Magnolia’s heartbeat thumped wildly in her chest. The cold feel of the candlestick raced up her arm and she dropped the heavy molded brass. It fell beside the counterfeit cross, beside Tyrrel, with a most satisfying thump.
Matches suddenly flared. Candles winked on around her, from beside the draperies, from behind the freestanding bookcase, from the library’s deepest dark corners. Footmen, the butler, men she’d never seen before, all emerged from hiding, converging on her and on Tyrrel’s immobile form.
“Magnolia?” Justin whispered.
She blinked and focused on his worried face. Never before had she injured anyone. The shock of doing so had frozen her until she hadn’t even recognized Justin standing beside her. She squeezed his forearm. Her mind still seemed addled, so she leaned against him.
For support, of course.
“What happened here?” the constable asked.
She blinked again. Where had he come from? They hadn’t had time to alert him. But reasoning through the events of the evening still seemed too difficult. She held her peace while Justin explained.
“And you witnessed this from where?”
Justin pointed. “From the Judas hole, constable.”
The sheriff stroked his chin. “I see that Tyrrel is holding the cross, as if he means to steal it, but–”
“I did steal it.” A groan punctuated the words. Tyrrel rose on one elbow. “That’s right, I stole the cross. I’m going to sell it and give the money to those with greater need.”
“So you admit your thievery?” asked the constable.
Tyrrel shakily gained his feet while holding his head. “I do.”
Finally Magnolia’s vision cleared. The counterfeit cross lay flat on the decorative Oriental rug, ignored by everyone in the room; after all, they knew it was a fake. Candlelight flickered across it, and across Tyrrel’s face. A knot protruded from the back of his head, clearly visible. She swallowed. She had done that to him. She could have killed him! A gasp caught in her throat.
“You’re coming with me.”
The constable grabbed Tyrrel’s arm and dragged him from the room, even as he screamed, “I’m a modern Robin Hood. The masses need me!”
Mr. Rotherham shook his head. “Mr. and Mrs. Tyrrel would have been shocked. But I guess odd things happen when a man flounders for too long.”
As he emphasized those words, he peered at Justin. Magnolia gathered Mr. Rotherham’s meaning — indeed, everyone in the room must have understood him perfectly. He believed Justin should settle down, probably with his daughter.
Magnolia’s knees wobbled and Justin caught her, holding her against his side. He half-carried, half-escorted her to a quiet corner and settled her on a velvet settee. She blinked and he was gone, and when she blinked again he returned, offering her a cup of tea. She sipped it, grateful as the warmth surged through her.
Squatting before her, he clasped her free hand. “You shouldn’t have left the room and crashed the candlestick upon Tyrrel's head.”
She shrugged and studied the golden-brown tea. There was no answer she could make, since she agreed with him. But hearing his concern cleared more of the fog from between her ears and touched her heart. If only he wasn’t enamored with Hesper…
“If Tyrrel hadn’t confessed, we might have blown our case.”
She sipped again, looking coyly over the rim.
“And you don’t care.” He plopped down beside her. “One of these days, Magnolia…” He didn’t finish, and she wished she could read his mind.
They sat quietly while she finished the tea and set the cup and saucer aside on a low table. She could think of nothing to say. Was he angry with her? Or just concerned? Was he truly set on Hesper for his wife, or could she possibly — just possibly — change his mind?
Before she could settle on what to say, Hesper floated into the room, squealing and whirling in a circle. She would have landed in Justin’s lap if he hadn’t stood.
Her chest heaved. Breathlessly, she said, “They say he broke in.”
“Yes.”
“Are you all right?” She grasped the folds of his lapels and stared longingly into his face.
“Of course.”
Hesper stepped back and slapped his arm with her silk reticule. “How could you let me worry like that? What possessed you? You should have let him go and we could have caught him next time.”
“I didn’t catch him—”
With a rush, her heart and mind settled. Magnolia rose. “Justin, don’t be so modest. You did it all.”
