“I am probably overreacting after yesterday’s incident,” she said slowly. “But I can’t rid myself of the feeling that Penelope might be in trouble.”
“Why would she be?” Blanche asked, tipping her head to one side.
“Because someone thought that she was me,” Cordelia whispered. “Because she was wearing my jewels, and someone has been trying to kill me.”
40
“Your jewels?” Thomas repeated stupidly.
“Yes.”
He took Cordelia’s hand and they walked to the door where Thayne was standing. “Have you seen Penelope?”
“Can’t say that I have, my lord.”
“Will you have the footmen search for her?” Thomas said. “And turn on all the electric lights in the house?”
“Of course, my lord.”
Thayne left the room. Thomas looked around again. The only person missing from the house party was Penelope. He tore off his itchy wig and glanced down at his wife. She tried to smile, but Thomas could see the worry in her eyes and the grim set of her jaw. Cordelia believed that Penelope was in trouble, and selfishly, all he could think about was how relieved he felt that it wasn’t his wife.
A terrible thought.
They stood near the door for two more dances before Thayne returned, his face grave.
“We’ve searched all the rooms on the ground floor and her bedroom on the first floor, and she is not there,” he said. “What should we do now?”
Cordelia clutched his hand even tighter.
Thomas held up his opposite hand and the orchestra stopped playing. Everyone in the room was looking at him.
“Is something wrong?” Oliver asked.
Thomas did not know what to say or do.
“We seem to have lost a member of our party,” Cordelia said, stepping forward. “Anyone who is willing to help us look for a lost French queen, please find a partner.”
“Most irregular,” Lady Grimsby said.
“What fun!” Lois said excitedly, taking her husband’s hand. “Come on, Ollie. This is better than a penny dreadful.”
Three other couples stepped forward to join the search. Thomas directed two couples to search the basement and two others to search all the rooms on the first floor.
“Come, Cordelia,” he said, taking her hand again. “We will check the second floor and the roof.”
“All right, partner.”
He led her to the back of the house, through the kitchen, to the servants’ staircase. They climbed the two flights of stairs until they reached the landing where the secret passage let out.
“Should we separate?” she asked.
He gripped her hand tighter. “No. We’ll be safer together.”
“All right.”
They opened every door in the servants’ wing. The rooms were so basic, only holding a bed and a bureau, that only a glance was needed to ascertain that no one was there. Out of breath, they ran to the other wing. Thomas opened the next few doors, but no one was inside the rooms. There was nowhere else to look but the roof.
“Maybe you should go back to the ballroom,” he suggested. Cordelia was more precious to him than any house. Than any amount of money. He didn’t want to risk her life for anyone else’s, even Penelope’s. “You are the hostess, after all.”
