The Faerie Ring (15 page)

“Oh, allow me, Wills,” Leo interjected. “So sorry, I thought you two knew each other. This is Miss Elizabeth, uh…” He turned to Tiki, expecting her to fill in her last name. Instead Tiki dipped into a deep curtsy.

“So pleased to meet you, Mr. Richmond.” She fought the panic that was fluttering in her chest. She needed to find a way out of this room. Too many questions, too much attention. There was something about the intensity of this dark-haired stranger that worried her. Not to mention Isabelle Cavendish trying to burn her with her eyes.

To her amazement, instead of returning her bow as she expected, the tall young man reached for her hand and took a firm grip. He lifted her fingers to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. “The pleasure is all mine,” he said. Beside him, Isabelle’s lips pinched together in anger.

As if in slow motion, Tiki watched his hand lift hers. The thick lace at the end of her sleeve fell back, revealing the dark swirls of her birthmark. For one long second, William Richmond’s gaze shifted to her wrist before his eyes returned to hers with startled surprise.

The sound of a wineglass shattering on the marble floor disrupted the low hum of conversation. As one, heads turned to find the source of the noise.

With a gasp, Tiki jerked her arm away, allowing the sleeve to cover her wrist again. Her eyes flicked over to Leo. He stood with his mouth ajar, his now empty hand still frozen in place.

Leo’s eyes were transfixed on her arm.

“What is that mark on your wrist?” Leo’s voice was faint as he raised questioning eyes to her.

Panic stopped Tiki’s breath in her throat. He recognized her.

This was the only opportunity she was going to get to escape.

“My gown!” she half shrieked, staring down in horror at the red wine splattered all over the skirt of her gold dress.

“M-my apologies,” Leo stuttered. His focus shifted to the reddish purple stains on the front of her dress. “I don’t know how that glass slipped out of my hand.” Several footmen converged from different directions to clean up the mess. “I will certainly pay for the repair of your gown, Miss … Miss … Elizabeth…”

“Excuse me, please,” Tiki cried. She lifted the skirt of her gown and hurried through the stunned crowd, praying the prince wouldn’t follow her. Several of the women turned as if they might try to help, so she sped up.

“Pardon me…” Tiki shouldered her way through the crowd. “So sorry. Excuse me.”

Tiki raced out into the long hallway. She took a sharp turn to the right, then turned hard again and hurried down the Grand Staircase, making a dash for the hidden servants’ passageway that would lead to the exit by the kitchens. She dared one glance over her shoulder. No one had followed her yet.

She raced past the kitchens, and with a gasp she exploded into the coolness of the night. It was all she could do not to scream Shamus’s name at the top of her lungs. Tiki scanned the shadows beneath the trees, but a fog had moved in, making it difficult to see. She had to escape before the prince came and found her. Or worse, his dark-haired friend.

She hurried down the steps, her long gown floating behind her, and ran into the misty night.

“Miss, wait!” a woman’s voice called from behind. “Are you lost?”

Tiki raced on, pretending she hadn’t heard. The queue of carriages that had delivered their passengers to the front of the palace now stretched along the side road that led to the Royal Mews. Where was Shamus?

She hurried toward the line of hansom cabs, her eyes searching the night for any sign of Binder’s wagon. The pebbles in the courtyard hurt her feet through the thin soles of her slippers, but she welcomed the pain to help keep her alert. She was on dangerous ground right now in more ways than one.

There. She saw Binder’s wagon across the street, ready to depart at a moment’s notice. “God bless Shamus,” Tiki whispered as she ran.

Shamus spotted her and slapped the reins, urging the horse to move in her direction. The dark silhouette of their borrowed wagon, with the signs propped above the doors, was a welcome sight. Shamus pulled up on the reins, intending to dismount to help her into the carriage, but before he could move, Tiki waved him off. She reached up and yanked the door open.

“Go, Shamus, go as fast as you can.” She got one foot on the step and dove ungracefully into the wagon, falling to her knees on the floor. She didn’t bother to get up. Tiki turned and gathered the trailing mounds of her gown, pulling the door closed. Outside, Shamus slapped the reins again and the wagon jerked forward.

As they clattered their way down the tree-lined lane and Buckingham Palace disappeared from view, Tiki leaned her head back against the edge of the seat and let out a sigh.

