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Hyacinth felt enveloped, shole

And dear God, it was just his hand

“We should put this back,” she said quickly, eager for anything that forced herher hand from his, she reached out and turned the wood back into place It seee in the underside of the cabinet, especially considering that the secret coone undetected for over sixty years, but all the same, it seemed prudent to leave the scene as they had found it

Gareth nodded his agreement, then motioned for her to ainst the wall “Did you find anything useful in the note?” he asked

“The note? Oh, the note,” she said, feeling like the veriest fool “Not yet I can hardly read a thing with only the ht a—”

She stopped She had to Gareth had claly over her mouth

Eyes wide, she looked up at his face He was holding one finger to his lips andwith his head toward the door

And then Hyacinth heard it Movement in the hall “Your father?” sheat her

Gareth stood, and on careful and silent feet ainst the wood, and then, barely a second later, stepped quickly back, jerking his head to the left

Hyacinth was at his side in an instant, and before she kneas happening, he’d pulled her through a door into what seee closet filled with clothes The air was black as pitch, and there was little rooainst what felt like a brocaded gown, and Gareth was backed up against her

She wasn’t sure she kne to breathe

His lips found her ear, and she felt more than she heard, “Don’t say a word”

The door connecting the office to the hall clicked open, and heavy footsteps thudded across the floor

Hyacinth held her breath Was it Gareth’s father?

“That’s odd,” she heard afrom the direction of the , and—