Forrest wandered in next, looking calm and collected as always. Zach envied him. He was anything but at the moment.
What the hell was Mary’s game?Zach could honestly come up with no answer to that question.
“Now you’ve had a chance to sleep on it, do you still believe Madame Lucienne is Mary?” Forrest asked, sitting beside Zach.
“I do.”
“I wonder what she’s about, then?”
His family did not doubt him, which both humbled and relieved Zach.
“He wants to go there now and talk to her.” Gabe pointed the cup in his hand at Zach.
“Talk to whom?” Dimity said, arriving. Also immaculate in a cream muslin day dress, as always, she was stunning.
Gabe looked at Zach, who in turn looked at Forrest.
“Don’t tell me.” She raised a hand. “It’s a matter of national security, and the king will die if you speak on the matter.”
“That,” Gabe said, pointing his cup at her this time.
“Well, I just came to remind you we are to attend the fair today, and we leave in an hour. Ella is very excited.”
“Indeed she is.” Forrest yawned. “She woke with the sun, and the first words she said were ‘I want to wear my pink dress to the fair.’”
“Well then,” Gabe said. “To the fair we must go. There will be time enough after to work out what must be done.” He gave Zach a look that had him gnashing his teeth at the delay in dealing with Mary, and yet he knew it was the best course of action.
“Mary does not realize you are onto her, Zach, but Plunge will believe you are suspicious of him after last night,” Forrest said after Dimity had left.
“I still can’t quite grasp that the fool is likely not a fool,” Gabe said.
“He could still be. Just one that can fight,” Zach said.
“If he’s been hiding the fighting, chances are the rest of the facade is fake too. We just don’t know yet why,” Forrest said. “Could they in some way be involved in this entire thing?”
“I wondered that,” Gabe said.
“In Alexius or the investigation?” Zach asked.
“Both,” Forrest said.
“In what capacity? It’s a ridiculous notion,” Zach scoffed.
“It’s a ridiculous notion that Mary is masquerading as a French woman who is related to Plunge and frequents gambling hells and brothels too,” Gabe said.
“Christ, surely not?” Zach hissed. “How could she be involved?”
“That, I do not know,” Gabe added. “But her father is one of us.”
“For now, we go to the fair,” Forrest said. “But tonight, we will talk and plan. Plus, we need to speak with Geraint to discuss what we found in Leander Lane.”
“But not tell him about Mary and Plunge?” Zach said.
“Not yet. Not until we have facts,” Gabe said.
It went against everything inside him not to storm around to the Blake residence and demand Mary tell him what she was about, but he was no fool. Waiting and watching was the best course of action.
“If she is in some way involved in this investigation, it would explain why she can fight like she did,” Gabe said.
