Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
“We are wasting time here,” Caleb muttered. “We searched the place top to bottom last night, and I’m telling you the jewels aren’t here.”
“Keep your voice down.” Finn cast a nervous glance at the Harringtons, who were up ahead, passing through the gate to the spa. “Do you want everyone to know our plan?”
“Your plan is useless. It’s gotten us nowhere.”
“Be patient, Caleb,” Nell whispered. “Maybe Finn will see something we missed. And when she channels Rose, the spirit might show us the hidden cache.”
“Well, the spirit didn’t help Finn at the stream, did it?” Smirking, Caleb jerked his chin at Owen, who luckily appeared occupied by his conversation with Lord Ethan. “She has naught to show after staying out all night with that bloke.”
Finn refused to blush. “We had to eliminate the yew tree as a possible hiding place. Having done so, we’ll move on.”
“If you’re so friendly with the bleeding ghost, why didn’t she come to you with a vision last night, eh?”
I know you. We are the same… We both lose what we love to save it.
Finn told herself that she hadn’t shared this recent episode because she didn’t know if it was a vision.
She could have been dreaming; Rose could have been a manifestation of her conflicted mind.
She was torn between Owen and Iris—torn between what she wanted and what she ought to do.
Given that Caleb had already accused her of going soft, she was afraid of disclosing too much.
“It doesn’t work that way,” she replied. “Channeling a ghost is not that simple.”
“Then you better hope that Rose is more accommodating today,” Caleb muttered. “Iris does not have time to wait. We only have three days to get the goods to Carver.”
All too aware of the ticking clock, Finn clenched her jaw and said nothing.
The Harringtons were waiting at the entrance of the spa.
A showy imitation of an ancient Roman temple, the place boasted columns, statuary, and a grand portico.
The surrounding gardens tempered the flamboyant facade with touches of authenticity: bushes of creamy-white roses, beds of wildflowers swarmed by butterflies and bees, and hedges that were charmingly crooked.
Despite Finn’s tense mood, her lips softened at the way Owen was inspecting the plants. He’d told her that the spa grounds had been one of his first projects. Now he tested the weight of a bloom and measured the height of another; he reminded her of a goose checking on its goslings.
Spotting her, he said, “Welcome to Chudleigh Bottoms’s World Famous Roman Bath.”
“Is it really world famous?” she teased.
“It is now that Gigi and Miss Letty came up with the idea of selling the water as a love potion,” Owen replied.
“We didn’t claim it was a love potion,” Gigi protested. “We said the water was as pure as true love.”
“Yet when rumors circulated that drinking the water would lead to marriage bells, you didn’t exactly deny it,” her husband drawled.
“Why would I?” Gigi fluttered her eyelashes. “You fell head over heels for me after you drank the water.”
“That had nothing to do with the blasted water and you know it.”
He caught her by the waist, kissing her soundly while she giggled.
A wishful pang struck Finn. If only she were free to flirt and play with her lover. Yet she had to maintain her roles as leader and medium. She couldn’t let her gang think she was going soft—or Owen and his family suspect that she was conning them.
Your happiness doesn’t matter. Iris only has three days. Do your blooming job.
A tall, angular lady dressed in practical navy appeared under the portico. She was in her fifties, with a knot of grey hair and alert blue eyes. A wide smile creased her thin face.
“Welcome, my dears. I was awaiting your arrival.”
She extended her hands to Gigi, who clasped them.
“Dear Miss Letty,” Gigi said fondly. “Allow me to introduce our new friends.”
After introductions were made, Finn found herself under the good lady’s scrutiny.
“I confess I have been eager to meet you,” Miss Letty said.
“Mrs. Elmwood recently came to take the waters and was singing your praises. Then, when I supped at the Briarbush, Mrs. Thornton called you a ‘fine addition to the village’—a compliment she rarely gives. You’ve brought such comfort to them both. ”
“They are too kind,” Finn murmured.
“Gigi has informed me about your hunt for a mysterious clue,” Miss Letty went on, “and I have closed the spa to give you privacy. Come, let me give you a tour.”
As Miss Letty guided them through the premises—and the Hawks acted as if they were seeing it all for the first time—Finn tried to open her mind to Rose.
