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Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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bureau.”
Sarah appeared a bit excited about that piece of information. “If it wasn’t a servant, it must have been the agent Nigel was expecting. That would account for his not calling the guard on you, which I assume didn’t happen?” When Rebecca shook her head, Sarah nodded. “I need to know who he is. I don’t suppose he gave you his name?”
Rebecca didn’t hesitate even a second. “No,” she lied. She didn’t feel guilty about it either. Whether the name Rupert gave her was accurate or false, she wasn’t about to brand The Angel as “Nigel’s agent,” whatever that suggested, unless she knew for a fact that he was up to no good. He was related to the Duke ofNorford, after all! He couldn’t be up to anything nefarious or traitorous.
“A description of him will do just as well. What did he look like?”
An Angel, Rebecca thought, managing not to grin. She wasn’t sure why she was determined to protect Rupert St. John, if that was even his real name, but she was.
“I’d like to be helpful, Lady Sarah, but he was in complete disguise, dressed for the ball tonight. I’ve been watching for the exact costume he was wearing and I haven’t seen it yet. But that wouldn’t be conclusive since he wore a monk’s robe with a hood, and a full face mask. His hair was hidden under the hood, and his eyes were shadowed under the mask. He was even of average height. If he changed his costume, he could stand next to me and I wouldn’t know it. Or someone else could arrive wearing the same costume. Considering this is a night for hidden identities, it was a perfect time for him to come to the palace, I suppose.”
Sarah mumbled something under her breath, then said more loudly, “Total waste of time. If you had used your wits, you would have gotten that mask off of him so that you could recognize him if you saw him again.”
Incredulous, Rebecca replied, “I was lucky enough to get out of there with the excuse I used, so how could I have done that?”
“You could have used your wiles and got him to remove the mask to kiss you, that’s how. Or are you really so innocent that you don’t know how easy that would have been, a pretty girl like you?”
Rebecca didn’t respond immediately. She got caught up in the image of being kissed by him, which was quite easy toenvision since he’d held her so closely in his arms. It really was too bad she didn’t possess those wiles Sarah was talking about…
“Answer me!” Sarah snapped.
Rebecca pushed the image away, realizing just how angry Sarah had become. Over what? Rebecca’s lack of worldly wiles? She was supposed to be lacking in that regard!
She felt herself getting angry. Was this how Sarah got the other maids of honor to do her bidding? By browbeating them and making them feel like complete incompetents? With displays of anger to make them think they’d lose their post if they didn’t jump to do her bidding? If anyone should lose her post, it was Sarah Wheeler. Rebecca had a feeling the woman far overstepped her authority.
“I’m not so innocent that I don’t know that kissing perfect strangers is not one of my duties here at court, Lady Sarah. I was apprised of what this post entails, and playing the thief was not part of the description either. Perhaps we should take this matter up with the queen.”
Sarah’s face turned livid. “Are you daring to threaten me?”
“Threaten?” Rebecca feigned a wide-eyed look. “Surely you have Her Majesty’s approval to use the maids in this manner. So why would you see it as a threat? But perhaps I overreacted. I wouldn’t presume to bother the queen with anything this sordid. And I’m aware that the duchess wouldn’t understand me if I spoke to her. But…”
She didn’t really need to mention the names of powerful people such as the prime minister who were acquainted with her mother. Sarah had gotten the idea and was still enraged about it. But Rebecca had probably gone too far. The woman
Sarah appeared a bit excited about that piece of information. “If it wasn’t a servant, it must have been the agent Nigel was expecting. That would account for his not calling the guard on you, which I assume didn’t happen?” When Rebecca shook her head, Sarah nodded. “I need to know who he is. I don’t suppose he gave you his name?”
Rebecca didn’t hesitate even a second. “No,” she lied. She didn’t feel guilty about it either. Whether the name Rupert gave her was accurate or false, she wasn’t about to brand The Angel as “Nigel’s agent,” whatever that suggested, unless she knew for a fact that he was up to no good. He was related to the Duke ofNorford, after all! He couldn’t be up to anything nefarious or traitorous.
“A description of him will do just as well. What did he look like?”
An Angel, Rebecca thought, managing not to grin. She wasn’t sure why she was determined to protect Rupert St. John, if that was even his real name, but she was.
“I’d like to be helpful, Lady Sarah, but he was in complete disguise, dressed for the ball tonight. I’ve been watching for the exact costume he was wearing and I haven’t seen it yet. But that wouldn’t be conclusive since he wore a monk’s robe with a hood, and a full face mask. His hair was hidden under the hood, and his eyes were shadowed under the mask. He was even of average height. If he changed his costume, he could stand next to me and I wouldn’t know it. Or someone else could arrive wearing the same costume. Considering this is a night for hidden identities, it was a perfect time for him to come to the palace, I suppose.”
Sarah mumbled something under her breath, then said more loudly, “Total waste of time. If you had used your wits, you would have gotten that mask off of him so that you could recognize him if you saw him again.”
Incredulous, Rebecca replied, “I was lucky enough to get out of there with the excuse I used, so how could I have done that?”
“You could have used your wiles and got him to remove the mask to kiss you, that’s how. Or are you really so innocent that you don’t know how easy that would have been, a pretty girl like you?”
Rebecca didn’t respond immediately. She got caught up in the image of being kissed by him, which was quite easy toenvision since he’d held her so closely in his arms. It really was too bad she didn’t possess those wiles Sarah was talking about…
“Answer me!” Sarah snapped.
Rebecca pushed the image away, realizing just how angry Sarah had become. Over what? Rebecca’s lack of worldly wiles? She was supposed to be lacking in that regard!
She felt herself getting angry. Was this how Sarah got the other maids of honor to do her bidding? By browbeating them and making them feel like complete incompetents? With displays of anger to make them think they’d lose their post if they didn’t jump to do her bidding? If anyone should lose her post, it was Sarah Wheeler. Rebecca had a feeling the woman far overstepped her authority.
“I’m not so innocent that I don’t know that kissing perfect strangers is not one of my duties here at court, Lady Sarah. I was apprised of what this post entails, and playing the thief was not part of the description either. Perhaps we should take this matter up with the queen.”
Sarah’s face turned livid. “Are you daring to threaten me?”
“Threaten?” Rebecca feigned a wide-eyed look. “Surely you have Her Majesty’s approval to use the maids in this manner. So why would you see it as a threat? But perhaps I overreacted. I wouldn’t presume to bother the queen with anything this sordid. And I’m aware that the duchess wouldn’t understand me if I spoke to her. But…”
She didn’t really need to mention the names of powerful people such as the prime minister who were acquainted with her mother. Sarah had gotten the idea and was still enraged about it. But Rebecca had probably gone too far. The woman
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