Page 41 of The Heiress in Disguise
But I have my fairy godmother as well. She still had a few of the treats she had been given in her last basket. She would enjoy them late tonight as she finally went to bed.
Of course, she would lose her fairy godmother—whoever it was—when the family went back home. She didn’t for a moment deceive herself into believing she was dealing with atruefairy, one who would have the ability to follow her wherever she went.
Her fairy godmother would be limited to this place and would not be able to reach her once they’d left. It made her sad to think that she might never discover who had been responsible for giving her such wonderful gifts—and even more, who it was that had discovered her true identity after all this time.
Could her fairy godmother have some connection to the gentleman in the mask who had also known who she really was? It seemed incredible to think that two people could have independently discovered her identity, and that they could have no connection to one another. But then, the whole thing seemed beyond belief anyway. It was hard to fathom that anyone could truly know who she was.
“You’ve got the punch, then?” she asked Jane.
“I’ll get one of the footmen to carry it out,” Jane said. “The bowl is heavy. But you shouldn’t be involved. I don’t want to see you get into trouble.”
“Thank you, Jane.”
“I do think it’s so foolish that they won’t permit you to even beseen,” Jane said. “What do they think would happen if someone saw you?”
“That I would be recognized for who I truly am,” Angelique said.
“But that’s ridiculous. You haven’t gone by your true name since you were a child. Nobody would guess that you’re the same person now.”
Angelique didn’t answer. She still hadn’t decided how much she was willing to share, but it was clear to her that Jane was wrong. Someone would guess. Someonehadguessed. Maybe more than one someone. And that meant that, all these years, her aunt and uncle had been right about one thing.
They’d been right to worry that the truth could be discovered.
Angelique decided to go out into the garden. There was little risk that she would be seen out there if she took the door at the backof the house in the servants’ quarters. She could slip into the garden through a gate that no one ever used, and conceal herself among the hedges furthest from the house.
She wouldn’t be able to stay outside for long—she was needed inside—but perhaps a few moments outside would help to restore her energy. She would sit outside for a few moments and collect herself, and then she would go back in and return to work.
There was a bench at the very back of the garden, and there were no voices nearby. She took a seat and leaned against the wall of greenery behind her, allowing her eyes to slip closed. She would just rest here for a moment—she wouldn’t fall asleep—and then she’d go back in and return to work, and everything would be fine…
The world slipped away, so quickly that Angelique couldn’t even fight it. And in the last moment before sleep claimed her, she acknowledged to herself that she didn’t want to fight it. She wanted to let herself fall into the relief of slumber, even if it would mean trouble for her when she awoke.
She couldn’t withstand it any longer, and as the darkness took her, it stirred the long-lost memory of her mother’s embrace, warm and soothing around her shoulders, easing her into sleep.
Sometime later—she had no idea how much time she had allowed to go by—her eyes opened. The moon was high overhead—she could tell by the reflection on the cobblestones at her feet. The sounds in the distance had changed since she’d slept, which was enough to tell her that time had gone by. There were fewer voices outside, and they seemed farther away.
A surge of fear went through her. She might have been out there for hours. It was clear that they weren’t searching the garden for her yet. But her absence would soon be noticed in the house, if it hadn’t been already. She should never have gone out there. It had been asking for trouble.
She started to get up…
The hedge behind hermoved.
No. Not the hedge. There were no sharp twigs or brambles sticking into her back. And she became aware, suddenly, that she was warm, despite the cold night air.
She turned.
It was the masked stranger—the one she had met earlier. The one who had known her name.
He was sitting behind her. He had actually moved her so that she was leaning against him. He had draped his cloak around her shoulders. And now he smiled down at her. “Did you have a nice nap?” he asked.
The question startled her so badly that she was suddenly full of energy. She jumped to her feet and whirled around to face him.
He was still wearing his mask, so she couldn’t quite tell what his expression was, but she thought he might have been amused at her expense, and outrage poured through her. Suddenly, she couldn’t believe all that he had put her through tonight.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded. “What are you doing out here, and how did I come to be asleep in your arms? I hope you have a very good explanation for this.”
Chapter 18
The masked gentleman went on smiling at Angelique, which only served to infuriate her all the more. She would have expected him to be caught off guard by her anger, but it didn’t seem to bother him at all.
