She paused and glanced back at them. “Yes?”

“Mr. Drummond, at your service,” said one. He looked like someone’s kindly grandfather, tall and stately. He touched the brim of his hat as he handed her a calling card. She looked at the inscription. The gentleman was from the foreign secretary’s office. She frowned with confusion and glanced up.

Mr. Drummond’s smile turned kinder. “Oh—this is Mr. Pritchard,” he said, nodding to the silent man behind him. “Same office.”

She stared at them, trying to understand this intrusion.

Mr. Drummond stepped forward. “If you would be so kind as to indulge us, Lady Caroline?”

“Shouldn’t you speak with my brother?”

“Oh, undoubtedly. But we would like a word with you, as well.”

Caroline’s pulse began to race. She glanced uneasily toward the gate.

“We could speak here, if you like. It won’t take a moment. We should like to ask a few questions about an acquaintance of yours.”

“Who?”

“His Royal Highness Prince Leopold of Alucia.”

Caroline was stunned that she gave no reaction to his name at all, because in her mind, she shrieked and fell back against the gate. She didn’t know what this was about, but she was certain she didn’t want to have this conversation. “What of him?”

“An...accusation has been made against him.”

Good God, what had he done now?

“It’s a bit complicated, but to put it succinctly, there is some suspicion that the prince might be plotting with the Weslorians. With his uncle Felix, specifically.”

She had no idea who they were talking about. Who was his uncle Felix? Plotting what? Oh, how she’d wished she’d listened more carefully to Hollis on the voyage to Helenamar, when she’d tried in vain to educate Caroline about the history of Alucia.

“His uncle is the half brother of his father the king. I am sure you are aware of the rift between the brothers?”

She did know something about that, but at the moment, she could hardly say what.

“Recently, here in England, we’ve uncovered a plot by the prince’s uncle in Wesloria to dethrone the prince’s father. You may recall the unfortunate murder of an Alucian gentleman last year?”

Caroline stared at this man in disbelief. Of course she remembered it. “Yes.”

“There is some...speculation that Prince Leopold has aligned with his uncle.”

“Impossible,” Caroline said immediately.

“Oh, I should think so,” Mr. Drummond agreed, all too readily. “But so that we may end any speculation, might we ask you a question or two?”

Caroline’s head was spinning wildly. The maid in Arundel was Weslorian. But what could a Weslorian maid possibly have to do with this?

“Lady Caroline?”

She started.

“Have you known the prince to have met with or mentioned any Weslorian nationals?”

Caroline slowly shook her head.

“No one? A woman, perhaps?”

Her pulse was racing so quickly now that she couldn’t seem to breathe. She shook her head again.

Mr. Drummond was still smiling his grandfatherly smile and stepped closer. “If I may, Lady Caroline...this plot, if it exists, could have far-reaching implications for England, and especially for the Duchess of Tannymeade.”

Caroline’s breath caught. “What? How?”

“Imagine if there were to be a coup in that country. How do you think the rebels would treat the duchess?”

Caroline gasped softly. She slowly lifted her hand and gripped the gate handle to steady herself.

“Do you think you might keep an open ear to his conversations? We’ve noted that he calls here more than any other house.”

A cold shiver radiated through Caroline. What else had they noted? Were they looking in windows?

“If you could see what you might learn for us?” he asked, smiling in that strange, grandfatherly way, while his eyes remained as hard as flint. “Think of it as helping the duchess.”

Caroline could hardly get a breath. This was all so confusing and alarming...but she knew when she was being manipulated and whirled about to the gate. She fumbled with it, fearing they would try to stop her, perhaps even attempt to take her with them. She managed to get through the gate and closed it resoundingly shut behind her.

The two men hadn’t moved from their spot on the sidewalk. Mr. Drummond tipped his hat again.

Caroline ran up the steps and into the house. She closed the door and pressed her back to it, breathing deeply, her hand to her chest, then two hands to her face as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

What they said wasn’t possible. She could believe many things about Leopold Chartier, but she would not believe for a moment this was true. He was a lothario, but he was not a traitor.

But what of the maid? Was it really mere coincidence she was Weslorian?

What if it wasn’t coincidence at all?

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR


Sources report that a summons from King Karl of Alucia for his son to return home has been delivered to the prince. Those with knowledge of the situation expect the prince will depart London in less than a fortnight.

The repercussions from the ventures of a rail enthusiast continue to be felt across London. Some of the gentleman’s investors have lost as much as two hundred pounds in the scheme.

Married ladies with fragile constitutions who wish to prevent a rapid increase in the growth of her family may consult Madam Bessor of Greenwich Street, a female physician, for a preventive powder.

—Honeycutt’s Gazette of Fashion and


Domesticity for Ladies

BECKETT HAWKE HAD apparently determined he wanted to maintain his friendship with Leo, as he sent word to the Clarendon Hotel asking him to come round for tea that afternoon. Leo was relieved. He enjoyed his friendship with Beck and didn’t want to lose it over the incident at Arundel. But moreover, he was desperate to have an excuse to see Caroline.

Leo had enough to keep him occupied what with his imminent departure to Alucia. He had noticed in the course of preparations that Josef, Kadro, Artur and Freddar all seemed quite eager to go. Of course they were—these men were not Britons. They were Alucians, and they wanted to go home.

Leo was not eager to go for obvious reasons. Three things kept him up at night: One, that he hadn’t found a way into the Pennybacker house to find Rasa. Two, that he still didn’t know where Nina or Eowyn were. And three, he could hardly bear the thought of leaving Caroline.

