me to be something I’m not, and I refuse to conform myself to his ideal. I couldn’t live with myself if I did.” I took a deep breath. “I have my own means, and I’m quite content with them.”
I leaned in toward him and brushed my own kiss across his warm lips. “I am content,” I whispered.
Will reached out and cupped my cheek, then leaned in and brushed the softest kiss across my forehead. I felt myself melting as surely as the snow clinging to his hair.
“Your means are in a disturbing state of disrepair,” he commented. “What happened here ?”
“The man in the clockwork mask paid a visit. I wasn’t at home at the time. He left his calling card.” I sighed as I looked at the ruins. “At least he didn’t burn the place down.”
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Will whispered with a strain in his voice.
“I’m not safe. That is the problem.” I pulled away from him and gathered the matches so I could light the rest of the lamps. At least we didn’t have to remain in the cold and the dark. “I won’t ever be safe so long as I’m hunted.”
Will let his gaze drop to the floor, then looked up withthe steady resolve I had always admired in him. “I’ll start a fire, and we can set the shop right.”
“Thank you for your help,” I said, hoping he could feel the depth of my sincerity.
“I’m very glad to give it.” We both set to work. I took a lamp upstairs and changed back into a simple dress I could work in. By the time I came down the stairs, Will had a cheerful fire roaring in the fireplace, with a kettle of tea on the cast-iron stove in the kitchen.
He had gathered up the letters and was leafing through them.
“You kept these?” His deep brown eyes looked up at me in both confusion and wonder. “They say nothing of importance.”
“I disagree.” I took the stack of letters and crossed the room to where the ribbon still lay on the floor. I tied the bundle and returned it to its place on the small table near the fire.
The corners of Will’s lips tipped up in a slight smile. He rolled up his sleeves as we entered the gallery.
We set to work. It took us most of the night, but as we restored things to order, I told about finding the Méduse . He listened intently as I recounted everything I had seen in theledger and the possibility that the man in the mask would be traveling across the Atlantic in a matter of weeks. I confessed that my lack of resources disheartened me, but there really wasn’t much evidence that could prove my grandfather was in France.
He could still be anywhere. We only knew that the man in the mask frequently traveled to France, but I couldn’t tell if he was traveling beyond to the rest of Europe.
“I don’t know what I should do,” I said as I set the remainder of the cloth dolls on their shelf.
Will looked up from repairing one of my alarm balls. “You’re right. We need to know more.”
“We?”
He tossed the ball to me, and I caught it and put it into my pocket. “You pulled me into this entire mess nearly a year ago. You think I don’t wish to see the end of it?” he asked.
“I thought you were more clever than that.”
“Not nearly clever enough, it seems.”
I shook my head in bemusement. “I’m not willing to take a risk on so little information,” I said, looking around at the clean and restored gallery. “It would be foolish.”
“Then we need more information.” He bent over and inspected the lock on the door, then searched through my boxof tools. “This all started when you found a letter from your grandfather in Rathford’s workshop.”
I felt a chill run down my neck. “Yes, what of it?”
He looked up at me, and the light caught in his dark eyes. “Perhaps it is time for us to return.”
CHAPTER SIX
“ DEAR LORD, WHY DIDN ’ T I think of that?” I asked.
“Because I’m the clever one.” Will flipped a hammer into the air and caught it again by the handle. “You’re good friends with Rathford’s
I leaned in toward him and brushed my own kiss across his warm lips. “I am content,” I whispered.
Will reached out and cupped my cheek, then leaned in and brushed the softest kiss across my forehead. I felt myself melting as surely as the snow clinging to his hair.
“Your means are in a disturbing state of disrepair,” he commented. “What happened here ?”
“The man in the clockwork mask paid a visit. I wasn’t at home at the time. He left his calling card.” I sighed as I looked at the ruins. “At least he didn’t burn the place down.”
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Will whispered with a strain in his voice.
“I’m not safe. That is the problem.” I pulled away from him and gathered the matches so I could light the rest of the lamps. At least we didn’t have to remain in the cold and the dark. “I won’t ever be safe so long as I’m hunted.”
Will let his gaze drop to the floor, then looked up withthe steady resolve I had always admired in him. “I’ll start a fire, and we can set the shop right.”
“Thank you for your help,” I said, hoping he could feel the depth of my sincerity.
“I’m very glad to give it.” We both set to work. I took a lamp upstairs and changed back into a simple dress I could work in. By the time I came down the stairs, Will had a cheerful fire roaring in the fireplace, with a kettle of tea on the cast-iron stove in the kitchen.
He had gathered up the letters and was leafing through them.
“You kept these?” His deep brown eyes looked up at me in both confusion and wonder. “They say nothing of importance.”
“I disagree.” I took the stack of letters and crossed the room to where the ribbon still lay on the floor. I tied the bundle and returned it to its place on the small table near the fire.
The corners of Will’s lips tipped up in a slight smile. He rolled up his sleeves as we entered the gallery.
We set to work. It took us most of the night, but as we restored things to order, I told about finding the Méduse . He listened intently as I recounted everything I had seen in theledger and the possibility that the man in the mask would be traveling across the Atlantic in a matter of weeks. I confessed that my lack of resources disheartened me, but there really wasn’t much evidence that could prove my grandfather was in France.
He could still be anywhere. We only knew that the man in the mask frequently traveled to France, but I couldn’t tell if he was traveling beyond to the rest of Europe.
“I don’t know what I should do,” I said as I set the remainder of the cloth dolls on their shelf.
Will looked up from repairing one of my alarm balls. “You’re right. We need to know more.”
“We?”
He tossed the ball to me, and I caught it and put it into my pocket. “You pulled me into this entire mess nearly a year ago. You think I don’t wish to see the end of it?” he asked.
“I thought you were more clever than that.”
“Not nearly clever enough, it seems.”
I shook my head in bemusement. “I’m not willing to take a risk on so little information,” I said, looking around at the clean and restored gallery. “It would be foolish.”
“Then we need more information.” He bent over and inspected the lock on the door, then searched through my boxof tools. “This all started when you found a letter from your grandfather in Rathford’s workshop.”
I felt a chill run down my neck. “Yes, what of it?”
He looked up at me, and the light caught in his dark eyes. “Perhaps it is time for us to return.”
CHAPTER SIX
“ DEAR LORD, WHY DIDN ’ T I think of that?” I asked.
“Because I’m the clever one.” Will flipped a hammer into the air and caught it again by the handle. “You’re good friends with Rathford’s
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