“Not the chivalric tales inside,” Philippa explained. “When the book is closed, an illustration appears on the edges of the pages. It’s hidden from sight whilst the book is nestled in a shelf, and obscured when opened to read. Mixed in with the violets and pomegranates are strange markings I wondered could be symbols.”

“Are they?”

“Yes,” Philippa said with satisfaction.

“How?”

“Katherine and Agnes were devious enough to leave a secret message in plain sight. Well, not quite plain sight,” Philippa amended. “The page edges are the part of a book looked at the least. First would be the spine, facing out from the shelf, and then the pages themselves, with their tales of chivalry.”

Tommy nodded her understanding. “To most, illustrated edges are just a whimsical touch. Pretty enough, but easily forgotten.”

“Just so. These are arranged at exactly the same intervals. Flourishes obfuscate the important markings, but parts of the symbols repeat. It’s like a cipher.”

“What does it say?”

“I haven’t a clue,” Philippa admitted. “Even Damaris couldn’t decipher it. We’d need all four volumes to have the entire message. At the moment, we possess book two and book four, which means what we have doesn’t even go in order.”

“Then we steal the entire set,” Tommy said.

Philippa pressed her lips together. This “we” was probably the “we” of the Wynchesters. Philippa despaired at being excluded, though she understood why. Her involvement was a terrible idea.

And she would have said yes in a heartbeat.

“I have news as well,” Tommy said. “Graham was able to trace Northrup’s family history through parish registers.”

“Were Agnes and Katherine Sir Reginald’s daughters?”

“It doesn’t look like it,” Tommy answered. “He only had sons.”

Philippa frowned. “Are they relatives?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. Graham is working on it. According to servant gossip, Captain Northrup’s family Bible was destroyed in an unfortunate ‘accident’ having to do with placing it in the fireplace and pouring whiskey on top.”

“He destroyed a Bible? There must have been something in it he didn’t want anyone to find.”

Such as proof of Agnes and Katherine’s existence. And perhaps more.

“That will just make Graham try harder,” Tommy said. “He’ll hunt for baptism, marriage, and death records in the places where Sir Reginald lived. If there’s anything there, my brother will find it.”

“There’s something to find,” Philippa said firmly. Was that true? Or did she so long for adventure that she was seeing symbols and conspiracy where there was nothing?

The dance drew to a close, and a reel began.

“Shall we find partners or shall we take a turn in the garden?” Tommy asked.

Garden. Without a doubt.

“Neither,” Philippa said glumly. “You should return me to my mother. I am forbidden from dancing with you until I’ve stood up with Northrup. Perhaps she’ll forgive me if I only disobey for half a set.”