Chapter Four
Scarlett sat on the window seat of her bedroom when she heard the clamoring of hooves on the cobblestones of the bridge. She looked out the window and saw a trio of riders approaching the castle, lined up single file on the bridge. When they rode up into the drive, Scarlett recognized Ronald and Ragan, the men who had delivered the letter from Everett to her. The third man she did not recognize, but she was relatively certain that the blond-haired man riding with them was indeed their employer.
Why he rode on a horse and not in a carriage was a passing thought for her.
She watched Bard come out with three stable boys to meet the gentlemen. Bard shook Ronald and Ragan’s hands and then when introduced to Everett, he bowed slightly, surprise coming to his face when Everett reached out and shook his hand.
A prince shaking the hand of a servant was very odd and very rare.
Everett Dormhnall was Prince of Dewberdeen, a small island next to Malachite Expanse that had been there for hundreds of years. Dewberdeen was ruled as an independent country from the islands by King Ethan Dormhnall. He had signed a peace treaty with Scarlett’s grandfather when he had become King of Dewberdeen. Each time a king was crowned in Dewberdeen, they signed a treaty with the ruler of Ciomodors Garden and they each ruled their islands in peace.
It was rumored that Ethan had a daughter as well, but people didn’t know her name or what she looked like. According to Art, Ethan was married and did have a daughter as well as Everett.
The men disappeared into the castle and Scarlett sat at her vanity, checking on her hair to keep her busy while she waited for someone to get her.
She knew that she was going to be requested since it was she who asked for the meeting in the first place. She wondered if he was here to speak directly to her, or to her and Alastair. She looked in the mirror but instead of seeing her reflection, she saw Alastair’s face.
The last few days had passed without any more physical contact between them. Scarlett would never admit to this but she really wanted more. That kiss had awakened something in her and she wasn’t sure what it was.
Scarlett thought she might have scared him off with their last argument but when he thought she wasn’t looking, his eyes would heat and he would stare at her.
There were times when she would exaggerate her movements and Scarlett would inwardly chuckle as he was visible affected by it. Just knowing he was watching her made her very warm inside.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
She stood and straightened her dress, walking over to the door and pulling it open. Her surprise showed on her face as she looked directly into Alastair’s eyes.
“Your Grace, I didn’t expect to see you. What can I do for you?” she said, curtsying small.
He returned her curtsy with a bow and said as he straightened, “You have a visitor. Prince Everett Dormhnall is here to see you. Bard was busy taking care of an errand of his and Melody is off today so I came and got you myself.”
She looked at him, still a little bit surprised to see him at her door.
“Do you need a moment?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’m ready,” she said, stepping out of the bedroom and shutting the door behind her.
Once she was in the hallway, she realized that it became very crowded in the space next to her door, as Alastair had not moved. Her breasts were almost touching his chest, and that thought made her heart race. Her breathing became rapid and erratic and she wondered if he was feeling the same.
She stepped up to him and put her hands on his chest, making him groan.
Scarlett got the answer to her question when she felt Alastair’s heart racing beneath her hands. She looked up into his beautiful green eyes and she sighed, stepping closer and pressing her body to his. Alastair stood still as Scarlett put her hands on his chest and stepped close to him, pressing her breasts against his chest.
He growled low as she stared at him with her amber eyes, the desire she felt made her eyes darken. He pulled her fully into his arms and slipped his hands down her body, tracing the curves of her body with his palms. He pressed her back fully against the door with his body and leaned down, sealing her gasp behind her lips with his.
She stood there for a moment, letting him kiss her and then came to life.
She returned his kiss with equal fervor and grabbed handfuls of his shirt, clenching the fabric tightly between her fingers.
He slipped his hands around her waist, arching her back and pressing her breasts even more firmly against him, the heat from the contact making him wish there were no clothes between them. The feel of her large soft breasts made him groan into her mouth, the sound making her jump.
She pulled back from his mouth and banged her head on the door, making Alastair laugh.
Scarlett looked at him with a scowl on her face and he said, “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be laughing, but it was an accident.”
She didn’t stop scowling, but it did soften a bit.
