day, looking at the painting, that he’d made a promise to himself that one day he would find Eleanor’s dowry. Of course life had interrupted. When the summer had ended, their mother had taken them back to Chicago and resumed her teaching responsibilities. But Reid had never forgotten the jewels or the story that Nell had woven about her ancestors.
Seven years ago, he and his brothers had returned to the castle for a brief visit on the day that their mother had married A. D. MacPherson beneath the castle’s legendary stone arch. That had been the last time he had crossed the MacPherson girls’ paths. He and Cam and Duncan had been seniors in college and totally focused on their careers. Cam had already interviewed at the CIA. Duncan had his sights set on working in the behavioral science division of the FBI, and Reid’s own goal had been to land a job in the Secret Service. None of those careers left much time for family. So even though they were technically stepbrothers and stepsisters, it hadn’t been until this summer that their lives had intersected again.
A tap sounded on the door, and Lance Cabot rose from his chair. “My vacation adventure calls.” At the door, he turned back. “Good luck finding the sapphires. But in two weeks, I expect you back on the job. By then I will have figured out your secret move.”
“Not worried.”
“You should be.”
Reid could hear Cabot’s laughter even after he shut the door behind him. But he didn’t smile. His conversation with the VP had only increased what his instincts had been telling him ever since Piper and Duncan had found the second earring. Nell could be in serious danger.
The cable news correspondent hadn’t spent much time at all on Deanna Lewis. But Reid’s family had been digging into her background for the past ten days. She’d been born and raised in London, the only daughter of Mary and Douglas Lewis. Deanna’s mother had died when she was three, her father when she was a freshman in college. She’d been working as a freelance photographer when she’d sold the senior editor of Architectural Digest on the idea of doing a feature article on Castle MacPherson. In short, she was everything she’d represented herself to be when she’d appeared at the castle that day and abducted Piper.
And Deanna still had a partner out there. Someone who not only wanted the sapphires but who believed he had a right to them. Deanna Lewis had claimed that the sapphires had never been Eleanor’s dowry, that she’d stolen them when she’d fled Scotland with Angus. It all boiled down to a priceless fortune in jewels and someone who was willing to do anything to lay hands on them.
That put the MacPherson sisters in serious danger. Fortunately his brothers had been on the scene when the worst of the trouble had erupted, and they were each sticking like glue to the older sisters. Cam had Adair with him in Scotland working with A.D. and their mother to see if they could find out who might claim the sapphires on that end. His brother Duncan was keeping a close watch on Piper now that she was working on a high-profile defense case in D.C.
That left Nell. Frowning, Reid picked up his pen and drew it through his fingers. So far the danger had been focused on the castle. But that could change. The sense of urgency that had been plaguing him for over a week now bumped up a notch when his cell blasted out his brother Cam’s ringtone. His brother seldom called with good news. But he was in Scotland. It couldn’t be about Nell. Taking the call, he spoke the standard phrase he and his brothers always used.
“Problem or favor?” And he willed it to be the latter.
2
“NEITHER,” CAM SAID. “And this is a conference call. Duncan’s on the line, too. Mom asked me to call.”
Cam’s tone had most of Reid’s tension easing.
“Congratulations, Cam,” Duncan said. “Usually Mom calls Reid to pass on the messages. Clearly the pecking order has changed.”
Grinning now, Reid leaned back in his chair. The fact that their mom usually called him first was something that his brothers had razzed him about since they’d gone away to college. She’d been a very busy professor then, and since he’d been the firstborn of the triplets, she’d put him at the top of her phone tree. The habit had stuck. “Let me add my congratulations, too,” Reid said. “I’m perfectly willing to hand that particular torch over to you, Cam.”
“Of course, it could be a case of out of sight, out of mind,” Duncan said. “Cam’s over there with her in Scotland. You’re not.”
That was true enough. Their mother had gained access to the library at the old Campbell estate that Eleanor had fled from with Angus so long ago. Beth was interested in uncovering the story that had led up to their flight to the New World to use in her latest historical novel. With the added information Deanna Lewis had brought to the table, they were all interested. “How can either of you be sure that Mom hasn’t already called me?” Reid asked.
The beat of silence gave Reid great satisfaction. He leaned back in his chair.
“She hasn’t,” Cam said firmly.
Duncan laughed. “Keep thinking that, Cam.”
“I know she hasn’t called him yet because Adair and I were just with her when she discovered it in the library. Many of the books there were damaged or destroyed in a fire about six months ago, but leave it to Mom to dig up something.”
Reid set down his pen. “What did she find?”
“Yeah.” The teasing tone had disappeared from Duncan’s voice. “Is it something that will help us identify the person Deanna Lewis was working with when she attacked Piper?”
“I’m hoping it will give us a start,” Cam said. “Mom came across an old family Bible with part of the Campbell family tree sketched on the inside cover page. Eleanor’s name is right there. She had two older sisters, Gwendolen and Ainslee.” Cam spelled the names. “Both married and had children, and we can trace their descendants until around 1900. It’s giving us some names to look at. Adair and I are going to start checking them out.”
“Did one of them marry a Lewis?” Duncan asked.
“No,” Cam said.
“Any more information on how the Stuart sapphires came into the Campbells’ possession?” Reid asked. “If we knew that, we might have some idea why someone else believes to have a claim on them.”
“Nothing yet,” Cam said. “We’re thinking that you might have a better chance of nailing down that part on your end.”
“How do you figure?” Reid asked.
“I was here right after Adair found the first earring. Duncan and Piper found the second earring together. It’s up to you to find the necklace. Along with Nell, of course. That should smoke out Deanna Lewis’s partner, and you can get the story from him. Or her.”
“Got to say, I’m siding with Cam on that one,” Duncan said.
That was a new wrinkle, Reid thought. From the time they were very young, Duncan had made it a habit to stay silent and not side with either of them. The fact that his brothers’ scenario matched up with the one presented on cable news only increased his worry that whoever was behind the attack on Piper and Duncan was thinking along the same lines. Nell might very well become their next target.
“Unless you are too afraid of those stones—and of falling for Nell,” Cam said. “Oh, right. I forgot. You and Nell have been a done deal since you were ten.”
Reid grimaced but said nothing. His brothers had teased him mercilessly that summer because he’d made it his priority to protect her.
“Afraid?” Duncan chuckled. “Not our brother. But our fearless leader is really going to hate following in our footsteps. Nell’s visiting Piper right now in Georgetown. They’re at Nell’s book signing. But she’s planning on going up to the castle Sunday afternoon. Daryl assigned himself to be there for the wedding Vi’s handling this weekend and all next week. Cam has beefed up the security system on the castle, and