“I tried to!The damned woman is more stubborn than… thanyou.I thought,” Apollo drawled while he could still draw air, “the least I could do was to take her somewhere safe.”
“And where is that?”Diana asked.
“Lady Guinevere’s Potions.”
Temple made it to the door in two huge strides.
He was now the princess’s problem.
“But what happened to her?”Diana asked.
Temple rotated mid step and returned.“Yes, what happened to her?You said you rescued her.From what?From where?”
Apollo swallowed.He must play the game carefully from here out.“The dungeons of the Alchemist Guild.”
“What?”Temple barked.“Who the hell put her there?”He yelled out the door, “I need my greatcoat!And hat!”
“Stone.”A lie probably would have been wiser.But Miss Grant would simply tell the truth and ruin it.“He wants her to work on some invention of his.”
“That makes no sense.”Diana shook her head.“He could simply ask her.”
“Why would he ask one of the disgraced Grants for anything?”Temple yelled again: “And my sword cane!And pistols!”
“What are you planning to do?”Diana asked.“Storm the Guild?”
Temple nodded.“You remain here.The both of you.I’ll return when the whole damn thing is razed to the ground.”
The room filled with servants bringing greatcoats, hats, innocent-looking walking sticks, and a brace of pistols.Temple began to don it all.
Diana released a weary sigh.“There will be no storming, no razing, no pistols.Sybil is safe, and we will go to her.On the way, we will discuss what is to be done about the Master of the Alchemist Guild.Apollo, you will come along to tell us what you know.”
Temple took several deep breaths, then handed the pistols back to the butler who looked like he doled out and accepted weaponry as often as he did tea trays and greatcoats.
“Very well,” Temple said.“We will speak with Sybil first.”He looped his arm through Diana’s and practically dragged her out front where a carriage was waiting.They trundled up into it, and Apollo followed, slipping into a dark corner across from them.
“You’ve an apprenticeship with Stone, yes?”Temple asked as the carriage rolled forward.
“Ye-es.”Time for caution.
“Use it to gather information.His whereabouts, this machine he wants help with, any other plans he might have to steal my sister.Or anyone else he plans to harm.I want to know everything.”
“An excellent idea.”Diana patted her husband on the arm.
“The two of you want me to spy?”Apollo asked.Good God, the irony!It would smother him.
Diana nodded.Temple scowled.
Apollo grinned.Temple and Diana had the queen’s ear, her trust.They possessed power.Easy enough to spy on Stone while he was spyingforStone.A double agent.For the moment.Until he understood which side of the feud was more profitable to be on.
“Sounds diverting,” Apollo said beneath a yawn.
Temple scowled out the window.“Perhaps we should go to the queen.Stone abducted my sister.Imprisoned her.”
“He’ll deny it,” Diana said.“And Victoria will not want to cause conflict between East and West, which will happen if she has him arrested.”
As the carriage rambled toward Finsbury Square, Temple and Diana planned, and Apollo closed his eyes.He must have fallen asleep because between one blink and the next, they’d arrived, and the carriage was shaking as Temple disembarked.He held a hand up to Diana, but she ignored it, focused on Apollo.
“Thank you,” she said, “for rescuing Sybil last night.And for the journals.I have benefited much from them.”
