man. She studied it and the two figures atop but could see nothing that resembled in any way a Gemini or a dryad. Rubbing her forehead she wished her idea of finding the Dremore fortune to perdition.
A touch on her elbow startled Daphne.
“I apologize, Miss Stratton.” Richard dropped his hand. He grimaced. “I am not usually such a clodpole. Perhaps we could cry truce.” When she didn’t reply he shrugged.
“ Harmony guides the way to Gemini’s reflected dryad; To gain the path to unearthing the mystery ,” he quoted from the verse.
Daphne raised her gaze to his. “I am very sorry for my behaviour last June. It was unconscionable even with the liquor in my drinks. I have never before been ape-led like that.”
“Apology accepted,” Richard offered gallantly. “A truce it must be since we have both apologized. Surely you see the benefit for both of us,” Richard offered. “We could search for a way out of our current situation as well as work on the verse’s solution.”
“Do you truly offer a truce?” she whispered watching his features closely.
“What harm is there in one?” Richard sighed when she did not reply. “There is no treasure, Miss Stratton. But solving the verse could,” he raised his hands palm up, “pass the time in a far more amusing manner than glaring at one another.”
Atop his figure Lord Ricman shoulders sagged. “Idiots. I have sired idiots.”
“My brains will tell true,” Lady Laurel assured him sweetly.
“How do you suggest we solve it?” Daphne asked warily.
“Study everything here. Let’s stroll around this monstrosity a few times and then compare what we see.”
“Monstros—”
Lady Laurel silenced her husband’s protest with a kiss.
Daphne nodded her agreement and then slowly circled the empty tomb. She ran a hand over the ornate sword hilt in the first Dremore’s stone hands searching for a trigger of some sort. Finding none she said, “Could it be possible that another meaning of Gemini is implied in the verse.”
“’Tis also a constellation.”
“I don’t think that can be the meaning for the verse. Is the sky visible to you?”
Richard shrugged, his brow furrowed in thought. After a bit he grimaced a smile and offered, “’Tis translated as twins. Perhaps it means two of something.”
“Two figures,” Daphne agreed as she patted Lady Dremore’s stone hand. “We need to find two dryads. I wonder why he chose them.”
“Dryad is another name for nymph,” Richard explained. “The nymph that couldn’t bear the embrace of Apollo was turned into a laurel tree. If you hadn’t noticed,” he added wryly, “laurel leaves are very symbolic in my family history.” Now you’re an erudite jackanapes , he thought too late.
“How could one not know that—Intertwined laurels,” Daphne said dryly. She sank onto the bench that was against the wall at the front of the tombs. She stared up at the heads puzzled by two faint auras atop the figures.
“What is this?” Richard asked halting close to the bench. He raised the lantern high.
Excitement coursed through Daphne as she followed his gaze. She jumped up. “Please give me your hand,” she said. Taking it when Richard held his out, Daphne stepped atop the bench for a better view. Brushing away the dust she studied the figure closely. “It looks like a nymph,” she exclaimed.
“I saw one just like this in the village church,” Richard said slowly. “Perhaps together they are the pair we seek.”
Hopping down, Daphne heard a dull plunk. She bent over and picked up a piece of metal that she must have knocked off the bench. “What is this?” She held up the object which was four inches long with a five-sided fluted ball at one end.
“This may be a key,” Richard mused.
Daphne looked to the door.
He shook his head. “No. I believe it is the key to the lock on the box I saw beneath a window in the church.”
A metallic creak turned both to the door. Before their eyes it
A touch on her elbow startled Daphne.
“I apologize, Miss Stratton.” Richard dropped his hand. He grimaced. “I am not usually such a clodpole. Perhaps we could cry truce.” When she didn’t reply he shrugged.
“ Harmony guides the way to Gemini’s reflected dryad; To gain the path to unearthing the mystery ,” he quoted from the verse.
Daphne raised her gaze to his. “I am very sorry for my behaviour last June. It was unconscionable even with the liquor in my drinks. I have never before been ape-led like that.”
“Apology accepted,” Richard offered gallantly. “A truce it must be since we have both apologized. Surely you see the benefit for both of us,” Richard offered. “We could search for a way out of our current situation as well as work on the verse’s solution.”
“Do you truly offer a truce?” she whispered watching his features closely.
“What harm is there in one?” Richard sighed when she did not reply. “There is no treasure, Miss Stratton. But solving the verse could,” he raised his hands palm up, “pass the time in a far more amusing manner than glaring at one another.”
Atop his figure Lord Ricman shoulders sagged. “Idiots. I have sired idiots.”
“My brains will tell true,” Lady Laurel assured him sweetly.
“How do you suggest we solve it?” Daphne asked warily.
“Study everything here. Let’s stroll around this monstrosity a few times and then compare what we see.”
“Monstros—”
Lady Laurel silenced her husband’s protest with a kiss.
Daphne nodded her agreement and then slowly circled the empty tomb. She ran a hand over the ornate sword hilt in the first Dremore’s stone hands searching for a trigger of some sort. Finding none she said, “Could it be possible that another meaning of Gemini is implied in the verse.”
“’Tis also a constellation.”
“I don’t think that can be the meaning for the verse. Is the sky visible to you?”
Richard shrugged, his brow furrowed in thought. After a bit he grimaced a smile and offered, “’Tis translated as twins. Perhaps it means two of something.”
“Two figures,” Daphne agreed as she patted Lady Dremore’s stone hand. “We need to find two dryads. I wonder why he chose them.”
“Dryad is another name for nymph,” Richard explained. “The nymph that couldn’t bear the embrace of Apollo was turned into a laurel tree. If you hadn’t noticed,” he added wryly, “laurel leaves are very symbolic in my family history.” Now you’re an erudite jackanapes , he thought too late.
“How could one not know that—Intertwined laurels,” Daphne said dryly. She sank onto the bench that was against the wall at the front of the tombs. She stared up at the heads puzzled by two faint auras atop the figures.
“What is this?” Richard asked halting close to the bench. He raised the lantern high.
Excitement coursed through Daphne as she followed his gaze. She jumped up. “Please give me your hand,” she said. Taking it when Richard held his out, Daphne stepped atop the bench for a better view. Brushing away the dust she studied the figure closely. “It looks like a nymph,” she exclaimed.
“I saw one just like this in the village church,” Richard said slowly. “Perhaps together they are the pair we seek.”
Hopping down, Daphne heard a dull plunk. She bent over and picked up a piece of metal that she must have knocked off the bench. “What is this?” She held up the object which was four inches long with a five-sided fluted ball at one end.
“This may be a key,” Richard mused.
Daphne looked to the door.
He shook his head. “No. I believe it is the key to the lock on the box I saw beneath a window in the church.”
A metallic creak turned both to the door. Before their eyes it
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