It Takes a Hero (40 page)

In her excitement, she didn't see the significant look the colonel shot Rafe.

"About the ruby—" her husband began.

Four hours later, Lady Tottley's vow to see Miss Tate and company out of the house, had yet to come to fruition, and happily Rafe was still alive, despite Rebecca's outraged reaction to the fact that he had vowed to see the Kailash returned to India in exchange for her hand in marriage.

"In the future, when we come into a fortune," she told him, "I shall be responsible for it."

Rafe had grinned and agreed to give her control of any boon they obtained, since it was the most impractical thing she'd ever suggested. Unless they stumbled upon a trunk like Alminta's, such a future was highly unlikely.

Instead, the entire household was gathered around the large table in the library trying to discern where in England the little bit of map represented. The mystery had everyone entranced.

In addition, Rafe had sent notes to his brothers and the Duke of Setchfield, and they'd arrived, wives in tow, to help discover where Richard Tate had hidden the Kailash ruby.

Colin's wife Georgie had spent her life studying sea charts and navigation, while Robert's wife Olivia was an expert in languages, though neither lady had been able to offer any help.

The colonel had pulled out all his maps, and Lady Tottley had fetched her husband's books as well, but to no avail.

"If only we could discern what that means," Rafe said, pointing to the drawing beside the "X" that marked where the ruby was hidden.

There were more such drawings all around the edge of the paper, until it looked like a stream of raindrops, along with an ancient staff and trees—yet what it signified, no one could determine.

Rebecca paced back and forth before the table. "Richard always did love a good puzzle."

"I fear that was my fault," the colonel said. "The boy loved treasure hunting as much as I. He probably thought it a great lark to hide his own treasure."

"There must be someone who would recognize what this all means," Rafe said.

"I have a suggestion," Miss Honora said. "I met a lovely man last night who might be of assistance. He knows quite a bit about England and has traveled all over the countryside."

"Mr. Billingsworth!" The Duchess of Setchfield exclaimed. "Oh, I don't know why I didn't think of him."

Temple groaned. "Not that odious man. The last time you consulted him, it took us five weeks to get him to leave."

"Not another houseguest," Lady Tottley protested. "I will not have any more cadgers in my house!"

"Oh, that doesn't even begin to describe the man," Temple muttered.

His wife ignored him and gave Crumpton Mr. Billingsworth's address and directed the butler to send their carriage to fetch him at once.

An hour later, Theonius T. Billingsworth arrived at Tottley House, the very picture of the absentminded scholar. He had nibs of pens sticking out from the pocket of his waistcoat, an unidentifiable stain on his cravat and the toady manners of a man used to living off the benevolence of his betters.

In other words, he charmed Lady Tottley with a recitation of the famed landmarks on her father's legendary estate in Northumberland, complimented the Marchioness of Bradstone on her latest treatise on an ancient Celtic tongue, and thanked the Duchess of Setchfield for her continued good graces.

The man knew his audience and how to keep his next meal properly in place.

With the introductions over and the situation explained, Mr. Billingsworth got out a great magnifying glass and peered over the small map with agonizing detail. As he hemmed and hawed, everyone in the room held their breath.

No one more so than Rebecca. Of course, she still held out hope that Rafe would come to his senses and agree to keep the ruby. Only long enough to sell it.

"Have you noticed these," Billingsworth asked, pointing at the raindrops. "There are forty of them. How very interesting. And this staff here—why I've seen one like it somewhere."

"What does it mean?" Rebecca asked.

The man scratched his chin. "I can't say directly. Not without consulting one of my older works,
Saints, Shrines and Holy Places of Olde
." He scratched his chin and sighed. "If only I had a copy at hand."

"I have one!" Miss Honora declared. "I have my copy upstairs." When she realized everyone in the room was gaping at her, she explained, "I have all Mr. Billingsworth's books and
Saints, Shrines and Holy Places of Olde
happens to be one of my favorites."

Mr. Billingsworth preened, adjusting his spectacles. "Miss Honora, you warm my heart."

