“Why?” Cam was careful not to say too much with Ria listening so closely.
“I finally remembered where I’ve seen her. The blue streaks in her hair don’t hide the mischievous look in her eyes, Cam. Alexandria Latham Borne isnotcurrently aboardRoyal Caldera Forte.”
“I see. Yes. You’re right, of course.” Cam’s eyes closed. He didn’t want to look as panicked as he felt with Ria staring at him. “Who else knows this…information?”
Axel made a huffing noise. “No one. I wouldn’t tattle on you, Bro. It’s not my style to rat out folks, especially not my brother. At least until I’ve heard his side of the story. And I’m certain it’s a good one. Are you on your way?”
Cam didn’t want to give up a single second with Ria. “Actually, I’d planned to come back day after tomorrow. You know, once the ship returns and docks.”
“Sorry, Bro.” Axel did sound like he hated to say it. “But you need to come in right now. It’s an emergency.”
“Tell me.”
“An Alpha woman was brought below stairs with an acute illness an hour ago. Her presence is unexpected.”
“Who is it?”
“She was too sick to speak when she arrived, but her aunt and two cousins who accompanied her said her name is Prudence.”
Prudence. Where have I heard that name before?
“Prudence?”
Ria looked at him with a question in her eyes. She clearly recognized the name.
Axel lowered his voice. “You remember, Cam. Prudence, the lady’s maid who supposedly fetched Alexandria Latham Borne from wherever she’d escaped to on Earth before the ship departed on its ten-day trip, eight days ago.
“But now I know that both Alexandria and Prudence are still on Earth. So it begs the question, who in the hellish and holy space potato storm of the century is sailing around in luxury on theRoyal Caldera Fortepretending to be the two of them?” The final few words of his question were only slightly lower in tone than the level of screaming, angry baby.
Cam opened his eyes “I’ll be right there.”
“And?”
“And I’ll bring Ria along with me, of course. Do not tell anyone anything until I get there.”
“As if. You’d better hurry it up, Cam. One of the possible illnesses Gage’s med techs brought up is crust-fish fever.”
Space potato storm.“Is it…that?” Cam asked. That would be bad. Really bad. Worst-case scenario bad.
“I don’t know. No one seems to. They’ve narrowed it to that and a couple of other things. However, they are prepared to give her the first round of medicine if the green facial spots appear. But maybe it’s something simple and she’ll be on the mend soon. However, this will all be out of my control once she wakes up and is properly identified.”
“Axel.”
“What?”
“Thanks for—” he paused, not wanting to say out loud all the foolish things he’d already done in the name of love. “—you know.”
His brother sounded weary. “Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Just get here. Because you know that the bad news is they may have to call a quarantine to keep it from spreading. And the worse news is Prudence’s aunt, a Mrs. Virginia Westfall and one of the cousins are already showing the same signs of whatever this is.”
“We’re on our way.” Cam shut his communicator off and looked at Ria.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “It sounds serious.”
“I’m not certain where to start.”
Cam scooted off the bed and Ria followed. “Start at the beginning.”
“Your mother’s lady’s maid, Prudence, is currently in the basement medical facility very ill, unconscious, actually, with a possible case of crust-fish fever. They are standing by ready to give her the medication whenever the green spots show up, if they do. After that, she’ll be awake in no time. We need to be there before she wakes up.
