humor.
“Perhaps you should wait a bit. Shaleena is a mite upset,” Madeline said.
And now it was Cur’s turn to smile, showing sharp canines and a predatory bent. “I believe I have waited long enough,” he said, and, bowing shallowly, evidenced a strange, regal grace. “Worry not, she’ll do me no real harm,” he said, and leftthem, following the other’s trail silently up the stairs.
Moments ticked quietly away. Madeline scowled. “Some might think it foolhardy to throw two such powers together,” she said, voice soft.
“Three powers,” Gallo mused.
Maddy turned toward him. “I thought Joseph was not particularly gifted.”
“I don’t believe he is. Which causes me to wonder what brought him here. The one man who seems to raise her ire more than her interest.”
Madeline’s scowl deepened. “You don’t suppose…”
Gallo merely glanced at her.
“I’ll speak to my sister,” Maddy said, and her husband nodded slightly before turning to Faye.
“My apologies. We called you here to hear progress of your mission,” he said, but she shook her head.
“No.” She tried to keep from fidgeting. “Perhaps she’s right.”
“Shaleena.”
“Yes. Perhaps I am not the one for the job.”
“If not you, then who?” Madeline asked.
No one spoke.
“The committee has used the conventional methods to learn what it could about Brendier’s death, but little was discovered. The truth now must be drawn out by other means.”
Faye felt her heart knock restlessly against her ribs.
“We’ve no murder weapons for Ella to lay hands on to discern the killer. No ashes for Rosemond to sift through. Though Cur studied the scene, the scents were too old to firmly discern one from the other. There were no witnesses. No clues. Drawing the truth from those most likely to be the culprits is our only hope.” She paused, smiled. “And you are the truth seeker, Faerie Faye.”
But I am weak, Faye thought.
“If we fail, the committee may no longer be willing to fund us. It is conceivable that Les Chausettes will have to disband,” she said. “But if you feel you cannot—”
“No,” Faye said, and felt her stomach twist. “No. I’ll not fail.”
“You’ll see to the task set before you?”
“Yes.”
“Very well,” Madeline said. “Then I think you should attend the annual fete at Inver Heights. We shall obtain an invitation in your name.”
Faye almost winced. “But why?”
“Inver Heights is Lord Lindale’s estate.”
“Lord Lindale,” Faye said. “Brendier’s cousin.” The English peerage was as inbred as lapdogs.
“And debtor,” Madeline added.
“Lindale was in debt to his cousin? I thought he was quite well-fixed.”
“That seems to be the common belief, but there are rumors suggesting otherwise. We have reason to believe the debt was considerable, and there arefew things that make enemies faster than unreturned coin.”
“You think Lindale might be Brendier’s killer?”
Madeline rose smoothly to her feet. “That is for you to discover.”
Jasper rose with her, placing a gentle hand to the small of her back, as if he only needed to touch her to feel whole.
Faye watched the movement, felt the feelings.
“Oh, and, Faerie Faye,” Madeline said, turning back.
“Yes?”
“You are stronger than you think.”
“I fear you might be—”
“We all fear,” Madeline said. “That does not make us weak. It only makes us wise.”
“Then I am practically a genius.”
Madeline laughed, looking surprised. “Wiser than most,” she said, and sobered. “And stronger than Shaleena.”
Faye felt the compliment in her gut. “I’m sure you’re wrong.”
“So is Shaleena,” Madeline said. “Won’t you both be surprised when you realize the truth?”
Chapter 9
L ord Lindale was wealthy, refined, and respected. At least that is how he portrayed himself to the world. And this lavish fete certainly made it seem so. Though Faye knew as well as any that appearances
“Perhaps you should wait a bit. Shaleena is a mite upset,” Madeline said.
And now it was Cur’s turn to smile, showing sharp canines and a predatory bent. “I believe I have waited long enough,” he said, and, bowing shallowly, evidenced a strange, regal grace. “Worry not, she’ll do me no real harm,” he said, and leftthem, following the other’s trail silently up the stairs.
Moments ticked quietly away. Madeline scowled. “Some might think it foolhardy to throw two such powers together,” she said, voice soft.
“Three powers,” Gallo mused.
Maddy turned toward him. “I thought Joseph was not particularly gifted.”
“I don’t believe he is. Which causes me to wonder what brought him here. The one man who seems to raise her ire more than her interest.”
Madeline’s scowl deepened. “You don’t suppose…”
Gallo merely glanced at her.
“I’ll speak to my sister,” Maddy said, and her husband nodded slightly before turning to Faye.
“My apologies. We called you here to hear progress of your mission,” he said, but she shook her head.
“No.” She tried to keep from fidgeting. “Perhaps she’s right.”
“Shaleena.”
“Yes. Perhaps I am not the one for the job.”
“If not you, then who?” Madeline asked.
No one spoke.
“The committee has used the conventional methods to learn what it could about Brendier’s death, but little was discovered. The truth now must be drawn out by other means.”
Faye felt her heart knock restlessly against her ribs.
“We’ve no murder weapons for Ella to lay hands on to discern the killer. No ashes for Rosemond to sift through. Though Cur studied the scene, the scents were too old to firmly discern one from the other. There were no witnesses. No clues. Drawing the truth from those most likely to be the culprits is our only hope.” She paused, smiled. “And you are the truth seeker, Faerie Faye.”
But I am weak, Faye thought.
“If we fail, the committee may no longer be willing to fund us. It is conceivable that Les Chausettes will have to disband,” she said. “But if you feel you cannot—”
“No,” Faye said, and felt her stomach twist. “No. I’ll not fail.”
“You’ll see to the task set before you?”
“Yes.”
“Very well,” Madeline said. “Then I think you should attend the annual fete at Inver Heights. We shall obtain an invitation in your name.”
Faye almost winced. “But why?”
“Inver Heights is Lord Lindale’s estate.”
“Lord Lindale,” Faye said. “Brendier’s cousin.” The English peerage was as inbred as lapdogs.
“And debtor,” Madeline added.
“Lindale was in debt to his cousin? I thought he was quite well-fixed.”
“That seems to be the common belief, but there are rumors suggesting otherwise. We have reason to believe the debt was considerable, and there arefew things that make enemies faster than unreturned coin.”
“You think Lindale might be Brendier’s killer?”
Madeline rose smoothly to her feet. “That is for you to discover.”
Jasper rose with her, placing a gentle hand to the small of her back, as if he only needed to touch her to feel whole.
Faye watched the movement, felt the feelings.
“Oh, and, Faerie Faye,” Madeline said, turning back.
“Yes?”
“You are stronger than you think.”
“I fear you might be—”
“We all fear,” Madeline said. “That does not make us weak. It only makes us wise.”
“Then I am practically a genius.”
Madeline laughed, looking surprised. “Wiser than most,” she said, and sobered. “And stronger than Shaleena.”
Faye felt the compliment in her gut. “I’m sure you’re wrong.”
“So is Shaleena,” Madeline said. “Won’t you both be surprised when you realize the truth?”
Chapter 9
L ord Lindale was wealthy, refined, and respected. At least that is how he portrayed himself to the world. And this lavish fete certainly made it seem so. Though Faye knew as well as any that appearances
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