It really had come down to this—of all that he loved about England, she was the thing, the person, the feeling he would miss the most. He desperately needed to steal a few moments with her. He desperately needed to kiss her again.

But first, he had decided to pay a visit to the ladies he had tucked away at Cressidian’s and probe their memories. Hopefully, one of them might remember something that would help him find Eowyn or Nina.

He sent word to Cressidian in advance of his departure that he intended to call.

But when he arrived at the Mayfair mansion, the butler coolly informed him in Alucian that his master had gone out for the day. Leo was taken aback by that news. He would think that the gentleman would accommodate his prince. Would accommodate the man who had paid him to see after the ladies. “I should like to see the maids, then,” he said flatly.

The butler’s eyes widened slightly. “I beg your pardon, Highness, but—”

“But,” Leo quickly interjected and stepped into the doorway, crowding the smaller man, “I am your prince, sir, and you will allow me to see the Weslorian women who are housed here. Assemble them at once.” And then he pushed past the man and strode into Cressidian’s house. Like a bloody prince, thank you.

The women and one lad assembled in a small room near the back of the house that looked to be used by servants, judging by the mean furnishings. None of the rich upholsteries or fine rugs or marble or gold seen in the public parts of the house were evident here. They had a plain wood floor, a long table with six wooden chairs and two more before the hearth. The women entered in service clothes, which Leo didn’t like. He’d paid for their keep. They didn’t need to work for it.

With his hands on his hips, he surveyed the three of them. Isidora and Jacleen stood side by side, and the boy before Jacleen, her arms securely around him. The three of them viewed him warily, which Leo found disconcerting—he had rescued them, after all. Did they think he was like the men who had bartered and sold them?

He sighed. He pushed his fingers through his hair. “There is no need to look at me like that,” he said, gesturing at them. “What are you afraid of?”

Isidora and Jacleen exchanged a glance. Isidora stepped forward. She cleared her throat and ran her hands down the sides of her skirt. “Your Highness,” she said in Weslorian, “may we inquire...what you mean to do with us? Mr. Cressidian doesn’t want us here, and he said...” She paused and glanced at Jacleen and her brother. Jacleen nodded, encouraging her. “He said you mean to take us to Alucia.”

She did not seem to be pleased with the prospect, but seemed rather alarmed. “Don’t you want to go home, then?” he asked.

She bit her lip. “There’s no work in Wesloria, Your Highness. Our families...they won’t have the money to return.”

“Your families will not need to return the money. After you speak against the men that did this, you—”

Jacleen gasped so loudly that she startled Leo. She and the lad and Isidora were suddenly talking at once—to each other, to him—in Weslorian and broken Alucian and English. The cacophony of voices was reaching a fevered pitch, and he threw up his hands and demanded they stop. “All right, then,” he said when he lowered his hands. “One at a time, if you please. What is it that causes you distress?” He pointed at Jacleen.

She gripped her brother’s shoulders before her. “We don’t want to speak out.”

“Why not?”

“They will kill us.”

He recoiled at that. “Who will kill you?”

“The men who done this,” Isidora said.

“They said they’d kill us if we told the truth,” the boy said.

“What? What is your name there, lad?” Leo asked.

“Bobbin,” he said softly.

“Bobbin, they will not kill you,” Leo said. But the two women started talking to him at once. “Ladies!” he said loudly. “Have you no faith in me? In my word?”

Isidora steadily held his gaze, but Jacleen looked to the floor. And Bobbin looked frantically at his sister. How old was he? Seven? Eight?

“So that’s the way of it,” Leo said flatly, inexplicably annoyed with them. “I am a prince of Alucia. Has that escaped your attention? I have a certain amount of power and integrity.”

“But...but what can you do, milord?” asked Isidora. “If we speak, they’ll send us home and they’ll find us there. They’ll find our families—”

“No,” Leo said firmly, holding up a hand. “They will not.” God, he hoped he was right about this. “Is this the life you want?” he asked Jacleen. “Is this what you want for your Bobbin? I thought you were relieved to flee Arundel.”

She flushed. “Aye,” she whispered, and wrapped a protective arm around the boy.

“And you, Isidora? Were you not relieved to leave Mrs. Mansfield’s den?”

She quickly nodded her head and took a small step backward.

“More important, ladies, do you want other young women—or children,” he added, gesturing to Bobbin, “to discover what awaits them in England?”

“No,” Isidora muttered.

Leo rubbed his nape. He looked at them again and said solemnly, “I understand. I know I’m not the prince you want to come to your rescue. I am not a hero. And I have a certain reputation that should not recommend me to any part of society.”

Jacleen nodded along as if that was fact.

“But you have my word that you and your families will be protected. If you don’t believe me, then believe my brother.”

Isidora perked up. “Prince Sebastian?”

“Je, Prince Sebastian,” Leo said. “He will assure you are all protected. But you must help me. What has happened to you is an abomination, and those responsible must be held accountable. Such a despicable practice can’t be allowed to continue, and the only way to end it is to bring down the men who have arranged it. We, my brother and I, will need your cooperation.”

The women looked at each other.

“Do we have it?” Leo asked.

“Aye, Your Highness,” Isidora said, and looked starkly at the other two, as if daring one of them to argue.

After a suitable amount of silence, Leo nodded. “But I must find a way to free Rasa, and even then, we won’t leave without Eowyn and Nina. How do I find them?”