Page 8 of A Scandal In July
Lenore gave a good-natured groan. “One flag’s on an island?” She sent a mock-furious glare over at Constance and Prudence, and the two of them erupted into fits of giggles.
“Figured out clue number seven?” Pru chuckled. “We thought you’d appreciate that one, my love.”
“And you’ll need number eight to get there,” Constance added.
Lenore glanced back down. Clue eight read,I can have gravy in me or water under me. “A boat,” she said. “I thought I’d seen the last of boats when we docked in England.”
“What’s clue number nine?” Rhys asked.
“I have hands but no arms, a face but no eyes. That’s a clock,” Lenore frowned. “But there must be hundreds of clocks between this house and Trellech. There’s one in almost every room.”
Rhys glanced over at Prudence and Constance, who were watching them with undisguised interest.
“That’s true, but knowing how much your Aunts love excitement and entertainment, I doubt it’s going to be hidden behind some nondescript mantel clock. It’s going to be something big and bold.” He thought for a moment. “The most visible clock—and the most difficult one to get to—is the one in the highest tower at Trellech. I bet it’s somewhere like that.”
“You’re right,” Lenore nodded. “They did say they weren’t going to make it easy for us.”
“Very well. What’s the last clue?”
“I could be an admiral, a monarch, an emperor, or a painted lady.”
“Another naval question,” Rhys grumbled. “They’re clearly favoring Morgan again. What have an admiral, a king or queen, and a courtesan have in common?”
Lenore laughed. “They’re not people. Those are all species of butterfly. I bet my father helped them write that clue. The flag must be somewhere in the butterfly house. That’s at the far end of the gardens, behind the trees over there.”
She gestured past the edge of the formal lawns, toward the walled garden.
“Right. So, by the sounds of it, there are three or four flags here near Newstead, three in the land between the two houses, and another three over at Trellech. Let’s check the closest ones first, like the library, the wine cellar, and the butterfly house, then head further afield. Agreed?”
Lenore nodded. She’d spent ample time with men who simply told her what to do without asking for her agreement or her opinion, but Rhys had seemed pleased at her cleverness in deciphering some of the clues, and keen to work with her as an equal.
“Agreed.”
Chapter Five
While a few of the other couples disappeared into the gardens, Lenore led Rhys back into the house. The Newstead library was a handsome room, with shelves of leather-bound volumes lining the walls and Uncle William’s desk, piled high with various papers and correspondence.
They made a thorough search of the room, but no colored flag could be found, and Rhys finally turned to her with a sigh.
“Either someone’s already beaten us to it, or the flag is in the library at Trellech, not here.”
“Let’s move on to the clue about wine instead, then. Should we check the pantry? There might be some cooking wine in there. Or the wine cellar?”
“Cellar first.”
They stepped out into the hallway just as Lenore’s older sister Caro emerged, giggling, from the steps up from the wine cellar. Will, her husband, was tickling her as she ascended the stairs.
“There’s no flag down there,” Caro laughed as she caught sight of Lenore, and batted Will’s hands away so she could catch a breath. “We’ve already looked.”
“Nothing in the library, either,” Lenore said, ignoring the way Rhys elbowed her in the ribs and hissed, “Don’t tell them anything. They’re the enemy!”
Lenore rolled her eyes and went to follow Caro back out into the garden, but Rhys caught her waist and turned her gently in the opposite direction.
She ignored the swooping sensation in her stomach at his casual touch.
“Don’t let them see where we’re going!” he scolded. “They might not have cracked the clue about the butterfly house yet. We need to use a different exit. Where?”
“This way.” Lenore led him through the music room, then the drawing room, and together they slipped out of the tall French windows and onto the terrace.