following my orders, I’ll sneak into that war room of his and retrieve the box.” Excitement coursed through her as she continued. “I’ll excuse myself to go home and change for tonight’s events, then turn the evidence over to my brother. Case solved.”
She grinned, but Hannah only looked at her with concern. “And what if the supposed list isn’t in the box? What if it doesn’t exist at all?”
Audrey clenched her teeth. That was something she’d often thought of herself. “Then we’ll have to settle for Ellison alone. But I must try this one last thing before we surrender. So, will you help me?”
Hannah smiled at her. “Of course. Noah and Lord Golding may not approve, but you’re my friend. Where you go, I follow. Besides, it would be suspicious if a young lady came to a gentleman’s house without her escort. Shall I arrange for a note to be taken next door?”
Audrey smiled and fished a folded sheet of paper from her pocket. “I’ve already written it.”
***
“I must say, I was surprised to receive your message, Audrey,” Ellison said as he met her in the foyer to place a kiss on her gloved hand.
“Why, Douglas?” She nodded to Hannah as her friend entered and took her thin shawl from her shoulders.
“Our party is in two days, and with the excitement tonight I didn’t think you’d want to attend to such mundane duties. Especially when my staff is capable of putting together a lovely event.”
“Oh, Douglas.” She managed a laugh as she touched his arm. “How little you understand of women. This will be my first event as your future wife. I want it to go well in order to set a high standard for the future. My duties here won’t take me long.” Her companion shrugged his thin shoulders. “Very well. I’ve arranged my staff in the sitting room. You may address them there. I shall retire to my study while you do your work.”
“Very well, my dear,” she said, waving him away.
As she and Hannah followed a chambermaid to the sitting room, they exchanged glances. Audrey heard her friend’s silent plea to be careful as if she had voiced it. With a nod, she introduced herself to the servants and began giving them orders.
It didn’t take long for all the people in the room to hurry off to check on orders, begin decorating, or whatever other odd job Audrey had given them. It had taken her and Hannah an hour to list all the ridiculous things they could send people off to do. Finally, only a burly footman was left in the room.
“Now, you…” Audrey smiled at him even though the fact that he’d hardly blinked the entire time she’d been in the room made her nervous. “You seem like a strong lad. Why don’t you go help one of the chambermaids with the decorating?”
“No ma’am,” the young man said with a shake of his head. Audrey was surprised he could turn his head at all, given how broad his neck was.
She pursed her lips in annoyance. “Why not?”
“I was told by Mr. Ellison to assist
“My, how…
“I’m sorry, my lady.” The man gave a shrug of his beefy shoulders. “But I have my orders.”
Hannah smiled and sidled a bit closer to the young man. Though the footman hadn’t looked Audrey directly in the eyes, he allowed himself a good, long stare at Hannah’s curvaceous figure.
“Will you help
The man’s eyes flickered as he glanced down at her friend. “I don’t know…”
Before he could argue any further, Hannah had him by the elbow and was leading him from the room. Audrey laughed as she heard Hannah say something about big strong arms. But her laughter was short-lived as she hurried from the room and up the stairs. She had no idea how much time she’d have, and raced to the “war” room where she’d seen the special box the day before.
The door was locked, but she’d suspected it would be. Pulling a lock pick from her hair, she began to work diligently on the door. It was one skill Noah had taught her well, telling her it never hurt to be able to get in… or out of a locked room.
Finally, with a little click, the door opened and she slipped inside. She pushed the door mostly shut behind her, but was careful not to close it all the way in case she couldn’t get out. The room was dark due to the long, black curtains being shut, but Audrey managed to reach the desk. She lit a candle and bent over, glancing at the papers in piles all around her. Though she was reasonably sure what she was looking for was in the locked box, she hated to leave any evidence behind due to sloppy work.
Most of the papers were invoices and notes. Things her brother could use later as evidence, but not anything she needed to gather now. Finally, she turned to the box, glittering up red in the glow of the candlelight.
With a suppressed squeal of delight, she wrapped her fingers around the metal and slipped it into her pocket. As she turned to leave, she heard the sound of flint and a second light came up from the corner of the room.
“You were quicker than I thought you’d be.”
Audrey drew in three shallow breaths as Douglas Ellison rose from a dark corner behind one of the suits of armor and lit a cigar. Before the flame in his hand went out, she saw him puff out a circle of smoke.
“Douglas!” Her voice was falsely light and friendly, as if the man hadn’t just caught her red handed. “I didn’t see you there.”
Her hands had begun to shake and the candle in her fist bobbed up and down, sending wild, flickering light around the room. Everything in her screamed at her to get out, but there didn’t seem to be a way with Douglas standing right beside the door, his cold eyes focused entirely on her.
“I realize that,” he said with a thin smile as he walked steadily closer. “If you’d seen me there, you wouldn’t have been so foolish as to steal my property.”
“I haven’t stolen an-anything,” she stammered. The room temperature seemed to drop as he got nearer. “I merely stumbled into the wrong room.”
“Stumbled into the wrong room. Picked through my papers.” He looked down at her. “Took my property. All by chance, eh?”
Audrey glanced at the door behind him. There was no way she’d reach it unless… Her gaze moved to the candle in her hand. Unless it was dark and Ellison couldn’t see her.
With a deep breath she blew the candle out, then dropped it on the ground as she gathered up her skirts and sprinted passed Douglas toward the direction of the door. She heard him swear behind her, but kept going, running as she blindly reached out her hand for the doorknob. Instead, her foot caught on something solid and she sprawled across the floor in a painful crash. Her face collided with the wallboard and stars exploded in front of her eyes.
Despite the pain in her cheek and the blood she felt trickling from the corner of her lip, she scrambled up and clawed for the doorknob. Her hands slid along the wallpapered wall, until she hit something solid. Something warm.
And a hand wrapped around her wrist like vice.
Light suddenly streamed into the room as the curtains flew open with a swish. When her eyes adjusted, she saw the burly footman stood before her, holding her arm. Behind her, Ellison stood by the curtain pull with folded arms and a frown.
“Tsk, tsk, Audrey.” He came toward her in slow, steady strides. “I’ve come to expect a bit more grace from you over the months.”
“Let go of me, you oaf,” she yelled, pulling against the other man.
“No, I’m afraid Quentin here won’t let you go.” Ellison finally reached them. His hand came out and he grasped her face, pitching her cheeks until her mouth made an
“Douglas, this is all a misunderstanding.” Her voice squeaked and she hated herself for showing such weakness. “I merely…”
Before she could finish, Ellison struck her across the face with the back of his hand, knocking the wind out of her. The blow would have made her stumble had Quentin not been holding her so tightly.
“Shut up. You think I don’t know who you are?
