The Black Diamond (Black Diamond 2)

"Ah, now that I know from firsthand experience," he stunned Aurora by muttering, his tone low and wicked, clearly meant for her ears alone. "And I promise, soleil—I'll try never to keep you waiting."

Before Aurora could respond—or even recover, for that matter—the teasing look on Julian's face had vanished and he was heading toward the door. "Let's find Siebert," he instructed Slayde.

Watching her husband's departure, Aurora pondered the astonishing transformation he seemed able to make so effortlessly. It was as if a flash of Julian emerged from the confines of Merlin's formidable presence, only to disappear as quickly as it had come.

Well, she relished a challenge as much as he did. And she'd just encountered the greatest challenge of all: Julian himself.

"You're disappointed," Courtney pronounced as Slayde followed Julian out the sitting-room door. "You were obviously yearning to explore those falcon cages. Aurora, I'm not a child. Go with Julian. I can collect books on my own."

"Absolutely not." Aurora gave an adamant shake of her head. "I have no intentions of letting you climb ladders or overtax your strength. Besides, that's not disappointment you're seeing; it's contemplation."

"Contemplation," Courtney repeated. "Over what—Julian?"

"Yes." A sigh. "My new husband is a very complex man."

"So I noticed." Courtney cleared her throat, her gaze fixed on Aurora. "Despite your craving for adventure, I know how terrified you are of the black diamond, how certain you are of its curse. I also realize Julian won't rest until he finds it, which places you right at the heart of this search—a reality that's doubtless as frightening as it is exhilarating. Yet, despite all this upheaval, you look radiant. May I assume the past few days yielded all I predicted they would?"

Aurora shot her friend a grin. "You may."

"You're happy then?"

"Ecstatic—at least when I'm in Julian's arms. Now, if only I could unlock his thoughts as easily as I unlock his passions…" She frowned. "Somehow I think that's going to be a significantly more difficult task."

"I'm sure it will be." Courtney's lips twitched. "Especially given that unlocking his passions probably required no more than a moment or two alone in his bedchamber."

"Bedchamber? We scarcely lasted beyond Pem

bourne's gates." Aurora flushed as she recalled her first moments of wedded bliss. "We consummated our marriage in Julian's carriage," she confessed in a confidential whisper. "Are you shocked?"

Laughter bubbled up in Courtney's throat. "By the Fox and the Falcon, yes. By you? Never." She squeezed Aurora's hands. "I can hardly wait to hear more. Unfortunately I'll have to exercise some patience. Dozens of books beckon us."

"Yes," Aurora agreed, staring off in the direction of the library. "As does the black diamond."

* * *

A half hour later, a stack of texts were strewn across the library's oriental rug and Aurora was sifting through the top and final shelf of books.

"Nothing," Courtney muttered from the settee. Readjusting the cushion behind her back, she tossed another book to the floor. "Other than some interesting margin notes on the differences between the peregrine and the merlin. I can't find a single item either within the text or penned by James that even remotely resembles a hidden message."

"I'll climb down and help you," Aurora replied, extracting two more thick volumes, cradling them against her as she descended the wooden ladder.

She'd scarcely righted herself when Julian strode through the doorway, anticipation rippling through his powerful frame.

"Julian—what is it?" Aurora demanded.

"This." Julian held out a somewhat rusted but visibly ornate key for her inspection. "I found it lying alongside the falcon cages."

"Is that significant?" Aurora examined the worn scrap of metal intently. "I assume it was once used to keep the falcons locked in their cages."

"It was. I tried the key. It fit the locks perfectly."

"Then…?"

"This key looks exactly like the one my solicitor presented to me, the one that opened Geoffrey's strongbox. It has the same short shaft, slender notches, and gilded trim. I'm on my way to Slayde's study to see just how identical the two keys are."

"You're thinking that Geoffrey made James a key so he could gain entry to the strongbox?" Courtney questioned.

"That, of course, is the logical assumption." Julian frowned, turning the key over in his palm. "But I've got an excellent memory for detail. And although the similarities are stark and unmistakable, I don't recall the original key's notches being quite so close together."