Wait, James, wait. I wasn’t done. “I moved them to the Aurora office and called Judge Galbraith. He’s a witness theywere found there. Said he would track down whoever got the files from his office.”
James blew out a steady breath and shallowly nodded. Turning his head, he whispered back, “Thank you for thinking so quickly on your feet. Stand behind my chair and listen.”
Oh? Was something going on?
I did as bid, moving behind his chair as if on standby for my prince. Then I paid attention to who was speaking and realized the issue.
Lord Nehemiah Chuffey held his beak of a nose high as he wrapped up his argument. “—therefore I highly recommend we reconsider our stance. Prince Royce has adamantly refused the throne and will not hear of even entertaining the idea. Princess Helena isn’t, well, trustworthy enough to sit on the throne. It’s best if Princess Helena and Prince James join hands in matrimony in order to secure the throne.”
I wasn’t a man prone to violence, but I was quite certain Lord Chuffey would benefit from a strong right hook to his jaw. Really? The man had given up trying to push Royce around—and good job, Royce, for standing up for yourself!—so he’d changed to this tactic?
No wonder James wanted me to listen.
Speaker Stanhope waved Lord Chuffey back to his seat and turned to James. “Prince James, do you wish to respond?”
“I do, in fact.” James stood and addressed everyone at large. “First, a question. Lord Chuffey, why is my sister not trustworthy? On what evidence do you base this?”
Lord Chuffey popped to his feet again, and you could see his delight from halfway across the room. “Well, I have been informed she takes judicial files willy-nilly, which everyone is aware she doesn’t have the authority to do.”
“How do you know this?”
“I have a source, shall we say.”
“I see. Your source told you she had judicial files. Where?”
“Her, um, study.”
I gave James a single tap on the shoulder, our silent signal foryes.
Which meant Lord Chuffey was our culprit. What a naughty boy you’ve been, Chuffey. You’re going to regret meddling with this in about three, two, one…
“My retainer just informed me that Judge Galbraith found his missing judicial files in Aurora’s old office,” James announced. “Not Princess Helena’s study.”
The room went deadly silent; not a single person even stirred for a full five seconds. I could see the ramifications hit people in a wave and then they stared at Chuffey with outrage. Lord Chuffey? Well, for a man still upright and breathing, he was turning quite corpse-like in color.
“Edwin, can you recount the situation?”
I looked to Speaker Stanhope first, got her go-ahead nod, then stepped forward to address the full body of lords and ladies. “In fact, a palace maid cleaning the Aurora office spotted the files. She knew they should not be there, so she came directly to me to report the matter.”
Viscountess Lisney immediately popped up. “Sir, why would she report to you? Why not the head of palace security?”
“Everyone on the palace staff is aware Prince James was in charge of shutting Aurora down,” I explained patiently. “She wasn’t sure if those files should be there or not, but she felt it best to take the question to his office, since we’re overseeing matters.”
Satisfied, she nodded and resumed her seat.
“I was alarmed, of course, upon hearing this. I immediately went to the Aurora office with her and sent a runner to inform Judge Galbraith. The files, needless to say, should not have been there. Judge Galbraith is much aggrieved to find them leftcarelessly on a desk in an empty office and has sworn to get to the bottom of it. Although I suppose it’s clear enough who was behind the theft.”
All eyes turned again to Lord Chuffey. He seemed quite content to melt into a puddle on the floor, eyeing the doors as if gauging whether he could run for it or not.
He could not. James would tackle him if he even tried.
Was it wrong I wanted him to try?
The doors banged open and Knight Commander Harland burst through. He was a tall, hatchet-faced man with an imposing figure even on the best of days. Right now, he was outraged, which lent him an even more intimidating aura. He stormed right up to the dais, giving a truncated bow. “Your Highness. I must report something to you immediately.”
“Please speak,” James encouraged him.
“Your Highness, I believe someone broke into Princess Helena’s study. Her maid reported that things had been shifted about, the door left ajar, which your people brought to my attention. I am incensed, Your Highness. I demand the right to investigate and strengthen the protections around Her Highness’s rooms.”
