He let the chair fall forward. Could it be that simple? If he was right, they had a lengthy drive ahead of them. He glanced out the window to find that the sun had fully risen now. They needed to leave.
Gently he nudged Sabine’s shoulder. “Sabine,” he said.
Her eyes opened, and she sat upright. “What?”
“I think I’ve figured it out. But we need to leave now.”
She nodded and stood. Quickly she buttoned her shirt and tucked it back into her pants.
He boldly watched her, but said nothing and made no attempt to touch her.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Kent, to Maidstone.”
CHAPTER14
Several hours and two very sore backsides later, they found themselves in the bustling town of Maidstone. They had not spoken much in the carriage, other than to exchange theories about who might have set up the clues leading to the dove.
Max didn’t know precisely what had made her pull away from him. He supposed most women wanted more from a relationship than a passionate night spent in a dingy hotel. After his family died, he’d decided then and there, he’d never again get close to anyone. And he’d never even been tempted—until now, echoed through his mind, but it was only her kisses that tempted him. Nothing more.
Now they were walking the streets, and the late-afternoon crowds were thinning out. The shops prepared to close for the day.
“If the clue pointed to a Roman bathhouse,” Sabine said, “it stands to reason that Bath is where we should have gone. I don’t recall ever hearing of a bathhouse in Kent.”
“Nor have I,” Max said. “But Bath would have been far too obvious. Additionally, Bath wouldn’t explain the mention of the Virgin’s rock, which clearly points to Maidstone. If I’m wrong and we find nothing, we will go to Bath. And you’ll have my permission to box my ears. Does that make you feel better?”
She paused awhile as if considering his offer. “Perhaps. I have wanted to do that on occasion.”
He chuckled, but said nothing more on the subject. “We’re looking for anything having to do with bathing or tranquility or ancients.”
They got to the end of the cobblestone street and turned down another. There were fewer people here, fewer carriages, and eventually the road stopped at an alleyway.
“A dead end. Where to next?” she asked.
Max looked down the alley. Farther up on the right sat an old three-story redbrick building with a rounded turret of windows. Something about the design, different from the Tudor-style buildings that housed the other shops, drew his attention. And there was that niggling feeling at the base of his stomach—instinct, the men at Solomon’s had called it. It had been his experience that if something stood out, was the exception to the rule, it often warranted inspection.
“I think we should visit that building.” He pointed, and she nodded, then followed him down the alley.
The cobblestones here were irregularly shaped and uneven, clearly older and less maintained, so navigating to the shop proved challenging. Max held his arm out for Sabine, and much to his surprise, she took it, her delicate fingers wrapped onto his forearm. Her touch, though innocent, sent desire charging through him.
There were several different types of chairs crowding the landing of the shop. Though he would have sworn he saw a light burning in one of the upper-story windows, there was no other indication of life in the old place. Another sign hung over the front door that readThe Ancient and Unique.
“Ancient. This could be it,” Max said.
Sabine stopped walking and looked up at the building with a perplexed expression. “This certainly looks nothing like any bathhouse I’ve seen.”
Max pointed to the sign. “The riddle said something about where the ancients go.”
“Ancient is a common name for antiquities shops,” she said as she climbed the steps. She looked unconvinced, but followed him nonetheless. “I suppose it is worth a look. Though I wouldn’t think it would be old enough for this clue.”
“We don’t know when this hunt was established, though,” Max said.
She thought a moment before speaking. “True. I suppose any of my ancestors could have hidden the dove for protection. Just as they did with the map.” They reached the front stoop and Sabine peered into the windows.
There were no lights downstairs that he could see, and the front door was locked. But he never traveled anywhere without his tools, so he reached into his pocket and retrieved them.
“Is that how you got into my shop?” Sabine asked from over his shoulder as he slid the first pick into the lock.