Hesper humphed and Magnolia slid from the room, passing Mr. Rotherham, who spoke quietly with the constable. She couldn’t make out enough words for them to mean anything, though, as she strolled outside. The cool night air soothed her, and she filled her lungs to the brim.
If Justin wanted Hesper, then Hesper he would have. And she… she would go home, alone.
Tyrrel stood between two burly Bow Street runners. “You’ll never find the cross.”
Suddenly angry, she whirled to face him. “Maybe if you tell me where it is, Lady Sybil will drop the charges.” Everything would have been better if Tyrrel had never started stealing, if he’d never driven Justin to investigate, if they’d never started Justice and Miss Quinn… if she’d never learned to think of Justin in that way.
Tyrrel threw his head back and roared with maniacal laughter. When he lowered his chin and stared at her, his cold expression raced chills along her spine. “I’ll give you a hint. The cross is everywhere — but nowhere.”
“What does that mean?”
She stepped closer but froze when the constable yelled, “Get away from there!”
She moved, but Tyrrel’s crazed eyes followed her and her heart pounded. What on earth did he mean? If she got closer, maybe she could get him to explain.
But her next step forward stopped with warm hands clasping her shoulders. Justin whispered, “Come to the carriage.”
She let him guide her. What were they going to do now?
****
Justin’s worry increased at Magnolia’s continued sullenness. They’d caught the thief, but she didn’t seem happy or satisfied. Had she secretly hoped it wasn’t Tyrrel? If so…
He reached across the carriage and slipped his hands into hers. “Magnolia, you did well today.”
That caused her lips to twitch upward.
No, he couldn’t believe that she liked Tyrrel. She’d not exactly despised the man, but she’d certainly never thought of him in that way. And why would that realization light such a fire in his heart?
So he tried again to rouse her. “Now that we’ve caught Tyrrel, his home will be searched and they will find Lady Sybil’s cross.”
Her lips fell.
Exasperated, he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s wrong now?”
“First of all, Hesper is too clingy, and second, Tyrrel said we would never find it. Something about the cross being everywhere and nowhere.”
Hesper? What? “What does that mean?”
“Do you think I wouldn’t tell you if I knew?”
The cheekiness of her response and the phrase about Hesper weren’t lost on him, but they would have to be analyzed after the case was complete. His brain cells felt sufficiently taxed as it was. “Perhaps Tyrrel was merely trying to confuse you.”
“You may be right, but his statement will be easy enough to confirm.”
“I will visit him in the hold tomorrow and ask to interrogate him.”
She touched his hand and heat wafted along his arm. Good heat. Welcome heat. “Don’t. Let the constable conduct the interview. If you’re implicated in his arrest, then your father will know of your hobby.”
Distracting heat, and he needed to concentrate. He shrugged. “True. But perhaps it’s time I told him.”
“Perhaps, but if my father discovers my part, I will no longer be allowed in your company.” Sorrow tinged her tone.
Justin cringed. How had their act of fun become so complicated?
The carriage shuddered to a halt. The footman helped Magnolia down the step and she waited until Justin wrapped her arm in his. Moonlight gilded her head and highlighted the reddish strands of her gorgeous hair. He wished he could run his hands through the silken lengths, but he refrained and kept his hands to himself as he escorted Magnolia to her door.
“So what now?” She stared at his chest.
Not at him. For some reason, that hurt. “Tomorrow I’ll meet with the constable and discuss his findings.”
She lifted her chin and the directness of her gaze warmed him further. “I presume you will inform me of his discoveries.”
“Yes.”
With a graceful gesture, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He wished he had the right to kiss her again.
“Until tomorrow.” He held out his hand for a shake.
She ignored it, turned on her heel, and made her way inside.
The door closed, and he placed his palm to the panel, near where she’d stood. The wood felt as cold as his heart. Would he ever feel confident enough to tell Magnolia his true feelings? Would he ever walk through the same doorway as her; would they ever share a home together?
He sighed, feeling his shoulders droop. He should hurry home. Tomorrow would be another busy day as they unraveled the last of the missing cross’s secrets. And he needed to keep Magnolia’s assistance a secret so they could continue to work together. It was the only way to keep her close.