Page 10 of Starlight and the Duke (Cherish and the Duke #5)

The jeweler rushed through a curtain into his back room and returned with a large box.

Opening it, he began to set out several of the blue pieces on a cloth of softest white velvet.

“This amulet is a depiction of Isis, goddess of love and fertility. See how the blue glistens. There is no deeper, richer blue than lapis lazuli.”

Fiona tensed almost imperceptibly.

Rob felt her response at the mention of fertility because he had his hand lightly resting on the small of her back.

“And this ring?” Rob asked, pointing to a rounded stone in a plain setting.

“Also lapis lazuli, Your Grace. Magical, don’t you think? The wearer shall know wisdom and truth.”

Fiona was staring at it in utter fascination.

“I’ll take the ring. And the amulet. Can you have the amulet set in a necklace?”

The jeweler eagerly nodded. “Yes, it is already fitted with a clasp to be put on a gold chain. Suitable for a bracelet or a necklace.”

“Good. Show us some gold chains,” Rob said.

After selecting several necklace chains for Fiona, Rob made arrangements to pay the jeweler.

Fiona walked out of the shop while he finished his transactions, but Rob took her absence as an opportunity to add one more item to his purchases.

A healing stone, just the chunk of it that was thick and not yet formed into any piece of jewelry.

Was it possible there was a magical aspect to these stones?

He would willingly dance naked around a bonfire with antlers on his head if that were needed to unleash its mystical strength.

Yes, he would do anything if there were a chance these talismans could work to heal Fiona. After all, miracles were known to occur. Not that he believed in them, for he was quite cynical about life and its rewards. In truth, he had lost faith years ago.

Still, unexplained things occasionally happened.

He glanced up at the firmament. “Prove me wrong…please.”

He would give Fiona the ring and amulet after supper tonight, but would keep the rock for himself until he figured out the perfect spot to place it in her home.

For now, he would tuck it in one of the bureau drawers in his guest chamber, the drawer where he kept his undergarments. No one was going to dig through there, and it was no one’s business what he planned to do with that stone.

“Stupid clot,” he muttered to himself, knowing he would have laughed at anyone else doing the same.

If Fiona rejected his offering of that chunk of stone, then he would keep it and be the proud owner of a pretty paperweight to hold down his documents while he worked in his study with the windows open.

It was after six o’clock by the time they returned to Shoreham Manor, both of them hot, tired, and ready for a quick swim.

Fiona’s maid helped her change out of her gown and into a bathing gown.

But Rob had to wait to see her in it, for Fiona came down the stairs wearing a billowing bathing robe that covered her from shoulder to foot.

Too bad. The blasted thing was too big for her slight body and looked hideous.

“Here,” Mrs. Harris said, scrambling toward her with a large pouch as she marched downstairs. “Towels and a blanket for you and His Grace.”

Rob took it out of her hands. “I have it.”

“Oh, perfect. Thank you for thinking of us,” Fiona said, smiling at her housekeeper.

Rob struggled to suppress a grin, watching Fiona as she placed a bathing hat on her head. It was more of a mobcap than a stylish hat, but had the same effect of making her eyes look enormous. Sparkling and beautiful.

Gad, she looked adorable.

Of course, she would look even more fetching with that monstrosity of a robe off her.

Rob had stripped down to an old shirt and work trousers. “Ready?”

She looked up at him and cast him a melting smile. “Yes. Let’s go.”

They made their way down to the beach.

He grinned with appreciation when Fiona took off her robe to reveal the bathing costume.

It was of black cotton instead of the usual wool that was impossible to wear if one wished to swim, for the wool absorbed water and would sink a swimmer.

Her very practical cotton outfit came down only as far as her knees, revealing an expanse of shapely leg.

The matching black cap had little white ribbons on it similar to those on her bathing gown.

Rob soaked her in along with the sunshine. Fiona had the sort of face that looked great in hats, caps, bonnets, anything placed atop her head. They made her eyes look bigger. Like aquamarine pools to drown in.

She had a body men would fight wars over, too. The allure of Helen of Troy came to mind.

He tugged off his shirt and boots but decided to swim wearing his trousers.

He wasn’t sure why. Perhaps he wasn’t up to pushing Fiona beyond her limits just now. She had seen him naked last night, but he did not feel it was appropriate to fully reveal himself again this afternoon.

