told him. “The ceiling gets lower.”
She led the way to the back of the underground area before pressing herself against the wall so he could go ahead of her. She handed him the flashlight.
He glanced at her. “Now I’m intrigued.”
“Good. You should be.”
They began walking again, turning the last corner with him in the lead. She couldn’t see past him but knew the exact second he saw the open secret door.
“Damn, you did find something,” he said, his tone respectful. “I should never have doubted you.”
“While that’s true, let’s talk about it later. Go look.”
He pushed the door open and shone the light inside.
“Do you see them?” she asked eagerly. “The statues on the shelf? Aren’t they amazing? I’m not sure we should touch them. I don’t think anyone’s seen them in what? Two hundred years? Obviously whoever was running the church hadn’t been told about them. They never would have left them behind. Not only are they valuable on their own, but they probably have religious significance. I told you there was something.”
Alec swore under his breath.
“What?” she asked. “Are you mad?”
“Of course not. It’s an exciting find. It’s just...” He looked at her. “Now they have to be dealt with.”
She gazed into his eyes and realized what he was thinking. “Oh no. You’re right. Legally they came with the property, so they’re yours and you could simply leave them where they are or display them, but you won’t do that, will you? You’re going to call whoever is in charge of the Catholic church in this area and let them come claim their property. Which means everything will have to be documented and photographed before it’s removed. What a mess. I found bones, huh?”
“Better than bones. It won’t take them but a few days.”
“Still. You didn’t want an invasion. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He put his arm around her and kissed her. “It’ll pass. This is a very significant discovery. You said there was something down here and you were right. Good for you.”
She smiled. “You should keep one of the statues. Just a little one. Come on, they are so cool and you’d appreciate their historical significance more than most.”
One corner of his mouth turned up. “I’ll do some research and keep the least valuable of the lot.” He led her back toward the stairs. “Any other areas you have a burning need to explore?”
“I think I’ve seen it all.”
“Good.”
She laughed. “I promise not to find any more treasure.”
“Thank you, but even so, I do have one favor to ask.”
“I can guess what it is.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t tell your mother.”
“That would be it.”
She leaned against him. “You have my word.”
“That’s all I need.”
* * *
Alec found himself pulled forward a couple of hundred centuries by the sound of voices in the hallway. Normally he would have tuned them out but when he recognized they belonged to Margot and his mother, he moved quickly to open the door so he could listen better and decide if he had to intervene.
“This isn’t right,” Margot said, her tone firm.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He would guess they were standing on the stairs. The sharpness of Margot’s tone surprised him. As far as he knew, she and his mother were getting along well and the lessons were progressing to the point that Margot wouldn’t be needed much longer—something he didn’t want to think about. Once she left, well, he wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He liked having her in his house and in his bed.
“Alec would want this,” his mother insisted, getting his attention. “I believe I’m a better judge of that than you are.”
“Under most circumstances, I’m sure you’re right, but not this time.”
“His house is beautiful and now with the treasure,” Bianca said. “Shouldn’t the world get to admire it?”
The treasure? How had his mother found out?
“No, the world shouldn’t,” Margot insisted. “This is his home, his refuge. He isn’t the kind of person who wants to have pictures of it plastered in some magazine.”
“It’s not some magazine! It’s a prestigious publication and being asked to be part of a photo shoot is an honor.”
“For you,” Margot told her. “But not for him.”
“We’ll just see about that!”
His mother started down the stairs, while Margot stayed where she was. Alec debated racing back to his desk so he could pretend he hadn’t been listening, but decided there was no point. He pushed open the door wider and waited. Seconds later, Bianca swept in, a glossy magazine in her hand.
She looked