“First you have to find His Lordship,” said the editor. “I’ve sent reporters to his house and to the foreign office, but both places are crawling with soldiers. Find him, interview him, and I’ll give you the front page for your story.”
Amelia had no idea where to even start searching. Henry Wallace was adept at disappearing, and she was extremely tired after the upset and the rushing about. She decided to return home to snatch a few hours’ sleep and let her brain consider her problem while her body was in repose. She had wakened at noon with a fully formed plan of action.
She finished the toasted cheese and was about to set out to try once more to talk to Sir Henry’s friends, Captain Northrop and Admiral Baker. If anyone knew where he was, they would. She was putting on her pork-pie hat when a horse-drawn hansom cab rolled to a stop in front of her house. The driver dismounted from the box and walked up to her door.
Amelia kept no servant although, as a spinster woman of independent means, she could have afforded one. She believed in the dictum stated by Mrs. Ridgeway of Mrs. Ridgeway’s Academy for Young Ladies, “One is never served so well as by oneself,” and thus, Amelia answered the door herself.
The disgruntled driver jerked his thumb in the direction of the cab.
“Two serving girls hired me to bring ’em to this address. I bring ’em and now they tell me they got no money to pay me. They say you’ll foot the bill. Will you, lady? I give you fair warning that if you don’t, I’m leavin’ ’em and their dog in the street.”
Amelia was accustomed to receiving strange visitors at all hours, especially servants, who were valuable informants on their masters. She looked with interest at the cab. The young women seemed certain of their welcome, for they were already climbing out. One of them waved to her.
“It’s me, Miss Amelia!” Kate called.
“Wait here,” Amelia told the driver and ran to get her reticule.
She paid the man and held the door for Kate and her companion, who hurried inside with their dog trotting along at their heels.
Amelia had seen Kate only last night when she had warned them about the black ship. But last night Kate had been dressed in her slops and now she and her mysterious companion were disguised as palace servants. Their black dresses and white aprons were rumpled, as though they had slept in them. Both young women looked weary, footsore, and hungry.
“Come inside, quickly!” Amelia said.
“Thank you, ma’am,” said Kate gratefully. “We didn’t know where else to turn.”
“Yes, thank you,” said the mysterious young woman with her. She lifted her head, shook back her hair, and smiled. Amelia knew her at once. Princess Sophia had lived in Haever following the war with the Bottom Dwellers to further peaceful relations between Freya and Rosia. Relations may not have improved as a result, but the princess and her little dog had won the hearts of the Freyan people.
The Haever Gazette had been the first to report Sophia’s engagement to Thomas Stanford, who was now the ruler of Freya. The princess was beloved by the gossip columnists, and her illustration was in the paper nearly every week.
Artists had captured her likeness well, Amelia thought, although they had missed the winsome sweetness of her expression.
Amelia dropped a curtsy. “Welcome to my home, Your Highness.”
“Miss Amelia, we have to tell you—” Kate began.
“—a great many things, I have no doubt,” said Amelia. “But first things first. You know your way around the house, Kate. Escort Her Highness and the little dog upstairs to wash up. You will find some of your clothes still in the wardrobe. After you both have changed, come to the kitchen and I will fix you something to eat. I’ll keep watch, make certain you were not followed.”
“I don’t think we were, Miss Amelia,” said Kate. “The streets are filled with angry people. No one paid any attention to two maidservants.”
“Pish-tosh!” Amelia snorted. “I recognized Her Highness the moment I clapped eyes on her. And you both are running from some sort of serious trouble, aren’t you.”
“I am afraid so,” said Kate, sighing. “We were both in the palace last night. We know the truth about the queen’s death, and there are those who know that we know and will do anything to keep us from telling it. We managed to escape, but Smythe’s soldiers were on our heels.”
Amelia was highly gratified. She had been about to leave her house in search of a story, only to have the story walk right into her house.
“I am eager to hear your tale. Now go change. You will find your bedchamber just as you left it, Kate.”
