Page 47 of Legacy of Thorns
“Generally I had, yes.”
His words surprised a laugh from her, and given his reassuring smile in response, it had been his intention. Something inside her settled.
“Here we go,” he muttered, and she lifted her chin.
As long as they stayed away from Lord Castlerey they would be fine. Once inside, any houseguests would think they were staying at the inn, and any guests from the inn would think they were houseguests. They would walk through the crowd as good as unseen.
Golden light spilled out the manor’s open front door, inviting them onward. It illuminated a couple entering before them—a couple who were handing a gold-embossed invitation to a waiting footman.
As Daphne’s eyes latched onto the invitation, Fin faltered beside her, catching himself before their hesitation could be noticed.
“Ah,” he said quietly as they continued forward. “Invitations.”
“I knew we’d forgotten something,” Daphne said. “Will it matter?”
His hesitation was almost imperceptible. “Hopefully not.”
“I could always create a distraction by falling asleep, and you could sneak in. I can be quite dramatic about it if necessary.”
Fin laughed softly. “I’d like to see that—on another occasion. For now, I think we can stick to the main rules.”
“There are rules? Perhaps I should have learned those before we started the mission,” she said dryly.
“Thankfully they’re easy, love.” The word slipped so naturally off his tongue that she nearly stumbled. “Number one is don’t look nervous. And number two is never draw attention to yourself—unless, of course, you want to draw attention.” He winked at her.
When they reached the now-vacated door, Finley tipped his chin up, slipping on a haughty air that looked entirely natural. Ignoring the footman, he tried to stride inside, but the man moved to block his way.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to see your invitation, sir.” The footman’s tone was polite but implacable. “There’s a strict guest list for this event.”
“Yes,” Fin said in a strident tone that managed to be simultaneously petulant and domineering. “I can see that. And what I would like to know is why I was left off! I’ve never been so insulted in my life! I can assure you that I don’t mean to take such an insult lying down. If Lord Castlerey thinks he can?—”
“Please, sir.” A man dressed like a steward thrust the footman aside and bowed low. “I assure you the oversight was unintentional. If you consider for just a moment, you will remember that it is not Lord Castlerey but the Legacy that is responsible for the oversight—and indeed it is the Legacy fueling your anger even now. Remember, only important guests are ever forgotten.”
“Well, as to that…” Fin cleared his throat and straightened his jacket, looking as believably shamefaced as he had looked incensed a moment before. “I suppose no real harm has been done.” He held out his arm to Daphne again. “Come, my dear, let us put this behind us and enjoy the party.”
She took his arm, and the two of them swept into the manor as if they owned the building, walking straight across the entryway and into the ballroom. Brightly clothed people mingled inside, couples already swirling to the music. Within steps they were lost among the crowd.
“And that,” he murmured in her ear, grinning, “is how it’s done. We can thank the Legacy for that one. Nobles rarely hold an event in Oakden without leaving someone off the guest list. And given how enraged the overlooked guests tend to be, servants usually jump straight to appeasement, rather than enraging them further with questions. Which happens to be very convenient for us.”
“You’ve done that before,” Daphne accused.
“Of course.” His grin broadened. “But never in the same place twice.”
Daphne shook her head, but a shadow of concern marred her amusement. They had used the Legacy to get inside the ball, but at what cost? The last thing Daphne needed was more of the Legacy’s attention.
“Fin!” She clutched his arm with both hands, her eyes trained on someone over his shoulder. “There he is! The man from the forest.”
“Are you sure?” Fin’s eyes tightened, although the smile didn’t leave his face.
“Yes, yes, it’s definitely him. I was staring at him the whole time I was in that tree, terrified he was going to look up.”
“I’m turning you slowly,” Fin murmured, matching his actions to his words, spinning them smoothly so that he faced toward the man instead of her. “I see him. Wearing that distinctive purple coat. That will work to our advantage.”
“Should we split up?” Daphne forced her voice to sound level despite how much she disliked the idea.
Fin glanced down at her. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. There’s still the possibility we might need to make a quick exit, and I don’t want to be on the other side of the ballroom to you if that happens.”
“In that case, let’s make our way to the refreshment table.” She indicated the long table that lay against one wall.