She’d done it.

A wave of relief washed over her, leaving her feeling giddy. She’d danced with a prince, mingled with the aristocracy, and best of all—she’d hidden the queen’s ring in the palace without getting caught. They were safe once again. Safe from the royals, from faeries, maybe even from Rieker. They couldn’t take from her what she didn’t have. A ripple of laughter erupted from her lips, and she had to cover her mouth for fear she would laugh hysterically until she cried.

Tiki gathered her skirts and climbed onto the seat as Shamus drove them through the night toward Charing Cross. She closed her eyes, imagining the magnificent ballroom and beautiful gowns. All of it was like a glorious dream. She hummed along with the music in her head.

Another shaky laugh escaped her lips as she thought of Leo. The look of shock on the prince’s face when he saw her birthmark was almost laughable. The word
thunderstruck
suddenly took on a whole new meaning. And little did he know that he had provided her with the exact bit of information she’d needed to claim the reward for the ring.

Suddenly she sobered, her happiness tainted with a sliver of fear. Leo had recognized her birthmark, she was sure of it. The expression on his face as he had stared at her arm made her stomach turn. But even if he did put together the fact that “Elizabeth” and the street urchin he’d met in the park were one and the same, it didn’t matter, she tried to reassure herself, for the prince would never see her again.

Tiki freed the emerald earring she had nicked from the small pouch she had created in the voluminous fabric of her dress. She examined the gem with a critical eye. Her work tonight had paid off handsomely. This would give them a good start toward being able to pay for Clara’s care. Once she negotiated the reward for the return of the queen’s ring, they would never be hungry again.

Chapter Fourteen

“T
HANK
you, Leo, for that timely diversion.” Arthur spoke in a dry voice as he entered the library. “Lord Howard was a little too far into his cups to exit under his own locomotion. Your clumsiness gave us the perfect opportunity to help him out the door and ah … pour him into his carriage, as it were.”

Collapsing into one of the leather chairs, Arthur crossed his legs and let out a loud sigh. “The last of the guests have finally departed, thank God, and I have survived yet another masked ball.” He turned to face Leo. “By the way, who was the dark-haired enchantress that so captivated your attention?”

Leo stood by the fire, one arm leaning against the carved mantel. “I don’t know her name,” he replied, “but I’m determined to find it out.”

“You don’t know her name?” Arthur said. “Aren’t you acquainted with her?”

“No.”

“Whom did she arrive with? Did you just strike up a conversation with her?”

“She was talking with Wills, and I joined them,” Leo said. “For the sole purpose of finding out who she was, without success. She was quite striking in that gold gown, wasn’t she?” He chuckled. “Imagine the nerve of not wearing a crinoline
or
a bustle.”

“Yes, she was quite unusual. Thanks to you, I’m sure tongues were wagging about her long after she left.”

“She did tell me her first name.”

“And … what was it?”

“Elizabeth.” Leo stared down into the flames of the fire. “She told me her name was Elizabeth.”

“Well, that’s common enough. Did she share who her family is?” Arthur chuckled. “Or was she taking the masked ball as a literal event?”

Leo sighed. He didn’t know what to think. Elizabeth had been beautiful in an unusual sort of way. She wasn’t like the others who attended ball after ball during the Season. There was something fresh, unspoiled, about her.

The lines of her dress accentuated her thin build, and beneath the mask he could see how delicate her features were. But what he had found most entrancing about the girl was the fact that she was not afraid to have a conversation. It was clear that she had not been impressed or intimidated by him. There had even been a subtle hint of sarcasm in some of her comments, which reminded him of another recent encounter. Had he not seen the mark on her arm, he would never have put the two incidents together. But now it was all he could think about.

“Leo?” Arthur tried again.

“What?” He barely turned to acknowledge the question.

“Leopold!” Arthur spoke in a harsh tone.

Leo stared in surprise at his brother. “Is there a problem?”

“Yes,
you,
dear brother. It’s like you’re in another world. What is wrong with you?” Arthur shook his head with irritation. “I’ll ask you yet again: Do you know Elizabeth’s family?”

