“Michael came upon one account where, at the queen’s insistence, one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting wore the amulet. Afterward, the lady claimed to see her own future.”

“That’s too fantastical to believe.”

“So I thought. She said that the amulet showed her whom she was to wed. Much to Queen Elizabeth’s ire, the lady-in-waiting eloped with a courtier the very next day.”

“She thought it would happen, so she made it so. There’s not much magic in that, is there?”

Robert chuckled. “No, not when you put it that way.”

Moira grinned back at him. “Since Elizabeth didn’t approve of the wedding, I take it that she didn’t care for the courtier, either?”

“Quite the opposite: he was one of Elizabeth’s favorites, and she saw the elopement as an insult. She sent her guard to tear the lady-in-waiting from the arms of her new husband. Then she had them thrown into the tower for treason, and threatened them with beheading.”

“Good God.”

“One did not steal one of Elizabeth’s flirts without consequences. She was a very jealous queen. Perhaps it had something to do with the color of her hair, for they say redheads are very passionate.” He looked at Moira’s hair, the deep red free from the dark dye that had covered it. “I would vouch for that.”

“They also say redheads freckle, and I never have. What happened to the star-crossed lovers? Did they languish in the tower and die in each other’s arms?”

“Fortunately, the lady-in-waiting was already carrying her new husband’s child.”

“That was quick.”

He smiled. “Wasn’t it? Elizabeth wasn’t a monster and wouldn’t allow a child to be born in the tower. She released the unhappy couple but banished them from court. According to the records, they lived a long and happy life far from the queen’s attention.”

“It that a true story?”

“It’s well documented; Michael has the papers himself. But I don’t believe the amulet is magic. Perhaps it simply holds heat, or trembles. I once saw a crystal that did both.”

“So Aniston is searching for a treasure map that might lead to the lost Hurst Amulet, which supposedly tells the future,” she mused. “Aniston’s had some financial troubles, and if he can convince others that the amulet is magical, he could name his price.”

“No one would be so foolish,” Robert scoffed.

“You’d be surprised,” she said drily. “There are many wealthy people who believe silly notions, including our king. George hasn’t been the same since his daughter, Princess Charlotte, died. They say he holds séances in an effort to contact her and has become the pawn of charlatans. He would be ripe plucking for a man like Aniston.”

Robert nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right. As you can see, this map could be very important.”

“But didn’t William take one of the boxes to Egypt to win Michael’s freedom? The map won’t be complete, then.”

“It’s a copy. As you pointed out before, it’s a simple object and easy to falsify. We made certain the fake box still had a portion of the map inside, but with a few modifications.” His grin was wicked.