She blushed. "As you have mine, sir, on the numerous nights I've spent with you… I mean with your books." Flustered, she went an even deeper shade of red.

Rebecca caught Rafe's eye. He edged closer to her. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

She laughed. "Yes."

They shared a smile, for they knew that Alminta Gadbury wasn't the only one destined for the altar. There was no doubt Honora would very soon find her way into Mr. Billingsworth's good graces.

When she returned with the book and the man thumbed through the well worn pages, he finally came to a section and let out an "ah-ha!" that had everyone crowding around him.

"There are forty of these drops on here. Forty! And this drawing is dated July 15th. Oh, now it makes perfect sense."

Everyone else looked at each other not as convinced as the illustrious Mr. Billingsworth that the answer was so obvious.

Noting their disbelief, he explained. "Mr. Tate is leading you to an ancient shrine dedicated to St. Swithin." He pointed at the little drawing. "These forty raindrops are from the old rhyme:

St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain

St. Swithin's day if thou be fair

For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.

He finished his recitation and then smiled. "This 'X' most likely represents a well dedicated to Swithin."

"A well?" Rebecca and Rafe said together.

"Yes, an ancient well. The sort you'd find in a formal garden or even in a kitchen garden of an old house."

"But where is this well?" Temple asked.

"Bettlesfield Park," Rebecca whispered. "I knew it! I always knew he'd hidden it somewhere on the property. And to think of all the hours I spent digging and prying open—"

Rafe glanced over at her. "You put all those holes in my house! Pests indeed."

"Might I remind you, Mr. Danvers," Lady Tottley said, "that Bettlesfield Park is still mine until my daughter is wed."

"Then that shouldn't be for long," Lord Barwick announced, having just arrived. "Lady Tottley, I have come to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Lucinda rushed to Lord Barwick and threw herself into his arms. Not even Lady Tottley could protest this unseemly display.

After all, Barwick was the heir to the Hemswell dukedom and that did call for some leeway in propriety.

As everyone congratulated the happy couple, Rafe pulled Rebecca aside. "I am taking the repair costs out of your cut of the Company's reward."

"You'll have to prove I did it," she teased.

"I can be very persuasive," he said, gathering her up in his arms and kissing her.

They were interrupted by an "uh-hum" from Colin. When Rafe continued to kiss his wife, Robert added a nudge into his brother's side.

Rafe cast them both an annoyed glance. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"We have something to tell you," Colin said.

"It can wait," Rafe replied, turning his attention back to his eager wife.

"It's about your inheritance," Robert said.

"The fortune we forgot to tell you about," Colin added sheepishly.

Rafe pulled away from Rebecca, staring first at Colin and then at Robert. "My wha-a-at?"

"I thought he'd told you," Robert said, pointing at Colin.

"And I was under the assumption he'd told you." Colin laughed. "Quite funny, if you think about it."

Funny? He'd lived the last few years in a rat infested slum, and they thought it funny?

"You mean to say I have money?"

"Haven't you heard a word they've said? You're quite rich," Rebecca told him, catching hold of him and tugging him back into her arms. "There's thirty thousand pounds in trust sitting at Barclay and Company." Then she tipped up on her toes to kiss him again, but Rafe wasn't so inclined.

He tore himself away from her. "How did
you
know about this fortune, when I've just been informed of it?"

She grinned. "Lady Tottley told me of it this morning. Apparently she was doing some checking and discovered quite by accident that—"

Rafe had heard enough. Now that he was a wealthy man there was only one thing left to do.

Kiss his sensible wife senseless.

Then he intended to break his brothers' arms.

«
^

India, 1818

T
he sun blazed overhead while Rafe and Rebecca stood before the ancient temple of Kailash.

"Must I?" Rebecca said, a small locked chest in her hands. "In truth, I think this curse is mere fiction on uncle's part."

Rafe smiled at her and nodded toward the waiting temple guard. He'd made a promise, and when he made one, he kept it. As he had discovered the
Miss Darby
author and helped capture Sir Rodney's killer, now he was determined to keep his vow to the colonel and see the Kailash returned to its rightful place.

