“We’ll have to sit down sometime soon so you can tell us about your choices,” Annette said. “I’m anxious to hear what you think.”
He rubbed his fingers along the area above his ear and glanced down, uncomfortable. “Yeah, well, if I had my way, I’d never get married at all. At least you two were already in love. I’m on a sinking ship.”
“Oh, it can’t be all that bad,” Annette said, eyes sparkling, skin flushed from our outside activities. “We’ll pray you find the woman of a lifetime.”
“Hmmm. The woman of a lifetime. Does such a woman exist?”
“Absolutely,” I said, drawing Annette closer. “I may have the only one, but for your sake, I hope you discover another.”
Arthur laughed and slapped me on the back. “Yeah, yeah. Move along now. You might want to find a quiet space somewhere you can hide. The fun is definitely over.” He waved and walked back to the drawing room where the guests were still mingling.
“Guess I should take this off,” Annette said as she pulled out the pins and lifted the wreath from her head. “It’s proof of our guilt.”
“Good idea. Give it to me, and I’ll dispose of it.”
She plucked a miniature rose out of the wreath before handing it to me and then put it behind one ear. “This will be my souvenir.”
I chucked the wreath in a nearby wastebasket, knowing one of the staff would probably find it and make use of it somehow. Glancing back at Annette, my heart warmed at the expression on her face. It was pure joy. Pure happiness.
It felt so good to be living this adventure with her—this adventure called life—that I leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, longing for every day to be just like this one.
My cell phone rang, and I pulled back, groaning. I lifted it out of my pocket and glanced at the screen. It was Dr. Bisset. I definitely needed to take his call since it could be about Annette’s Aunt Sophie. “Hello. Dr. Bisset?”
“Is this Prince Edward?” It was a female voice.
“Yes, it is.”
“Of course. So sorry. I just wanted to make sure before I brought this to your attention.”
“Brought what to my attention? And who is this?”
“Sorry, I…I.” She stumbled over her words. “This is Nurse Elliot, and I’m a little nervous right now. I’ve never spoken to a prince before.” She sounded out of breath.
“Take your time, Nurse Elliot. We’re not in a hurry.”
“That’s the thing. We need you to come to the hospital right away. Dr. Bisset asked me to inform you that Sophie woke up from her coma just a few minutes ago. She’s stable and doing well.” She paused for a long moment. “But she keeps saying she needs to warn you about Georgina.”
I frowned. “Warn us in what way?”
“We’re not really sure. She just keeps repeating the words frantically. We’re concerned that it might have something to do with what happened at Dover Lookout.”
“Thank you. We’ll leave immediately.”
After I hung up, I ushered Annette to a private corridor and filled her in on the conversation.
The blood drained from her face, and her forehead creased with concern. “She wants to warn us about Georgina?”
“That’s what she said. We need to head over there now. Maybe we’ll finally get some answers about what happened that day.”
Annette’s eyes moistened. “I can’t believe Georgina would have anything to do with hurting Aunt Sophie or me. I don’t want to think that way about her.”
“It’s hard for me to believe as well. Georgina has always been jealous of you, but you two grew up together and had a relationship even if it was strained at times. You might not be related by blood, but you’re still sisters.”
“Edward, she and my father are the only other family I have besides my mother and Aunt Sophie. I don’t know if I can stand another betrayal.” Her bottom lip quivered while she stood up straight, trying to be strong.
I drew her into my arms and stroked the back of her hair, wanting to hold her in this embrace for a long time but knowing we needed to go soon. “I will never betray you, and that’s a promise.” Despite the past, I determined to follow through with my commitment to her, through thick and thin, whatever it took. I kissed the top of her head and pulled away, looking her in the eyes. “Go on upstairs and change into something more comfortable while I find Nigel and alert him to the situation. He may want to question Sophie at the hospital.”
Annette nodded and took off in the direction of the staircase, while I headed back to the drawing room to look for our chief of police. When I entered the room, Georgina was the first to catch my eye. Her brows were slightly pinched as if I had let her down in some way. A chill ran down my spine at the thought of her being involved in all of this.
“There you are,” Mother said, walking towards me deliberately, lips pressed together in a no-nonsense expression. “That was quite a performance you and Annette put on for all of us to watch. For goodness’ sake, Edward, couldn’t you have watched the festivities instead of trying to participate as if you were one of the crowd?”
I didn’t have time for this. I ignored her question and drew her aside, leaning in so no one else could hear what I was about to say. “Sophie woke up, and they’re asking us to come to the hospital immediately. I need to go.”
Her eyes widened. “Yes, of course. Where is Annette?”
“She’s upstairs changing. I need to find Nigel Walker to let him know. Georgina may be involved.”
The air rushed out of her lungs, and she draped a hand over her heart. “How positively horrible. She was watching you and Annette through the window the entire time.”
A sick feeling settled at the pit of my stomach. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“No, I wouldn’t think so. You should speak with Nigel right away. I’ll help you search for him.”
As we scanned the large group, Georgina made her way over. “Everything okay, Edward? You look concerned.”
I smiled grimly. “I’m fine.”
