A snort whistled out of Uma. “Unlike Hendrie, you mean.”
Jax stopped just shy of Carriena’s door. “No. In fact, I wasn’t thinking about Hendrie at all.” Her eyes narrowed. “Apparently you still are, though.”
Uma hugged her arms over her lithe frame. “I can’t help it. What am I supposed to do, just forget about him entirely? I thought we shared a real connection…” Her words trailed off with her gaze. “Perhaps its true what they say: absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Then why has Perry hardly popped into my mind? The disturbing notion shocked Jax so much she almost jumped back. After all that had happened during the morning, her beloved husband had hardly occupied her thoughts, nor had she made good on her promise to write him. I must send him a note tonight, she pledged, her fists tightening at her side.
Facing Uma, Jax plastered on a wide smile. “I think you should let yourself enjoy the attentions of a fine young man who seems besotted with you.”
Uma bit her lower lip as she considered the advice. “Perhaps you’re right.”
“Of course I am,” Jax said with mocking smugness. “Now, I must speak with Carriena.”
Uma bobbed her head and ambled over collect the discarded laundry pile. “I’ll be on the first floor shadowing either Julian or Martán.”
ǂ
Knocking on Carriena’s chamber door, Jax heard the scurrying of footsteps on the other side.
Carriena was already raving as she flung the door open. “How did I know you’d stick your nose in this business? Isn’t this what the Ducal Guard is for?”
Jax laughed as she glided into the room. “When have you ever known me to pass up a chance to solve a puzzle?”
The door clicked shut with a snap, and Carriena folded her arms across her chest. “Shouldn’t you be focused on the War Council or something? Corporal Highriver has been entrusted to keep Galensmore safe. Let him do his job, Jax. It’s dangerous for you to keep prying into matters like these.”
Jax tugged Carriena’s hands loose and squeezed them. “I appreciate the concern. You’re right. Highriver’s priority is keeping this estate safe and secure, which he can’t do properly if his attention is being pulled into two different directions.” She plopped down on a nearby sofa, pulling her friend onto the cushions beside her. “George and I felt the matter would be better dealt with if we looked into Olavo’s death.”
Carriena’s lilac eyes narrowed with suspicion. “So, what are you doing here?”
Jax couldn’t quite meet her friend’s gaze. “Well, as I said at breakfast, Sir Olavo was murdered during the night. Based on the reports we received from the Ducal Guard, no one has entered the estate since your arrival yesterday.” Her index finger traced the flowery pattern stitched into the sofa. “What’s more, it’s been determined that Sir Olavo was killed around two in the morning. The nighttime sentries report no one went upstairs after midnight, nor came downstairs until six in the morning.” As she played the scenario over in her mind, her eyes darkened. “Which means the killer resides on either the second or third floor.”
Carriena snorted. “Goodness, Jax, you seriously can’t believe someone in the house did it? You staffed this manor yourself. It’s filled with friends!”
Jax sighed. “As much as the idea pains me, there is no other explanation. The barrier wall surrounding Galensmore is too high for an outside force to scale. Whoever killed Olavo walked through those wrought iron gates, invited.”
Carriena’s nostrils flared with sudden anger. “And I suppose you’re here to interrogate me about whether or not I somehow orchestrated a plan to kill a complete stranger?” she snapped. “Do you really think me capable of such an act, Jax?”
The comment stung Jax more than she cared to let on. “No, I don’t.” Her imagination began to run wild and get the better of her. Could she really trust Bernard’s alibi? Had he and Carriena somehow planned Olavo’s death together? “But my judge of character hasn’t always been so spot on, has it?”
Carriena flinched at the heated retort. “You can’t spend the rest of your life comparing us all to Aranelda, you know. That excuse for your abundant distrust of others is getting old.”
The fight deflated from within Jax. “I’m sorry our friendship isn’t as effortless as it once was, my dear.” She took Carriena’s shaking hand in hers. “I didn’t come here to accuse you of anything.”
Carriena’s muscles relaxed only a little. “Then what are you doing here? Come to take more of my clothes or something?” Her gaze was hard, but humor trickled down through her words.
