It Takes a Spy...: A Secrets and Seduction book

by Jeane, Sheridan

  “I’ve been considering this ever since I pulled your mother’s necklace out of my pocket,” Devin said, his frayed temper finally snapping. He was too angry and frustrated to control the words that began flowing forth. “I considered it while hanging off the edge of the balcony, and I considered it while hiding in the trunk. Damn and blast, ever since I was nearly carted off to jail, all I’ve done is consider who the real thief might be. This is the first suggestion I’ve heard since this twisted reality overtook me that makes any sense.”

  Cecilia’s shoulders drooped a bit as she looked down.

  Devin immediately felt like a cad for losing his temper. “I can’t stand hiding in here another minute,” he said apologetically. “The situation is driving me mad. I need to do something. Anything.”

  She lifted her head and met his gaze. “Then I suppose we need a plan to sneak you out of here.” Her smile might not have been completely genuine, but he saw real forgiveness in her eyes.

  “Do you have any ideas?” he asked.

  “We’ll need to either disguise you or hide you,” Cecilia said.

  “We could disguise you as a policeman,” Evangeline said.

  “But where would we find a uniform?” Cecilia asked. “I don’t relish the idea of hitting some bobby over the head and stealing one.”

  “What if we dress him as a hotel worker?” Evangeline asked.

  “But he’s so tall. That’s one attribute that’s impossible to hide.”

  “That’s a good point,” Devin conceded. “A disguise probably won’t get me out the front door.”

  “Then we need to hide you. And I have the perfect plan.” Evangeline looked much too excited.

  Devin narrowed his eyes. “Just what do you have in mind?”

  She turned away from him, picked up the water pitcher from the wash basin, and upturned it on her mattress.

  Cecilia stared at her for a moment, but then some form of communication passed between the sisters, and they both burst out laughing. “That’s an excellent plan.”

  “Thank you.” Evangeline giggled as she curtsied.

  Devin glanced from one sister to another. “Could someone explain what you have in mind?”

  “Fresh bedding,” Cecilia said. She tugged on a bell pull. “A member of the hotel staff should arrive shortly. You’ll need to hide for a few minutes.”

  Devin let out a groan. “Not the trunk again.”

  “It’s the safest place,” Cecilia said, patting him on the arm as though comforting a child. Devin was surprised to discover he found some solace in the gesture.

  “You don't have to climb in until we hear a knock at the door,” Evangeline reassured him.

  “You’ll still need to explain to me why you poured water on the bed,” he said, realizing he hadn’t understood a key part of the plan.

  Evangeline raised her eyebrows. “I’d have thought it was obvious.” She paused a moment, either collecting her thoughts or intentionally trying to irritate him. He thought it was the latter and cocked an eyebrow at her.

  Evangeline cast a mischievous grin at him, confirming his suspicion. “When the maid comes and sees how wet everything is,” she continued, “she’ll fetch fresh linens and return with a laundry trolley. She’ll strip the wet bedding, toss it in the trolley, and wheel the lot away.” A look of consternation flitted over her face. “The only difficult part will be distracting her long enough to get you into the trolley.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Cecilia said. “I have just the plan.”

  At the soft knock on the door, Devin folded himself back into the trunk, again grabbing the bar at the top and tucking his head behind it. He was a bit more careful this time to place his feet in a comfortable position. The last time, his foot had begun to cramp, and he hadn’t wanted to risk moving it and making a noise with a policeman standing inches away from him.

  Once the trunk was latched, he found himself engulfed in darkness again. Only a thin seam of light came in from where the two halves of the trunk came together above his head, like a beacon of hope from above.

  He could easily hear what was happening around him in the room, just as he had when the policeman had been searching for him earlier.

  The trunk was sturdy, thank goodness, and smelled of lavender. He squatted at the bottom of it with his back jammed against the side, not at all worried that the trunk would bow under his weight. It was solidly built to withstand years of traveling.

