“She’s right,” I said. “I’ll go with Olivia instead.”
Tori pouted. “But what about Princey? You’ll leave him all alone.”
“His name is Ash, Tori.”
“Oho! You’re on first name basis?”
I resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands, lest Lady Hortensia ask me what the matter was. Olivia giggled. At least she wasn’t nervous anymore.
“Eight young ladies and eight young men, come with me to the boats,” Lady Hortensia said, gliding down from the gazebo. Her face stretched into another smile as she passed Ash, fluttering her fan before her face. I was surprised he wasn’t blinded by the erratic flashing of her gown. “Your Highness has the first pick, of course.”
Ash walked over to me and offered his arm. “Amarante?” he said.
Lady Hortensia’s smile dropped.
I was about as embarrassed as Olivia was when I took his arm. Tori made one of her pulsing hearts again, which I tried very hard to ignore. Genevieve was bombarded by Edward Thornbrush before Cedric could move. I tossed him a sympathetic glance.
When everyone paired up, Lady Hortensia brushed brusquely past and marched down to the pond. The group followed. Narcissa walked behind me at the arm of a blushing youth. Her stoic expression and his flustered one was quite a match.
“Any progress with the case?” I asked Ash in a low voice. I thought I felt Narcissa’s glare at the back of my neck, but brushed it off when I found her looking elsewhere.
“Not yet,” Ash said, his brows furrowed. There were dark circles under his eyes. “I’ve been thinking...”
We walked further, but he didn’t continue.
“Yes?” I prompted.
Ash sighed. “The duchess knows you’re suspicious of her. What if something happens to you?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said. “She can’t possibly do anything to me without raising suspicion.”
For all Her Grace knew, I was merely a nosy debutante with no real threat. And if things went favorably, it would stay that way.
When we lowered ourselves into a canoe, Ash paddled us to a secluded area shaded by the foliage of a willow tree. A couple of swans floated in our midst. One of them hissed at us. I shifted away.
“As long as you’re safe,” he said, giving me the slightest of smiles.
I felt a little breathless. The rocking of the canoe, no doubt. “Any updates?” I managed to ask.
“Ah.” His smile melted away. “The physicians are worried their cure isn’t working.”
I swallowed, desperately wanting to tell him to use Lana’s antidote. But my tongue was glued to the roof of my mouth. “How bad is it?” I said instead.
“Heavens knows what that poison is. A week ago, my mother started having nightly fits. They only pass when the sun rises,” Ash said, his voice wavering.
“What?” I sat straighter. “What kind of fits?”
“It’s awful. She keeps screaming and clawing at nothing. We had to restrain her from hurting herself and—”
I shook my head. This was hurting him.
“How many people know about this?” I said.
“Just me and the physicians. And now you. My mother didn’t want my father or Bennett to know the severity of her condition just yet,” Ash said, furrowing his brow. “If Erasmus can’t figure out what the poison is, I don’t know if we’ll ever find a cure. And Captain Greenwood will still be blamed. It’s a whole mess.”
Dread settled into my stomach like a lump of undigested potatoes. I wondered if the queen’s symptoms were the same as Erasmus’s mouse. I almost wanted to tell Ash everything, but I stopped myself. “Have you talked to the captain yet?”
Ash shook his head. He tugged at his ribbon, nearly unfurling it from his wrist. “No. But I will soon,” he said, exhaling. “Will you join me?”
