A Lily Among Thorns(99)

“Don’t try anything,” René said as Solomon moved closer to her. She tried to calculate how much of Solomon’s body she could shield with her own and decided that it was not enough to take the risk. Together they twisted the rubies, and the entire left-hand side of the mantel sprung forward slightly with an audible click. Serena felt oddly betrayed, as if the Arms had been conspiring with René against her.

“That royal bastard!” Solomon gave the portrait of Charles I a glare, as if that king were somehow to blame for his son’s perfidy to the Hathaways. “He might have told us!”

Serena ignored him, looking at René.

“I want you to open it and take out all the papers that you see in there and burn them. I would like to blindfold you, but I do not have time, so let me warn you now: if you try to keep any back or leave any in there, I will see, and he will die. It is as simple as that.”

She swung open the front of the carving. The back of the carving was covered in clockwork, and a shelf divided the interior into two compartments. The bottom compartment was empty. The top one held a mass of papers. She took them out, careful not to let any fall. “Why the devil would I try to keep any back—”

And then she saw the map. Even in the semi-dark she recognized that bit of Cornish coastline. Ravenscroft. “My father? My father was helping you?” She gaped. “I suppose that explains his sudden interest in me—”

There was a knock on the door. “Sol?” Elijah’s voice asked. René turned white, but his hand did not shake. He raised his eyebrows meaningfully. Solomon didn’t answer. In the listening silence Serena became aware that what she had thought was a roaring in her ears really was people cheering in the room below. She felt dimly that she ought to wonder why.

“Sol, I heard Lady Serena’s voice, I know you’re in there.”

Solomon looked at René, who nodded, very slowly.

“That you, Elijah?”

Serena was amazed at how natural his voice sounded.

“Can I come in?” Elijah asked.

“The devil you can, Li. Serena and I are a trifle occupied at present and we wish you at Jericho.”

When had he learned to lie so well?

Elijah laughed. “To Jericho I go, then.” His footsteps retreated.

René let out his breath. “Now burn them, and I wouldn’t recommend trying to throw acid at me or anything of that nature,” he said softly. Serena was already moving to obey him when Solomon spoke.

“No, wait,” he said.

Serena and René both stared at him.

“You might need those. If your father threatens to lock you up again. Sacreval said he couldn’t shoot you.”

Her heart almost stopped when she realized his meaning. He was offering his life in exchange for her freedom from her father’s threats.

He gave her a crooked, shaky smile. He could make an offer like that, but he couldn’t not look scared when he did it. Her heart swelled. “Don’t be stupid,” she said thickly, and opened his tinderbox.

As the last few papers crumbled into ash in Solomon’s big crucible, there was a hush from downstairs and they heard, very clearly, a man yell, “—all the doors. Nobody do anything foolish. He won’t escape.” Booted feet strode down the corridor below them. Solomon breathed a sigh of relief. Elijah had come back with reinforcements, and sooner than Solomon had dared hope. If only he had come before Serena had burned that evidence!

He had wanted to help her against Sacreval. That was a joke. When had he done anything for Serena but be a convenient life to threaten when someone wanted to browbeat her into submission?

The marquis sagged like a puppet whose strings had been cut and let the gun fall to his side. “At least I saved one of my men.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a few sheets of paper. “Sirène, these are for you.” He spoke quickly, racing against the booted feet that were starting up the stairs. “It’s a marriage contract settling the Sacreval diamonds on you. Fraud is grounds for annulment in England. There is no such title as marquis du Sacreval and certainly no diamonds. There is also an affidavit swearing that the register is a forgery.”

Serena’s numb, blank look did not change.

“Oh, ma petite sirène, I would only have shot him in the leg.”

Serena made a heaving sound, her shoulders relaxing with a shudder. She shut her eyes, and when she opened them her lashes were wet. “Oh, René.”