All About Love (Cynster 6)

Lucifer told them to scan the titles on the grounds that none of the books appeared valuable enough to warrant a false cover. Even with six of them scanning, it still took most of the day, but finally they located all nine books. Along the way, they found three fake covers of Dr. Johnson's Sermons, six fake covers of Gulliver's Travels, and a staggering eight of Aesop's Fables.

"Enough to confuse anyone," Demon remarked.

"No wonder the murderer has had to search so carefully." Phyllida glanced along the ranks of bookshelves. "And there's no telling if Horatio, for whatever reason, concealed one of the Sherring volumes."

Lucifer shook his head. Carrying Horatio's card, he was checking the nine books. "No-these are the Sherring volumes. Horatio noted all the details, and he never doubled up on specific volumes."

"Only to use for fake covers," Demon replied.

At Lucifer's instructions, they'd pulled the books forward in the shelves, but left them where they found them.

At five o'clock, Lucifer went around the nine books for the third time, paying special attention to the Sermons, the Travels, and the Fables. He noted the location of each book on his list, then pushed them back to stand unobtrusively with their fellows.

He, Phyllida, Flick, Demon, Jonas, and Covey had all studied each book. There was absolutely nothing to explain why anyone would commit murder for any of them.

Demon sank onto the chaise beside Flick. "We must be missing something."

"Presumably." Lucifer settled into an armchair and considered the list. "Let's assume our man started searching in the library."

"Why?" Jonas asked.

"Because if I'd wanted to search for a valuable book in this house, I'd assume Horatio would keep it in his inner sanctum," Demon supplied.

Lucifer nodded. "So he finished in the library, tripping over heaps of

fake covers in the process, and had started in here"-he paused to glance at the bookcases covering almost every foot of wall space in the drawing room-"when Horatio disturbed him. The night Phyllida and I saw him, he was still trying to search in here."

"Most of the Sherring books are in the library or in here," Phyllida said. "Only the real Travels and Fables are in the dining room." She looked at Lucifer. "Is that why you studied the books here and those two books especially?"

He nodded. "Four books, and while it's not my area of expertise, I would happily swear there's not a thing that makes any of them valuable. The Aesop's Fables has been used to hide something-the front cover's been hollowed out, but that's not unusual. The front of such books was a popular place to hide wills and such at one time. There's nothing there now except some canvas padding-I peeled away a corner of the covering paper and checked."

They all sat, digesting the information. In the end, Demon sighed. "This could, of course, all be some remarkable coincidence and the murderer is in fact someone else."

Lucifer grimaced. "Very true, which is why we need to give even more thought to how we approach tomorrow."

They returned to their plans, to the arguments, the suggestions-the possibilities of how to trap a murderer.

Chapter 20

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The day of the fete dawned still and clear. Throughout the morning, men and boys lugged boards and trestles up the common and over the rise. Thompson and Oscar helped Juggs roll two heavy barrels slowly up from the lych-gate, then down the slope behind the church. By nine o'clock a steady stream of women, gaily dressed in bright gowns and aprons, were ferrying all manner of foods up in baskets.

By eleven o'clock, when the Manor household climbed the common, a heat haze had formed-there was not a breath of wind to blow it away. The air lay heavy against the skin, almost cloying. Pausing beside the church on the highest point of the rise, Phyllida looked toward the horizon. "We'll have a storm tonight."

Lucifer followed her gaze. The horizon was smudged charcoal gray. "Looks like a big one."

Jonas nodded. "Our storms are something to experience. They sweep in from the Channel with a magnificent rush."

In the dip behind the church, the villagers and all the surrounding families were gathering. The Manor folk descended, exchanging greetings, introducing Demon and Flick; they merged with the throng and, as they naturally would, parted. They each had their roles to play.

Only those involved were privy to their plans. The more people who knew, the more likely someone would inadvertently do or say something to tip the murderer the wink. They'd agreed not to assume that Appleby was the murderer; their net was designed to cover all eventualities.

They'd decided on a simple scheme. Phyllida would be safe while surrounded by the entire village, yet Lucifer and Demon had been adamant that she and Flick should at all times stay together, and that both should wear their wide-brimmed villager hats, one tied with a lavender scarf, the other with a blue one-easy to spot in the crowd.

Lucifer and Demon shared the watch on their ladies and on Appleby. In the latter case, they were careful to do nothing overt. Lucifer introduced Demon and left him chatting. Subsequently, they passed Appleby in the crowd, exchanged a word if appropriate, but gave no indication that he remained always under observation. They were the only ones they trusted to do the job right.

Jonas had been assigned to idly wander about, keeping his eyes peeled for any unusual behavior in any of the other men, however unlikely. He conscripted a number of young ladies to aid him in disguising his intent, but behind his easygoing facade, he remained watchful and alert.