Page 17 of The Curious Story of the Missing Lady
The woman snatched up the paper once more and read, narrowing her eyes and twisting her lip. “I see.”
She folded the paper and placed it in her pocket.
“The ink and quill if you please.”
Madeline handed them both to her, which she snatched up immediately.
“Now then,” the woman said, tucking the items away and straightening her cuffs, “My name is Elizabeth.LadyElizabeth. Lady Elizabeth Radford to be precise. Is the name familiar to you?”
Madeline thought for a moment. “I ... can’t say that it is.”
The woman breathed heavily through her nose. “Pity that. No matter. You’ll soon have the name etched into your head as if you’d been born with it. Now, during your stay here, you will obey certain rules. For one thing, you will suffer not to try and leave. Is that clear?”
“Yes.”
The woman scowled. “Yes?Is that how you were bred, child?”
Madeline blinked once. “Yes, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Next, you will speak only when spoken to. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Lady Elizabeth.”
“And finally, you are to do whatever it is you are told to do. Isthatclear?”
“Yes, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Very well. And now, because I am a reasonable person, I will explain to you a little about the situation you find yourself in currently. You, child, are a valuable commodity. Are you familiar with gambling terms?”
“No, Lady Elizabeth.”
The woman scowled again. “Well then, I see you have been educated in a most proper fashion.” This she spoke with a degree of scorn in her voice. “You are, my dear,stakes in a game. What this means is that those involved in the game are liable to use you as their sole reason for wanting to win in the first place. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Good. Now, the game itself is not the kind that one is likely to find at a table, but a much more ...” she waved her hand as she searched for the word, “... ephemeral game. It is a game that is as old as the second foot that trod upon solid earth. The game is calledRevenge.And I play it well. And you are the stakes. You do not need to ask any questions of me because I am an intelligent and sensitive Lady and I am endowed with the gift of anticipation. I know what is in your heart, child. You would like to knowwho elseis involved in this little game of mine. Knowing the answer to that is a luxury you shall not have. When the game is done, and I have what I want, I shall let you go. If you understand this, and you understand the rules I have laid down, and you understand thestakes, then I will be kind to you. I will provide food and water and every comfort such as our limited means will allow. Is this understood?”
“Yes, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Is itallunderstood?”
“Yes, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Very good. Tomorrow begins the game in earnest.” She turned to leave, stopped, and turned again. “Your breakfast will arrive post haste.”
With this, she left the room, sliding the dreaded lock in place when the door was shut.
Chapter 11
Letter from Lord George Lytton, Duke of Briarmere, to his eldest son, Lord Peter Lytton.
My dear boy,
I’m pleased to bring you the hopeful news that we may have reached a breakthrough with Austria. Dare I say it may not be premature to refer to this noble race of people as our allies? Thanks in no small part are due to the efforts of your Uncle Henry, whom I consider to be the greatest orator of our time. Oh, you should have seen him in action, my son. Not one ear in that assembly was left unassailed by his wit, rhetoric, and indisputable rationality as he laid out our cause.
By some effortless alchemy, this man I call brother managed to transform what could have been a grovelling plea for aid into an impassioned rallying of troops. Those who stand, he said, stand as men. Those who lie do so as dogs. It may seem trite on the page, my son, but I tell you there was not a man in that room who did not stamp his foot on the floor, most assuredly threatening to bring down the house with vibration. My one hope at this moment is that you be as proud as I am to hail from the same stock as him.
Now on to another matter, perhaps less afflicting the world at large, but nonetheless important for the weight it places upon my heart. I speak, of course, of your continued reluctance to find a suitable bride. Imagine my shock to learn from your mother that you comport yourself as some rake in the village, gambling and carousing in a manner unbefitting the heir to a Duke.
