They rode out less than ten minutes later.
Chapter 31
The escort was met at the entrance to the private dock by Alex and Lawrence, who'd been waiting for an hour. Restlessly pacing the road outside the gate.
“At last, what took so damn long?” Lawrence gripped the bridle of Lizzy's horse as she slid down from the saddle, her thighs sort from riding without trousers.
“Justin turned up with more news.” Lizzy panted out. They had ridden fast and as obliquely as they could, trying to throw of potential followers.
“Oh yes?” Alex asked. He looked Justin Forier over, remembering him from the reception when they'd arrived; Harry had been impressed but Alex wasn't so sure they could trust him.
“We saw the Sumoati ambassador at the palace talking to the empress.”
“I went to speak to some friends at their embassy; I got some interesting letters that will add some urgency to getting the Princess away from here.”
“Really, and do you have copies of them?”
“Indeed, I'm having the incriminating letters copied as we speak.”
“What happened on you trip out yesterday?” Midnight had passed long since and Lizzy was beginning to fade as the sun started to rise.
“I'll tell you later.”
“Whatever happened, I think you should tell the ambassador as well. We're having a breakfast picnic in five hours. Has your baggage arrived yet?”
“Yes, just before you, where's Charley?”
“Miss Charlotta will be residing with my mistress for some time. She insists she will be safe once you are out of the empire.”
“And you let her, Lizzy? Why?”
“She's an adult, she can make her own decisions.” Lizzy shrugged.
“But I thought you two were” Lawrence nudged his brother into silence.
“I must return to the Embassy and I'm sure Mello here is eager to discharge his duty and return to his mistress.”
The slave-secretary nodded, looking around vigilantly.
“Be well.” Lizzy saw them off, and followed her cousins back to their ship.
It's been less than two days, Lizzy thought as she collapsed on to her bunk, and here I am back again. There was a knock at the door.
“Come in.” Lizzy cracked out in her exhaustion.
“It's me.” Sarah poked the door open, “I brought some clean clothes from your baggage in the hold, and your journal and pen.”
“Thanks. Dump them on the desk, take a seat before you fall down and for goodness sake, tell me what happened.”
“In the morning; something's shouldn't be told in darkness.”
“The sun is coming up.”
“Don't push it Lizzy, I'm knackered. We'll talk when we've all had some sleep. Do you need help getting your dress off?”
“I'm just going to sleep fully dressed. I can't move.”
“You'll ruin it if you do.”
“Fine, I'll ruin a dress I hate anyway.”
Sarah sighed, pulled herself to her feet and left. Lizzy closed her eyes again and tried to sleep.
Chapter 32
Morning, and Alex hammering on the door to her cabin, came all too soon. Lizzy cracked her eyes open, her head full of fluff and eyes like boulders weighing her head down.
“Not so loud.”
“Sorry, are you dressed yet?” He poked his head cautiously around the door.
“I just woke up.”
“Everyone's waiting.”
“Send Sarah to help me dress, I need to get out of this corset.”
“Why didn't you get out of it last night?”
“This morning you mean! I was too tired to move. I'm still too tired to move but you need to tell me what happened yesterday and we have an appointment at the embassy.” Lizzy creaked and cracked as she rolled out of the bunk and stretched, a grimace on her face as the boning of her corsets found new places to poke her.
“I'll send Sarah.” He shut the door and seconds later Sarah arrived. Lizzy was bent over, stretching her cramping back muscles and rolling her stockings down at the same time.
“Well, you've made more progress than last night, I suppose.” Sarah was also tired and grumpy. This picnic, Lizzy decided, was going to be a joy if everyone was exhausted.
Half an hour later, washed and dressed, Lizzy joined the rest in their dining cabin for a quick cup of tea.
“Decided to join us at last?” Harry grumbled.
“Yeah, I thought I'd better. Where's Phil, and Callia?”
Sarah started to sniff as the twins looked away from her. Harry coughed, “Phil's in his cabin.”
“And Callia?”
“She didn't make it back.” Sarah said quietly. She'd lost a colleague and friend in Callia, and the Office had lost one of its best agents.
“Oh.” Lizzy sat down heavily. “What happened?”
“There was a fight, when we went to get Gos, his body, I mean, he was already dead, they'd bashed his head in and stabbed him in the stomach then hung his body in the woods for the carrion birds.” Alex spat. “Phil lost it when we tried to cut Gos down and Callia died defending him from the guards.”
“Did you, did you manage to get their bodies?”
Lawrence nodded, “Just. They're in brandy, in the hold.”
“And the information you got from the villa?”
“It's in my bags, I'll give it straight to father when we get back.”
“I want to see it.”
Alex looked exhausted as he shook his head, he'd been up all night reading the letters and they still haunted him.
“No, Lizzy you don't.” Lawrence lifted his hand to stop her next comment, “I've only read a page or two and you don't want to see them, believe me.”
“What now?” Harry asked quietly.
“We're going home.”
Grief palpable in the air, the group fell into silence, tears still unshed.
“I'll send a message to father as soon as we get to the embassy.” Lizzy gasped suddenly into the silence.