She put a hand on my arm and held it there. “You don’t seem fine. Did you and Annette have an argument? I don’t see her anywhere.” She appeared almost hopeful about the notion, and that irritated me. She drew closer and whispered, “Is there anything I can do to…help you?”
“No,” I said, drawing back. “Thank you, but I’m looking for someone. I’ll talk to you later.”
I moved away before she had the chance to reply and hold me up even longer. An anxious feeling swept through me at the anticipation of finding out more about what happened to Sophie and Annette. Whoever harmed them needed to pay. I hoped it wasn’t Georgina, but based upon what Nurse Elliot had said, it didn’t look good. I finally noticed Nigel talking to a man on the other side of the room and made my way to him.
“Excuse me, Mr. Walker. I’m sorry to interrupt, but this is very important. Can I have a word please?”
He glanced at me and immediately straightened. “Yes, of course. What would you like to speak with me about?”
I pulled him aside and filled him in on my conversation with Nurse Elliot. During the conversation, we both noticed Georgina watching us closely.
“Do you think she’s involved?” I asked.
“There’s only one way to find out. Call me from the hospital when you learn more. I’ll detain her for questioning if Sophie remembered something relevant.”
The air shifted as a tall, older woman I didn’t recognize walked through the crowd, her attention focused on us as if she’d been waiting for this moment all day. She squared her shoulders and stood with confidence. In a loud voice, she yelled, “The Duchess of Westbridge is about to die.”
The room grew deathly quiet, and everyone turned to look at her in horror.
“That’s right,” she said with a sly grin. “On this very day, she will be no more.”
Chapter 17
Annette
I was half-way up the staircase when I heard the clip-clo
p of heels on the marble floor, and they sounded urgent like someone was racing to catch up with me. Turning, I saw Beatriz at the bottom of the stairs, face flushed, appearing out of breath, her purse draped over one shoulder.
“Annette, wait.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked, noting the frazzled expression on her face.
“A woman made a threat against you. Edward asked me to help you down the secret passageway right away. We need to move fast to keep you safe.”
My eyes widened in alarm because I had heard a woman yell something and everyone had gone quiet, but I hadn’t been able to make out what she’d said. “What kind of threat? Where’s my security?” I glanced from side to side, expecting them to come racing around the corner any second.
“They’re dealing with the woman. She was screaming all kinds of things, and they’re sweeping the bottom floor for anyone else that might be working with her. That’s why Edward sent me. He doesn’t want you in the castle while this is going on. The team will meet us outside in a couple of minutes once they subdue her.”
I frowned. “Who is this woman?” She couldn’t be speaking of Georgina, could she? I didn’t want to voice my concern out loud in case Georgina had nothing to do with it.
“I’m not really sure. There was a lot of commotion, and there wasn’t time to catch a glimpse of her. All I know is Edward begged me to get you to safety.” She hurried up the stairs and took me by the arm. We climbed the rest of the way until we reached the top.
“We need to hurry,” she said, sounding almost frantic.
“I don’t understand why I can’t stay in my room and lock the door. Isn’t that the better option? Once we go outside…”
Beatriz shook her head violently. “Edward insisted this is what he wants. One of the staff might be involved and have access to your bedroom. He said you would be much safer in the room at the end of the secret passage. We’ll wait a couple of minutes and then go outside.” She paused and took a moment to look me in the eyes. “You need to trust me. I’m here to help.”
I hesitated, not liking this plan, but Edward had a better handle on what was going on. He must know something we didn’t. “Okay. Let’s go.”
We walked down several corridors until we reached the upper west-wing drawing room, and after passing it, entered the small study Edward had shown me not long ago. I glanced at Beatriz. “How do you know about this passageway?”
She smiled, a triumphant expression lighting up her face. “Edward and I used to hide in the room at the bottom when we didn’t want others to disturb us.” She said it slowly, deliberately, as if wanting me to catch her meaning.
A spark of jealousy shot through me so quickly I nearly stumbled back. Edward didn’t love Beatriz. He loved me. And this was definitely not the time to let jealousy get in the way of what needed to be done. I nodded in acknowledgment and found the painting of the woman holding the flowers.
“This is the one.” I lifted the frame and reached behind to pull the handle. The door opened and a musty smell wafted through the air, filling the surrounding space.
Beatriz pinched her nose and made a face. “I always hated that smell.”
“Yeah, it’s not exactly pleasant.”
“I only put up with it to have alone time with Edward.”
Okay, I would let that comment slide…this time. It was fine if she wanted to reminisce, as long as she didn’t go into detail. I could handle it, especially considering how patient Edward had been regarding my friendship with Leo. I shook my head to clear it. It wasn’t good to be distracted when there was a threat against my life. It was important to keep a steady head and focus on the task at hand, and that was to get out of here as soon as possible.
Remembering we needed something to light the way, I headed over to the desk, and, opening a drawer, pulled out one of the flashlights Edward kept for this purpose. When I returned to the doorway, Beatriz had a strange, unreadable expression on her face. It was almost…giddy…and reminded me of someone who was about to get everything she had always wanted. I nearly turned back to go to my room, but my feet remained rooted to the spot.
