“And neither of you wears perfume.”
“Not to mention getting frisky on the floor of your bedchamber instead of the bed,” Mrs. Rotunder concluded. “A pirate would never!”
“Er.” Miss Darlington very overtly did not look at her husband. “Exactly right, Gertrude. Shocking behavior! Besides, young lady, I realized what you were the moment I saw the butterfly on your hat. As if a pirate would be caught dead with such ridiculous headwear.”
She nudged Jake, who laughed obligingly. (And such was the degree of his love for her that he didn’t look, not even for the merest second, at her purple, ostrich-feathered, lace-swathed turban.)
Alice and Daniel exchanged a weary glance. Then, as one, they raised their guns at Miss Darlington.
She rolled her eyes. “Dear me, how tedious. This illustrates what I was saying before, Jake.”
“What’s that, my dear?” Jake asked, smiling tenderly at her.
“If only the authorities trained their operatives to have a sense ofimagination, they might enjoy more success in overcoming piracy. As it is, these poor two souls were sent here like lambs to the slaughter. Note them standing there before us, wretchedly vulnerable.”
“Madam,” Alice said, “please note we are aiming guns at you.”
“Yes, yes, but those guns have not contained live bullets since an hour after you arrived in the castle. We arepirates, ‘Mrs. Blakeney.’ Most of us have been dealing with spies and secret police for decades longer than you have been alive. You did provide us with much entertainment, however, so we won’t kill you—”
“You have attempted several times to kill us!” Alice protested.
Miss Darlington bristled with outrage. “We most certainly have not. That would be uncivil—and worse, boring. Besides, why would we want you dead? I am sure your superiors will pay a fine ransom to have two such expert operatives returned to them.”
Alice raised her chin proudly. “Our organization does not pay ransoms.”
Beside her, Daniel sighed. “You probably should not have mentioned that,” he murmured.
“Youdefinitelyshould not have mentioned that,” Miss Darlington said with a grin. “Jake, do me a favor and tie them up, then put them in a cupboard somewhere so I can enjoy a glass of sherry in—oh look, they’ve run. How amusing!”
Indeed, Alice and Daniel had tossed aside their useless guns, leaped over Frederick’s body, and plunged without hesitation into the nearest available escape route: the ballroom.
And stopped, instantly overwhelmed.
A paso doble was being played with vigor by a band of Spanish musicians Jane had kidnapped for the event. Pirates strutted and swirled in pairs around the polished floor, their jewels and sword hilts glinting in the chandelier light, their frothy skirts creating a maelstromof color that seared across Alice’s vision. She took a deep breath, trying to steel herself.
I can do this, she averred silently.I am a profess...
The words disintegrated within the turgid swirling mass of color and sound. For one terrifying moment she herself became nothing more than a blur of light, guitar strums, bright twirling dresses, nameless and without reason.
Then pain grasped her, hard and sharp. Looking up dazedly, she saw Daniel’s brief, unemotive smile. He held her hand so tightly, their fingers turned scarlet.
“Miss Dearlove?”
She gave him a brisk, professional nod.
Letting go of her hand, he began to remove his jacket. Alice tugged on the emergency release ribbon of her skirt. The heavy, layered material parted, revealing a ruffled, red satin petticoat beneath and, peeking out from under its flounced hem, high-heeled ankle boots embroidered withlibra, an incantation phrase to help her maintain her balance. Even just the sight of those boots made her feel stronger. Kicking the skirts aside, she raised her chin to face the ballroom with determin...
No, still with a vast, trembling sense of overstimulation. Fiddlesticks.
Then Daniel grasped her hand again. As she swung around to face him, he pressed his other hand firmly against her upper back.
Their eyes met. Chandelier light flashed between them, and the music beat fast, imperative.
“I never thought I’d say this, but shall we dance?” Daniel suggested.
“I fear there is no hope for it after all,” Alice said with a regretful wince.
He shrugged one shoulder. “Frankly, they had it coming.”
