Page 17 of Empire of Shadows

Something gave a little wrench inside of Ellie’s chest. She clutched her cup of Earl Gray a little more firmly as though it was a rope that might keep her from falling.

“It is only that I might have liked to…” Ellie paused, taking an uneven breath. “It would perhaps have meant a great deal to me to simply…”

Her throat tightened. Getting words out of it became difficult.

“I just want to see it, Connie,” Ellie finally managed.

The corners of her eyes had begun to feel ever-so-slightly damp.

Constance rose. She circled their little table, hopped neatly over Ellie’s briefcase, and dodged the precarious fern.

“Move over,” she ordered—then plopped herself on the edge of Ellie’s chair and pulled Ellie into her arms.

The gesture was not really the sort of thing one did in a tea shop. It spoke alarmingly of havingfeelings—feelings that were rather too wild and terrible to politely contain.

Ellie didn’t protest. She let her friend hold her, dropping her head onto Constance’s shoulder.

“Sometimes I am just so very tired of it,” she admitted quietly.

“I know, darling,” Constance replied, smoothing a hand over her hair. “It is dreadfully unfair.”

Ellie didn’t answer. Instead, she let herself soak up the warm comfort of Constance’s embrace until her soul felt a little steadier again.

“But look,” Constance said, pulling back to face her. “I have just had an absolutely marvelous idea!”

“Oh no,” Ellie said as her sense of alarm rose.

“Youshould go find the X!” Constance asserted happily.

“What?!” Ellie jolted with surprise and nearly fell off the chair.

“Whyever not?” Constance demanded. “You have the exact same education as those stuffed shirts in the Royal Geographical Society. You are just as well-qualified to pursue the matter as they are.”

“You are only forgetting the little matter of how I would manage to get through the uncharted wilderness to the location marked on the map,” Ellie pushed back nervously.

“That is what guides are for!” Constance retorted. “Do you think those posh punters at the RGS go jaunting off into the back country on their own? They hire locals to take them, and other locals to carry all of their tents and guns and canoes for them. You won’t need half of that—you won’t be combining your archaeological survey with a bit of big game hunting on the side and a glass of sherry in the evenings.”

“Hardly.” Ellie frowned at the very idea.

“So there you are!” Constance exclaimed and gave her a nudge. “What possible reason do you have for turning your map over to those men rather than going after this lost city yourself?”

Ellie fought against a tingling rise of excitement.

“You are forgetting the little matter of the criminal who is after this parchment,” she pointed out.

“Yes, that is something,” Constance mused thoughtfully. “If your Mr. Henbury were so quick to cough up your identity to that villain, I’m sure he would hardly balk at granting him access to the personnel records.”

Ellie straightened in her chair.

“Fiddlesticks!” she cursed. “You’re absolutely right! That Mr. Jacobs could very well have my address. He might be heading there as we speak! How are my father and Florence going to handle a violent thug turning up on their doorstep?”

“I expect your father would ignore the fellow and keep reading his newspaper, as he always does,” Constance offered. “And your stepmother will serve him tea and pepper him with questions about whether he is eligible to be married.”

Ellie rose from her chair, nearly dislodging Constance in the process. She set about quickly gathering her things.

“I must hurry,” she declared. “If I am there, then at least I might be able to find some means of putting him off.”

Constance plucked up her own hat and coat.

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