The Season(44)

“Oh, Ella. Your obsession really is becoming rather worrisome.”

“It’s not an obsession! Which you would understand if you would let me finish a sentence.”

“If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is, but”—Alex offered an exaggerated magnanimous gesture—“please, go on.”

Ella tipped her head. “Thank you. Where was I?”

“While I’m not entirely sure, I think you might have been traipsing off into the darkness with a man who is thrice your age.”

“Shh! First, there was no traipsing involved. I followed him. At a discreet distance.”

“I beg your pardon?!”

“And second, keep your voice down! If someone overheard, it could ruin me!”

“All right!” Alex whispered. “What would possess you to follow him—”

“At a discreet distance,” Ella cut in.

“Fine, at a discreet distance—into a deserted garden?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem that it was entirely deserted,” Ella pointed out, “but we will come to that particular truth later, I assure you. I don’t know why I did it…curiosity, boredom, whatever. It is really irrelevant now, really. The point is, I did.”

“And?”

“And…I think…” Ella’s voice lowered to a whisper that Alex could barely hear. “I think I overheard something I shouldn’t have.”

“Like what?” The two had their heads bowed so closely together that they were almost touching.

“I’m not entirely sure. The baron met with another gentleman in the garden, but I couldn’t make out the other person or the conversation very clearly—they were speaking very quietly, and I had just the smallest inkling that they were discussing something…”

Alex waited as Ella paused for drama. Ella adored dramatic emphasis.

“Nefarious.”

Ella’s whisper barely made any sound at all, and Alex couldn’t help the half smile that played at the corner of her mouth. “Nefarious?”

Ella nodded once, curtly. “Yes. Nefarious.”

“All right, Ella.” Alex’s tone was designed to humor her friend as she sat back on the bench. “What ‘nefarious’ thing do you think you overheard?”

“Again, I can’t be certain of that part of it,” Ella was quick to respond, “but there are a few things I am certain of.” She began ticking off her fingers as she spoke. “First, he was most definitely meeting someone at a time that had been predetermined in a place that had been prearranged. He went straight to the spot without dawdling.”

“All right, but that means little, you understand.”

Ignoring Alex, she pressed on. “Second, the person he met was not dressed in formal attire. I had the distinct impression that the other man was not a guest of the Salisburys. And…they greeted each other in French!”

“That is odd, considering the baron is French,” Alex said drily.

Ella gave her a quelling look. “Third, the conversation was laced with obscurity. They were discussing ‘the problem,’ and ‘the situation.’ At one point, the other gentleman said something about ‘the situation being resolved this evening without delay.’”

Alex opened her mouth to speak, only to be stopped by Ella’s raised hand and dramatic flourish. “And…if all of that weren’t enough…I could swear I heard the baron refer to un voleur.”

“A thief? Are you certain?”

“Not entirely…but that could have been it! Who speaks in such a manner? Spies, if you ask me.”

Alex laughed aloud before saying, “Few people speak that way, I’ll grant you. But we still have little indication that the baron is anything more than a kind, if slightly eccentric, old man. We certainly have no indication that he is a spy, for goodness sake. Vivi’s father and Blackmoor’s uncle both know him and find him to be a welcome addition to their circles, so I see no reason to surmise that he’s a villain of the first water. Would you like to hear my theory on the matter?”

“Most certainly,” Ella replied eagerly.

“You’ve been thinking about your novel too much… and your imagination has become overactive.” This was said with a grin.

“That may be the case,” Ella agreed in a tone that suggested she’d not thought of that possibility.

“May be? You think that sweet old man is out to topple the Crown.”

“Quite.” Ella cleared her throat. “But it was an odd occurrence.”

“Certainly. But I highly doubt it was an issue of national security. How did it end?”

“Calmly. They shook hands and parted ways. I waited five minutes or so and made my way back—and found you!” Her tone turned excited and curious. “What are you doing out here, Alexandra Stafford?”

“Not terribly much,” Alex spoke casually. “Taking in the evening air, pondering life’s mysteries, selling state secrets to the French…”

Ella chuckled. “A common occurrence this evening, it seems.” She paused for a moment, waiting for Alex to speak. When she didn’t, Ella spoke again. “Are you going to tell me?”