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Kit talked them into a takeaway sandwich, too excited about the cup and the story behind it to do more than nibble on his as they headed to the museum. He loved egg and cress, but even that couldn’t interest him, and he finally gave up pretending to eat.
After tucking the sandwich back in the triangle holder, he set it on the floor, wiped his hands on his trousers, and slowly lifted the cup. It was heavier than it looked, his hands barely fitting around the bowl. The symbols just under the rim fascinated him. He remembered seeing some of those symbols before, but he couldn’t place them.
He did recognize one, and knew exactly what the cup had been used for—and who it had belonged to. Mum would probably leave out important details, but he could get the whole story from Uncle Spence once she snuck out to check on her shop.
They stopped at the loading dock of the museum, and Kit settled the cup in the blue damask lining the box. He hopped out of the car before he picked up the box, cradling it as he headed to the open door of the loading dock. If he showed Mum now just how careful he could be, he might talk her into letting him keep the cup.
He had been absorbed in the cup, but not enough to miss their conversation. If Mum thought he was too young, then he would just prove her wrong.
“Kit.” He halted, slowly turning to his mum. “I’m going to leave you here with Spencer while I check on The Ash Leaf. Will you be okay on your own?” She smiled, and he knew she was joking with him.
“I’ll be fine, Mum. See you later.” He didn’t wait for her to wave, or try and kiss him goodbye in front of Uncle Spence. The box was the perfect excuse for him to escape, and he took it. “I am old enough,” he muttered, heading for the door.
“Yes, you are, sport.” Uncle Spence’s voice startled him, and he nearly dropped the box. “Whoa—sorry about that. You got it?”
“I do. Sorry, Uncle Spence. I promise, I’ll be careful.”
“No worries, Kit. And I think it’s time to call me Spencer. Or Spence, if you prefer. You’re old enough to drop the uncle.”
Kit looked up at him, his eyes wide. He worshipped Uncle Spence, thought of him as the coolest adult he knew, after his parents. Sometimes, he was even cooler than them. Especially after trusting Kit with the cup.
“I—all right. Spencer.” He whispered Uncle Spence’s name. It felt—right, and not awkward, like he feared. “Where are we going?”
“We’ll stop by my office first, so you can find a temporary home for the cup. Then I want to check on an exhibit I’m just finishing up. It opens tomorrow, and I’d like to make sure it looks how I thought it did at two am.” He smiled as he walked past Kit, leading the way into the warren of hallways under the museum. “That doesn’t always happen.”
Uncle Spence—Spencer, he reminded himself. Spencer lived an exciting life. The kind of life Kit wanted, when he wasn’t at an important dig, or filming documentaries, like Dad.
They took the lift up to Spencer’s new, huge office. Kit studied the bookcases on both sides of the desk as he walked inside, itching to explore, examine every artifact tucked among the books. He’d look at a few of those books, as well. This might be more fun than digging through the storage rooms down—
“Woolgathering, sport?” Spencer leaned against the desk, smiling at him. “Quite the collection, isn’t it? I inherited the contents of this office, along with the title. The former curator wanted nothing to do with any of them.”
“He left them behind?” Kit couldn’t imagine a scenario where he would intentionally give away such fabulous artifacts. “I’d love to take a closer look, if that’s all right.”
“I was hoping you’d help me catalog them.”
“You—yes.” He set the box in the middle of the desk and ran over to hug Spencer. “I’d love that.”
“I always knew we were kindred spirits.” After patting Kit’s shoulder, Spencer pushed off the desk. “Let’s check on the exhibit, then we can head back here with some snacks, and get started. I saw how little you ate, sport. You must be starving by now.”
“I’m all—” His stomach proved him wrong by interrupting him with a loud growl.
Spencer burst out laughing, and draped his arm across Kit’s shoulders. “Always listen to your stomach. It will never steer you wrong.”
Spencer led him to the lift, and they took it up to the fifth floor, where the museum kept the revolving exhibits. When Kit stepped out, he saw the wood screens that hid the unfinished exhibit from curious patrons, and ran over to it, waiting only long enough for Spencer to wave at him before he dashed around the edge of the screen.
He skidded to a halt, his trainers sliding on broken glass.
The top of the display case had been smashed, and whatever it held was gone.
“What the—” Spencer moved past him, cursing under his breath when he reached the broken display case. “It’s missing. Damn it, who the hell—sorry, sport.”
“All right.” He had heard worse when Mum didn’t think he was in earshot. “What was in there?”
Spencer pushed hair off his face and let out a sigh. “A necklace. A priceless necklace, that this museum may not have the funds to replace if I can’t find it.”