No particular reason for this bit of modesty, just a prickle up his neck. And he never ignored those prickles.

Just why he had them was not clear to him yet, but they had him on alert.

“Come in with me, Rob. It’s a beautiful day and the water is quite calm.

I’ll race you to the rocks and back.” She pointed to an outcropping at the edge of their sheltered cove.

It served as a boundary for swimmers, because going beyond it meant one had to deal with the swifter currents of the English Channel, and few people were strong enough to battle those.

“You know I am going to win, Fiona. I’m the stronger swimmer. How about we just swim lazily along the length of the beach? I do not like the idea of us getting so close to that open water.”

She sighed. “All right. I never knew you to be so cautious. Those rocks aren’t very far and we would not go beyond them. Oh, and look. My neighbor’s sons are rowing out to that outcropping now. See, over there.”

Rob frowned. The boys looked to be young, no more than ten years old, and undisciplined if one judged by the way one boy was scampering about the tiny boat instead of keeping to his seat. But who could tell for certain what they intended at this distance?

Perhaps this was what his sudden unease was about. Although children were often spry on their feet, they did not understand tides or currents or quite how slippery those rocks could be.

The tide was rolling in and waves splashed with greater force against their boat, sometimes dangerously rocking it, even though those waves were mostly gentle. “Who are they? And why is there not an adult with them?” Rob asked.

“They are the Marquess of Milbury’s sons, I think. The marquess purchased the neighboring property to mine last year but only moved in a few weeks ago.”

He nodded. Cherish and Gawain’s estate was to the west of Shoreham Manor, and now Fiona had this new neighbor to her east.

“I met him when we were in London last month,” she continued. “He’s a widower. I’m not sure who is taking care of his sons.”

A widower? Rob did not like the sound of that.

He stared at the boys. “Obviously, no one is taking care of them at the moment.”

Fiona had several rowboats of her own that she rarely used except when having one of her house parties. They were kept in a shed beside the beach steps during the summer. Rob hurried over to the shed and dragged one out.

Fiona frowned as she watched him pull it across the sand toward the water. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” He set it in the water and locked the oars in place. “I have a bad feeling about those boys. They think they are off on an adventure, and I am concerned it is about to turn tragic.”

“Really, Rob? Oh, I see your point. Those rocks can be slick and treacherous. Do you think they are going to climb onto them?” she asked, following him into the water.

“Possibly.”

He was about to shove his boat off toward them, but Fiona stopped him and climbed in. “I’m coming with you. You’ll need my help.”

“No, I can handle it. Get out, Fiona. I don’t need you drowning, too.”

She tipped her chin up and refused to budge. “I may not be as powerful a swimmer as you, but I am an able one. You’ll need my help. Then it’s settled. I’m coming with you.”

Since she was now giving him a stubborn look that warned he could not move her short of setting off explosives and blasting the boat to splinters, he sighed and started rowing without further protest.

It was true, Fiona was a decent swimmer. He would not call her a strong swimmer because of her lack of upper body strength. But this had never deterred her in any of their adventures when younger.

It was also possible he would require her assistance, because the boys had now reached the rocks and were carelessly scampering upon them with the agile spring of little mountain goats. “Blessed saints, are they going to jump off the rocks into the water?”

Fiona’s expression turned anxious. “Row faster, Rob. Oh, no. Their own boat is slipping back into the water and they haven’t noticed.”

“They failed to secure it properly,” he muttered.

Fiona groaned. “And now the oars have dislodged and are floating away.”

He doubled his speed, for the boat was now spinning in quick circles and buffeted by waves and the strengthening current. “Bloody hell. They’re going to drown if they jump in at that spot.”

“Why is their boat spinning so wildly?”

“There must be an undercurrent. I’ve seen it before—water’s calm on the surface, but what lies beneath is a dangerous undertow that will drag you down and hold you in its relentless grip. Meanwhile, above it, the waters remain calm and still.”

Fiona began to yell at the boys. “Stop! Danger! Sit down and don’t move!”

But the boys merely waved back and climbed higher onto the rocks, unable to understand what she was calling out because the wind, despite being light and gentle, carried her voice toward the shore and not to them.

“Sit still, Fiona.” Rob did not want her toppling into the water if a wave hit them while he rowed faster.