Page 134 of The Rogue's Last Scandal
Charley stepped away, and Lord Shaldon took both her hands in his much larger ones.
“Are you all right then?”
Charley’s father, like her own papa, had seen much and had suffered much. Now his kindness almost undid her. She took in a breath. “I am.”
“And Reina?”
“She is finally sleeping. Lady Perry and Lady Jane will stay with her. How is the footman? He did try to fight them.”
Lord Bakeley stirred. “The surgeon has seen to him and believes he’ll survive. And you are right, he didn’t betray us.”
Us. She was part of them, part of this family, as was Reina. Moisture flooded her eyes.
Lord Shaldon placed the dagger into her hands. It gleamed in the candlelight, the marks etched in the hilt and the blade stark and clearly delineated.
Her gaze dropped. Her hands trembled.
“I cleaned it myself,” Lord Shaldon said. “Did your father give you this before he left?”
She nodded, unable to speak.
“The design is quite unique.”
She sheathed the dagger and lifted her chin, holding his gaze. “It is an Azteca design, he said.”
“Hmm.” Lord Shaldon went to the sideboard, poured a sherry, and brought it to her. “Have this.”
Out of politeness, she took a sip, praying her heart would slow down before it jumped out of her chest. “What have you found?’
“They staged a distraction,” Mr. Gibson said, “An accident the next street over that pulled most of the grooms out to help. Damned clever.”
Nodding, she swallowed another few drops.
“Have you eaten?” Lord Bakeley asked. “None of us have. We’ve sent Sirena off to see about food.”
“Truly, I have no appetite. Do we know who those men are?”
“Not yet,” Kincaid said. “Most likely they were brought from the docks to do a bit of work.”
The door opened with a swishing of skirts and clattering of dishes.
“Come.” Charley led her to a chair. “We’ll all need some nourishment for the night ahead.” He signaled to Juan. “Juan, you and Francisca also.”
Shock registered on their faces, and her heart lifted. Living in close quarters during their travels, she’d often shared meals with her servants. If she did not eat, they would not eat.
“Very well,” she said. “I’ll just have a nibble while we discuss the plans.”
