I held his gaze. “When the Floralia barge departs,” he said, “we follow them to their destination.”
“And then?” he asked.
“We strike,” I said.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
A Shocking Revelation
The day after I was lectured by Cosmos, matters at Rosehaven House had almost returned to normal.
He was ensconced in his study, writing enthusiastically about the properties of some plant I had never heard of, though he assured anyone who would listen that it was a revolutionary discovery. The children were in their classroom; Chrissie was in the music room playing lighthearted airs on the pianoforte; and the servants were going about their duties, some of them humming along.
In later days, I would think of that morning as the calm before the storm.
Not that I was calm. I was anything but.
The night before, I had received a note from Steele.
R,
Have much to report. Too sensitive to write down. I have been barred from Rosehaven House. Please come to me when you can.
—S
He had been barred by Cosmos. The nerve of him.
It was a clever maneuver, I would grant him that. Cosmos had declared he would not stop me, so he had chosen to stop Steele instead.
My first thought had been to slip out after dark, once the square was quiet and the household asleep. But the image of Petunia waking in the night and coming to my room only to find it empty stopped me cold. I could not do that again. Not to her. Not to my family.
It would have to be done in full daylight.
Which was why, after breakfast, I returned to my bedchamber and asked Tilly to help me change into something suitable for calling.
She had nearly finished arranging my hair when a knock sounded at the door. One of the maids stood outside.
“Lady Claire has arrived, my lady.”
That was odd. She usually waited until teatime to make her appearances.
“She wants to see me?”
“Yes, my lady,” the maid said with a bob. “If you please.”
“Very well,” I said. “I will be down in a moment. Have her shown to the morning room.” We would be more private there than in the drawing room.
Fifteen minutes later, I joined Claire, who was pacing up and down the space. Her expression told me at once this was no social call. When she declined tea, my unease deepened.
“Is something wrong?” I asked. It could not be Cosmos. He was still shut away in his study.
“It’s about what you’re investigating with Steele. Cosmos shared some of it with me.”
I took a deep breath. “He shouldn’t have. He should have kept it private between us.”
“I’m not here to condemn your actions, Rosalynd. On the contrary. I think what you’re doing is admirable.”
