Page 19 of Hunted By the Guardian
He would have to find out what lay at the heart of her reaction to him if he was to make a proper apology. But it was impossible to ignore the fact that his actions today had driven a wedge between the two of them. It was going to be very difficult to get her to listen to anything he had to say now.
For Noah’s sake, though, I am just going to have to try. I won’t give up on this.
He made his way to the book shop. So remorseful did he feel about his actions so far today that he made up his mind to buy extra books for Noah, and by the time he had finished his shopping, he had chosen a whole stack. There were plenty of books on animals with big teeth, as Noah had requested, and also a few of Jonathan’s favorites from his own childhood. It would be nice to see these titles around the house again.
He remounted his horse and started for home, the books thumping against his hip as he rode.
When he got there, he pledged to himself that he would find Lady Violet, and he would make her a real apology. He would admit he had been wrong to act the way he had at breakfast and tell her how sorry he was for his behavior.
He could only hope, for Noah’s sake, that she would be willing to accept it.
CHAPTER 11
Two days later, Jonathan had still been unable to make his apology.
In fact, he hadn’t even seen Lady Violet since their encounter in the foyer two days ago. He was sure that meant she was avoiding him, and he couldn’t rightly blame her for it after everything they had been through. But what was he supposed to do now?
“I don’t understand how she can be dodging me this thoroughly,” he grumbled to Williams over a breakfast he was eating alone—Noah had steadfastly refused to come to the table these last two days, taking his meals in his room instead. “I know that she’s not just hiding out in her bedchamber, because I’ve walked by and seen the door open, but I never seen her anywhere else in the house. How is she getting around? It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Williams looked uncomfortable. “I don’t suppose anyone has told you about the passages, have they?”
“The passages?”
“Secret passages through the house,” Williams explained. “The dowager viscountess had them put in—it was a fascination of hers. She liked the idea of taking a hidden route from one room to another, even though there was no one for her to hide from. It was the romance of the thing for her, I think.”
“And you believe Lady Violet is aware of these passages?”
“Some of them are quite old,” Williams said. “I’m sure some of them were here when she was a little girl, and no doubt her aunt showed them to her. So yes, I would say she probably knows them, and I would say that she is probably using them to get around. That’s why your paths haven’t crossed in a few days.”
“Can you show me the way into these secret passages?” Jonathan asked.
“I can,” Williams said. “There is an entrance in your bedroom, as it happens.”
“Inside my bedroom?”
“There’s a panel at the back of the armoire that slides out, and you can get in that way,” Williams told him. “From there, the passages are all interconnected.”
“I can’t believe I never knew this,” Jonathan marveled.
“It does make sense, Your Grace. After all, you haven’t been here that long. I suspect the dowager would have told you had she completed the sale of the house to you, but failing that, she’d have wanted us to let you know.”
“Well, I greatly appreciate it,” Jonathan said. “And these passages go everywhere in the house?”
“They even go to some rooms that aren’t accessible from the main house,” Williams said. He lowered his voice slightly. “The underground baths are especially nice. From the entrance I’ve described to you, you’ll turn left and take the stone steps going down. You can’t miss it.”
All thoughts of Lady Violet left Jonathan’s mind. This house had always held a fascination for him—it was the reason he was so adamant about acquiring it—but this was something new. The place was suddenly full of mystery, and it was just what he needed to take his mind off his troubles.
He made his way up to his room and opened the armoire. He had barely looked at it so far, but he saw now that it was newly made—it must have been added to the house in recent years to connect to these secret passages. He shifted his clothes aside and felt around the back until he found the panel, then carefully eased it to one side.
He was looking down a narrow hallway that was completely dark.
Jonathan stepped back into his room and took a candle. Holding it aloft, he ducked back into the passage and started along it, this time able to see a little bit by the flickering light. The walls were made of rough stone, and so was the floor—though that had been worn smooth by years of people walking on it.
He followed Williams’ directions and found the stairs. He hadn’t brought any bathing things, but that was all right—for now, he just wanted a look at these baths. They must be tended by the staff, since Williams knew all about them. His heart pounded with excitement. This house was even more marvelous than he had originally believed.
Stepping into the underground cavern at the bottom of the stairs took his breath away. It was more of a lake than a bath, though it was clearly man-made—a vast, still pond surrounded by lit candles that told him he had been right about the staff tending to this room. Someone must have come down to light them. He wondered whether it might be possible to encourage them to light candles in the passage as well—that would certainly make things easier.
The pool was so enticing. He was immediately tempted by it and stripped off his shirt, tossing it into the corner. He reached for the buckle to his pants, but he was distracted by the sight of a painting on the wall—a picture of a cathedral. He admired it for a moment. It was exquisite work, he thought. He had always been so fond of this art form, and he could recognize good painting when he saw it. This was a good painting.
