought I might beat him here, but, my! Those stairs!” She placed her hand over her heart dramatically. “I’m not the slip of a girl I used to be.”

Con, as expected, gallantly protested her statement. “Those stairs would lay anyone low.”

“Have you found anything?” Vesta asked, looking around.

“A book,” Con told her. “Did your father never discuss his beliefs about the old gods and such?”

“He may have.” She frowned in thought. “I remember him talking about old legends. King Arthur and Merlin. The Holy Grail. He used to speak very reverently about a goddess. Once he told me that this tor was sacred. He said we drew our life from it. He meant the channels of energy in the earth of course, but I didn’t realize that until later. He often spoke of the miracle of his cure.”

“Do you know how that happened exactly?” Lilah asked. “What was wrong with him?”

“He had a terrible, long-lasting fever when he was young, and the doctors told him it had damaged his heart. He had...attacks of some sort.”

“Heart attacks?”

“No, not his heart stopping. He said his heart would ‘go mad.’ Sometimes it skipped and other times it pounded so hard and fast, he feared it would explode. He didn’t say how he was cured. He would just say that he went ‘to the heart of the tor,’ and it gave him back his heart. That was when he told me the tor was sacred and that our family’s life comes from it.” She looked at Con. “Do you think that’s where the key goes? To this place that’s ‘the heart of the tor’?”

“I would think so,” Con agreed.

“He never said anything specific about where it was located? Inside the house? On the grounds?” Lilah pressed.

Vesta shook her head. “Not that I remember. I was still quite young when he died. He may have discussed such things with Virgil. But Virgil had just married your mother, so of course he was much more interested in love.”

“Unfortunately, the book doesn’t say anything about where he might have hidden the key,” Lilah said, bending down to pick up her grandfather’s book.

“We’ll start again tomorrow,” Con said with his usual confidence.

Lilah nodded. “And I don’t intend to waste time trying to entertain Sir Jasper.”

“Yes,” Aunt Vesta agreed. “It’s my opinion, dear, that if a man takes it upon himself to drop in on people, he can hardly complain about rudeness.”

As they started toward the door, Con glanced at the book Lilah cradled in her arm. “You’re taking the book with you?”

“Yes. I—” Lilah looked down at the volume. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt the need to keep it with her... Though she wasn’t about to admit that to either of these two. “I think that’s safest.”

* * *

THOUGH HER EYES were shadowed from lack of sleep, Lilah was brimming with enthusiasm as she went down to breakfast the next morning. She had locked the door the night before, which had prevented her from walking in her sleep, but her night had been restless. She had awakened several times, disoriented in the darkness, her heart pounding. Finally, she got up and spent the rest of the night poring over her grandfather’s book. She was eager to tell Con what she’d found.

Unfortunately, Sir Jasper was seated at the table with Con, spoiling her plans. Lilah shot a glance at Con and sat down. Con drew up straighter, and his voice was tinged with question. “Lilah.”

“Constantine.” A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

“You seem chipper this morning.”