He cleared his throat and took a step back, his hands slipping away from her waist, leaving her feeling like she had lost a protective blanket that surrounded her.
He held out his arm to her and asked, “Can I escort you to the parlor?”
She stared at him for a moment, trying to decide if it was safe or not. Making up her mind she said, “That would be fine.”
She slipped her arm through his and headed down the stairs with him.
They arrived downstairs five minutes later and Scarlett was able to get her first good look at Everett Dormhnall. He was tall and blond with gray eyes, his body lean but muscular from what she could see through his tight shirt. He wore no jacket, only a shirt, trousers and a worn pair of brown boots.
She could sense from him that he was a man who had seen many things and that some of those things had not been good. She wondered where he had been but then her mind told her she might not want to hear where he had been in his life. Scarlett resolved to herself to try and ask only relevant questions that had to do with the queen. She was not one to pry.
Scarlett and Alastair walked into the parlor and Everett and his companions turned fully to face the door. She said hello to Ronald and Ragan before turning to face her guest.
“Your Highness,” he said, bowing low.
“Prince Everett, thank you so much for coming to meet with me,” she replied, letting go of Alastair’s arm and walked over to Everett with her hand out to shake his.
He nodded and reached out to shake her hand.
“If the queen asks you to come meet with her, you make time and come to see her,” he said, motioning for her to sit.
Scarlett sat down on the couch. “Call me Scarlett please.”
Everett nodded.
“So, do you have any more information in regard to my cousin’s abduction?” she asked, looking Everett directly in the eye.
Everett shook his head and said, “I do not but I have a solid lead. I know it is difficult to hear that I have no information, but right now I am not able to give you any. I am asking you for patience though so that I can keep looking. There is information out there, it just has yet to be uncovered.”
Scarlett’s face displayed the frustration she felt and it filled her stomach, making her feel ill.
“I have faith that you will not let me down,” she said, resting her hands in her lap.
He looked doubtful that she told the truth and she realized that Everett could read people very well.
“I will try to keep you informed. I have a contact who said he needed to speak to me about the queen and her abduction. He said he had information that could lead to where she was being held.”
“Do you trust this person?” she asked.
He nodded.
“He has come through for me many times before. I have faith he will have valuable information for me,” he said with a smile.
Scarlett sincerely hoped he was right about him.
“Is there any information you might have that could help me? Any notes or suspicious activity around the castle?” Everett asked.
Scarlett shook her head and said, “I haven’t noticed anything around here and the only notes we have received have been from you.”
She looked at Alastair for the first time since they had come into the room.
“Have you noticed anything suspicious?” she asked.
Alastair stared at her for a moment before answering her question.
“I have not. I admit though that I have had my attention elsewhere as of late and not on my household. I would ask my butler Bard.”
At his look, Scarlett blushed slightly, her complexion pinking slightly.
Everett pretended not to notice what was going on between them and continued on.
“I’ll speak with him in a little while. If he is as observant as you think, he should be able to give me some insight.”
Scarlett and Alastair both laughed at that, breaking the spell of their eye contact.
“Bard is a busybody who loves the gossip and has an affinity for it,” Alastair explained.
Everett’s curious look faded into one of understanding.
“That will be good then. He should be able to give me all the information on the staff. Have you retained anyone new since Scarlett arrived?” he asked.
“I am not sure. I haven’t heard anything,” Scarlett said.
Alastair nodded, knowing that there had been a few new hires.
“We have hired at least two new maids and one footman since Scarlett arrived. Finding out whether or not they are involved would be comforting. I would like to know if there is a traitor in our midst,” he said.
“I will find out who they are and see if there is any connection to the abduction. If there is, we need to find out who it is and what they are up to,” Everett said, looking at them.
He stood and reached out to shake their hands.
“If you would excuse me, I would like to go speak to Bard now. I want to get acquainted with the household as soon as possible. I have to meet my contact in three days and I still have another stop to make.”
Everyone else stood and Alastair reached out to shake Everett’s offered hand.
Scarlett curtsied and Everett bowed low and watched as she walked out the door and headed up the stairs. Everett motioned for Alastair to stay in the room for a moment.
