Prompt #17 "Looks like we will be trapped here for awhile…"
#14. "Hey, I'm here with you, okay? Always."
"What exactly are we looking for Lucien?"
"I'm not really sure but we'll know it when we see it." He opens another drawer in the ornate desk. "There must be something in this house that's a clue as to why Mr. Carson was murdered."
"This is hardly a house more like a grand estate." Jean mutters, wandering towards the large foyer. "Lucien, we will never be able to search this whole place before the family comes back. I'm going to look upstairs."
"Good idea. Focus on the master bedroom first." He barely looks up as he slides another drawer open.
Jean roams the hall, peering into one large room after another trying to decipher which might be the master. At the end of the hall she sighs at the futile effort this whole escapade has been. She glances out the window, envious of the beautiful view when she spies two cars, one after another turning into the long driveway.
She races down the hall to the stair. In a hushed yell she calls out, "Lucien….Lucien! Damn….LUCIEN!" She begins to panic when she reaches the bottom stair only to see a matching look of panic on Lucien's face as he races towards her.
"Back up stairs."
"But they are coming home."
"They're already home! Quick!" He takes the stairs two at a time practically dragging Jean with him.
In the middle of the upstairs hallway Lucien stops, equally befuddled at the grand rooms. Jean takes the lead having already gotten the lay of the land. "This one down here looks less likely to be a room that is used." She heads to the smallest room at the end of the corridor.
They quicken their pace at the sound of voices below. Quietly closing the door behind them in the least assuming room of the house. "Well, that was unexpected." Lucien tries to make light of their predicament. "I could have sworn sending them those letters would have kept them out for hours."
"Now what?" Jean turns to see his face wearing the look when the pieces of the puzzle are before him but he just can't seem to make them fit. "Lucien?"
He shakes his head clearing the jumble in his brain. "Looks like we'll be trapped for a while. Come make yourself comfortable." He plops on the bed, patting the space next to him.
She sits on the small bed beside him, the deep lines in her brow reflect her own confusion. "Something isn't right about this room."
Before she is able to elaborate, they hear footsteps and voices coming their way. "In here." Jean smooths the bed linens swiftly before following Lucien into the tiny closet.
She can hear Lucien's breath heavy, the warmth of it across her head. The beat of his heart quickens under her ear. Their arms wrap around one another in a desperate attempt to make themselves fit in the confined space amongst the wool jackets. Jean can feel his muscles hard and tense but oddly she finds herself relaxing in his grasp. The strength of his arms is a comfort.
In the dark space she can barely make out his features but she can sense the terror that is building in him. She turns her head enough to place a kiss over his heart, squeezing him tighter. To sooth his fears she stretches up to whisper in his ear. "Hey, I'm with you, okay? Always." The darkness makes her bolder, braver than she dares in the light. She emphasizes her point by leaving a kiss on the soft spot behind his ear.
With her movements, the touch of her lips, Lucien loses his balance causing Jean to reach for the back of the closet. In an instant they are laying on the ground, the back of the small closet open to a secret room. Lucien lays on his back, Jean fitting perfectly within his large frame, looking down on him.
"Are you alright?" He brushes a curl from her face.
"Yes. You?"
"Tickety boo." Jean tries to get off of Lucien but he holds tight, not relinquishing the chance to have her close.
She smiles down at him. "I knew something was wrong with that room. It was too small!"
"You are so very clever." He whispers, their lips nearly touching.
Her eyes open wide and they scramble to get up when the voices become louder. Shutting the back of the closet they sit on the floor, backs to the opening listening to the family members of Mr. Carson bicker. There is no place for the old man to hide anything in this room. It's a waste of time!
It is while they sit listening that they get a good look at the room before them. The light from the one window is enough to reveal a proper sitting room with a writing desk and liquor cart. Everything of importance and value on display. The room itself is a vault, a perfect hiding place for the lord of the manor.
"I think we will find all the answers in this room, doctor."
"I believe you are correct Mrs. Beazley." He glances at his watch. "Matthew and Charlie will be here in approximately four hours, once my note to them is delivered. How shall we pass the time?"
"Hmm. I'm sure we will think of something."