Afterdinner,wefiledinto the main room. Rather than sitting, many individuals remained standing, as though they didn’t want to sit until Lady Catherine gave permission.
I pulled Lizzy to the side.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Lizzy said. “Make your aunt angry with you.”
“Yes, I did.” I forced myself to meet her gaze despite my stomach still in knots from the argument.
“Well, thanks.” She softened, the tension in her posture easing.
“I need to pull Rosalie’s mother aside to speak with her. I hate to ask you this, but do you think you can distract Rosalie for a moment? I doubt she’ll leave me alone.”
Lizzy swallowed. “Sure.”
She approached Rosalie, who shot us a perturbed glare. Lizzy carefully engaged her in a conversation, and the other woman’s expression softened. Lizzy had a way with words and wasn’t afraid to confront a hard situation.
I walked over to Mrs. Trent, who gazed around the room with her calculating, no-nonsense stare. No wonder she and my aunt got along so well. “Excuse me. I was wondering if we might speak in private?”
A clever smile crossed her face, as if this was exactly what she wanted. “Of course, you don’t mind, do you, dear?” she said to her husband.
“Not at all, I’ll just sit down over here if Lady Catherine will allow it.” He winked at me and wandered over to a large plush chair.
We opened the doors and stepped out onto the back porch, a long, glass-sided enclosure that revealed the dark evening sky. The panes were fogged at the edges, holding the warmth inside like a greenhouse meant for people rather than plants. Thick rugs softened the wooden floorboards, and a pair of overstuffed chairs sat angled toward each other as if they were mid-conversation. Potted herbs lined the walls, their leaves emitting a faint, comforting scent each time the warm air shifted.
I allowed a bit of magic to escape my fingers, releasing a subtle strand of warmth winding through the area until it seemed almost like a sun-filled winter dwelling.
Mrs. Trent faced me, her expression a mask of affability. But I knew better than that. Mrs. Trent had something that she wanted from me as much as I wanted information from her. “What can I do for you, Your Highness?”
“I spoke with John Rittle, and he mentioned you were the last person to speak to my parents before their death.”
“Is that what he said?” She settled into one of the chairs and crossed her legs.
I took a step toward her, remaining standing. “Are you aware of anything regarding my parents’ death?”
She rested her head on her hand and gazed at me, her eyes narrowed. “I doubt you want to know what I know.”
“I assure you, I do,” I said, though my heart pounded in my chest. Her words made it sound as if I wouldn’t like what I was about to hear.
She stared at me with a steady, calculating gaze. “Fine then, I’ll tell you.” She rose from her chair.
My heartbeat eased back into something normal, no longer thundering in my ears.
“If…you propose to Rosalie. Tonight.”
I blinked, my chest tightening in dread. “I’m sorry?”
“What I know… there’s a reason it has been kept a secret. And I can see you’re eager, so commit to marrying my daughter and propose to her tonight at this party, and I’ll tell you. Or at least show you.”
I ran a hand through my hair. This was ridiculous. Fae could lie, but if they ever made a promise, they had to honor that agreement. If I agreed to what she was asking, there would be no way out. However, learning of the fate of my parents and finding the link to Moonrot and how to heal it took precedence. Mr. Bennet’s life hung in the balance. Making Lizzy happy now was more important than my one-sided feelings. It wasn’t like Lizzy and I were together or had any chance of it. She was only working with me to solve the mystery.
Still, I spoke through gritted teeth. “Deal.”
“Please say it out loud to make it official.”
“I promise to propose to Rosalie Trent tonight at this party and to marry her, if she agrees, in return for you telling me what you know about my parents’ death.”
Mrs. Trent smiled in triumph. “Wonderful! Shall we get on with it?”
I stared at her, sickness churning in my gut. I walked back into the party. Lizzy was speaking with Rosalie, her eyes sparking with life as they always did. Her gaze turned to me, and I saw the curiosity there. She desired to learn what I’d discovered.
