Page 15 of A Scandal In July
She didn’t want a man who would sweep in and save her from the perils of the world. She wanted a fellow adventurer who would toss her an oar and pitch in if they were headed towards the reef. Someone who would treat her as an intellectual, if not a physical, equal.
Rhys was like that. And she wanted him by her side.
The folly’s single crenellated tower and artfully crumbling walls came into view just then, peeking through the wild tangle of ivy and moss that threatened to engulf them completely.
It had never been a complete building. Lenore’s great grandfather, Sir Lionel Montgomery, had commissioned it, back when no self-respecting landowner was content without a dilapidated temple somewhere on the grounds. Family legend had it that he’d employed a live-in hermit to wander about whenever he had guests.
Four classical marble statues guarded the ruin, each one representing one of the four elements; water, fire, earth and air, and Rhys paused as they neared the one depicting water.
He held his hand up for quiet and Lenore stilled at his back, then heard what he had: a distinctly feminine giggle.
“Tristan, no! Someone might come!”
Rhys’s lips curved upward. “That’s Carys!” he whispered. “Come on.”
No-one was in sight, so he bent low and pushed through the undergrowth. Lenore followed, trying to stay quiet, and together they crept around the curved outer wall of the turret and peered through the remains of a gothic-arched window.
Rhys’s sister Carys was enjoying a scandalously thorough kiss with her husband, Lenore’s eldest cousin Tristan.
Rhys’s eyes gleamed with amusement as Lenore’s cheeks heated. He gestured upward, pointing to a fluttering green flag nestled in a giant fern sprouting from the stonework directly above Tristan’s head.
There was no chance the couple hadn’t seen it—they were clearly celebrating their victory prematurely.
Rhys put his fingers to his lips, then silently gestured his intent to circle around behind them, climb the wall from the opposite side, and attempt to grab the flag while they were otherwise engaged. Lenore nodded and watched him sneak away, and decided to help by creating a distraction.
She backed up a few paces, then said in her most peevish tones, “Oh,come onDavies! I’ve seen three-legged donkeys move faster than you. I thought you soldiers were good at marching?”
She swished her skirts and batted some ferns, making as much noise as possible, and heard Carys utter a frustrated curse just as her coppery-red hair appeared in the window embrasure.
“Oh, hello Carys!” Lenore called, waving madly. “Is Tristan there with you? Or have you split up to cover more ground?”
Tristan’s face appeared next to his wife’s and his expression was one of a man who’d been interrupted in the most unwelcome manner. His hair, usually so ordered, was definitely ruffled, and his once-perfect cravat was decidedly askew.
Lenore bit back a chuckle.
“Ah, there you are Tristan. Have you found any flags yet?”
“Just the one,” Tristan growled. His eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion. “Where’s Rhys?”
Lenore tried to look innocent, but the sound of scraping stone gave Rhys away. Tristan’s head whipped back round, and he rushed back toward the flag, jumping up and grabbing itmoments before Rhys could seize it from his precarious position on the top of the wall.
Lenore let out a disappointed groan. “No!”
“Ha!” Carys crowed in delight and flung her arms around Tristan’s neck. “Well done, my love! And bad luck, brother. Better luck next time!”
She stuck her tongue out at a glowering Rhys, who shook his head in frustration.
“Bloody hell, I wasthisclose,” he grumbled, holding his finger and thumb an inch apart to demonstrate.
Carys sent a cheeky glance up at her husband. “I’ve always been extremely lucky here.”
Tristan swatted her playfully on the bottom. “Enough, hoyden. It’s time to head back to Trellech for lunch.”
Rhys disappeared as he climbed back down the wall, then reappeared beside Carys. He glanced over at Lenore. “Do you want to go back to Newstead Park for lunch, or are you brave enough to risk potential poisoning with the Dastardly Davies over at Trellech?”
Lenore chuckled. Logically, it made sense for them both to go to Trellech, since that was where they needed to be for the final clues, but Rhys obviously didn’t want to say that out loud, in case Tristan and Carys hadn’t solved all the riddles.
Besides, she’d never actually seen the infamous Davies stronghold, and she’d been dying to get a look at it for months.