"Rafe, this is worth a fortune, possibly more so than your account at Barclay's. You really mean to give this up?"

He did indeed. For one reason and one reason alone: He would stop at nothing, give up anything to see his beloved wife kept safe.

"We might as well have left it in the bottom of the Bettlesfield Park well," she was grumbling, as she went forward to meet the temple scribe, dust swirling around her boots.

Rafe grinned. Rebecca had been trying for the last eight months to wheedle and cajole him into keeping the Kailash—ever since they'd traveled to Bramley Hollow to excavate the ruby. Everyone had come along to help, and it had been exactly where Mr. Billingsworth had predicted—in the bottom of the well, right where Rafe had fallen.

Based on the colonel's dire warnings, so far no one had been allowed to touch the ill-fated gemstone. It had been transferred to a small locked box from the end of Rafe's trowel and hadn't been seen since.

Then it had only been a matter of traveling from England on Colin's ship, the
Sybaris
, to Calcutta. It had been a long and lazy honeymoon of sorts, with their nights spent stargazing and making love, while their days were filled with plans for the renovations of Bettlesfield Park.

With the money from Rafe's father's estate, as well as the Company's reward, the house and lands would soon be not only worthy of recognition in one of Mr. Billingsworth's travelogues, but also turning a fine profit.

The green meadows and pastures, Rafe had decided, would be perfect for raising horses.

Not everyone was thrilled about Rafe and Rebecca's plans to renovate and live at Bettlesfield Park. Cochrane for one had refused outright to move from London to Bramley Hollow, citing Rafe's marital fate as evidence enough to give the village a wide berth.

And while at first Lady Finch was delighted to know that her new neighbors weren't going to be some deplorable lot of nabobs, the joy soon turned to dismay when she realized the colonel would be living there as well. Within cannon range of Finch Manor. She'd immediately directed Lord Finch to start building a large berm between the two properties to prevent any errant balls from reaching the house.

Meanwhile, Rebecca had only one thing left to do, return the Kailash. Rafe nudged her in the back so she took another step forward. "Consider this a great lesson in fortitude to use in your next
Miss Darby
novel." With Lady Lucinda's
betrothal to Lord Barwick firmly in place, Lady Tottley had released Rebecca from her vow not to publish any further novels.
Miss Darby's Terrible Temptation
had been published just before they'd set sail.

Rebecca's brow furrowed. "Miss Darby would never be so impractical."

Rafe laughed, then planted a kiss on her forehead. "What did Prince Ranjit tell your heroine in
Miss Darby's Terrible Temptation?
"

"Utter nonsense, I'm quite sure," she said, as she forced a smile to her lips for the benefit of the gathered people around them. Villages from up and down the river valley had sent elders and scribes to mark and record this momentous event. The homecoming of the Kailash would mean the return of their protection and prosperity.

"Mrs. Danvers," the head scribe for the temple intoned, "you have given us the greatest gift, the dowry of the Kailash. For your great sacrifice you will be rewarded with good fortune for the remainder of your days."

Rebecca heaved a great sigh and thrust her arms out. With only the merest of hesitation, which Rafe was sure he was the only one who noticed, Rebecca handed the box with the Kailash back to its rightful owners.

"
By the strength of your will, the pureness of your heart, and the grace of your love, you will always have my protection, my deepest devotion
," Rafe quoted softly to her, as a cheer rose from the bystanders.

He thought she was going to offer him another of Mrs. Wortling's infamous "harrumphs" but instead she turned and threw herself into his arms.

"Thank you for helping me to do that," she told him. "I know it sounds quite ridiculous, but I think I was starting to go mad from that thing."

"You?" he teased, and then kissed her quite thoroughly, sending her heart fluttering with quite a different sort of madness.

^

Author's Note

I
hope you've enjoyed this installment of the Danvers adventures. Having watched Rafe through so many books, I was delighted to finally be able to bring you his story. While there is no Kailash ruby, I would like to thank my friend, Darcy Carson, for her help with gemstones and their properties. I would also like to thank the staff at my local Starbucks for their unending support of my writing and for offering me their hospitality when I need a quiet place to work.