The Next Forever by F. E. Greene

Author:F. E. Greene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: time travel romance, romance in london, romance strong female hero, romance adventure, regency romance
Publisher: F. E. Greene
Published: 2018-06-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty Six

After Charles held the door for the ladies, he closed it with a definitive click. Reece’s earlier warning made him wary. He wanted no one to overhear.

Conflicting instincts warred within him. Protect his wife. Avenge his friend. Find the Loculus and settle a debt that evidently had come due. A son for a son. Those were the gipsy’s words. What loss had she suffered, and when? If he could resolve that mystery – without dying – then peace might be restored to his life.

And yet death had crept far too close that day. In the moment, he’d rallied. In hindsight, he quailed. Those arrows were meant for him.

Concealing his unease, Charles guided the women toward a rosewood escritoire. The writing desk was discreetly positioned, a cushioned chair tucked beneath its gilded frame. Late-day sunlight spilled through a nearby window which offered a liberal view of Ecclesfield’s private park.

Within that landscape flourished a picturesque blend of soft lawns and shaded groves. Charles observed the occasional rose-laden trellis. He did not see the aforementioned gate.

He did feel a pressing need to find it and escort Victoria home. The impulse was always with him like a misting of rain. Now it abraded his soul like a storm.

Instead of yielding, Charles produced the finger-length scroll of paper which lent some worth to the day’s grim events. “We must hide this, and quickly, where it will not be found, before Lady Fane returns. It is what we recovered on our outing today. Its contents must be deciphered. Only Reece knows the keyword – himself and his mole, plus another whose name he did not share.”

Carefully Charles unfolded the quarto, weighting its edges with an inkwell and his thumb. When the women leaned closer to examine it, he eased sideways to allow them more room. While they studied its incoherent letters and lines, Charles kept his attention on the door.

“Once Reece has awakened, perhaps we might assist him in deciphering what this says. I am hopeful it tells where the Loculus is hidden. The sooner we can retrieve it, the better.”

Tori glanced over at him. “You’d go ahead without Reece?”

“We cannot delay four more days. If the Tarakhe apprehend me before then...” He let the thought finish itself.

“We need a keyword,” Tori surmised.

“I know it,” Neely said, her tone so matter-of-fact that Charles thought she’d misunderstood.

“You’re the third person who knows the keywords?” he asked.

“Should something happen to Reece, I am his – what did he call it?” Her gaze skimmed the ceiling as if the answer might appear amidst its intricate stippling. “Oh yes. I am his backup.”

Tori snickered. “Like an external hard drive.”

Charles felt far less amused. “Does that not place you in significant peril?”

“I am a thirteenth daughter,” Neely reminded him. “I shall forever sleep with one eye open.”

“I am sorry to hear it. Though, I do understand.” He offered an empathetic smile. “Well, Miss Prakash, it seems as though you’re to be the hero of this hour.”

With a slight shake of her head, Neelema gainsaid the honor.

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