realization.
She was here, in Louis Wadsworth's house. She was a spy, trained to seek out treason, honed to fight for
England
… and the day was wasted anyway. She'd never manage to get back to the club to report and be able to make any progress on her actual assignment.
Which would be embarrassing. Clumsy housemaid makes mistake. Unless she went back with something in hand to remove the sting of failure. Unless she found something on Louis to prove his French allegiance, something that would set the Liars on him full-force. Something other than her opinion versus the friendship of the Prime Minister.
And maybe something that would prove to herself that she was no longer afraid of Louis Wadsworth.
Something niggled at the back of her mind. Oh, no.
Collis
! He was even now stalking Louis Wadsworth to cadge an invitation into the house, where he would be looking for falsely planted evidence of treason.
She hesitated, tapping her chin with one finger. Surely Collis's plan would not bear fruit in one day? She could tell him about her mistake tomorrow before he got any farther.
She hoped.
Louis Wadsworth
was
a traitor, and if she could prove it, she could bring him to some kind of justice at last.
She only hoped Collis Tremayne would stay out of the way in the meantime. Not only might he muck up her single chance—he'd never let her live it down.
Collis followed Louis Wadsworth into Louis's desperately grand house with a smile. He hoped he could see Rose's face when she found out he'd walked right into their target's house only half a day into the mission.
It was probably some kind of Liar record, come to think of it. He'd enjoy telling
Dalton
about it as well.
"I hope you don't mind if I excuse myself a moment, Tremayne," Louis said. "I'll have the staff bring you some tea if you like."
Collis nodded genially. It would be a relief to get rid of his host for a breath or two. There was something repellent about the man. Louis's smile was friendly, but his eyes were always cool. Uneasily Collis wondered if he'd given himself away already. Dalton had said the family would know something of the assignment—had he said or done anything to make the man suspect him?
No, he decided. Other than his own casual overture with the news sheet, he'd ensured that Louis had made all the invitations.
Collis was led to an overdecorated guest parlor, typical and worthless. As soon as the butler was gone, he stepped back into the front hall to gauge the lay of the land. The house was very fine and modern, as was the Wadsworths' wealth.
If they'd had the slightest clue how to get on in Society, they would have tried to mask the newness of their importance with the acquisition of a fine old property, perhaps one that still retained the impression of the highborn blood that had built it. Etheridge House was nearly as new, of course, but the Etheridge line had no need to mask a thing.
The carpets were a bit too bright, the portraits all in the style of the last decade, the fireplaces a tad too obvious in scale.
"Almost, but not quite, Louis." Collis grinned. Moving quickly through the house, he found a little-used room with a back garden window view. He unlatched the window with a quick motion. The likelihood that this latch would be checked before he came back was quite slim. He looked down into the garden. Lovely. There was even a trellis near the window.
He returned to the room he'd been assigned. While waiting for his host, Collis took a halfhearted look about the parlor. It was a very standard sort of chamber, perhaps a bit less tasteful than most. It seemed Mrs. Wadsworth had a taste for the baroque.
A maidservant bustled in, her cap-covered head bent over her burden of loaded tea tray. Collis scarcely registered her at first, until she glanced up at him past the lace edge of her mobcap. Hazel eyes widened in evident surprise.
In a few brisk strides, Rose had one hand wrapped about his arm and the other pushing shut the
She was here, in Louis Wadsworth's house. She was a spy, trained to seek out treason, honed to fight for
England
… and the day was wasted anyway. She'd never manage to get back to the club to report and be able to make any progress on her actual assignment.
Which would be embarrassing. Clumsy housemaid makes mistake. Unless she went back with something in hand to remove the sting of failure. Unless she found something on Louis to prove his French allegiance, something that would set the Liars on him full-force. Something other than her opinion versus the friendship of the Prime Minister.
And maybe something that would prove to herself that she was no longer afraid of Louis Wadsworth.
Something niggled at the back of her mind. Oh, no.
Collis
! He was even now stalking Louis Wadsworth to cadge an invitation into the house, where he would be looking for falsely planted evidence of treason.
She hesitated, tapping her chin with one finger. Surely Collis's plan would not bear fruit in one day? She could tell him about her mistake tomorrow before he got any farther.
She hoped.
Louis Wadsworth
was
a traitor, and if she could prove it, she could bring him to some kind of justice at last.
She only hoped Collis Tremayne would stay out of the way in the meantime. Not only might he muck up her single chance—he'd never let her live it down.
Collis followed Louis Wadsworth into Louis's desperately grand house with a smile. He hoped he could see Rose's face when she found out he'd walked right into their target's house only half a day into the mission.
It was probably some kind of Liar record, come to think of it. He'd enjoy telling
Dalton
about it as well.
"I hope you don't mind if I excuse myself a moment, Tremayne," Louis said. "I'll have the staff bring you some tea if you like."
Collis nodded genially. It would be a relief to get rid of his host for a breath or two. There was something repellent about the man. Louis's smile was friendly, but his eyes were always cool. Uneasily Collis wondered if he'd given himself away already. Dalton had said the family would know something of the assignment—had he said or done anything to make the man suspect him?
No, he decided. Other than his own casual overture with the news sheet, he'd ensured that Louis had made all the invitations.
Collis was led to an overdecorated guest parlor, typical and worthless. As soon as the butler was gone, he stepped back into the front hall to gauge the lay of the land. The house was very fine and modern, as was the Wadsworths' wealth.
If they'd had the slightest clue how to get on in Society, they would have tried to mask the newness of their importance with the acquisition of a fine old property, perhaps one that still retained the impression of the highborn blood that had built it. Etheridge House was nearly as new, of course, but the Etheridge line had no need to mask a thing.
The carpets were a bit too bright, the portraits all in the style of the last decade, the fireplaces a tad too obvious in scale.
"Almost, but not quite, Louis." Collis grinned. Moving quickly through the house, he found a little-used room with a back garden window view. He unlatched the window with a quick motion. The likelihood that this latch would be checked before he came back was quite slim. He looked down into the garden. Lovely. There was even a trellis near the window.
He returned to the room he'd been assigned. While waiting for his host, Collis took a halfhearted look about the parlor. It was a very standard sort of chamber, perhaps a bit less tasteful than most. It seemed Mrs. Wadsworth had a taste for the baroque.
A maidservant bustled in, her cap-covered head bent over her burden of loaded tea tray. Collis scarcely registered her at first, until she glanced up at him past the lace edge of her mobcap. Hazel eyes widened in evident surprise.
In a few brisk strides, Rose had one hand wrapped about his arm and the other pushing shut the
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