The Rightful Lord (The Saga Of Wolfbridge Manor Book 3), Sahara Kelly [english novels for students .TXT] 📗

“Well, a Bible, to start with,” said Harry. “And an old one by the looks of it.”

“A family Bible perhaps?” Evan looked at Royce.

“Possibly.” Royce looked at it. “But I’d rather open it, and those papers, last. I don’t want anything to fall apart while I’m touching it and we’re all too eager at the moment.”

“Good idea.”

“How about the pouches? They have to be jewellery, don’t they?”

Gwyneth’s suggestion made Gabriel chuckle. “Supposing we’ve discovered the Fivetrees treasure?”

“Let’s not go that far.” Royce handed Gwyneth the pouches. “But yes, I think jewellery of some kind would be a good guess.”

She held her breath as she teased the largest pouch open and tipped it up into her hand. A stream of brilliance fell out, laying coldly across her palm.

She gasped. “Oh my. How beautiful.” She looked up at Gabriel. “The colour of your eyes.”

Jeremy chuckled. “She’s right.”

It was a necklace, not too large, with a strand of sparkling blue stones interspersed with diamonds. Or so she hoped.

“Anyone familiar with jewels?” She looked around.

“I’ve seen a few,” said Harry, holding out his hand. “May I?”

She tipped the necklace into his palm and watched as he pushed it around and held it up to catch the sunlight.

Finally, he nodded. “Very pretty. Aquamarines, I’m guessing, and diamonds. A lovely bauble. But I wouldn’t say it was worth a fortune. Certainly not enough to save a place like Fivetrees if it was in financial trouble.” He looked over. “Are there more in the other two pouches?”

Indeed there were. Gwyneth opened them to reveal earbobs and a delightful aigrette which would have completed the ensemble when lodged in a lady’s hair.

“So we have a bag containing jewels, a handkerchief, some letters and a Bible.” Harry leaned back in his chair. “I have to wonder what was so important that someone would break into Fivetrees looking for any of this?”

Jeremy glanced at him. “That’s the question, isn’t it?” He turned to the table with the assorted findings laid out. “Perhaps we’ll find the answer somewhere in there…”

Chapter Fourteen

 Although everyone would have liked to spend the rest of the day poring over the little pile of treasure, it wasn’t to be.

Royce found himself closeted away with two of the tenants, discussing crops and farming for the coming year with himself and Harry. He’d asked for this meeting, knew the men were well-informed and willing to listen, and at the end they all shook hands, satisfied and pleased that spring would bring the possibility of a good season, both for crops and livestock.

Jeremy and Gabriel found themselves with their hands full when little Darcy discovered a nest of mice in one of the guest room closets and set up a yapping that rattled the windows. Unfortunately, it was the closet where they had stored some of the unused bed linens.

Gwyneth bit her lip and tried not to laugh as the two men and the tiny dog jumped, squealed and ran all over the place chasing mice. Then she retreated. She didn’t mind the little creatures, but didn’t want to actually catch any of them herself.

Evan, sensible man that he was, simply walked over to the barn, picked up a barn cat, and brought it back to the house, giving it to Jeremy. It promptly hunted down and disposed of more than a few tiny rodents.

Then he returned to the kitchen, muttering to himself, and closed the door.

Smiling at his practical brilliance, Gwyneth returned alone to the parlour and stood next to the table holding the odd assortment of things they’d discovered.

She picked up the necklace and moved to the mirror, holding it up to her neck. It glittered fiercely, a beautiful testament to some long-ago jeweller’s talents. Delicate, yet quite heavy, the round blue stones seemed to light from within as the sun shone weakly on them through the window. It was truly a beautiful piece, and some lucky woman from times long gone must have enjoyed wearing it.

Returning it to its pouch, she lowered herself into the chair by the table. The earbobs and aigrette would be secured with the necklace, she supposed, until Royce could ask Giles to inform the Withersbys of their discoveries.

The handkerchief was definitely linen, although aged. Clean and surprisingly unwrinkled, given the time it must have spent in its hiding place, she smoothed it out, admiring the intricate lace edging and the larger decoration over almost one entire corner.

It looked like somebody had cleverly intertwined leaves and flowers, and the closer she looked, she managed to distinguish two letters worked into the design.

“Hmm.” She leaned back, puzzled. “It looks like a P and possibly a W?”

Evan poked his head around the door. “Tea?”

She looked up. “Oh yes, yes please. And can you take a little time to share it with me, if you can? I’d like another pair of eyes to look at this.” She touched the fabric on the table.

Evan nodded. “Five minutes. The kettle’s already on the boil.” He vanished as quickly as he’d appeared.

Turning the handkerchief over, she stared at it once again, moving it around against the light from the window. Gazing through it, the initials could have been half a B and an M, which made no sense at all.

It was all most puzzling, and Evan’s reappearance with a tray was very welcome indeed. He’d brought biscuits as well. Smiling, he put the tray on another table and poured her tea just as she liked it.

A lump rose in her throat, and she stood, walking to his side and looking up at him. “You spoil me, Evan. You all do.”

“Of course,” he grinned back. “It’s what we do best.”

She couldn’t resist his smile, and reached up, pulling his head