“I fear our presence places you in danger, Miss Amelia,” said Sophia.
“I would not miss being part of your story if I were to be hanged for it, Your Highness,” said Amelia.
Sophia looked rather startled, but Kate only laughed and shook her head. Amelia shooed them both upstairs, telling Kate to draw the window curtains. Bandit went with them, although he smelled the cheese and kept casting wistful glances in the direction of the kitchen.
When they were out of sight, Amelia opened the front door and looked outside. The cab had driven off. Her neighbors were flitting from house to house, eager to discuss the queen’s death and share the latest rumors. Amelia trusted they would not come to pay her a visit. Her neighbors considered her “eccentric,” a reputation she fostered, for she did not like to be interrupted while she was writing.
Since no one appeared to be taking an unusual interest in her house, she went back inside, shut and locked the door, and drew the curtains. She went to the kitchen, brewed more tea, toasted more cheese, and cut cold roast beef and bread for sandwiches.
Kate and Sophia came downstairs to do justice to the food. Amelia set down a plate of roast beef for Bandit, forever earning his regard. She was eager to hear their story, but Mrs. Ridgeway had often expounded on the duties of a hostess, and Amelia insisted that they finish their meal and drink their tea before they related their adventures.
When they finally pushed back their plates, Amelia took her place at the table, armed with paper, pen, and a full inkwell. Bandit fell asleep under the table, his head resting on Sophia’s foot.
“The last I saw of you, Kate, you and Sir Henry were in the carriage on your way to the palace to warn Thomas about the black ship. Tell me what happened after that.”
Kate marshaled her thoughts, then began her story, as Amelia took notes.
“When we arrived at the palace, Sir Henry insisted that I come inside with him. I don’t think he trusted me. The Countess de Marjolaine was there and she accosted us, saying she had heard the queen was going to be assassinated. She and Sir Henry left to go find Her Majesty. He told me to stay in the entry hall, but a … uh … friend of mine was in the palace and I was worried about him—”
“Name of this friend,” said Amelia, continuing to write.
When Kate didn’t immediately answer, Amelia paused in her writing to look up.
“His name?” Amelia prompted.
“Thomas Stanford,” said Kate, blushing.
Amelia stared, amazed. “Do you mean our new ruler, His Highness, Prince Thomas Stanford?”
“She does,” said Sophia, glancing at her friend with a smile.
“I did not know you and His Highness were acquainted,” said Amelia, writing furiously. “You must tell me sometime how the two of you met. I will write a special Captain Kate story all about it. But, go on. You went searching for the prince…”
Kate related how she searched the palace for Thomas, only to encounter Smythe.
“I knew him the moment I saw him,” said Kate, shivering at the memory. “He was the man who attacked me and stole the dragon-killing spell, then used that spell to kill Lady Odila.”
“And he is the man who is now governing Freya,” said Sophia gravely.
Amelia glanced up. “How is that?”
Kate continued before Sophia could answer. “I was trying to get away from Smythe. He recognized me, and sent his
men after me. I was running down a hall when suddenly Sophia grabbed me and pulled me inside a room.”
“Bandit and I had been dining with the queen,” said Sophia, picking up the tale. “I was leaving her chambers when Bandit got away from me and ran to the one of the doors. He began scratching at it and barking. His Grace, Phillip Masterson, was locked inside the room.”
Amelia saw Sophia’s cheeks redden when she mentioned the duke’s name.
She’s engaged to Prince Thomas and she’s in love with this duke while Kate is in love with the prince. A tangled love story, as well as danger and intrigue! Amelia thought exultantly. She had never been happier.
“I tried to find help,” Sophia continued, “but I realized then that the palace guards were imposters. I locked myself in the Rose Room and cast an illusion spell over the door. I was keeping watch out the door when I saw Kate running down the hall and I grabbed her.”
“As it turns out,” said Kate, “Thomas and that man, Smythe, were in the room next door to where we were hiding.”
