Page 77 of Legacy of Glass
Since the part of the palace that had most impressed Daphne was Olivia’s suite, Olivia was a little concerned that her cousin would protest the need to spend the evening at a royal reception. But Daphne accepted the scheduled event without comment, taking great joy in choosing herself a dress from Olivia’s now extensive collection.
“You look stunning!” Olivia declared when she saw Daphne dressed in a new formal gown she hadn’t yet worn. “It’s a good thing Aunt Helen is right about the women in our family all having similar proportions.”
“I might be willing to marry a prince myself for a wardrobe like that,” Daphne said with a wistful sigh.
Olivia grinned. “But just think how fatiguing it would be to be a princess!”
Daphne shuddered. “You’re right, of course. It doesn’t bear thinking of.” She admired herself in the mirror a final time before turning to Olivia.
“Will Cousin Helen and her girls be at the reception tonight? We didn’t pass through the capital when I was seven, so I still haven’t met them.”
Olivia shook her head regretfully. “But I’ll take you to visit them as soon as I get the chance. You’ll like Nell and Hattie. They’re hard not to like.”
“And Marigold?” Daphne asked. “Will I meet her? She’s their neighbor, isn’t she? You were always writing about her when you lived with Cousin Helen, but since you moved to the palace, you haven’t mentioned her once.” She eyed Olivia, clearly aware there was something Olivia hadn’t told her.
She was right, of course. Olivia’s letters had been vague since she had been careful not to put anything about Marigold’s trick or her subsequent disappearance into writing.
Olivia gestured Daphne closer and lowered her voice as she quickly filled her in on the full story of how she had ended up betrothed to the prince and about Marigold’s suspected abduction. She even confided Marigold’s connection with Cade and the recent kidnapping of Elisabeth, although she swore her cousin to secrecy on all of it.
“Well,” Daphne said blankly when Olivia finally finished, “I knew something must have happened, but I can’t say I dreamed of that tangled web.”
“Who would!” Olivia shook her head. “I just wish we could find Marigold and make sure she’s safe. Then we might have a hope of untangling it all.”
Daphne shot her a perceptive look. “Are you sure you want it all untangled?”
Olivia looked away, busying herself with putting a late rose in her hair. “I certainly want to know my friend is safe.”
“Yes,” Daphne murmured softly. “There’s definitely that.”
As a result of their conversation, Daphne showed far more interest in Cade at the reception than she had done on first meeting. Before long, she was engaged in a light but humorous conversation with both Cade and Zane, leaving Olivia free to think her own thoughts.
Her eyes skipped around the receiving room, taking note of how light the decorations were compared to the more elaborate social events of the summer. The change of season hadn’t affected the clothing of the attendees, however, and their silks and satins filled the room with color.
Her sweeping gaze fell on Lord Emerson, and to her surprise she found him gazing back at her. When their eyes met, she inclined her head respectfully before looking quickly away. But when she risked a glance back at him, his eyes were still trained on her. He held her gaze, gesturing with a subtle wave for her to approach him.
Olivia blinked, glancing behind her. Was he signaling to someone else?
But there was no one behind her. He gestured again.
Bemused, she moved toward him. She had greeted him before at Julius’s side, but she couldn’t remember a single proper conversation with the influential lord. He had certainly never sought her out.
Apprehension and hope battled within her, swirling in her stomach in a nauseating dance. Was it possible Marigold had been found? Olivia would gladly be wrong about her friend’s abduction if it meant Marigold was safe.
“Lady Olivia.” Lord Emerson said her name in a gruff voice as soon as she reached him.
She nodded, waiting for him to say more, but he remained silent for several awkward seconds before clearing his throat. He still didn’t speak, however.
“My lord?” she asked, her concern growing.
Was the news of Marigold too terrible to relate? She looked around for Marigold’s mother, hoping to gain some clue from her countenance, but Lady Emerson wasn’t in the room. Olivia’s concern grew even larger.
“Has something happened to Marigold?” she asked breathlessly, giving in to the pressure.
A flash of something crossed Lord Emerson’s face—a rare outburst of emotion from a man who was usually tightly controlled, at least in public.
“Is she all right?” Olivia asked, her voice higher.
“That’s what I was hoping you could tell me,” he said.