The irony did not escape her that she was now a victim of her own hoax, but she had no choice.
She had to find the clue. Owen, with his usual perspicacity, seemed to sense her desperate focus and gave her a wide berth.
Yet as the group traveled from room to room, nothing came to Finn.
She tried physical contact, hoping it might spark a connection.
She touched the stone hearth in the entry hall.
In the high-ceilinged pump room, she ran her fingers over the glossy black pump that dispensed water from the spring and bent to touch the parqueted floor.
Miss Letty took them to the second-floor gallery, which was ringed with statues of Roman deities.
Finn fondled Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, Bacchus, Venus—to no avail.
Her bad luck continued in the bathing hall, which boasted a large rectangular bath.
Steam wisped and curled in the humid air.
The Hawks dispersed, looking for hiding places they might have missed last night.
Finn walked the perimeter of the bath, trailing her fingertips over every surface.
Crouching, she placed her hand in the water.
It was warm, silky, and unremarkable.
Owen came over. “How are you faring?”
“I thought I would sense Rose’s presence, but I don’t.” Finn stood, her insides wound like a coil. “I don’t feel a blooming thing.”
“Perhaps you are trying too hard.”
She scowled. “I hope that is not your way of telling me to calm down.”
“Of course not. I value my life.”
Despite her foul mood, her lips twitched.
“That’s better,” he said. “What I meant was that the other times, the visions came to you. Not the other way around.”
He was right. Yet she was desperate and needed to do something.
“Are you suggesting that I don’t try?”
“I would not dare presume. However, being hard on yourself isn’t going to help the situation. Trust me on this.”
She squinted at him. “You speak from experience?”
“I happen to be the world’s foremost expert on being hard on oneself,” he said loftily.
“Then I shall take your word for it, Lord Expert.” Her smile faded. “I need Rose today—I cannot find the clue without her.”
“You are not doing this alone. My family and I are here to help, as are your assistants. Moreover, there is still the caldarium to search.”
“The what?”
Owen waggled his brows. “The secret bathing chamber.”
Finn perked up. The Hawks hadn’t mentioned a hidden chamber.
They missed something—which means the jewels could still be here.
“Take me there,” she said eagerly.
“Right this way.”
Owen led her to a relief, which covered a wall of the bathing hall.
The scene depicted Venus and Mars presiding over a wedding feast and was quite risqué, with satyrs and nymphs entwined in provocative poses.
Owen pushed on the grinning face of a satyr.
A rumbling began, and a section of the panel opened like a door.
Finn’s jaw slackened at the sight of the staircase leading downward.
“One never tires of that,” Owen said with a grin. “Come on, then.”
He led her down the steps to a small antechamber. There, he opened another panel, releasing a waft of steam. He ushered Finn into the new room.
“This is the caldarium,” he said.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she breathed.
A large, steaming pool occupied the center of the chamber. Next to it was a stone dais, designed for lounging. For bathers who preferred privacy, there were alcoves with benches lining the room.
Finn perched on the dais, trying to decide where to look first.
Owen sat next to her. “Gigi discovered that Rose and Thomas used the caldarium as a meeting place.”
“Seek it where the two of you were most yourselves,” Finn murmured. “Where the water runs pure and together you were unafraid.”
“Precisely. If the clue is here, it will not be easy to find. Perhaps Rose might lend a hand?”
“Perhaps.” Doubt niggled at Finn, but she set her shoulders back. “I shall try.”
She wasn’t sure how to summon a vision when previously they’d come to her.
Closing her eyes, she took several breaths and tried to make herself receptive to spiritual communication.
As she stilled, her senses sharpened. She heard water lapping against stone and felt the humid weight of the air.
She smelled Owen’s cologne and natural musk, and longing heated her blood.
But she didn’t feel the onset of any vision.
The desire she felt was her own—as was the despair.
At the stream, was Rose telling me I’m going to lose Iris? Lose Owen? Why am I so worthless—why can’t I stop any of this?
The Hawks marched into the room, and Finn tamped down her tears.
“Blimey.” Caleb sounded impressed. “You found this chamber through a vision?”
“No,” Finn admitted. “Owen showed it to me.”
“Did you have a vision?” Tansy hopped over the stone floor, avoiding the cracks. “Do you know where the tre—I mean, the next clue is?”