  Someone opened the door, and he heard Cecilia explaining that her sister had accidentally spilled a pitcher of water on the bed. The chambermaid offered some words of empathy.

  “Might I inspect the bedding? I’d like to know if the mattress is wet as well.”

  Devin heard footsteps followed by the rustling of fabric. “The mattress is only slightly damp,” the chambermaid said. “Would you like to have some men carry up a dry one, or would you prefer to keep this one?”

  “Oh, I’m sure this one will do,” Evangeline said. “I only need fresh bedding.”

  “And can you fetch us another pitcher of water?” Cecilia said.

  “Certainly, miss,” the chambermaid said.

  Devin heard footsteps and the click of the door closing. A moment later, he could hear someone fumbling at the latches of his trunk. When it slid open, the light rushed in, and he saw Cecilia smiling down at him.

  “The plan’s in motion,” she said.

  “I didn’t hear you lock the door,” Devin said to Evangeline.

  Her eyes widened and then she hurried back to the door and locked it.

  When he glanced around the room, he noticed that the chambermaid had pulled the wet linens off the mattress. They were now piled at the foot of the bed in a sodden mass.

  A moment later, there came a knock at the door.

  Devin’s eyes widened. “That was fast,” he murmured as he climbed back into the trunk.

  “Maybe it’s someone else,” Evangeline whispered. Then more loudly, she said, “Who is it?”

  “It’s the maid, Miss Paring. I have your fresh linens.”

  Cecilia shoved the trunk shut with her hip, and Devin barely had time to situate himself in the cramped space before he heard the door open.

  “You’re quick,” Cecilia said.

  “We keep fresh linens in a room just down the corridor,” the chambermaid said. “I brought a fresh pitcher of water as well.”

  Devin heard the maid moving around the room as she set down the water pitcher and then shook open fresh sheets. He could picture her bustling about her work, completely oblivious to his presence.

  “I’m so sorry you had to do this,” Cecilia said. “My sister was trying to balance the water pitcher on her head when it fell onto the bed.”

  Devin grinned. Evangeline probably didn’t like being made to look foolish. Those two never missed an opportunity to tease one another. What on earth had made him think Cecilia couldn’t handle a group of biddies intent on tearing her down? If she could fend off Evangeline, she could fend off anyone.

  “Why you had to do that, I’ll never know,” Cecilia continued.

  “It’s part of my exercise regimen,” Evangeline replied.

  “What? Like this?” Devin heard the scrape of an object and presumed that Cecilia had lifted the water pitcher. “How is this supposed to be exercise?”

  “It’s meant to improve one’s posture,” Evangeline said.

  “That’s balderdash. Why not use books? At least when they fall you don’t have a mess to clean.”

  “Incentive,” Evangeline said in a crisp tone.

  “Ah,” Cecilia cried out, and then Devin heard the tumble of an object hitting the floor.

  “Ha! Now you’ve soaked your bed as well,” Evangeline said, sounding triumphant.

  “I’m a complete and utter fool,” Cecilia said.

  “It’s no bother, miss,” the chambermaid said. “I’ll be back in a jiff with linens for your bed as well.”

  Devin heard her quic
k footsteps as she made her way to the door. A moment later, Cecilia pulled open the trunk.

  “She’ll be right back,” she said, tugging on his upraised arm and causing him to let go of the bar. “You have to move quickly.”

  Devin glanced out the open door to see the trolley sitting just outside in the corridor. Evangeline was already in the hallway, motioning for Devin to hurry.

  She was lifting the wet sheets out of the trolley even as Devin sprinted across the room. He clambered into the wheeled cart, and Evangeline dumped the sodden sheets on top of him.

  “So far, so good,” Cecilia said. She must have joined Evangeline in the hallway. Despite the damp bedding, the trolley was a shade more comfortable than the trunk.

  “Now what?” Devin murmured in a quiet voice.

  “Shh!” they both hissed, sounding like a nest of snakes.

  “Here she comes,” Cecilia whispered.

