Vow of Deception (The Ministry of Curiosities #9)(40)

Alice gave a small nod then addressed the rabbit. "I can't go. Tell the queen I'm sorry."

"Sorry!" the rabbit spat. "You think that will suffice? You think she'll care for your apology? She'll make me pay for my failure."

"And I'll boil you and serve you to my dinner guests if you try to take her," Lincoln said.

The rabbit gulped.

"Go away and don't come back. Tell your queen that if she sends an army, this realm will retaliate and send one to Wonderland."

"You would start a war between realms?"

Lincoln lunged across the bed. The rabbit squealed, clicked the watch's button, and quickly spoke some foreign sounding words. He disappeared before Lincoln could reach him. Although I suspected Lincoln delayed on purpose to give him time to speak the spell.

Alice drew her knees up and hugged them.

"Thank God he's gone," I said, scooting closer to sit alongside her.

"But when will the army arrive?" Alice wailed. "Tonight? Tomorrow night? Oh, Charlie, I think sending him away may have been the wrong thing to do. I should have gone—"

"No," Lincoln said. "You're not going to another realm on your own. You're my responsibility, and I won't allow you to put yourself in danger."

She nodded but didn't look convinced.

I hugged her and rested my chin on her shoulder. "Were you asleep when he arrived?"

"Yes. I don't want to go back to sleep now. What if he returns, or the army comes? I don't think it matters anymore if I am awake, but I still don't want to risk it."

"How about I sleep in here with you tonight?" I said.

"That'll help my nerves settle. Thank you, Charlie." She hugged me.

Lincoln left us and I headed to my room to change into my nightdress. I returned to Alice's room and slipped into bed alongside her. I yawned but predicted I would not get much sleep.

"Charlie," she whispered.

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think Lincoln would really have boiled the rabbit and served him for dinner?"

I laughed softly. "No, but don't tell the rabbit that if he returns. A little fear will keep him from attacking us."

"I don't think he's the attacking sort. He could have done so many times by now. In fact, I quite like him. He's very polite and even a little charming, in his own way."

I yawned again and pondered the absurdity of Alice finding a rabbit charming yet Seth false. And then I pondered how Alice could possibly be the niece of a queen from another realm when she'd been born and raised in England.



* * *



Lincoln asked me to join him in his study after breakfast. Since he asked no one else, I thought perhaps a liaison of a personal nature was on the cards, but he did not so much as offer me a kiss. Indeed, I'd say kisses were not on his mind at all. He looked worried.

"Did you get any sleep?" he asked as he sat at his desk.

"A little," I said, taking the seat opposite. "But I doubt Alice did. I don't think she'll sleep tonight either. Poor thing. She's anxious. She feels responsible for bringing danger here."

"We'll worry about it when the army arrives," he said.

"But we must prepare for its arrival."

"I'll dismiss the servants today and ask Lady Vickers to find other accommodation. Then we'll reinforce doors and windows on the ground and first floors, and make sure we have a lot of ammunition. Gus and Seth will take turns watching for the army and must alert the household as soon as they appear. I'll also send word to Lord Marchbank of what may eventuate and try to get word to him if the army arrives. He'll notify the authorities and send reinforcements when the time comes."

I rubbed my forehead. At least he'd made plans, but with the murder investigation still underway, we were severely understaffed. It might be necessary to send Lords Marchbank and Gillingham to question our suspects while we prepared for the army's arrival. Even Andrew Buchanan could be put to use if we were desperate. Very desperate.

Lincoln picked up a notepad and studied what he'd written. Then he spoke some foreign words—the same words the rabbit had spoken to disappear.

"You memorized the spell?" I asked.

"I wrote it down immediately when I returned here." He handed it to me. "It's phonetic since the actual words are unknown to me. Unfortunately it's useless to us without the rabbit's watch. It seems to act as his portal."

"Do you think these are the same words that open the portal at Frakingham?"

"I don't know, but that portal exists only at the abbey so perhaps the spell that opens and closes it is also unique. It's not portable as with the rabbit's watch or a person, like Alice."

I handed back the notebook and he tore off the page. He moved the painting aside and opened the wall safe then placed the paper in it.

"What do we do?" I asked as he returned to the desk.

"You speak to the servants and Lady Vickers. Tell them they must leave but only temporarily. Give them funds for accommodation. Seth and Gus are already seeing to our defenses. I have to go out. I'll probably be gone all day." He cupped my cheek. "Don't worry, Charlie."

"I'm not," I said.