“The coach is waiting for us.” Sarah mumbled.
“We'd better go then.” Alex hauled himself up with a sigh, his whole body arguing against doing anything but going back to his bunk and sleeping. They had work to do though, and as tired as they all were, Alex knew that not completing their mission would be disastrous for their family and island.
The coach barrelled out of the dock gate and on to the main road into the imperial capital, bouncing its exhausted occupants around.
“I thought the embassy had imported a decent carriage?” Lizzy muttered.
“Best springs can't compensate for rubbish road building.” Sarah muttered back. They were both sat back against the carriage walls, cushions under their necks as they tried to make themselves comfortable and nap for the short journey. It wasn't working.
Lizzy grunted and opened her aching eyes to look round at her reduced companions. There was only herself, Sarah, Harry and the twins now. Phil was in deep mourning for his brother, refusing to leave his cabin or eat.
“We're going to have to tell Charley.”
“What? Oh, yeah, one of us will.”
“And we need to send a message to father.”
“I sent a message to the Office last night.” Sarah added.
“New information?”
“We'll do it later.”
They were jolted fully awake as the coach came to a halt.
“We can't be there yet.”
Lizzy looked out of the carriage window.
“We're not, it's an inspection patrol.”
“We should get waved straight through.”
“Well, game faces on just in case.”
There was a knock on the carriage door and then it was opened.
“I say, you there, what is going on; don't you know this is an ambassadorial conveyance. Let us through.” Lawrence drawled at the woman in kilt and tunic, a sword by her hip who glared around their carriage suspiciously.
“Papers please.”
“Oh really.” Alex drew out the e-a in the word and yawned. “Don't you recognise the crest?”
“Papers please.” It seemed to be the only Albonese she had.
“Wretched jobsworths. Don't bother with her. Demand to speak with the commanding officer.”
The woman scowled.
“Papers please.”
“Run along and get your commanding officer, we're important members of the Alboni embassy and you're making us late for a meeting.” Harry repeated exasperated. The twins could draw things out sometimes, but they didn’t have the time. They planned to leave in the next few days and they needed to make arrangements with the Ambassador and their contacts. Sitting in a queue to get into Belenos City was wasting time.
The woman looked ’round the carriage at their pleasantly blank faces and turned on her heel. They heard shouting in the distance and soon a group of men on horses rode up. Lizzy gave a sigh of relief.
“My dear Prince Cthinn-Erthy, what a surprise to see you here.” Lizzy stepped down from their carriage as she spoke. The man with warm brown eyes smiled down at her from his horse. He really did have very lovely legs and that kilt wasn't doing its job effectively. She almost swooned. Sarah, climbed down from the carriage and stood discretely behind her, as she always did.
“Princess Elizabeth. Is there a problem?”
“Yes, we have an important meeting at our Embassy in less than a quarter hour, and this person,” Lizzy waved in the direction of the soldier who had demanded their papers and was stood watching the interaction, “Has importuned us. What is going on?”
“There was an attack on two villas last night, the Sumoast Embassy's summer villa and Lady De Narvel's property. You were not there?”
“No, we had forgotten some of our belongings on the ship and went there. It was so late I stayed on my ship. We're planning to return to the De Narvel villa today, after our appointment at the Embassy. In fact, we were meeting Lady De Narvel and Charley there.”
“I am glad you weren't at the villa; it was rather badly damaged by a firebomb.”
“Oh dear.” Lizzy staggered backwards against Sarah, “And my friends?”
“Are well; the fire brigade arrived just in time, but we didn't catch the attackers.”
“Thank you so much. And do you have any idea as to who they may have been?”
“We can only think it is some group who wishes you harm. I would suggest you stay within the Embassy or on your ship for the rest of your visit.”
“Thank you Your Highness, we probably will, but first we need to get to the embassy.”
“Of course, I will escort your coach.”
“It's very kind of you.” Lizzy smiled up at the prince and climbed back into the carriage. Her flirtatious smile turned to a grin as the door shut behind Sarah.
The Prince was heard instructing his riders to move the carts in the queue out of the way to allow them through and soon they were moving again. The mounted escort rode alongside and in front of their carriage, the Prince by the door. Lizzy drew the curtain back and smiled at him again. The prince smiled back and sat up a little straighter in his saddle. He seemed like a lovely young man; unfortunately, Lizzy was serious in her refusal to marry. It didn't suit her to be bound to one person for so long. The Empire's Laws insisted couples must be married for five years and have at least one legitimate child before a divorce could take place, and Alboni Law only allowed for divorce in the case of adultery or abuse. Neither legal system suited her, she didn't want children, and Albon couldn't afford to pay any sort of recompense if they divorced because she committed adultery.
Within ten minutes they had passed through the crowded city streets and had arrived at the Embassy. Forier was waiting in the courtyard for them as the carriage and its unexpected guard arrived. He was pacing and holding some papers in his left hand as the carriage rolled to a stop and the twins jumped out. Lizzy was helped down and then Sarah, with Harry following up behind.
Chapter 33
“Won't you join us for our picnic, Prince Cthinn-Erthy?” Lizzy stood by his horse's neck, gently patting the animal's fur.
