Eleanor held his gaze, the question unspoken but clear.
James’s jaw tightened.
Then he nodded once.
Relief hit Eleanor so sharply her breath caught.
Arabella noticed at once, her eyes flicking between them. “What was that?”
Eleanor’s voice steadied. “He has agreed to include me.”
Arabella blinked. “Include you in what?”
“In catching her,” Eleanor said. “In ending this.”
Arabella’s brows lifted, then her expression sharpened. “Good. Because if you tried to exclude her after what happened, I would have struck you myself.”
James’s mouth tightened. “I am not delighted by the arrangement.”
Eleanor lifted a brow. “No?”
James’s gaze held hers. “You will follow my plan.”
Eleanor’s shoulders squared instinctively. “You do not get to command me.”
“I do not intend to command you,” James replied, voice low. “But you will listen.”
Eleanor’s throat tightened. “And if your plan demands I be silent and obedient?”
James’s eyes narrowed. “It will demand you stay alive.”
The words were blunt. Not romantic. Not gentle.
But they hit her with more force than tenderness would have.
Eleanor took a slow breath. “Then speak carefully. Because I will not be treated like a delicate ornament.”
James’s expression flickered, something like reluctant admiration. “You are not.”
Arabella’s voice cut in, dry. “If you two are finished negotiating, I should like to know what happens next.”
Eleanor turned to her sister at once. “We find the man who did this and we make certain he cannot return.”
Arabella’s eyes narrowed. “And Lady Whitcombe?”
Eleanor’s mouth tightened. “Her as well.”
James stepped closer, his voice controlled. “Lady Whitcombe is not acting alone.”
Arabella’s gaze sharpened. “You mean she has allies.”
“Yes,” James said. “Or an employee. Someone paid to open doors that should remain locked.”
Eleanor’s stomach turned. “Someone inside Blackmere.”
James nodded. “There is no other way.”
Arabella’s face went pale with anger. “A servant?”
