Chapter Thirty-Two
T hey sat quietly on the bench, each in their own thoughts. The gentle breeze and the warmth of his hand gave her hope.
She focused on the garden and the land on the other side of the far wall. “It all looks the same.”
“What does?” Ewan followed her gaze.
“The Fairmont land on the other side of your garden wall. Monster Mound isn’t far.”
“Monster Mount? You’ll have to explain.”
“My brother and I visited the Fairmont property when we were younger. Father forbade us from coming here. We were not to intrude on the Auringtons.”
“Shall we walk? You can get a closer look at your Monster Mount.” He rose and held out his hand.
She gave him her hand, and they walked through the garden.
“Of course, the two of you came here anyway,” he said as he led her under the wisteria arches.
“Of course. Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest kind.” She couldn’t keep the smile out of her voice. They walked around the small pond.
“We reasoned by renaming the property Monster Mound, and we were not disobeying Father.”
He chuckled, and the strain between them seemed to ease.
“We explored the land and groves of trees, pretending we were the first ones to ever set foot on it. And, of course, we climbed the base of the mound.”
“Monster Mound,” he interjected.
“Are you laughing at me?” she teased.
“Oh, no. Simply enjoying your story.”
“As I was saying, we climbed up the mound and found an ancient oak tree with gnarled roots twisted through the earth. Its branches stretched out like the arms of an old friend. It became the keeper of our secrets and the silent witness to our games. Bradley found a deep crevice in its bark, a hidden hollow where we hid things.” She peeked over the modest stone wall at the field beyond and then turned to Ewan. “I hadn’t thought about the mound until I read Bradley’s diary and found his mention of Monster Mound and the old tree amid his ramblings.”
“Ramblings? Did you find anything else of interest?”
Her heart pounded. She had assumed Duncan told him what they found. Glancing at his beautiful, penetrating gray eyes, she didn’t know if she was going to laugh or cry. Duncan had kept her confidence.
“Yes, a great deal…about his card games. It had the aliases he had given the players and the places where their games were held.”
She removed the worn leather diary from her reticule, opened it to a specific page, and handed it to Ewan.
“ Arrived early at The Gilded Lily and sat in Viper’s seat. He was furious. No one wins that often. Must be more than luck.”
When he lifted his head and stared at her, she said, “That is why I decided to go to The Gilded Lily.” There was nothing playful in her voice.
Ewan held her stare. “You were that determined.”
“Single purposed.” She nodded.
“And Duncan—”
“I didn’t ask him to come with me,” she interrupted. “If that is your question.”
“He would never let you go there alone.” His gaze was unwavering. “Neither would I.”
She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly at his unspoken promise, the deep commitment to protect her. Juliet felt a surge of determination to address the issue. It was now or never.
“When Duncan found me, he asked me to return to Glenraven Manor with him. I told him I couldn’t until I took back my brother’s honor and my family’s good name. I refused to bring you or your family shame.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.” They were both quiet for several minutes. The gentle rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of birds filled the silence, creating a moment of reflection.
Ewan finally broke the silence, his voice gentle. “What else did you find in the diary?”
She took the diary from him, found the page she wanted to share with him, and then handed him the book. “Duncan mentioned that you play chess.”
He gazed at her, and she saw his mind working. He read the pages, and she waited as Ewan realized what Bradley had given them.
“Sebastian is Viper as well as the author of threatening letters.”
“I thought Duncan found something in that letter. I laughed when I found the spelling error.”
“He must be stopped.” His anger boiled. “I’ll walk you to the house.” He looked past the wall. “I want to go to the tree and see what Bradley left there.”
“I’m going with you.” She took the diary back from him. “You’ll never find the tree by yourself.”
He smiled that smile that made her heart thump. “Why am I not surprised?”
“There are no yew trees on the Fairmont property. As a boy, I searched everywhere for the oldest tree. I know each tree there.” Ewan led her through the small maze.
“Bradley knew there were no yew trees there. ‘ Tall yew tree ’ was his alias for you.” She said nothing else, her eyes searching his, waiting for the moment he understood the meaning.
Ewan stopped and studied her face, his expression turning serious. “He was warning—”
“That Viper wanted to destroy you and your family,” she finished for him. Her hand tightened around his, her heart pounding. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away, meeting Ewan’s gaze with determination.
Ewan’s eyes darkened with anger and a flash of protectiveness. He gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. “I won’t let that happen. We’ll stop him, together.”
They walked to the garden door, where Ewan pulled on the bolt, swung the door open, and gestured for her to go before him.
They ventured into the Fairmont property, their steps taking them across the field and into the forest. Juliet led him to the mound, and they quickly climbed to the top.
“Here it is, Ewan.” Juliet’s voice was soft and reverent. “This is where we hid our treasures.”
Ewan looked from her to the tree, his eyes widening in surprise. “This is your tree?”
She nodded.
He laughed, a sound of genuine amazement. “Do you remember my quest to find the oldest oak?”
“This is your tree?” Her surprise was as great as his.
Her surprise was as great as his. “It appears this tree played an important part in your youth as well as mine.”
They stood back and looked at their old friend. “There, by the second branch.” Juliet pointed to the place where the treasures would be. Ewan climbed the knotted roots, found the crevice, and reached into the hidden hollow. His hand brushed against the rough interior until he found what he was searching for. He pulled out a leather pouch, climbed down, and gave it to Juliet.
Her fingers traced Bradley’s embossed initials. She opened the pouch and found the fourth ace of hearts and a note in Bradley’s handwriting. Starling, Guard this with your life.