Page 86 of Ten Lords for the Holidays

Eurydice could scarcely breathe in her terror, but she did her best to continue the ruse of being ill. To be sure, she did not have to do it long.

Within moments, Mrs. Bray had found the gem. She froze in the act of searching Daphne’s trunk, then straightened slowly with the velvet sack in her hand. She opened it and Eurydice saw a flash of the stones, then Mrs. Bray turned to face her with it on her palm. “I suppose you know nothing of how this came to be here?”

Eurydice didn’t have to pretend to be shocked. “Nothing!” she squeaked. “Daphne would never have taken it. She doesn’t even take my hair ribbons!”

The grim housekeeper did not reply. She simply left the room, inclining her head briefly to Eurydice, then called for Morris.

Eurydice felt truly ill then.

Daphne was doomed.

She flung herself from the bed and began to dress with haste.

* * *

Alexander paced in his chamber at the tavern. He had to leave time for the trap to be sprung, but he did not like that Daphne was alone and undefended. He was tense. Uncertain. Fearful of the outcome.

“You are going to the castle for luncheon,” Rupert murmured, his tone reassuring. He was polishing Alexander’s boots. “She cannot find much trouble in the span of several hours.”

“I would argue that a girl could find boundless trouble in so much time as that,” Alexander replied grimly. “I, for example, could have ruined her in thirty minutes.”

“Given your recent chastity and her beauty, it might have only taken ten.”

Alexander glared at his friend, not so much because he was annoyed but because he felt it was expected.

Rupert grinned. He then sobered. “Are you certain you should have trusted her?”

“Why would I not have done so?”

“She could be part of the scheme. The villain might mean to draw you out. You did, after all, walk with her after church yesterday.”

“And so?”

“And so, if the thief guesses your role, he might have chosen her as an ally in exposing you. She might be in his trust and sent to draw you out.”

Alexander shook his head, trusting his instinctive sense of her honesty. “Daphne has no guile.”

“She might be a pawn, used without her awareness that she is being so manipulated.”

There was a prospect that Alexander could not readily refute.

Before he could summon a reply, there was a sound from the table before the fire. He spun to see that the vine had dropped a large bud, which had made a noise when striking the floor. He might have expected that the blooms would eventually fade, but another fell with a thud as he was watching. In fact, there were no open flowers left at all. They were all either closed or closing, their hue turning as dark as midnight, and more of them fell before his eyes.

The vine even seemed to wilt, drooping with no hint of its former vigor.

“Finally, that wretched thing reaches its limit. I had wondered what we were to do with it on our departure,” Rupert began but Alexander held up a hand.

“It thrives when the laird’s courtship finds favor,” he said with resolve. “That is the tale. Either she has turned against me, or she is in peril.” His voice rose to a roar. “My boots! My jacket! A horse, for the love of God!”

“Aye, go,” Rupert replied, taking the foppish tone of Alexander’s disguise. “Leave me with this mess of a cravat while you pursue your paramour!”

Alexander realized that his friend was thinking more clearly than he was. It would be much quicker for him to leave if he pretended to be Haskell.

That man continued as he gave Alexander the dark jacket and cloak, helping him dress with all haste. “I tell you, Haskell, one morebillet-douxand we are finished. Finished! If I cannot rely upon your undivided attention, then I have no need of your services at all!” He dropped his voice. “Take the bay. She is more than ready to run.”

Alexander nodded and left the chamber as Haskell complained mightily about his supposed shortcomings, hoping with every step that he reached Daphne in time.

* * *

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