I swallowed, glancing at the dark staircase that wound so far down I couldn’t see the bottom without proper lighting and then I looked back at Beatriz. The slight smile on her face made me pause. It was a gut feeling, a sense that something wasn’t right. “I don’t know if I want to do this.”
She glanced at my feet and her eyes softened. “We should have stopped by your room to get you better shoes. Those heels will make it challenging, for sure, but we’ll go slowly. There’s no time to turn back now. I have on heels as well, so you’re in good company.”
I did not trust her. I did not trust her. I did not trust her.
Not one iota.
But I didn’t know why exactly. She was here, helping me, willing to go down this dark staircase in order to bring me to safety, and I should be more appreciative.
She nodded towards the entrance to the passageway. “You’re the one with the flashlight, so you should go first.”
“Right.” But I didn’t make a move. Something told me that if I did, she might try to push me down those stairs and I would be stranded in the dark. Or maybe my imagination was running wild after hearing about that threat, and I was just overreacting. It had been hard worrying about who was behind the incident with Aunt Sophie, not knowing who I could trust.
“I’ll go first if it makes you feel better,” she said, grabbing the flashlight out of my hand. She took the first two steps and then glanced at me over her shoulder. “Come on. We don’t have a lot of time.” She turned and carefully stepped down.
I let out a breath and squared my shoulders. “Okay, I’m coming.” At the last second, I took the flower behind my ear and dropped it at my feet…just in case someone was looking for me. Only Edward would know what it meant. I stepped into the passageway and closed the door. The staircase instantly darkened, and my pulse jumped at my throat.
“You okay?” Beatriz asked, her voice echoing off the walls.
“Yes, I’m fine.” A cold sensation wove its way down my spine as I held onto the side railing, taking several steps until I was right behind her.
“Be careful. Edward will kill me if there’s an accident.”
Shivers raced across my skin at her words. Just what I needed to hear. Was that supposed to be some kind of joke? “I’ll be careful.”
We were both quiet after that, taking the stairs one-by-one in a slow, methodical rhythm, and when we finally reached the bottom, Beatriz found the light switch for the room and turned it on.
I squinted, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but once they did, I gasped. “Leo, what are you doing here?”
He smiled and stood from where he’d been sitting on the couch. “Waiting for you.”
“In the dark?” I glanced at Beatriz. “What’s going on? Why is he here?”
“We didn’t want you to worry,” she said, “and we knew you would if you saw the light on.”
“True. I would have.”
“It’s time,” Leo said. “We can finally escape just like we planned before…” He trailed off. “Well, you know. Before you forgot.”
My mouth fell open at the realization of what this was. They’d ambushed me.
“I’m not going with you,” I said, feeling as if I were experiencing déjà vu. Like this same conversation had happened once before. It was so…familiar. I strained to remember, but the memory was just out of reach. “I love Edward. I recall loving him. The only recollection I have of you is the day I told you it was over.”
He took another step closer, holding his hands in the air as if trying to calm an irrational person. “You did want this, and eventually everything will come back and you’ll be happy you don’t have to deal with this family any longer. They’re stifling you. They never fully accepted you, and it’s doubtful they ever will because…because you don’t belong here.”
His statement knocked the wi
nd out of me because a part of it rang true. I didn’t have royal blood, and I wasn’t the woman Queen Anne would have chosen for her son. Beatriz was. And then all of a sudden, it made complete sense why Beatriz had gotten involved in this. She wanted Edward, and the easiest way to get him was to help Leo take me away.
“You planned this,” I said, glancing at Beatriz. “You want Edward for yourself.”
She smiled serenely as if it had already happened, and we were just ironing out the details. “You were never right for him, and we both know that. He’s so emotional and out of balance when he’s around you. I mean, look at how he went crazy earlier and started dancing like he was a local musician instead of a prince. You bring out the worst in him, Annette. That’s not the kind of marriage he needs while trying to run a country.”
I reared back as if she’d just slapped me. Was she correct? Was I holding Edward back? Tears sprung to my eyes, but I blinked them away. I refused to cry in front of these two and let them think they’d won. The only image I needed to project right now was strength. I had to toughen up if I wanted to get out of this.
And then something Edward said the day he’d taken me on the carriage ride came back to me. You steady me. You give me courage to go on. Beatriz was lying in order to break me down, to make me doubt Edward’s love so I would turn to Leo.
“Your opinion doesn’t matter,” I said, glancing at Beatriz. “Edward and I are married. It’s a done deal.”
Leo cleared his throat and inched closer. My heart rate accelerated as I realized he might try to grab me and physically overpower me. “If you would just be reasonable. You always loved me, Annette. You only married him because of the position, and you immediately regretted it. All you ever wanted was to leave this place. It was your idea.”
I flinched. “It’s not true. You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not.”
He was so calm, so matter-of-fact about it that doubt crept in. What if I had planned on leaving Edward? What if I truly had betrayed him? I swallowed, feeling sick to my stomach.
The Prince's Bewildered Bride (The Blushing Brides Book 5) Page 16