“I looked into your request and Art had nothing to do with Catriona’s abduction. He might be cold and heartless, but he’s not the one who set up the kidnapping.”
“Thank you. That sets my mind at ease,” Alastair said.
“It was nothing. He was my first suspect so when I received your letter, I just went ahead and looked into him. I understood your fears,” Everett replied.
“I just want to make sure that Scarlett is safe and not putting her trust in someone it shouldn’t be.”
“Don’t worry. The only things Art is guilty of are being greedy, self-absorbed, and emotionally unavailable.”
Alastair shook his head and sighed.
“Where can I find Bard right now?” Everett asked.
“He would be in the kitchen right now getting lunch ready. I’ll show you the way,” Alastair said, heading out of the parlor and down to the kitchen.
An hour later, Everett had all the information he needed from Bard and he was ready to put it to good use. He found out that two new maids had been hired a week before the abduction and one new footman had been hired afterwards.
He had already spoken to the maids and he could tell they had nothing to do with the abduction, but now he had to speak to the footman. He’d asked Bard where he could find the footman right now and Bard told him he should be cleaning the upstairs guest rooms in the left wing of the castle.
So, Everett went searching upstairs for the man. Five minutes after beginning his search, he walked down a hallway and watched as one of the maids walked out of a nearby bedroom.
There was a satisfied smile on her face and she had hair falling out of her simple bun. When she saw him, she went as white as a sheet, panic in her eyes. Everett immediately smiled, turning on his charm he used when he needed information from a lovely young woman. It was a trick, but one he used to perfection.
He flashed back to a redhead that he had been unable to woo with his fake charm, but the redhead had been charmed by his real self. He sighed and inwardly brushed the thought away. She was not here and he was not sure what he was going to do if he had to see her again, and he was sure he would.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” he said, sauntering up to her, his walk slow and sensual, reducing her feeling of being threatened and the possibility of her running away without talking to him first “What is your name?” he asked, his voice a soft rumble.
The maid blushed and giggled when she replied, “My name is Liza, My Lord.”
He reached out and slipped a stray lock of her hair back behind her ear and Everett felt her lean in towards him.
“Well, my dear Liza, I am looking for a footman named Edward Holmes. Have you seen him?” Her blush deepened and Everett chuckled. “He is a lucky man, Miss Liza. Is he still in there?” She nodded. “Thank you very much, my dear. Don’t worry; your love will not be disclosed to anyone. I am very good at keeping secrets.”
Liza curtsied and said, “Thank you, My Lord.”
Everett winked at her and she rushed off, her giggles echoing behind her. Everett waited until she was fully out of sight before entering the bedroom she had just left. The man inside looked up from the fireplace he was emptying and looked surprised to see him.
“Sir, this is the guest wing. Are you lost?” he asked, standing quickly and adjusting his mussed clothes. The man looked no older than Everett, who was himself only thirty years of age. He had dark hair and dark eyes, those eyes raising suspicions in Everett’s mind.
“I’m actually not lost. I am here to ask you a few questions, Mr. Holmes. Would you do me the honor?” he asked, motioning for Mr. Holmes to sit. He did as he asked and sat down in a chair next to the cold fireplace.
Everett could tell he was nervous, but not as nervous as one usually was when they were going to be questioned, which immediately put Everett on his guard.
“Lord Alastair has a few questions he has had me ask the staff and you are unfortunately the last one I could find. No doubt because of your romantic interlude.”
Edward opened his mouth to speak and Everett raised his hand to silence him.
“Not to worry. I have already informed the lovely Miss Liza that your secret is safe with me.”
Edward visibly relaxed.
“I do want to know if you have seen anything suspicious since you have arrived here. I know that you have only been an employee here for about seven days, but new employees tend to see things that the older ones miss.”
Edward shook his head. “I haven’t seen much of anything around here since I arrived. I have worked down in the kitchens with Liza or upstairs in this wing, but I haven’t been anywhere else but the servants’ quarters.”
Everett watched him carefully to see if anything seemed untrue.