  “Why did you have to be so condescending to me in front of the maid?” Evangeline asked in a voice loud enough to be overheard by anyone nearby. “It’s as though you think you’re better than me. It’s not as though you’ve never made a mistake.”

  Devin assumed this was another bit of playacting for the maid’s benefit.

  “Don’t say such things,” Cecilia replied. “How could you accuse me of thinking I’m superior to you?”

  “Well, what would you call it when you try to make me look a fool in front of the hotel staff?”

  Devin heard footsteps moving past them and into the room. He assumed the chambermaid was back with more fresh linens.

  Cecilia let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. You’re right. That was churlish of me. I’m afraid I’m at my worst tonight. Thank goodness events such as these don’t transpire on a daily basis. If they did I’m afraid I’d become quite insufferable.”

  Devin heard a rustling noise. Were Cecilia and Evangeline hugging? That would be a sight to see. Too bad he was missing it. “I’m sorry, too,” Evangeline said in a slightly muffled voice. “Brace yourself,” she added in a hissed whisper.

  A moment later, something was dropped on top of him with a damp plop. It must be the second load of wet sheets.

  Devin heard the click of the hotel room door closing and then the trolley he was in began moving down the corridor. The wheels were silent as they rolled along the carpeted hallway.

  His trolley stopped, and another door opened near his head. A moment later his trolley was pushed sideways, and he had the distinct impression he was being wheeled into a room.

  The door clicked shut, and someone began pulling the sheets off him, so he rose to his feet. He immediately saw that he was in a large linen cupboard, complete with tall shelves of fresh linens and a rather commodious-looking laundry chute, which Evangeline was peering into.

  “It appears to go straight down,” Evangeline said. “It’s both large enough to accommodate you and narrow enough for you to brace yourself against the sides and climb down.”

  “What if someone’s down there and sees him emerge?” Cecilia asked.

  “At this time of night?” Devin asked. “It must be one in the morning.”

  “Should I check?” Evangeline asked. “I don't think anyone’s down there. I don’t hear a sound.”

  Cecilia chewed her lower lip. “Let’s drop the sheets down first and see what happens,” she suggested.

  “Excellent idea. Plus, it gives him a softer landing.”

  Devin grimaced. “Good idea.” Not that the sheets would help if he fell from this height, other than to soak up the blood from his broken body. He swallowed. Perhaps it would be best if he kept those dark thoughts to himself.

  He leaned over to reach the pile of wet linens on the floor, gathered them up, and then tossed them down the chute. He heard them skitter all the way down until they hit the bottom with a plop.

  They all listened carefully, but there was no other sound.

  “I think it’s safe,” Devin said.

  “Then we’ll meet you down there after we speak to the chambermaid. I want to make sure she isn’t suspicious,” Cecilia said.

  Devin nodded and climbed into the chute. Cecilia watched as he braced his arms, back, knees, and toes against the walls of the chute. “Be careful,” she said. “It’s a long way down.”

  He nodded and began to inch his way down. His last glimpse of Cecilia came as she closed the laundry chute, leaving him in relative darkness. Fortunately, a faint glow of light far below him let him gauge the distance to his goal.

  He heard the linen closet door open, and Evangeline gave a squeal of surprise. “Oh, my! I didn’t expect to see you there.”

  Devin froze in place.

  He could easily hear the chambermaid’s voice through the door of the chute. “I didn’t know where you’d disappeared to,” the maid said, apparently finding it difficult to keep her annoyance and suspicion from bleeding into her voice. “When I saw the trolley was gone, I came searching for it.”

  “We wanted to help,” Cecilia said. “We both feel terrible for the mess we made, don’t we?”

  “Yes, we do,” Evangeline said.

  “You shouldn’t have taken my trolley. I’m responsible for it. I could lose my position here if something happened to it.” Devin could hear the real fear in her voice.