“This morning, on my way down to examine Olavo’s body, I ran into Bernard looking quite disheveled,” Jax began, releasing Carriena’s hand and carefully observed her reaction. “Given the report George and I just had from the first-floor sentries, it appears Bernard’s movements had been unaccounted for, and he lied to George and I about working in the garden this morning. Considering his unkempt appearance and his lies, I can only suspect—”
“Bernard didn’t have anything to do with Olavo,” Carriena burst out, gripping the cushions surrounding her.
Jax kept her mouth shut, intent on hearing Carriena validate Bernard’s alibi for herself.
Squirming in the strained silence a bit longer, Carriena sighed with resignation and…could it be?…embarrassment. “Bernard had nothing to do with what happened to Olavo. He—he was busy keeping me entertained the entire night.”
“The entire night?” Jax repeated in disbelief. “My, who would have thought that the Lord Chamberlain had such stamina!”
Carriena’s mouth fell open at Jax’s calm reaction. “Did you already know about us?” she shrieked.
Jax shrugged. “Bernard may have mentioned it. Although he was a complete gentleman and said he just went to bed.” With an elaborate wink, Jax settled back into the sofa, relishing Carriena’s humiliation, as the young woman was rarely mortified by her own deeds.
With lightning speed, Carriena reached for a decorative pillow and whacked Jax across the face. “You devious littler bugger. Here you are, letting me think you’re accusing me of murder…”
Jax’s laughter died in her throat and a somber expression settled over her. “I cannot lie to you, my dear. When it first became clear that Olavo’s attacker had to reside on the second or third floor, I did consider you a suspect for a brief moment.”
A smirk foiled Carriena’s lips. “I’d have thought something was wrong with you if you didn’t.” She sighed. “I know you don’t have the luxury to be carefree with your trust.” She rested a palm on Jax’s shoulder. “And I know how much it pains you.”
Leaning her head against Carriena’s shoulder, Jax closed her eyes for a moment. She swallowed back her hesitance and said, “Unfortunately, I don’t have the same confidence in your father that I have in you.” She straightened and looked Carriena in the eye. “With you and Bernard in the clear, our list of suspects grows dangerously small.”
“Who else do you think capable of such a deed?” Carriena’s voice was a contrite whisper.
Jax propped her elbow on the arm of the sofa and stared out the window. “It pains me to think of anyone here at Galensmore being capable of murder. But I cannot ignore the facts. There’s the household staff: Julian, Martán, and Ellamae. There’s Charles and Sabine. And there is your father.”
“When you lay out all your choices like that, my father does seem the most obvious.”
Jax couldn’t tell if her friend was joking or uttering a terrifying truth. “George and I are making the rounds, questioning everyone about their movements. As I said, Olavo was killed around two in the morning, and the culprit effectively erased all signs of the attack by burning the evidence in the fireplace before anyone in the house began to stir.”
Carriena snorted. “I can’t imagine my father cleaning up after himself. That seems something more along the lines of Julian or Martán.”
True. I can’t picture Thanasis scrubbing blood off the
floor with the thoroughness done in Olavo’s room. Jax frowned. “Perhaps more than one person is involved?”
Carriena’s face slackened with sadness. “Do you really think Charles and Sabine could have played a role in this?” She and Jax had known Charles for a few years now, and she had obviously grown fond of the boyish healer.
“Given all the help he’s been so far, I can’t wrap my mind around Charles being involved, but I have yet to ask him about his whereabouts.”
Carriena cocked her head. “I notice you haven’t so quickly defended Sabine.”
Rising from the sofa, Jax ambled over to a table covered with books that she recognized from her days at the Academy. She ran a finger down the spine of one of the worn tomes. “I can’t help but question the true intent behind Sabine’s reasons for abandoning Pettraud so quickly after her mother’s death.”
Carriena scoffed. “What reason would that little girl have to kill a Tandorian spy?”
“Does a hired killer need a motive?”
“Hired?” Carriena’s eyes widened. “You think one of your enemies is behind this?”
