A May Day Code for Love by Jacki Delecki

Author:Jacki Delecki
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jacki Delecki
Published: 2020-05-05T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Sebastian entered the earl’s library and crossed the book-lined room. He exhaled slowly to release the tension in his body. With the fading sunlight, coupled with the light from the burning fire, he wouldn’t need to use a taper to search. Immediately, he spotted the earl’s seal in plain sight on the expansive oak desk. The heavy silver stamp was placed in a position of prominence on his lordship’s desk.

Sebastian paused and listened carefully for any sounds before he opened each drawer, searching for any correspondence that might connect the earl to the French. He examined the stacks of paper. Next, he slid his hand under the desk, looking for a hidden drawer.

No secret drawer, no incriminating correspondence, and the seal in place on the desk.

He didn’t try to pry open the one locked drawer. No need to alert anyone. The estate’s current ledgers sat on the corner of the desk. Scanning the entries, Sebastian found nothing out of the ordinary for running a large estate. There were large sums for brandy and lace, possibly a code for the French spies. More likely this indicated that the earl, like all the wealthy aristocrats, enjoyed the French niceties despite the embargo.

After fifteen minutes, Sebastian was forced to conclude that the search had been futile. It was time to return to Ella before Malden or the earl questioned her about his absence.

Heightened awareness prickling along his spine from the eerie silence, he crossed the room to make his escape. He partially opened the door and checked both ways. He had timed his search so that none of the servants were present in this section of the estate. They were busy in the dining area, laying out the cold dinner for the guests who would return soon.

He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his head, forcing his tense posture into relaxation. He then slowed his pace and walked nonchalantly toward the front door. Hiding in plain sight was always the best option. The search hadn’t been a total waste of his time. The seal hadn’t been stolen, which meant the earl and his son would remain under suspicion.

Spotting Sebastian, the butler rushed to open the front door. Free of the house, Sebastian increased his pace and moved quickly across the manicured gardens, anxious to return to Ella. Sebastian doubted the earl was involved with treason, but the idea of his son was quite conceivable. And if it was Malden’s man down on the beach and he reported to Malden that he had witnessed Ella and Sebastian close to the caves, Ella could be in danger.

Servants lit lanterns in the garden to guide the guests now that dusk was falling. The hairs on his neck bristled in awareness as he entered the woods. The waning sunlight cast dark, eerie shapes on the path.

He rushed to the clearing ahead, needing reassurance that Ella was safe. Malden gripped Ella’s arm as she struggled to pull away.

Fury blasted through Sebastian like a boiler about to blow. He prayed to God that Malden was the traitor, giving Sebastian a reason to kill the bastard.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.