Marguerite and Alanna shared an amused glance. “By all means. Enjoy your dance. We’ll find you after.”
Jade took Harrison’s offered hand, and he led her to the dance floor. An upbeat waltz rippled into existence, and Harrison pushed Jade around the floor with stiff, precise steps. Practiced and polished, but rigid. Nothing like how Nicolas danced, fluid and so close to Jade. The ghost of his presence washed over Jade, and she found her eyes roving over the crowd for him again. Still, nothing. She cleared her throat and returned her attention to Harrison, giving polite responses to his surface-level questions.
Since she’d had the fortune of meeting Marguerite and Alanna only moments before, Jade brought them up with Harrison hoping to get deeper information from him. But Harrison spoke of nothing other than his friendship with them. No mention of Grannam, Arabella, or the conflict at large.
When the music ended, Jade stepped back to applaud, fully prepared to escape Harrison and slip away to do something more productive. All night, she’d done nothing but get caught up in dances and get distracted by a mysterious man. She’d happened to catch the interaction between Arabella and Grannam, but it hadn’t told her anything.
Jade readied an excuse to give Harrison, but she didn’t need it. Marguerite and Alanna approached her on the dance floor and immediately dove into conversation.
“So sorry, Harry, but we’re stealing Lady Elena for a moment,” Marguerite said with a fully unapologetic smile. She wound an arm through Jade’s and led her away from the dance floor, Alanna on Jade’s other side. Tilting her head close to Jade’s ear, Marguerite whispered, “You looked like you needed rescuing.”
Did she?Blazes.If so, she was letting her facade slip. She needed these people to believe she was enraptured.
“Oh, I—”
“I think what Marguerite means is, we know what a bore Harrison can be.” Alanna met Jade’s eyes, and a flutter of anxiety twisted in Jade’s gut. She’d been in the woman’s suite only days ago. While Jade believed she’dbeen in and out without Alanna even noticing her, a sudden fear that Alanna would recognize her and see through her act sent a rush of cold through Jade’s veins.
Jade allowed the women to direct her to an area at the front of the room near the wall, opposite where she’d last seen Arabella and Grannam. A table of refreshments sat before them, and Marguerite made for a tray of fruit.
“Oh, no, I enjoyed his company. He’s a very respectable gentleman.” Jade stopped near the ladies and clasped her hands in front of her. “It was kind of him to ask me to dance twice.”
“He’s clearly taken with you.” Alanna accepted a strawberry from Marguerite as she spoke to Jade with a wry smile. “He rarely dances with anyone, let alonetwice.”
Jade dropped her eyes to the floor and bit her lip in shy flattery.
Marguerite grunted as she chewed, as if she had a sudden idea, swallowing quickly to speak again. “You must come back next week. My father is hosting a dinner party for the family, but it would be the most wonderful surprise for Harrison to have you there.”
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to tell you, Arabella has decided to attend,” Alanna said, a new gravity to her voice.
Jade’s ears perked, but she froze the look on her face to not give away her interest in the turn in conversation.
Marguerite frowned. “She has? Has she promised not to bicker with Father?” Her voice dropped to a murmur, but Jade was listening too closely to let the words slip by. “He’s grown tired of hearing about her stance on the execution law. He says it’s too controversial and tarnishes the lot of us. That we all have to be single-sided on the issue.”
“That I don’t know. She told me on the way here she would agree to your terms,” Alanna replied with a shrug. “I guess she changed her mind.”
Jade casually reached for a cube of cheese and chewed it as she thought. It sounded as if Arabella had something planned, and she was perhaps even playing Grannam. Or trying to, at least. It didn’t seem he was taking the bait.
With a huff, Marguerite rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. The ladies seemed to have forgotten all about Jade’s presence. “She must if she plans to come. I’m so tired of their snide remarks to each other. They can’t carry on a civil conversation anymore.”
But they had. Jade had seen it. At least, it had appeared civil. Perhaps it had to do with Arabella changing her mind about attending the upcoming dinner party. Her demeanor when speaking with Grannam had been cautious but cordial. So what had they spoken about? Had they come to some agreement?
Alanna caught sight of Jade from the corner of her eye and did a double take as if just remembering they weren’t alone. “But you’ll come to the dinner, won’t you? Or is it too far to travel from Ellyris?”
Jade smiled, a wide, genuine smile that reflected her satisfaction with the ground she had gained. “As a matter of fact, I’m staying with an aunt in Tourrine for a while. I would absolutely love to attend the dinner party.”
Marguerite squealed and bounced on the balls of her feet, clapping her hands together. “How wonderful! It will be so lovely for you to attend! Of course, you don’t have to spend the whole evening with Harrison. My sister, Sylvie, will be there, as well as our brother’s wife. They’re great fun. The men will separate from us after dinner to drink and smoke, but we’ll play card games and chat.”
Still beaming, Jade replied, “It sounds like a lovely time.” Legitimately granted access to Evenshold Palace was a prize. She would be expected there—welcomed. She’d had difficulty sneaking around the guards in the past. Grannam had plenty and kept them stationed around the clock, but Jade would have no need to keep to the shadows this time. With any luck, she’d be able to sneak away and search Lord Grannam’s home for something incriminating. She’d missed whatever move he’d made—or intended to make—and this dinner party gave her the perfect opportunity to have another chance at learning what he had planned.
“Perfect! We’ll get all the details to you.” Marguerite’s face shone with a smile. Jade’s initial impression of her was different from what she’d expected. She’d believed everyone in the royal family was more akin to Cecile, but Marguerite might prove her wrong.
“Does your aunt have a telephone at her home?” Alanna asked. From what Jade had seen, she was less like her sister and more like Marguerite. Or perhaps her personality molded to fit those around her.
Jade nodded in reply to Alanna’s question. In truth, she didn’t know if there was a telephone at the manor house headquarters like they had on base. She hadn’t seen one, and it was possible the renovated home didn’t have the capability yet, but she had no doubt Commander Matherson would have one installed to allow Jade communication with Marguerite and Alanna.
“Yes, but I’m afraid I don’t know the number. I’ll find out from my aunt when I return and can post it to you.”
“Oh yes, that’s perfect. I’ll ring you next week with everything you need to know.” Marguerite moved down the table of food to a plate of small, round cakes and took a bite of one. She moaned and shut her eyes. “I’ll never get enough of these cakes. They’re simplydivine.”