“Nothing is coming to me.” Finn balled her hands, unable to hide her frustration. “I am trying, but Rose isn’t responding. I don’t know what I am doing wrong.”
Taking her hand, Owen gently unfurled her fingers.
“Perhaps it has naught to do with you,” he said. “Didn’t you say that the spirits decide when and how they wish to reveal themselves and you are a mere conduit?”
“You were paying attention?” Finn couldn’t help but ask.
“When it comes to you, I have always paid attention.”
He lifted her hand to his lips, and the smile in his eyes was worth the grief her gang was sure to give her later.
“If the spirits aren’t feeling chatty, we can do this the old-fashioned way.” Caleb was surveying the space as he rolled up his sleeves. “We’ll split up the chamber and leave no stone unturned.”
Two hours later, Owen was ready to admit defeat.
He was hot, his shirt clinging uncomfortably to his damp skin.
The caldarium had become stifling as the entire group packed in and combed over every inch.
They’d searched every nook and cranny. Now he, Ethan, and Xenia were going through an alcove for the second time.
“The blasted clue isn’t here.” Ethan mopped his forehead with his cravat. “We’ve looked under every stone, in every crevice—and even searched the pool. We should stop and regroup.”
Owen agreed. Yet when he looked at Finn, he saw not just desperation in her eyes but despair. She’d taken the responsibility of uncovering Rose’s secrets seriously, and no matter what he said, she viewed this as a personal failure.
“Looking one last time won’t hurt,” he said.
“Speak for yourself,” Ethan grumbled. “My back aches.”
“Your back aches?” Xenia grimaced, placing a hand on her belly.
“Are you uncomfortable, pet?” In a blink, Ethan went from grouchy to solicitous. “This is far too strenuous for your condition. You must rest and take some tea.”
“A break does sound agreeable,” Xenia said.
“Please rest. You’ve done enough.” Looking around the room, Owen saw the weary faces. “In fact, I think everyone could use a break.”
It didn’t take much convincing. Ethan and Xenia’s departure prompted an exodus to the pump room, where Miss Letty had laid out refreshments. Only Finn refused to leave. She remained on her hands and knees, running her fingers along the floor seams. Sighing, Owen knelt beside her.
“You need to rest,” he said.
“I can’t.” She shook her head, her gaze fixed upon her task. “I have to find the next clue.”
“You are not going to do it by exhausting yourself.”
He cupped her jaw, turning her to look at him—and was shocked to see the sheen in her eyes.
“Finn, what is going on?” he asked with concern. “Why are you pushing yourself so hard?”
“I…I cannot let everyone down.”
Frowning, he tried to understand. “Because your reputation is at stake, you mean?”
“No. It is more than that.” A tear wended down her cheek. “People are depending upon me, and I cannot fail them.”
“The burden is not yours alone, love.” He thumbed away the tear and the one that followed. “We will solve the clues together.”
She looked at him, her mouth trembling. Then she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. He held her in his lap, stroking her hair until she calmed.
“Feeling better?” he murmured.
She lifted her head, looking at him with reddened eyes. “I’m sorry for being emotional.”
“You needn’t apologize for being yourself.” He rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone. “I am glad you trust me enough to be honest. I want that from you.”
Her eyes filled again. “I really don’t deserve you.”
“Well, that is too bad since you have me.”
The kiss he gave her was meant to be soothing, but her lips clung to his, soft and dewy and warm.
When she parted them, he took more of her, relishing her sweetness and vulnerability, the woman beneath the medium.
Emotions tangled along with their tongues.
His heart and cock throbbed in equal measure for her.
His every breath was made better by sharing hers.
He ended the kiss, resting his forehead against hers.
“I’m mad about you,” he murmured. “If we don’t stop, I’m going to have you right here.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” she whispered. “I want you so badly, Owen.”
It wasn’t the same as love, but from her, the admission meant something. He knew Finn wasn’t one to trust readily. It reminded him of what he and his family were holding back from her.
“We’ll have time for that. For now, we ought to join the others.”
He helped her up and extended his hand.
“Together, Finn—that is how we’ll break the curse.”
Releasing a breath, she placed her hand in his. “Together.”