Page 17 of The Thief
He held out his arm to her and asked, “Can I escort you to the parlor?”
She stared at him for a moment, trying to decide if it was safe or not. Making up her mind she said, “That would be fine.”
She slipped her arm through his and headed down the stairs with him.
They arrived downstairs five minutes later and Scarlett was able to get her first good look at Everett Dormhnall. He was tall and blond with gray eyes, his body lean but muscular from what she could see through his tight shirt. He wore no jacket, only a shirt, trousers and a worn pair of brown boots.
She could sense from him that he was a man who had seen many things and that some of those things had not been good. She wondered where he had been but then her mind told her she might not want to hear where he had been in his life. Scarlett resolved to herself to try and ask only relevant questions that had to do with the queen. She was not one to pry.
Scarlett and Alastair walked into the parlor and Everett and his companions turned fully to face the door. She said hello to Ronald and Ragan before turning to face her guest.
“Your Highness,” he said, bowing low.
“Prince Everett, thank you so much for coming to meet with me,” she replied, letting go of Alastair’s arm and walked over to Everett with her hand out to shake his.
He nodded and reached out to shake her hand.
“If the queen asks you to come meet with her, you make time and come to see her,” he said, motioning for her to sit.
Scarlett sat down on the couch. “Call me Scarlett please.”
Everett nodded.
“So, do you have any more information in regard to my cousin’s abduction?” she asked, looking Everett directly in the eye.
Everett shook his head and said, “I do not but I have a solid lead. I know it is difficult to hear that I have no information, but right now I am not able to give you any. I am asking you for patience though so that I can keep looking. There is information out there, it just has yet to be uncovered.”
Scarlett’s face displayed the frustration she felt and it filled her stomach, making her feel ill.
“I have faith that you will not let me down,” she said, resting her hands in her lap.
He looked doubtful that she told the truth and she realized that Everett could read people very well.
“I will try to keep you informed. I have a contact who said he needed to speak to me about the queen and her abduction. He said he had information that could lead to where she was being held.”
“Do you trust this person?” she asked.
He nodded.
“He has come through for me many times before. I have faith he will have valuable information for me,” he said with a smile.
Scarlett sincerely hoped he was right about him.
“Is there any information you might have that could help me? Any notes or suspicious activity around the castle?” Everett asked.
Scarlett shook her head and said, “I haven’t noticed anything around here and the only notes we have received have been from you.”
She looked at Alastair for the first time since they had come into the room.
“Have you noticed anything suspicious?” she asked.
Alastair stared at her for a moment before answering her question.
“I have not. I admit though that I have had my attention elsewhere as of late and not on my household. I would ask my butler Bard.”
At his look, Scarlett blushed slightly, her complexion pinking slightly.
Everett pretended not to notice what was going on between them and continued on.