“Why else kill the man?” Jax rubbed at her throbbing temples. “It’s likely the attack back at the palace was meant to silence Olavo. When Raulph failed, another person was recruited to end the Tandorian’s life.” She rested her head against the glass, savoring the cool chill against her skin. “Raulph’s family owned an inn in Tandora. We’re looking into connections between them and Delphinia.”
Carriena’s forehead wrinkled, etching lines into her peachy skin. “It makes sense. Delphinia wouldn’t want to risk Olavo spilling the inner secrets of her court. But how could she know he was still alive to begin with?”
“Even though I did not write that I held Olavo as my prisoner when I issued the War Council declaration, I’ve not kept his presence by my side a secret,” Jax replied. “No doubt word of his capture has made it back through Delphinia’s network of spies.”
Carriena shuddered before moving to steaming kettle that hung over the simmering fireplace. “So, if Raulph’s family has ties to Tandora, you’re looking for clues that someone else in this household is linked to Delphinia’s court?”
Jax gratefully accepted the cup of tea Carriena poured, inhaling the alluring aroma of mint and lavender. “Yes. Which is why George and I questioned Bernard.”
A question flickered in Carriena’s eyes before the answer dawned. “Lord Craite was his mentor.” She shook her head. “He hated that stuffy old man, don’t you remember?”
After taking a contemplative sip of tea, Jax sighed. “You can pull someone’s strings just as easily with hate as with love.”
Carriena sank into a chair, cradling her own cup. “So, have you figured out my father’s ties to Tandora?”
Jax assessed her friend’s bemused stare. “I’d rather have you tell me your thoughts, as you clearly seem to have an idea.”
For a moment, it looked like Carriena was at war with herself, toying over some notion about her father. Placing her cup and saucer on an end table, she hopped back out of the chair and glided to a desk in the corner of the sitting room. Digging through a stack of papers, she seized one in victory and handed it to Jax. “I’d think it would be rather obvious.”
Jax put down her teacup and studied the page. An inky sketch of a ship bled into the creamy parchment. She looked up at her friend. “Is this…?”
Carriena smiled grimly. “Rose of the Sea.”
Jax stared back at the drawing, recognition melting away into calculating confusion. A few seasons back, Lord Brunovaris, at the time still Duke DeLacqua, had commissioned the grand vessel as a present for Lady Carriena’s birthday. The ship, crafted by a renowned master builder, was the finest in the realm, swaddled in luxury and elegance. Jax had sailed on its maiden voyage in celebration of her friend’s birthday. Master Charles and his sister Giovanna Montivarius had been passengers as well.
Carriena stood behind Jax and examined the sketch over Jax’s shoulder. “The craftsman who built her was Tandorian. The resources to build the ship all came from Tandora. I’d be hard pressed to believe my father didn’t have to negotiate with Delphinia during its construction, knowing how highly she treasures her precious forests.”
Jax mulled over Carriena’s theory. She, too, couldn’t imagine Delphinia letting Lord Brunovaris use the sturdy, unusually strong Tandorian trees the region was famous for without some strings attached. From her review of Isla DeLacqua’s finances when she’d purchased the duchy, Jax had paused over the amount the Duke had paid in gold for the fine vessel. At the time, it seemed a bargain. But perhaps there was more to the arrangement than she had guessed.
“So?” Carriena prodded. “What do you think?”
“I think you’ve earned a spot on our investigative team.” Jax’s eyes twinkled. “Do you think you can distract your father long enough for George and me to search his rooms?”
With a carefree wave, Carriena chuckled. “I think I can manage that. I’ve been distracting him my entire life.”
Grabbing her friend’s hand, Jax led Carriena out into the hallway. “George is looking through Olavo’s chambers,” she explained as they dashed toward the dead man’s suite.
“George?” Jax called as the two women entered the tidy sitting room. “Have you found anything?”
A muffled response from Olavo’s bedroom sent Jax and Carriena in that direction, standing in the open doorway as they surveyed the scene. George, lying face down on the floor beside the canopied bed, glanced over his shoulder in welcome. “I think I might have, but I can’t quite reach with this blasted injury.”
