out there!" she muttered to herself as she made for the front hall.
Rustling skirts behind Collis and
Dalton
indicated Rose had returned.
Dalton
held out his hand. "This file contains the basic amount of information we might be able to obtain on any subject. Many Liars have accomplished their missions armed with less."
Rose stepped forward to hand a leather-clad dossier to
Dalton
. Collis intercepted the file with a smooth motion. His uncle raised a brow but let it pass.
"The target's household has been informed of the mission, but not of your identities. All they know is that they are to go about their business as if they had nothing to hide, but to do all possible to keep anyone from finding the object."
"The targets are?"
"A family long friendly to the Liars. That is all you need to know."
Need to know
. Collis really hated that expression. "And the object of this assignment is?"
Dalton
smiled. "Something that would entirely expose them as traitors, of course. Your mission is to learn what that might be, how it can convict them, and where it is concealed." He nodded to the dossier in Collis's hand. "All other information is right there."
The file felt altogether light to Collis. Wasn't that just like the Liars? "Sending us out with two clues and a handshake? Is that handicap quite fair, do you think?"
Simon stepped forward. "Be off and don't come back to the club until you've gained your objective. Get in, get the evidence, and get out—
together
."
Collis swallowed hard, turned to Rose and shot her a rueful grin. "Looks like we have a mission to plan."
Simon cleared his throat. "Aren't you two forgetting something?"
Rose sighed. "Yes, sir. We have some cleaning to do back at the Academy."
Collis snorted. "Apple polisher," he muttered to Rose.
He felt her heel come down on his instep, and he grinned. Then she grabbed his hand and tugged him into the hallway. "Say goodbye to the nice spymasters," she hissed at him.
Collis blinked, then sent a casual wave back to the two men in the parlor. "Goodbye, Simon. See you at dinner,
Dalton
?"
Dalton
shook his head in amused resignation. "See you at dinner, Collis."
With Collis in tow, Rose kept going until they were at the door and out of sight of Sir Simon and Lord Etheridge. Then she plunked both fists on her hips. "Are you trying to get us thrown out of the Liars?"
"Ease those reins, Briar Rose. It's only
Dalton
and Simon, after all."
Rose took her shawl from the Sergeant with a
thank you
. Collis took his hat and gloves with a grin and a punch in the arm for the dapper military man, who sighed deeply at such irreverence. Rose couldn't agree more. She tilted her head. "I despair," she murmured to the Sergeant, who was no taller than she.
"Yes, miss," he replied. "I fear it is contagious."
From his great height, Collis apparently caught on that he was being disparaged. "Ho there!"
"Never mind, Collis," Rose said. "Now, what to do first…"
"Plan," Collis said decisively.
Rose folded her arms. "Clean."
Collis matched her stance. "
Plan
," he said more firmly.
Rose narrowed her eyes. "I get the feeling that this is going to be a very long mission."
Behind them, in the doorway of the parlor, Simon and
Dalton
watched the two best students they had come to a stand-off before they'd even begun. Simon covered his face with his hands.
Dalton
leaned one broad shoulder on the doorjamb and heaved a great sigh of resignation.
"Do you believe they'll ever be able to work together?" Simon asked.
Dalton
watched the argument before him with a frown. "Not a chance in hell."
Chapter Six
« ^ »
Rose managed to keep her seething temper contained all the way back to the school. Collis had stood his ground like a bloomin' mule, insisting that they plan the mission until Rose had simply turned and left him behind. Once she was back at the
Liar
Academy
, the younger students watched her with guarded curiosity.
The cellar was a stew of char, musty straw, and water.
Rustling skirts behind Collis and
Dalton
indicated Rose had returned.
Dalton
held out his hand. "This file contains the basic amount of information we might be able to obtain on any subject. Many Liars have accomplished their missions armed with less."
Rose stepped forward to hand a leather-clad dossier to
Dalton
. Collis intercepted the file with a smooth motion. His uncle raised a brow but let it pass.
"The target's household has been informed of the mission, but not of your identities. All they know is that they are to go about their business as if they had nothing to hide, but to do all possible to keep anyone from finding the object."
"The targets are?"
"A family long friendly to the Liars. That is all you need to know."
Need to know
. Collis really hated that expression. "And the object of this assignment is?"
Dalton
smiled. "Something that would entirely expose them as traitors, of course. Your mission is to learn what that might be, how it can convict them, and where it is concealed." He nodded to the dossier in Collis's hand. "All other information is right there."
The file felt altogether light to Collis. Wasn't that just like the Liars? "Sending us out with two clues and a handshake? Is that handicap quite fair, do you think?"
Simon stepped forward. "Be off and don't come back to the club until you've gained your objective. Get in, get the evidence, and get out—
together
."
Collis swallowed hard, turned to Rose and shot her a rueful grin. "Looks like we have a mission to plan."
Simon cleared his throat. "Aren't you two forgetting something?"
Rose sighed. "Yes, sir. We have some cleaning to do back at the Academy."
Collis snorted. "Apple polisher," he muttered to Rose.
He felt her heel come down on his instep, and he grinned. Then she grabbed his hand and tugged him into the hallway. "Say goodbye to the nice spymasters," she hissed at him.
Collis blinked, then sent a casual wave back to the two men in the parlor. "Goodbye, Simon. See you at dinner,
Dalton
?"
Dalton
shook his head in amused resignation. "See you at dinner, Collis."
With Collis in tow, Rose kept going until they were at the door and out of sight of Sir Simon and Lord Etheridge. Then she plunked both fists on her hips. "Are you trying to get us thrown out of the Liars?"
"Ease those reins, Briar Rose. It's only
Dalton
and Simon, after all."
Rose took her shawl from the Sergeant with a
thank you
. Collis took his hat and gloves with a grin and a punch in the arm for the dapper military man, who sighed deeply at such irreverence. Rose couldn't agree more. She tilted her head. "I despair," she murmured to the Sergeant, who was no taller than she.
"Yes, miss," he replied. "I fear it is contagious."
From his great height, Collis apparently caught on that he was being disparaged. "Ho there!"
"Never mind, Collis," Rose said. "Now, what to do first…"
"Plan," Collis said decisively.
Rose folded her arms. "Clean."
Collis matched her stance. "
Plan
," he said more firmly.
Rose narrowed her eyes. "I get the feeling that this is going to be a very long mission."
Behind them, in the doorway of the parlor, Simon and
Dalton
watched the two best students they had come to a stand-off before they'd even begun. Simon covered his face with his hands.
Dalton
leaned one broad shoulder on the doorjamb and heaved a great sigh of resignation.
"Do you believe they'll ever be able to work together?" Simon asked.
Dalton
watched the argument before him with a frown. "Not a chance in hell."
Chapter Six
« ^ »
Rose managed to keep her seething temper contained all the way back to the school. Collis had stood his ground like a bloomin' mule, insisting that they plan the mission until Rose had simply turned and left him behind. Once she was back at the
Liar
Academy
, the younger students watched her with guarded curiosity.
The cellar was a stew of char, musty straw, and water.
Similar Books
