Cinders and Ashes (Cavendish Mysteries 2)

Sebastian almost groaned as she took another bite, immediately lost once more in the delicious food. He had never seen anyone enjoy their food as thoroughly as Amelia. It made him realise just how deprived she had been over the past few years. Despite the aching of his erection, couldn’t resent her enjoyment.

He would just have to watch where he took her out to dine when they were married, Sebastian thought ruefully. Or else, he would have to take his sabre whenever they left the house. Shaking his head, he turned back to his own food, glad when the meal was over.

Earlier, they had each chosen a room to search. After a few instructions from Sebastian, they set off to carry out their allotted tasks.

Amelia was searching the study. It was a relatively small room, sparsely furnished but comfortable. According to Sebastian, it was Benedict’s favourite room in the entire house.

She decided to start at the window in the far corner and move inwards, across the room. It felt slightly uncomfortable, poking around someone else’s house, even if they were dead. The only consolation was the thought that if something was found, it could help capture the man responsible for injuring Sebastian so brutally.

She wasn’t certain how long she had been searching, but the sun had long since fade

d when she approached the door, frustration gnawing at her.

“Find anything?”

She squeaked and whirled in surprise as Sebastian appeared silently in the doorway. Her hand rose to cover her thundering heart, and she tried to calm herself as she eyed his masculine length. How did he manage to move so silently?

She shook her head regretfully. “Not a thing. Just papers and books. Lots and lots of books,” she murmured, glancing back at the room. “Are you sure this isn’t the library?” She had tried to leave it as she had found it, but it was hard to tell with all of the heavy tomes lying everywhere.

Sebastian chuckled, thinking of the room he had been allocated. It had been crammed from floor to ceiling with every kind of book imaginable.

“Nope. We have yet to search the library. That is something requiring all of us.” He smiled at Amelia’s low groan, and fought the urge to slide his arms around her. “Have you seen the others?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Edward appeared.

“Nothing in my room either. Peter is nearly done and hasn’t found anything yet,” Edward reported, shaking a fine peppering of dust off his jacket with a sneeze. “’Scuse me,” he mumbled, his voice raspy with dust.

Sebastian took hold of Amelia’s elbow and gently guided her down the corridor towards the dining room, looking inwards as they passed, to find Dominic regretfully shaking his head.

“Isobel?” Amelia queried, as the lady in question poked her head out of the morning room, wiping a speck of dust off her cheek.

“Nothing in here either.” Isobel shot the room behind her a dour look, closing the door with a firm click and a sneeze.

“The library it is, then.” Amelia’s voice held a tinge of reluctance that Sebastian quickly picked up on.

“If you are tired, why don’t you and Isobel call it a night? We can search in the morning,” he murmured softly, eyeing the dark circles under Amelia’s eyes with a frown.

“No.” Amelia shook her head. There was no way Sebastian was going to pack her off to bed now. “I’ll help search with the rest of you.” With that, she pushed the sleeves of her dress higher on her elbows and, after receiving instruction from Sebastian, set about searching her corner of the library.

There were so many books residing on the floor-to-ceiling shelving, they decided to place each book on the floor once it had been checked thoroughly, until one shelf was empty. They then replaced that shelf of books before turning to the next shelf up. It was going to take hours.

The clock chimed midnight when Sebastian arched his back with a low groan and looked at the others. Amelia was practically weaving on her feet. Typically, she refused to admit to her exhaustion and carried on regardless.

Isobel was fast asleep in a winged-back chair beside the fire. Edward and Peter had long since given up caring, and had taken to casually tossing the books around in the hope something jumped out at them.

“Wait,” Amelia exclaimed, moved swiftly across the room. Quickly she picked up the book Edward had casually tossed onto the floor. Beside it lay a small, red pouch. Holding both in her hands carefully, she moved toward the table, clearing enough space to accommodate the book and pouch side by side.

Isobel was nudged awake by Dominic, and sleepily stumbled to her feet with the help of her husband. As everyone crowded around the table, they stared almost reverently down at the small pouch on the table.

“What do you think it is?” Isobel yawned, and leant sleepily against her husband’s chest.

Amelia slowly opened the pouch and eased the folded piece of paper out.

“What is it?” Sebastian moved to stand immediately behind Amelia, his hands braced on her hips as he peered over her shoulder to see the writing.

“Have you ever heard of Jack Cunningham?” Amelia asked, squinting at the small lettering in the candlelight. She tried to keep her eyes away from the haunting sketch of the man at the top of the page.

“It isn’t familiar to me,” Sebastian replied, amid denials from everyone else.