“Why there?” He appeared so adorably confused she wanted to kiss him.
“I shall explain.” She started leading him in the direction of the gallery. “Chalk and egg white are elements of paint. I cannot imagine either of the ladies wanting us to search out all the paintings in the house. Therefore, the portrait gallery is where the painting is most likely to be located.”
“Goose eggs are used in paint?” He sounded incredulous, but kept pace with her.
“Not necessarily goose eggs. Egg whites in general.” Georgie steered him up two flights of the main staircase and toward the right corridor. “It would not surprise me to see a painting with a goose in it.”
“I can’t imagine a lady would pose with geese,” he scoffed.
“We shall see.” She used her most superior tone. The one her mother used when she knew she was right.
They entered the gallery through massive double wooden doors. A long Turkish rug covered a highly polished oak parquet floor that ran down the center of the corridor. Brightly colored ornamental tiles in the same blues and reds as the rug lined the floor along the walls. Long windows with red curtains filled half of the room with light, leaving the delicate paintings on the opposite side shaded, but easily seen. Other paintings were hung between the windows above tables holding colorful vases and miniatures.
“Goodness.” Georgie had seen many portrait galleries, but none this colorful. “What an interesting place.”
Turley tugged on her arm. “If we are to have any hope of winning this contest, we need to get to work. If you will begin here, I’ll start at the other end.”
He did have a point. It would be nice to win. “Yes, I must suppose that finding the painting is only the first of our tasks.”
“I have no doubt you are correct.”
Not knowing if the painting was large or small, Georgie quickly glanced at all of them as she strolled through. Finally, about halfway down the room, she saw a large painting of a woman dressed from early in the last century, holding a gaggle of goslings in a basket on her lap.
“My lord, come here. I think I’ve found what we are looking for.”
His long strides brought him quickly to her side. “What’s this?” He plucked a piece of paper she had not even seen from her angle that was behind the painting and opened it. “I knew it.”
Georgie leaned over his arm to read the list.
You have passed the first test. Now you must find :
A basket
A red ribbon
A special feather
A lady’s cap
And bring them to the hall.
“I knew it.” Turley sounded disgusted. “We’re going to have to brave the geese. I like my own, but they’re not friendly to strangers.”
Georgie studied the painting. Everything they needed to locate was in the painting. “Look.” She pointed. “I do not think we need to disturb the geese. The lady is holding a gold feather.”
“Who keeps a gold feather around for people to find, and where are we supposed to discover all these things?” He squinted at the painting. “I haven’t seen a cap like that since my great-grandmother wore one.”
It was lovely. The lady’s face was framed by a pleated sheer linen trimmed in white work with a red ribbon woven through the edge of the main part of the cap. “I have only seen one in paintings.” But where to look for everything on the list? There could only be one place where all of these things could be found. “The attic.”
Turley glanced at her, surprise writ on his lean face. “You’re right. I wonder how many attics there are in this house.”
“We’re not going to find out by standing here.” Georgie took his arm again and started leading him toward the far end of the gallery.
“Why are you so sure it’s this way?” Although he sounded as if he was objecting, he remained beside her.
“Because one never accesses the attics via the main staircase. Aside from that, we have a better chance of finding a servant who can direct us to the right attic going this way.”
Georgie had a point. It had always amazed Gavin how women could think of things men never would have. Then again, he’d never had the urge to go rummaging around an attic. But his sister had. Aside from that, he rather liked the way Georgie was managing him. “Excellent idea.”
“Thank you.” She granted him a wide smile, and that batting feeling returned to his chest. He hoped he wasn’t having heart problems like his father had died of.
They went through the doors at the other end of the gallery and found themselves in an older part of the house. “From the way the lady in the painting dressed, we might find what we’re looking for above us.”
She looked around. “I believe you might be correct. Let’s find some stairs.”
They found one pair of stairs, but they only led to rooms filled with old furniture and no trunks. On the way to another door, one of the maids carrying a mop and pail almost bumped into them.
She bobbed a curtsey. “Oh, miss, sir, I’m that sorry, I am.”
“It was no bother at all,” Georgie said warmly. “Would you by any chance happen to know where we could find the attics with trunks from last century?”
Gavin wasn’t at all sure the maid could give them that much information.
“Hmm.” The maid’s lips pressed together as if in thought. “There was a masquerade party a few years ago, and her ladyship was looking in one of the attics.” The woman stopped again. “Let me take ye there, it’s a little hard to find. This house isn’t as old as some, but I wouldn’t want ye to get lost.” She started forward then stopped. They almost bumped into her, and she started walking again.
Finally she opened the door to an attic filled with trunks, and Gavin groaned. “It will take us all day to find what we’re looking for.”
“It’s not that bad.” But Georgie’s voice held a good deal of doubt. “Is there any order to the trunks?”
The maid shrugged. “Couldn’t say, miss.”
Georgie gave a soft sigh, and Gavin wanted to hear her sigh for him when he kissed her. “At least it’s all clean.”
“Oh, yes, miss. Mrs. Hopper, the housekeeper, keeps the whole house clean.”
“Well, thank you . . .” Georgie’s words trailed off.
“Cooper, miss,” the servant said.
“Thank you, Cooper.” Georgie gave her a coin. “We will simply have to search.”
“It would have been too easy otherwise.” Although, after they’d found the maid, Gavin had hoped she’d be able to lead them right to the things.
“Yes, indeed.” She turned to the servant. “Thank you again for your help. Now we must look for the items on our list.”
“Is it a game for the house party?” the woman asked.
“Yes. We found the painting of the woman with the baby geese.” Georgie handed her the list. “Now we have to find the items in the painting.”
“Well, if it helps. I was told she was the old Lord Turner’s mother who liked to dress up.”
“That helps a great deal,” Georgie said with a conviction Gavin did not share. “We had better not keep you from your work.”