“No. Thank you.”
The butler nodded and then turned and strode off.
“Do you think he suspects anything?” Annabelle asked. Her gaze trailed after one of her uncle’s most trusted employees.
“Does it matter? You didn’t know about the other sundial, right?” When she shook her head, Grayson added, “Without you asking him about it, we might never have found it.”
“You’re right.” She just couldn’t shake this feeling that she’d made a mistake. “Let’s go into the city.”
“You know, I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to take you to dinner this evening.”
“Oh, but I thought you said you didn’t want to get involved.”
“It’s dinner. I want to make it up to you...you know, for the way I acted last night.”
“So what does this mean? Have you changed your mind?”
“How about, I want to be your friend?”
Friends? That wasn’t so bad. There were even friends with benefits, but that was for another time. Right now, she wanted to find that sundial.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
FIVE DOWN. TWO ACROSS.
“This is it! This is it!” Annabelle struggled not to shout it to the world. Instead, her excitement came out in excited whispers.
She worked to loosen the stone just as her phone rang for about the tenth time. And again, she ignored it. After dinner in the city at a small Italian restaurant, she’d grabbed Grayson’s hand and snuck out the back while Berto waited for them by the front door.
With the darkness of evening having settled over the city, they’d been able to move quickly down the sidewalk. It was only a five minute walk to the oldest park in Bellacitta.
The hard part was searching in the dark for a sundial. Thank goodness cell phones also made good flashlights. And Grayson found the sundial on the north side of the park near a rock wall.
Once again, her phone rang. And just like before, she ignored it.
“Aren’t you ever going to answer that?” Grayson asked.
“Not until I’m ready.”
“Annabelle, this isn’t safe. You shouldn’t have ditched your security detail.”
The truth of the matter was that she felt bad about slipping away without a word, but knowing Berto’s allegiance was to his employer—her father—what else was she to do?
She and Berto were friendly, but he’d never let that get in the way of doing his job. And he was very good at what he did. She’d make sure to protect him from her father’s wrath and somehow make this up to him.
“You do know that they’re able to trace the cell phone signal?” He glanced around as though expecting an army of royal guards to arrive.
“I know I told you that my father keeps a close eye on me and my activities, but relax a little. I don’t think even he’d go to that extent. At least, not yet.” She smiled at Grayson, hoping to put him at ease.
He didn’t return the friendly gesture. “This isn’t safe. What if your father is right and there’s a real threat on your life? And your bodyguard, I’m sure he won’t be happy about you giving him the slip.”
“He never is. And besides, I have you to protect me.”
“Wait. You’ve done this before?”
“Ditch Berto to go treasure hunting? No. Ditch him so I could have some semblance of a normal life? Yes. But not very often—only for really important things.” She’d gone through a bit of a rebellious stage as a teenager, but unlike her brother, she’d realized there was more to life than partying. She’d wanted an education and a career. So she’d settled down to study and bring up her grades.
“I don’t like this.” Grayson glanced into the shadows. “We’re going back.”