He felt something was off but wasn’t sure if he could continue without causing an issue.
“Thank you for taking the time to speak with me,” he said, standing up.
He went to leave and noticed a painting on the wall and pointed to it.
“They have some lovely art.”
Edward nodded. “They do. They have a particularly lovely Mizet in their collection.”
Everett smiled and thanked him and walked out, noticing the small look of panic that came to Edward’s face when he realized what he had said.
Everett stayed calm and walked out the door, heading downstairs to ask Alastair about that painting. He had not seen it in any of the rooms he had been in since he had arrived there and that made him question the validity of Edward’s claim. Ten minutes later, he arrived back downstairs and knocked on the door of the study where he was told Alastair was.
“Enter!” Alastair called out.
Everett entered the study and Alastair stood at the large wooden desk, watching as Everett walked in.
“Come sit down,” Alastair said, motioning for Everett to sit. “Did you find anything useful?” he asked.
Everett nodded and said, “You have a very nosy butler, many lovely maids, and a great Mizet painting.” He leaned forward in his seat and asked, “Where is that painting, if I may ask?”
Alastair looked at him with a smile. “It is kept upstairs in my sitting room off of my bedroom.” His eyes turned dark and his smile faded. “Why do you ask about the painting?”
“I would like to see where you keep it. May I?” Everett asked.
Confused, Alastair nodded and stood up, heading out the door and up to his room as Everett followed. They arrived in the sitting room a couple of minutes later and Alastair showed him the Mizet.
“This is the Mizet,” he said, pointing at the wall.
Everett looked at the painting for a brief moment and finding nothing amiss with the artwork, although he was not an expert, he turned to look around the room he stood in.
He carefully scanned the room, taking in every book, piece of furniture, and every paper in the room.
“Does anyone else use this room but you?” he asked.
“I am the only one. I occasionally have Bard up here to help me with a household problem but he is the only one that ever comes in here,” Alastair said, looking around.
“Is there anything out of place in here? Something that doesn’t belong?” Everett asked Alastair, noting how neat the room was.
If there was something out of place, Alastair should notice.
Alastair slowly looked around, taking the time to actually look at the room and its contents. When he noticed that there was a book out of place on the shelf, he walked over and pulled it out, taking the book off the shelf and opening it to the page marked with a piece of paper.
“This is a reference book for medicines. I know I have not been looking anything up as of late.” He opened the paper and read the contents and looked at Everett, showing him the paper. “This paper has information about a medicine called Tapoxon. It is a medicine we haven’t used in many years due to adverse side effects. It was only out for a short time before they removed it from use. It does more harm than good. This paper has the side effects on it and the name of the medicine. What do you think it would be used for?” Alastair asked him.
“If the side effects are as bad as you say, whoever wrote this piece of paper must have ulterior motives for its use,” Everett said, looking at the paper and then back at the book page.
“Do you think they will come back for it?”
Everett shook his head. “I couldn’t be sure if they will or not. Copy the contents and then put the book and the paper back. In a couple of days, check to see if it has disappeared or not. You will be able to tell if something is going on or not.”
Alastair nodded, took the paper from Everett, and put it back in the book. He looked at it one last time before putting it back on the shelf it came from. Heading to the small desk in the room, he pulled out some writing materials and copied down the contents of the paper twice, coming back to Everett and handing him one.
“This is for you. That way you have a copy as well.”
He took the offered paper and took one more look around before saying, “I have a feeling your footman Edward Holmes has something to do with the abduction, but I don’t have anything definitive on him as of yet. I would keep an eye on him though.”
He looked out the window and noticing where the sun was, told Alastair he needed to get going.
“If anything happens, be sure to let me know as soon as possible. I am leaving Ragan here so that he can take any correspondence to me if need be. That way you can guarantee its safe arrival.”
“Wonderful,” Alastair said, heading towards to the door of the sitting room, “It will give Ragan time to get to know Melody.”
Everett laughed, breaking the dark spell of the moment.
“That is who has been on his mind, eh? I am glad then that he will enjoy his time here.”
They both laughed as they headed down the stairs.