Kate and Sophia took turns describing the conversation they had overheard between Thomas and Smythe and a man known only to them as “Sir Richard.”
“Smythe confessed to having Her Majesty killed,” said Sophia, her voice trembling. “He will make Thomas king, but Smythe is going to be the true ruler.”
They related how Smythe had taken Phillip hostage, then beaten and drugged him. They had heard a pistol shot and had been terribly frightened, for they didn’t know who had been shot. And then Smythe sent his soldiers to search the palace for the princess.
“We were saved by one of the countess’s agents who showed us a secret passage, and that’s how we managed to escape the palace,” said Sophia. She grew very pale. “He may have given his life to protect us. And so you see, Miss Amelia, this horrible man knows that Kate and I were in that room and that we know the truth about what he is plotting.”
“I was thinking you could write the story for the newspaper, Miss Amelia,” said Kate. “Reveal the truth about him. Tell the world he is a monster.”
“But that would put Miss Amelia in danger,” Sophia protested.
“I don’t mind that,” said Amelia briskly. “This will be the story of a lifetime! Our king and our country are in the clutches of this dreadful Smythe.”
Someone knocked on the front door. Bandit jumped up and barked. Sophia grabbed him and clamped her hand over his mouth.
“Bloody hell!” Kate swore.
“I think you may relax, my dears,” said Amelia. “Smythe’s soldiers would not bother to knock. They would simply batter down the door. You wait here. I will go see who it is. I will leave you this, just in case.”
Opening the reticule, she took out a pocket pistol made to her own specific design, featuring two barrels that could be fired independent of each other. She handed it to Kate, then went to the entry hall and peeped out a window.
A clergyman stood on the door stoop, leaning on a cane and peering about nearsightedly from behind a pair of spectacles. Amelia assumed he was collecting money and was about to fetch her reticule, when she heard him give a strangled gasp, and saw him clutch at his throat. He leaned weakly against the porch railing, and seemed on the verge of collapse.
Amelia flung open the door and hurried outside. The clergyman was breathing heavily.
“Water…” he whispered.
“Please, come inside,” said Amelia.
She assisted him to enter. Once through the door, he made a gurgling sound and dropped his book of Scriptures. His eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor and lay unmoving.
“Merciful goodness,” said Amelia.
She stared at him a moment, then knelt by his side to put her hand on his wrist, searching for his pulse. As she did so, he opened his eyes, looked up at her, and said softly, “I would be obliged, Miss Amelia, if you would shut the front door.”
THIRTEEN
Henry stood up, grimacing as he straightened. Walking stooped-shouldered for hours took its toll on his spine. He removed his spectacles and his hat, smoothed back his hair, and effectively shed Pastor Johnstone as easily as he shed his cloak.
“You are indeed a man of many talents, Sir Henry,” said Amelia, shutting the front door. “You had me fooled completely.”
“I apologize for my unorthodox method of obtaining entry, Miss Amelia. I need to speak—”
Henry heard a muffled sound coming from the back of the house, as of a dog starting to bark and being quickly silenced.
Henry eyed Amelia. “You are not alone.” He picked up his hat. “I will take my leave.”
Amelia placed her hand on his arm to detain him. “I am not given to prayer, my lord, for I believe that God does as He pleases and is not to be cajoled, threatened, or bribed. Yet I would say that you come in answer to a prayer.”
“Who are your guests?” Henry asked, frowning, still inclined to make his escape.
“Two young women who seek to stop the assassin Smythe from seizing power,” Amelia stated. “They know the truth about what happened in the palace last night for they were there. They also have other vital information you need to hear.”
Henry trusted Amelia only as much as he trusted anyone, always mindful that her primary goal was to obtain a story. He believed her to be a patriot, however, loyal to Freya. That said, he kept his hand near the hidden pocket where the pistol was tucked snug against his ribs and followed Amelia into the kitchen.
