Lady Florence continued to stare without feeling at the open waters.
Jax pushed onward, hoping to jar the truth out of the woman. “You traveled through Beautraud and secured cloveroot, the first step in your plan to render the Captain ill, so that he could not use his authority to interfere with your plans. You didn’t expect anyone else on board to care enough to investigate the unfortunate events that were about to unfold, so once you laced the Captain’s water, you waited a day for it to take effect before feigning your brooch being stolen.” With a triumphant smile, she continued. “You didn’t expect me and my companions to take your claims seriously and begin investigating. But I must say, Florence Voltistè, you fooled us well. We were so blinded by this phantom who stole your brooch that we hardly got in your way. You were still able to execute Monsieur Grandeair, and you were even seen by the guards leaving his room! But the unfortunate illusion caused by the design of the narrow corridor gave you the perfect alibi, as they thought you were coming out of your own room. Everything was going according to plan. Except you left this behind… a record of the money you’ve paid to Grandeair all these years.” The Duchess held up the incriminating ledger. “I would never have put the pieces together otherwise.”
“Well, it is wonderful to know that my greatest masterpiece was still a complete failure,” the old woman spat bitterly, causing Jax to wonder how long she had been planning her revenge.
Lady Florence’s cold stare met her own. “Congratulations on another mystery solved, Duquessa. I hope you are satisfied.” With lightning speed, Lady Florence took them all off guard as she dashed madly to the railing, throwing her body into the dark arms of the sea.
“No!” Jax screamed, lunging forward a moment too late, Florence Voltistè’s dress slipping from her outstretched fingers. She felt herself tip forward, her balance thwarted by the rough waves.
Perry’s strong arm encircled her waist with ferocity, pulling her back from the railing. “Careful, Jax. She’s gone. Don’t let her madness take you with her.”
Trembling with a rush of emotions, Jax buried her head into Perry’s shoulder, trying to erase the wild look she saw on Florence Voltistè’s face as the waters dragged her beneath the surface into a cold and wet grave.
Chapter Twelve
It had not been a pleasant task to wake Ernest Haulsinger up from his impromptu nap, as the old man had fallen asleep right next to his wife while the whole ordeal unfolded. While not particularly fond of the uncouth elder, Jax felt her chest tighten as she watched genuine despair fill his wrinkly face when he was told of his wife’s untimely death. He excused himself from the main deck, asking the Captain if he might be able to take his meals in his room for the remainder of the journey. Carriena answered for the Captain, telling him that he could.
It took the passengers of Rose of the Sea hours to calm down after witnessing the takedown of Monsieur Grandeair’s killer. Jax answered a myriad of questions from the guests, each in awe of what she had uncovered over the course of her investigation. Since most had been oblivious to the cause of death being murder, Jax fielded many questions about who had been suspected of the devious crime.
“At one time, you were quite high on the list,” Jax joked with an astonished Charles as his sister clung to his arm. Lady Giovanna had followed him around like a shadow since the events on the main deck, something Jax noted Charles was quite happy about.
“While I know I should be mad at you for suspecting me, I know what Arnie’s betrayal did to you, Jax, and for that, I’m truly sorry,” Carriena said later that evening, when the two women sat on the top deck under the starry sky. She reached over and squeezed Jax’s hand affectionately.
“I knew deep down you were innocent, dear one. I’m just so sorry I let my insecurities get the better of my judgment,” Jax revealed, apologizing in her own right.
“I never should have been worried that this all wouldn’t work out,” Carriena said, her eyes shimmering under the moon’s rays. “I thought all these terrible things would destroy Isla DeLacqua’s chances at forging stronger relations. But to my surprise, Ernest Haulsinger has agreed to convince Duke Savant to lower the clothing tax in exchange for a formal declaration that he was in no way, shape, or form involved with his wife’s dastardly deeds. Lady Giovanna and Sir Charles are going to use their influence to help negotiate a better wine price, something that Lady Giovanna will personally oversee herself. I guess this means she’ll be visiting Isla DeLacqua quite a bit in the future, something I think she and her brother are both happy about.”
“That’s wonderful to hear, Carriena. And I know Hazel and Vincent have offered their help, and plan to speak with the leaders of the Ancient Faith throughout your duchy. You should be proud of everything you have accomplished.” Jax praised her friend, truly impressed by the success Isla DeLacqua had come by after this horrid ordeal.
“I owe it all to you, my true Rose of the Sea,” Carriena bowed her head and her arms forward in playful worship, chanting Jax’s name repeatedly. “None of this would have happened without your interference.”
“Interference? Is that really what you’re calling it?” the Duchess exclaimed, laughing with indignation.