Leo turned from the fire and slouched into a chair, thrusting a long leg out to dangle over the arm. “No. I have no idea.” He closed his eyes and for what seemed the millionth time pictured the dirty little urchin he’d spoken to under the tree in the park. He focused on the strange marking he’d seen on the boy’s wrist. Swirls of black. Almost a Celtic design. Whatever the pattern, he’d seen the exact same marking tonight, when Wills had taken Elizabeth’s hand.

“Did you feel that earthquake this afternoon?” Arthur asked, changing the subject.

Leo scowled at him. “Are you sure that’s what it was? It only lasted a few seconds.”

“Enough to cause the chandeliers to sway in the Blue Drawing Room.” Arthur raised his eyebrows. “I saw it for myself, and believe me, it wasn’t a comfortable feeling watching those behemoths swaying above my head. I’d hate to have one of those crystal lights fall.” He pushed himself up in the chair and crossed his legs. “And then there was the freak storm down in Portsmouth last week. The sea rose without warning and flooded part of the city. Significant damage to the dockyards. The block mills suffered damage, too.” He looked over at Leo. “Some of our most important industrial areas.”

“Yes, I heard about it.”

“And, as Mamie predicted, Mother has taken a turn for the worse. She stayed at the ball for less than thirty minutes before retiring to her bed, yet again.” He stood up and walked toward Leo. He lowered his voice. “Do you think it has anything to do with the ring gone missing?”

Leo scowled at him. “Don’t start with me, Arthur. I’m not in the mood for your dire predictions tonight.”

Arthur shrugged. “I’m not making predictions. Simply sharing the day’s news. Record snowfall up in the Cotswolds, too. If it melts off too fast, it can cause the Thames to rise and parts of London are at risk for flooding.” He stared at Leo. “What has your man found out? Is there
any
news of the ring?”

“No!”
Leo shouted. “We’ve questioned all the servants who might even remotely have access to the library, Harrison’s posted the handbills, but there’s been no word. No hint of anyone having knowledge of the ring’s whereabouts. He’s sent men out to talk to the pawnshop owners and some of the street thieves, but nobody claims to have seen it.”

He turned back and faced the fire, grinding his teeth in frustration. Did his mother’s illness and these strange twists of nature have something to do with the ring being unguarded?

“I saw Isabelle Cavendish dancing with Wills,” Arthur continued. “Any chance they might have an interest in one another?” His tone was lighter now, as if he were making an effort to find a noncontroversial topic. “It would do Wills good to find someone.”

At the mention of Wills, Leo jerked his head up. “That’s it! Wills was talking to Elizabeth. He might know who she is or how to find her.” He pushed himself out of the chair in excitement. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that before. Arthur, do you know, is he staying in town for a few days or do you think he’s heading back to his estate immediately?”

“
Find
Elizabeth?” Arthur gave him a surprised frown. “Why does it really matter? Though I do admit it’s a bit odd that she seemed to be unescorted and no one seems to know her name. But, you know how Wills is, very close to the vest about everything. One never knows what his plans might be until you see the whites of his eyes.” Arthur didn’t even attempt to stifle his yawn. “I am so tired.”

Leo debated whether to tell his brother his suspicion about the mark he had seen on Elizabeth’s wrist. But even as he considered the idea, he realized how idiotic it sounded. How could that dirty boy in the park and the beautiful girl at the ball possibly be the same person? And if by some leap of the fantastic they were, what did it mean?

He remembered Elizabeth’s curiosity about the ring. Could she somehow be involved with its disappearance?

Like a balloon that had lost its air, he sat down with a thump. It simply wasn’t possible. He massaged his forehead as though trying to erase any further deliberation of the mysterious Elizabeth from his mind.

“No,” he agreed, “it doesn’t matter. None of it matters. I suspect we will never see the girl again.”

Chapter Fifteen

S
EVERAL
days later, Tiki stood in Mr. Potts’s bookstore, browsing for a new book to borrow. “Gone to Balmoral?” she repeated in disbelief. “Scotland?”

“That’s where the royals go in the winter, missy, when they want to hunt for great stags.” Mr. Potts coughed a phlegmy gurgle as he reached up to scratch the top of his balding head. His thin, hunched shoulders were covered by an old olive sweater, the sleeves flopping over his arthritic hands as he rearranged and tidied his stacks of newspapers near his counter. “Did you bring the book back wot you borrowed t’other day?”