Free A Collector of Hearts by Sally Quilford

protect you.”
                “Then you’d better come with me, because facing Mrs
Oakengate requires an act of courage all of its own.”
                “Sadly,” he said, smiling, “I’m not quite that brave. Go
on, I want to look around down here for a while and see if I can find anymore
clues.”
                Caroline walked towards the cellar steps then stopped.
“There is one thing that’s bugging me.”
                “What is that?”
                “Why is someone coming to our room at night, whilst we’re
there? Surely it makes more sense to search it when we’re out, as they did
today.”
                “Except that during the day they have to come through the
kitchens to reach the cellar door. They’d be seen by the servants.”
                “Why not today?”
                “With Stephens out of action, it’s all hands on deck for
the ball tonight. The kitchen was empty when I came through it.”
                “Did you pass anyone on your way to the kitchen?”
                “A few guests were milling around the hallway, some were
in the drawing room.”
                “I wonder what other rooms lead into the secret
passageway.”
                “I don’t know. Perhaps we should come back tonight, when
everyone is busy dancing and find out for ourselves. Is it a date?”           
                Caroline smiled. “Well, it’s not up there with a movie,
dinner and dancing, but it’s a start. It still doesn’t make sense to me.
Whoever it is risks being caught in our room. Each time I’ve been awoken.
Though … we’ve both been really tired last thing at night. I think someone
might have drugged us.”
                “Yes, that’s possible. It should have put you out of
action.”
                “But I managed to wake up.”
                “And you’ve seen Lady Cassandra. Has it occurred to you
that the person is dressing up as our resident ghost? That way if anyone sees
her – or him – they think they’ve seen the ghost. The fact that they disappear
into the panelling helps to solidify the effect.”
                “Except that Lady Cassandra warned me about Stephens. And
the night before last she warned me there was danger.”
                “She did? You never told me that.”
                “Because I thought you’d laugh at me. That’s why I was
down here this morning. She woke me and said ‘Stephens’. Unless our crook has a
conscience and didn’t really want to hurt him.”
                “Do you believe that?”
                “No. But it’s the only rational explanation, Blake.”
                “It could be your subconscious. You sense there’s danger
and …”
                “My subconscious pulls Stephens’ name out of a hat as the
person most likely to be knocked out?”
                “When you put it like that, I agree it sounds unlikely.”
                “I really do have to go,” said Caroline. Trying to work
out the connotations of it all was giving her a headache. “Lunch will be served
soon and if I’m not there, Mrs Oakengate is apt to get cross.”
                “When this is all over, Caroline, we’ll run away
together.”
                “Will we?” She was delighted to know he thought that far
ahead. At least beyond a brief flirtation on Halloween weekend.
                “Oh yes.”
                “Why do we have to run away? Can’t we just be together
anywhere?”
                He took her hand and kissed her palm, sending a shiver
running through her. “No. I want you all to myself with no other distractions
or responsibilities.”

 
    Caroline wanted to believe
he meant all he said. And for a moment she did.