“As much as I would enjoy an hour spent in your company Princess Elizabeth, I must return to my duties. We must find the bandits attacking the villas.”
“Of course, and thank you again for your assistance. I hope we'll see you again soon?”
“I'm sure we will meet again before long.” He bowed over her hand from his saddle and left, leading his men out of the Embassy. Lizzy watched the gates close behind him and nodded to the guards. The gates were locked as she walked towards her friends.
“Now, where were we?”
“Damn woman, you need to stop flirting with him, it'll only cause trouble when we leave.” Alex growled at his cousin.
“He doesn't know we know about the Sumoasti offer, therefore I'm playing along. That's what you told me to do.”
“Yes, we did, but really, Lizzy, now is not the time.”
“Yes, it is, it's the best time. We've got too many enemies and even a slight friend is better than none.”
“Fine, fine, but it isn't going to end well.”
“Look, can you three stop arguing for five minutes, I have news.” Forier waved the pieces of paper at them in frustration. “I went to take the originals back to my contact at the Sumoasti embassy but I couldn't find him. He's not at his lodgings or at his desk.”
“What did you do with the originals?”
“Put them in someone else's desk and walked out after delivering a dinner invitation for next week to their ambassador. I sent a few of my messengers out to the other embassies with invites as well. No doubt they'll all turn up and pretend to like each other for a few hours.”
“If he's 'missing' will he talk?”
“Possibly, but it’s too late. We know about their plans and they can’t afford to admit to planning an assassination. Nor the Empress.””
“Even so, we shouldn't hang around long.”
“Come in and we'll eat. If there's planning to do its best you're here. Charley and her grandmother arrived earlier. They're somewhat shaken up.”
“We heard about the fire; any ideas?”
“Same as the rest of you I suppose, Tarjan.”
“Probably, but we can't prove it, not now.”
“No, we've definitely burnt our bridges on that front.” Lizzy looked up at the embassy roof as a door slammed. She saw a set of six panels flapping in the windless sky. “You have a tower?”
“Yes, why?”
“How quickly can you get a message home?”
“It takes about three days for the message to get to King's Ford and a response to come back. Why?”
“I don't like being out of touch, not with the way things have been going.”
“We're at the end of a long rope, but the rope is still there and it'll hold us.”
“Good.”
Sarah was also watching the flickering boards, “That's the Duke's sign. Something important must be coming through.”
“How, we only sent him the message last night?”
“Must be something else, because that's the code for urgent.” She pointed to the boards as all six turned from black to white and back to black again.
“Damn. Come on, we'll need that message as soon as possible. Conort is in his office with Lady and Miss De Narvel.”
“We'd best join them then.”
“Ah, here you are at last, we were getting worried.” The ambassador lounged on one of the local style couches drinking iced lemonade and eating a bowl of fruit. The ladies, in their soft linen tunics shared a couch across from him and smiled tiredly as their friends arrived.
“What news? Where's Phil?” Charley lifted her hands to Lizzy, who took them and placed a kiss on her wrists, so glad to see her friend safe. Lizzy sat beside her and smiled sadly.
“We had casualties.”
“Callia didn't make it back. And we didn't g
et to Gos in time.” Sarah sighed.
Lizzy looked down into her lap. “We'd have been here earlier but they're stopping and searching everyone coming into the city.”
“We heard about the fire.” Alex bowed to Lady De Narvel, “I hope neither of you were injured.”
“My dear Sir FitzAlboni, it takes more than a ruffian with an oil soaked rag to harm me. The villa took some damage, but nothing we can't repair easily enough and we're going to the summer estate soon, so the work can be done then. I was just telling Lord Conort that I think we'll have to trespass on his hospitality a week at most and then we'll leave early for our summer visit.”
“And I am sure it's no trespass, my dear lady; it's quite refreshing to have a woman of your education and elegance in residence. At least you'll wait until after the Islands Embassy dinner, and honour me by being hostess?”
“How very kind of you Lord Conort, but surely the Princess?” She indicated Lizzy with a tilt of her head.
“Oh no, Lady De Narvel, I couldn't possibly. The way things are, my presence would cause rather too much discussion. I believe we are going to be otherwise engaged by an invitation to the Imperial Theatre that night.”
“Ah yes of course, your engagement to the prince must be forwarded somehow.”
“Something like that.” Harry laughed quietly as he took a seat on the couch beside Forier.
“Lizzy, come and sit here, there isn't enough room on that couch for all three of you.” Sarah commanded quietly.
Lizzy rolled her eyes at Charley and went to sit with Sarah. The twins took the remaining couch. The six seats made a hexagon around an array of small hexagonal tables placed on a blue and turquoise hexagonal rug. Lizzy was beginning to suspect a pattern when she looked upwards. The ceiling was painted with interlocking geometric shapes in a variety of blues and greens.
“We should turn to business now I suppose, since we're all present.”
“Yes, we should.”
“I have the copies of the letter between the Sumoasti Embassy and the Empress.”
“Harry take them for safe keeping. When we get back to the ship put them with the ones we found in the villa.”
Hidden Fire (The FIRE series Book 1) Page 17