Jax hurried to his side. “Let me try.” She noted George’s skin looked waxy and clammy as he slowly moved to make room for her, and she prayed he hadn’t been exerting himself too much. She then stretched out on her stomach to achieve the same view. “What am I looking for?”
George pointed under the bed at the slats stitched across the bedframe. “I think there’s something tucked between the post and the mattress.”
Carriena, too, joined them on the floor, shimmying on Jax’s other side. “I think I can grab it.” With a hard yank, she dislodged a small leather pouch from under the bed and handed it over to Jax.
“What in the Virtues…” Jax muttered, standing, as Carriena helped George off the floor and into an awaiting chair.
“What is it?” George wheezed.
Untying the leather strap around the middle, Jax pulled back the flap. It wasn’t a satchel, but a small wrapping concealing a loose stack of papers. “It seems Olavo had been keeping himself occupied while in our custody with a makeshift journal.” Jax thumbed through the pages, quickly realizing Olavo had been scribbling on torn pages from books and scraps of paper. Perhaps her guardsmen had provided him with something to write upon.
Carriena bounced with energy. “Well, go on, then. What does it say?”
Jax skimmed the telltale handwriting that had given away Olavo’s role in the assassination plot to end her life at Ogdam Oasis. “Seems he’s been at this a while. Most of it is an apology to his sister, Ines.” I must make sure she receives this, whenever our paths cross again. She stopped on an entry close to the end of the stack. “This is dated the day of Raulph’s attack.” She knelt beside George’s chair, and Carriena loomed over her shoulder as they gathered to read.
My life flashed before my eyes today, Ines. When I saw that blade coming my way, I truly thought it was the end and you’d never know how sorry I was for all the shame I brought on you. But when I heard the sound of steel slicing flesh, it was not my own. The Saphire Captain stopped the attack.
From the mutterings I’ve overheard from the guardsmen who are assigned to me, the young rogue planned to kill Duchess Jacqueline. You may think me delusional, but I could have sworn that lad was coming for me. It’s crossed my mind more than once how lucky I am to still be alive. Duchess Delphinia must have learned through her spies that Duchess Jacqueline is holding m
e captive. I am a liability to the Tandorian crown, I know, but I don’t want to die.
George growled as he finished reading the entry. “So he knew all along he was the one being threatened and said nothing about it.”
Carriena wrinkled her nose. “Why keep silent? Why didn’t he say anything about being Raulph’s true target?”
Jax reread the letter once more. “Maybe he thought he’d be safer? Perhaps Olavo thought if the Ducal Guard knew the truth, that Raulph’s blade hadn’t been meant for me, we’d do Delphinia’s job for her and just kill him.” Jax stroked the inky words. “Olavo didn’t seem too fond of giving up his life, even for his duchy.”
George eyed the stack of journal entries tucked under Jax’s arm. “Did he write anything else after the attack at the palace?”
Jax flipped over the leather binding, scanning the final pages. “Just one. Dated yesterday.” She held it out for Carriena and George to read.
I must say, I am getting a tour of some of the finest estates in the realm, even if I am chained for most of it. Galensmore is indeed a spectacle. And what a fortress! I’ve never seen anything like it in all my years.
Duchess Jacqueline continues to surprise me with her veiled acts of kindness. She instructed I be put in a fine apartment. I know she does this to loosen my tongue, but I hardly have anything worthwhile to share that she hasn’t already guessed. Despite being Duchess Delphinia’s private secretary, I was never allowed in any of the secret sessions she had with Savant and Beautraud. Perhaps that is why I am still alive. Maybe that boy did intend to kill Duchess Jacqueline after all. There was just something so familiar about him…I’m certain I’ve seen him before.
I want to live, dear sister. I know I am protected from outside forces, but I can’t help but be suspicious of those inside the walls of Galensmore. Duchess Delphinia’s reach is far and wide. I recognize Galensmore’s Lord Chamberlain from his time at Lord Craite’s side, and of course the debts of Lord Brunovaris run deep. I remain on my guard, dear sister, in the hopes we will someday be reunited.
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