Page 59 of The Heiress in Disguise
“You’re Lord Cambridge’s valet, aren’t you?” she asked, offering him her most charming smile. “I’ve seen you here and there, but I had no idea you would be joining us tonight.”
“I was pleased to be invited,” he said. “The house is lovely. I’m sure you can take some measure of credit for that, as I know how hard the maids work in our household.”
“That’s so kind of you to say,” she returned, eyelashes fluttering. “It’s an honor to have such a handsome man as a guest in our house.”
He smiled at her. Angelique stared at them, anger simmering within her.
She couldn’t rightly be angry with Jane, she supposed. It wasn’t as if she had told her friend of her feelings for Philip. And even if she had, nothing could ever happen between Philip and herself, so it wasn’t as if she had the right to make any sort of claim to him. Jane could flirt with him if that was what she wished to do, and Angelique knew she couldn’t complain about it.
But what was Philip doing? Was he truly going to return Jane’s attentions? After all the secret moments she and Philip had shared? Had those meant nothing at all? Had he only ever been amusing himself with her? Angelique hated to think it, but it certainly seemed now as though that might be the case.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw that it belonged to Molly. “Come with me,” Molly murmured under her breath. Then she turned and walked off into the pantry.
Angelique hesitated a moment, her eyes still on Jane and Philip—it actually felt rather dangerous to leave the two of them alone together. There was no telling what might happen in Angelique’s absence. But Molly was waiting, and it wasn’t as if Angelique was going to do anything to interrupt what was taking place in front of her. She followed Molly into the pantry.
Molly stood with her arms folded across her chest. “What ails you, child?”
“I don’t know what you mean?” Angelique stammered.
“Of course you do. I see the way you’re looking at him, and at Jane. It’s as if she’s stealing money from your pocket! I’ve never seen you so possessive of anything. Is there something going on between you and Philip?”
“Molly—don’t be silly. You know that I can’t get involved with anyone. Not like that.”
“But of course you can,” Molly said. “You’re a young woman. There’s no reason you shouldn’t have a romance.”
“How could I possibly? You can’t believe that Aunt Wilhelmina would allow it. And even if she did, how could it be a real romance when Philip has no idea who I am?”
“A little mystery never hurts in affairs of the heart.” Molly winked knowingly.
But of course, the suggestion of mystery in the context of matters of the heart only served to make Angelique think about the other gentleman in her life—the one whose identitywasa mystery to her. How could she feel envious of Jane flirting with Philip when she had an interest in someone else altogether? It was so unfair of her. She knew that she had a responsibility to set her feelings aside, even though it felt impossible right now to do such a thing.
“Why don’t you go take a walk?” Molly suggested. “You look as though you might benefit from a bit of fresh air. It might help you to settle your thoughts.”
Angelique didn’t want to leave the kitchen, though she had to acknowledge that her eagerness to stay might have been only because of Philip’s presence, and because of a desire on her own part to make sure that he didn’t pay too much attention to Jane. It was a low and unworthy impulse. “You’re right,” she said. “I think I will benefit from a bit of air.”
She left the kitchen, but she didn’t go out for a walk as Molly had suggested. Instead, she hurried back to her own bedroom, thinking of a bottle of perfume she’d been left by her fairy godmother.
Perhaps her spirits would lift if she were to put some of that on. And, though she couldn’t admit it even to herself, there was also a chance that the fine fragrance would cause Philip to return his attention to her, even though she couldn’t allow herself to try to speak with him directly.
She went to her room and opened the drawer where she had left the perfume.
It was gone.
Closer inspection revealed that it wasn’t the only thing to have gone missing. She was also missing a fine silver-handled hairbrush, an item that had shocked her with how nice it was when she had received it. She would never have misplaced these things, she knew. Someone must have taken them from her.
But who would do that?
She remembered the greedy way Jane had eyed her gifts when she’d discovered them. But itcouldn’thave been Jane! Angelique had allowed Jane to take so many things. There was no chance she would have returned secretly to claim even more—Angelique must be feeling resentful about the way she’d seen Jane acting toward Philip, that was all. She couldn’t allow her own jealousy to color her opinion of her friend. That would be very wrong of her.
But who else even knew about her fairy godmother? Only Molly did, and Molly wouldneverhave stolen from Angelique. That idea was laughable. It wasn’t something Angelique could even entertain.
She didn’t know what to think. All she knew for sure was that someone had been here and had helped themselves to her belongings. It was deeply upsetting. But what could she do?
She left her room, heading slowly back toward the kitchen. Could she bring this matter up with Jane? She couldn’t believethat her friend would have stolen from her—but perhaps she had believed she was welcome to go back to Angelique’s room and take more of the gifts, since Angelique had told her to help herself. She could ask Jane whether that had happened, she supposed—but would Jane take it as an accusation? She didn’t want to be rude.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn’t notice the anomaly as she came down the stairs.
The door to one of the secret passageways in the house was opening, and someone was making his way covertly inside.
