The Blood of a Baron - K.J. Jackson Page 0,69

I will. We need to go to the Isle of Wight. This is the only clue we have as to the box’s origins.”

“We don’t need to do anything of the kind,” Desmond said, glaring at his wife. “You could barely walk down here.”

Jules gave her husband a withering look. “I know I’m not going anywhere, this babe is far more important. I meant we more in the spirit of the word.” She shifted her look to her aunt. “I have no right to ask this of you, Elle, but can you hold the box for us? It seems to affect most people, but it didn’t affect you at all when you held it.”

“How does it affect people?”

“They go mad, Elle.” Desmond’s voice took on a hard edge. He clearly didn’t like how this conversation was going. “Crazed at what the box can do for them.”

“And just what can the box do?” Elle asked.

“Bring riches beyond anything, but death and much suffering is sure to accompany the riches,” Jules said. “And Lady Helena and her brother have held the burden of it for too long.”

Elle looked at Laney. “But you don’t seem deranged. Very sane, even.”

Laney shook her head. “I have the same reaction as you.” Her head flickered to Wes. “But for Wes and for my brother, it was different. It takes over minds.”

Perplexed crinkles gathered along the edges of Elle’s eyes. “You only need me to hold it? I can do that.” She turned to Laney and Laney handed her back the box.

Wes’s chest deflated, long-held breath released in relief. The box was out of Laney’s hands.

Finally. For good.

All he’d wanted since she’d found the bloody thing in the larder.

“Now we just need to figure out where the box’s origins are—and the mosaic is the only clue we have,” Desmond said. He looked to Elle. “Can you tell us where, exactly it is on the island?”

The box clutched between her palms, Elle looked to him. “I can tell you where it’s at, but you won’t have access to it—not without me. The Roman baths are below the lands of the old marquess that lives next to my dower house. The man was once a great archeologist, or so he likes to say. And he won’t let anyone into the baths. He is entirely too grumpy with everyone.”

“Then how did you see them?” asked Jules.

She chuckled. “Oh, anyone but me—he likes me and has taught me so much about archeological digs. He lets me go down into the baths to help him uncover layers.” She looked to Desmond. “So if someone is going to the Isle of Wight to investigate, I have to go with them.”

Des shook his head. “No. We couldn’t ask you to go.”

Her eyes aglow, Elle smiled. “But you can—you know I love a mystery—especially if it’s a mystery shrouded in dust and bones. And from what I gather, this box has piles of bones upon it.”

“Exactly—it’s too dangerous, Elle,” Desmond said. He looked to Wes. “Wes…”

The moment Wes was dreading, and he didn’t have to think twice on his answer. “No—I cannot be near the box, Des. I was almost lost to it and I cannot be tempted by it again. I kept it from falling into the wrong hands this past year, I almost lost everything to bring it back here, but now I need to be done.” He looked to Laney, his stare riveted on her. “I have to choose a different path. I have to choose the future.”

Desmond nodded. “I understand. You protected it for as long as you could—longer than I had any right to ask of you.”

Wes looked to his friend. “But you cannot go, Des—not with your new son, not with your daughter due to arrive here at Seahorn in a fortnight. You are needed here.”

Desmond’s mouth pulled to a thin line.

“So, what do we do?” Wes asked the question, his words heavy.

The sudden sound of a throat clearing cut into the silence.

All eyes turned to Rune standing in the corner of the room by the windows.

A slow smile crept onto Desmond’s face. “You are willing, Rune?”

Rune shrugged. “You both have attachments—I do not. It would seem this was my moment to clear my throat and remind you all I was here.”

Wes chuckled.

Desmond nodded. “You have my gratitude. We need this box to get to its home. The sooner the better. You’ll need to leave before Hoppler can send more men to the area. Bring Lady Raplan and the box