“Sir Henry Wallace,” Amelia announced, throwing open the kitchen door and performing the introduction with the aplomb of a royal herald. “Sir Henry, I have the honor to present Her Highness, Princess Sophia of Rosia, and her companion, Captain Kate.”
Kate and Sophia both started up from the table in astonishment. Henry was equally astonished at the sight of the two women. Kate was aiming a pistol at him and Sophia held onto a dog with its head wrapped in a dish towel.
Amelia rubbed her hands in satisfaction.
“A council of war,” she stated. “I will put the kettle on.”
Henry swiftly regained his usual poise. He bowed low to the princess, who received his homage with cold, polite disdain. He could hardly blame her, considering how assiduously he had worked over the years to destroy her country.
“If you could put away the pistol, Captain,” he said.
“Sorry, my lord,” Kate muttered, flushing. She released the hammer and laid the pistol back on the table.
Sophia freed Bandit from the dish towel and set the dog on the floor, where he went immediately to sniff Henry’s shoes.
“Please, everyone, be seated,” said Amelia, bustling about the kitchen. “May I offer you something to eat, my lord? I have cold roast beef and mustard.”
“Thank you, no, Miss Amelia,” said Henry.
He had stopped at his neighbor’s coffee shop to bolt down some food he hadn’t really tasted and which he could not have said now what it was. He had come to Amelia’s in search of information. He had certainly not expected to find Princess Sophia or Captain Kate in her company.
The last he had seen of Kate was the night the queen had died. She had been in the palace, searching for Thomas. Henry was not surprised Kate had managed to escape the palace, for he was well aware of her courage, resourcefulness, and determination. He did wonder how she had ended up in company with a princess who was by all accounts safely on her way back to Rosia by now.
Sophia remained standing. She seemed of two minds—whether to remain in the same room with him or to withdraw from his odious presence.
Henry understood her dilemma. Sophia’s dearest friend and mentor was the Countess de Marjolaine, Rosia’s spymaster and Henry’s implacable foe. There was a time not long past when each would have rejoiced to hear news of the death of the other. All that had changed in a single night.
“My queen’s death has made allies of enemies, Your Highness,” said Henry quietly. “The Countess de Marjolaine and I were together when we found Her
Majesty’s body.”
Sophia sat back down and leaned forward eagerly.
“Tell me about the countess, my lord. I did not know she was in Haever.”
“The countess discovered the plot to assassinate Queen Mary and came to warn her. Hearing you had dined with the queen, she was worried for your safety. She was reassured by the servants, who said that you had left the palace prior to the attack. The countess believed you were safely on the way back to Rosia. She herself was in danger, and she left Haever that night. She took my wife and children with her.”
The three stared at him, incredulous.
Henry gave a faint smile. “Sometimes old enemies make the best friends. The countess and I understand each other. I owe Her Ladyship a debt I can never hope to repay.”
He concealed his emotion by reaching down to scratch Bandit behind his ears. The dog licked his hand and curled up at his feet.
Amelia said briskly, “If that is the case, Your Highness, the countess will be deeply distressed to learn that you did not arrive in Rosia.”
“You are right,” said Sophia, dismayed. “I must find a way to send a message to her.”
“Don’t send a message,” said Kate. “Return to Rosia where you will be safe. Sir Henry, you must know someone who could smuggle Sophia out of the country.”
“No one I would trust with such valuable cargo,” said Henry gravely. “The ports are under heavy guard. According to my friend, Captain Northrop, the ships’ passengers are being questioned, their belongings searched. Her Highness is known by sight in Haever, and while I might disguise her, I could not disguise her companion. These floppy ears give him away.”
Henry petted Bandit, who rolled over onto his back with his paws in the air to have his belly rubbed.
“Her Highness will be safe here,” said Amelia with a smile for the two young women.
“I agree,” said Henry. “In fact, I would say that Her Highness is safer in your company, Miss Amelia, than she would be anywhere else in Freya.”
Kingmaker (The Dragon Corsairs) Page 14
