Page 64 of The Noble Servant

How had he forgotten?No more foolishness, Steffan.

He took the parchment out of his pocket.

He unrolled the paper, then held it up facing the window so they could both see by the light streaming in.

“It’s some kind of map,” Magdalen said.

“I’m not sure of what or where, though.” They both leaned closer. “These are hills.” He pointed.

“And forests here, and a stream,” Magdalen indicated. “But how can we tell where this is if there are no names anywhere?”

“Something is here.” Steffan traced a line of dots with anXat either end.

“This looks strangely familiar.” Magdalen suddenly gasped. “This looks like the map my father had in his library. And look at these small circles here, here, and here.” She placed her finger on the map. “This is a map of Mallin’s copper mines. These circles are the openings to the other mines, and the one with theXs is another mine that has two entrances.”

“Are you certain?”

“I used to wander all over those hills as a child, and I often went with my father to visit the mines.” She looked up at him with a wide-eyed smile. “I am certain.”

He couldn’t help smiling back at her.

Her smile faded, and she returned her attention to the map, holding one corner. “But why go to the trouble of stealing this map and my father’s books? All of the copper was mined out a few years ago. What is Lord Hazen looking for here?”

They both studied the map.

“I just remembered.” She pulled something out of her pocket and held it out. “It’s my necklace. I found it in Agnes’s room. My father gave it to me before he died. But I think it’s only jasper. He didn’t tell me it was valuable. He only said it was a pretty rock he found in one of the mines.”

Steffan reached out and held the pendant against his palm. “It looks like a fairly ordinary stone, but I suppose it could have some kind of significance.”

“I’ve been thinking about something else,” she said, a crease between her brows. “There must have been some reason for your uncle to send my mother a letter proposing marriage, planning for me to wed his son in your place. Why did he do it? What is he after?”

“Since you have no brother to inherit your father’s title and land, he must want his son to inherit whatever he thinks is valuable in that mine.”

She nodded, then pulled the necklace over her head and absently dropped the stone inside the neckline of her dress. “What do you think we should do now?”

“I would love to examine these mines for what my uncle thinks is so valuable. But first we need to be able to prove our identities, and we need someone powerful to prove them to, which would be easy enough if your mother and the Margrave of Thornbeck came to the wedding celebration my uncle is planning.”

“But Agnes told me her father will make sure the invitations are lost. And without an invitation, my mother and the margrave might never visit me.”

The truth of it made his heart sink, for the obvious reason, but also because her mother did not seem to care about her.

“Then we must make sure they come here. We must get word to them.”

“That is exactly why I wrote those letters and asked you to send them.” Her eyes were narrowed as she stared at his face.

“I did not want to send for help until I was sure I could prove who I was.” And he still could not, which was why he should be searching for his portrait.

She looked as if she might say something, then took a step away from him. “We should go. Someone might find us in here.”

The room probably had not been touched since his sister leftto marry nearly a year before, so it was unlikely anyone would find them. But she was angry with him for not sending the letters.

“Yes, we should go. And I shall hide the map in a safe place.”

“In the same safe place you’ve hidden the letters?”

He didn’t answer.

“You should tell me where you’re hiding them.”