Vow of Deception (The Ministry of Curiosities #9)(84)

"There's no time to change," he said, pulling me toward the door. The vicar won't wait, and nor will I."

Fortunately the flowers had arrived so I was able to hold a nosegay of blush pink roses. I removed the blue ribbon holding the bunch together and handed it to Lincoln. He was still tying back his hair when Cook opened the front door and I caught a glimpse of the coach waiting for us. Two grooms and a driver dressed in crimson livery waited with it. One of the grooms opened the door and the Prince of Wales peered back at us from inside.

"Good morning, all," he said cheerfully. "Are you ready to get married, Miss Holloway?"

"I…I am, yes." I allowed the footman to assist me into the cabin and settled beside the prince. "Did you free Lincoln?"

Instead of answering, he gave orders to his men. "You two, wait here until I return. Fitzroy, you and your men can ride at the back or sit alongside the driver. The ladies can ride in here with me." The prince settled back with a sigh of satisfaction as we drove off. "Your words affected me, Miss Holloway, more than I let on at the time. I spoke with the queen and we decided to speak to Mr. Yallop on your behalf. That was late yesterday afternoon. It took until this morning for the slow wheels of politics to move. So here we are, off to the church in time for your wedding."

"But the queen was so angry with me," I said. "I got the distinct impression she never wanted to see me again."

"She was upset, but once she calmed down, she saw your side of things. She's like that. It takes a number of years before one can learn her moods and how to navigate them." His mouth turned down and his heavy eyelids lowered. "Inspector Fullbright informed me this morning, when I collected Fitzroy, that he was about to head out to Sir Ignatius's residence. Reports of a disturbance had come through. Do you know anything about that?"

I exchanged a glance with Alice. "He's dead," I said. "His ghost admitted that he'd murdered those men in the Old Nichol. I'm sorry, sir, I know you don't want to hear it, but he duped you."

He grunted. "A man doesn't like admitting that he put his trust in the wrong fellow. According to Fullbright, Swinburn's name was in your records."

"As a werewolf, yes."

Another grunt. "The odd thing is, Miss Holloway, that he was the only living person mentioned in your ministry's files. All the others were deceased persons."

"That can't be—"

Alice kicked me and I swallowed the rest of my response. I tried to think how the names of every living supernatural except for Swinburn could have been removed from the files and came up blank. I'd remembered burying them complete.

Alice yawned then apologized to the prince. "I haven't been sleeping too well of late."

"Insomnia?" he asked.

"Mr. Fitzroy suffers from it too." She looked to me.

Ah yes, the night she couldn't sleep and had seen Lincoln crossing the lawn back to the house. He must have been coming from the walled garden after digging up some of the files and reburying them elsewhere. It was typical of him to be one step ahead of everyone else.

Thankfully supernaturals would now be safe from police scrutiny. I didn't want to face Mr. Langley's ire, for one, and Lincoln's disappointment in himself if their names had been revealed.

"Sir," I said, "your influence may be required again."

"This sounds ominous," he said.

"Some very strange things happened at Sir Ignatius's house this morning. It will take some convincing for Inspector Fullbright to make sense of it."

"Perhaps it can all be explained by the hallucinogenic fumes reported in that area."

I smiled and he smiled back.

The coach pulled up in front of the church and Seth wouldn't let me out until Gus and Lincoln were inside. He opened the door and assisted his mother and Alice from the coach, then politely inquired if his highness was staying.

The prince hesitated.

"Please do," I said. "You're most welcome."

"Perhaps at the back," he said, and got out.

When they were all inside, I took Seth's arm. He beamed at me. "You look happy and beautiful, Charlie, despite wearing your worst dress, as my mother would say."

"It's the very worst, " I said cheerfully. "But I don't care."



* * *



The ceremony went by in a flash. One moment I was Miss Holloway and the next I was Mrs. Fitzroy. Lady Vickers was the first to congratulate me and call me by my new name. I almost burst out laughing. It would take some getting used to.

A frenzy of congratulations followed next, firstly from our closest friends from Lichfield. Leisl, Eva and David Cornell were also there, since they had not been aware of Lincoln's imprisonment. Lord and Lady Marchbank were not in attendance, and neither were Lord and Lady Gillingham. They didn't know that Lincoln was free. Lincoln asked the vicar if he could dash off a note to them immediately.

I looked around for the prince, but he had already left. Perhaps that was for the best. His past with Leisl had been shrouded in mystery, and he didn't like to be reminded of his night of passion with the pretty gypsy girl. At least he seemed to have come to terms with fathering Lincoln. Indeed, more than come to terms with it, if his efforts in getting him released were an indication. I'd say he was heartily proud of his son.