“Well, no, I suppose I’m the one who actually interfered.” Carriena suddenly sprang to her feet, looking toward the staircase to the main deck. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She winked and skipped down the wooden platform, moving past to reveal Perry standing there, looking incredibly nervous.
“What’s this about?” Jax demanded, taken off guard by his presence.
“I’ve been so stupid, Jax.” Perry rushed forward, taking her hands in his, pulling her to her feet. She felt his heart beating wildly underneath his strong chest. “Thank the Virtues Carriena set me straight. I thought you were the one who needed to do this. I feel like a complete idiot.”
“Do what? Perry, what on earth are you talking about?” Jax felt the cold grip of panic on her heart. Had the sea taken his mind, too?
Before her, Perry dropped to one knee, the moonlight dancing on his dark hair, the breeze ruffling his curls. “Duchess Jacqueline Arienta Xavier, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were the fiercest, most beautiful creature I’d ever seen. When I found out our fathers arranged our marriage, I was genuinely frightened, for how could such a breathtaking force of nature ever come to care for someone unremarkable like me? I was disappointed because I wanted to marry for love. I was scared because you are a powerful Duchess and I am a seventh son with no real title to my name. But the Virtues blessed me, for reasons I still question to this day. I found myself enjoying your company unlike anyone ever before. I found my own confidence in your faith in me. I found myself falling in love with you, and you nearly burst my heart when you told me you loved me too.”
Too stunned to speak, Jax stood, her mouth agape, watching Perry’s eyes fill with tears. “I am so sorry it’s taken me this long to ask. I honestly was waiting for you to do it, since I know how much you like to be in charge. But goodness, Jax, will you please make me the happiest man in the realm and be my wife?”
There was nothing Jax could or wanted to say, other than “Yes.”
Chapter Thirteen
The hard, sturdy ground felt like sable carpet beneath Jax’s feet. It had taken a few moments for her to adjust to the absence of movement beneath her, but she found her pace quickly as Lord Pettraud, her fiancé, escorted her off the causeway of Rose of the Sea. Her luxurious home for the past five days nestled in its slip within Isla DeLacqua’s harbor, looking as majestic as the day she had first laid eyes on it.
The wind had been good to them for the remainder of the voyage, the sun just only beginning to set in the western sky as they pulled into port. While everyone on board was in high spirits after the intense experience they’d all survived together, Jax could see by the way they all crowded around the causeway that they were eager to be on dry, steady land.
Walking ahead of them on Captain Solomon’s arm, Lady
Carriena turned back to give the engaged couple a bursting look of happiness. “I am so excited for you both!” she squealed for the hundredth time since they’d entered the harbor.
“I never would have guessed,” Perry said with a straight face before they all dissolved into laughter.
The lightness in Jax’s heart was foreign to her. It had been a long time since she’d had any real reason to truly celebrate, and now, with her beloved on her arm and her friends all around her, she wished this moment could last forever.
“It’s going to be quite a wild tale to tell my father, for sure.” Carriena sighed, a little warily, waving to the distant figure of Duke DeLacqua, waiting for her and her party up near the harbor’s landing. “If I knew you’d cause such trouble aboard, I never would have invited you,” she teased, tossing a playful look at Jax.
Looking first at Uma, Hendrie, George, and Perry, Jax couldn’t help but blush. “I guess we do tend to get ourselves into trouble.”
Pulling her close under his arm, Perry kissed the top of her forehead. “And we’ll always pull ourselves out of it. Together.”
Jax gave him a secret smile. “Together.”
THE END
Acknowledgements
Major thanks go out once again to Evan Grant for his review and comments, helping me stay true to the spirit of Jax and her friends.
I’d like to highlight the incredibly helpful work of Captain David Burr, who acted as my resident sailing expert, and although he was put off by my use of the words ‘hallway’ and ‘room,’ he was able to accept that this is a fantasy novel, so not all the sailing/boat elements are realistic within the world we know. His knowledge helped shape this adventure, and I thank him for his time.
Thank you to Tracy Lachowicz and Bettye Underwood for their copyedit and review.
Angelina Gennis, once again, mapped out the Realm of Virtues for my readers, this time putting her talents to use creating the Rose of the Sea schematic for the paperback edition.
I want to also thank Laura Burr for all the work she has done to help promote The Ducal Detective series throughout Mid-coast Maine.
A special thank you to Mihail Uvarov for the beautiful cover; cover design by www.Ecover.pro.
Dedications
To a grand generation:
Paige and Betsy
David and Fran
Stay connected to discover the Duchess’s next adventure.
Follow @DucalDetective on Twitter and @TheDucalDetective on Instagram to learn more about Sarah E. Burr and what’s next in the series!
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