  “Oh, no!” Cecilia said, sounding appalled. “I never considered what you might think when you found it missing. I’m terribly sorry. We brought the linens down here and tossed them down the laundry chute for you. We thought it might partially make up for the trouble we caused.”

  “You did?” The chambermaid sounded surprised. “That wasn’t necessary.”

  “I think we only made things worse by taking the trolley,” Evangeline added in a contrite tone. “We’re being terribly careless and thoughtless tonight.”

  “’Tis no bother for me to do my job. That’s why the hotel employs me, and I’m happy to do it,” the young woman said. Her voice held a lingering note of annoyance, but at least she didn’t sound suspicious.

  Devin heard the door to the storage room close. The voices were now muffled, but he could tell they were moving down the hallway.

  He was safe.

  Safe at the top of a laundry chute with a forty-foot drop below him.

  Devin readjusted his arms against the interior of the chute and began to shimmy his way toward the bottom.

  His movements were slow and arduous. He concentrated on each action he made, being careful not to slip. That wasn’t an easy task with his leather-soled shoes. He’d have been better off if he’d done this barefoot, but it was too late to take his shoes off now.

  As he neared the bottom of the chute, he began to worry about the faint glow below him. What if someone was down there?

  He paused. His feet were beginning to cramp, and his arms were shaking. At least he’d made it far enough down that if he were to fall he probably wouldn’t die.

  He’d only break his leg.

  He began moving again and was almost at the bottom when he thought he heard something from the laundry room. Devin froze and listened intently, but it was hard to hear over the noise of his breathing. He opened his mouth so he could breathe more silently and listened.

  Footsteps. He heard footsteps moving beneath him. Someone was down there.

  He craned his head forward to peer down the chute between his legs. The faint glow of light dimmed slightly, and then a voice called out. “Devin? Are you still in the chute?” Cecilia said softly.

  He let out a sigh of relief and began moving again. “Yes,” he said. His voice echoed back to him hollowly.

  He heard the squeak of noisy wheels. “We pushed a laundry trolley below the chute,” Cecilia said. “It should help break your fall.”

  Devin’s feet were cramping again, and his right toe lost traction and slid down the side of the chute. He slid about five feet before he was able to stop himself, and he scrambled to press his arms and back hard against the side of the chute. After pausing
a moment, he decided to take a chance.

  He let go and dropped into the trolley.

  Evangeline let out a squeak of surprise, but it was Cecilia who hurried over to peer down at him. “Are you injured?”

  “Only my pride,” he said as he tried to push himself up from the piles of unwashed linens. He plucked at a pillow cover that clung to his sleeve and tossed it down with the rest of the laundry, then climbed out of the trolley.

  “You look rather rugged and dashing, with your hair all tousled and your jacket askew,” Cecilia said.

  Devin straightened his jacket and smoothed his hair back in place. The smile teasing the edges of Cecilia’s mouth fell away.

  “I didn’t mean it as a criticism,” she said. “I meant it as a compliment. Tousled hair looks good on you.”

  Devin cleared his throat. “I prefer a more neatly groomed appearance. I’ve been taught to associate an unkempt look with a general lack of respect for oneself and others.”

  Cecilia cocked one eyebrow. “You look astonishingly proper for a man who just escaped through a laundry chute.”

  Devin didn’t know if he should be pleased by her observation or not, so he said nothing.

  “We haven’t escaped yet,” Evangeline said. “We aren’t even out of the building.”

  “I know a way out,” Cecilia said as she turned away.

  Devin glanced around. There was little to see in the darkened room that might help them. He now realized that the glow he’d seen came from the banked fires used to heat the water for washing the linens. Cecilia moved toward a door, and Devin noticed some garments hanging from pegs next to it.

  “We can wear these,” she said, plucking down some items. “And here are some plain trousers that will cover your suit pants.”

  He noticed now that both Cecilia and Evangeline were wearing much plainer dresses than they’d been in when he’d last seen them. How had they managed to change so quickly and still be down here before him? He must have moved even more slowly than he’d realized.