Sebastian—Bas, as he was known to his sister-in-law—didn’t look at Eliza. He looked directly at Hollis and frowned darkly.
Hollis guiltily avoided his gaze. What was she supposed to have done? Pretend she hadn’t heard what the two gentlemen at the London Library had said? Was she to be blamed when men of all ilk would speak of frank matters when she was within earshot, as if they assumed she was either an imbecile or invisible? As if she couldn’t possibly make sense of words likecoup d’étatorrebellion?Well, she’d heard the gentlemen very plainly, and she’d made perfect sense of those words. She’d gone to the library, determined to speak to Mr. Shoreham. But the wordWesloriahad caught her attention, and she’d looked back at the two gentlemen who’d been standing on the walk. One of them said he’d heard rumors of rebellion brewing in Wesloria.
“A coup?” his companion had asked.
“Perhaps,” the other one had said. “The Weslorian economy is in shambles—it’s hardly a surprise. It’s been speculated for years.”
“Does the queen or the prime minister know?”
“The PM said himself that a rebellion could happen here, as King Maksim is unable to defend himself as robustly as he might in St. Edys.”
St. Edys, Hollis knew, was the capital of Wesloria.
“It’s all conjecture, but we’ve assigned more guards to the Weslorian... Excuse me, madam, are you lost?”
One of them had finally noticed Hollis, standing not two feet from them. “Pardon?” she’d said, and then had turned and walked into the library.
Ofcourseshe’d told Eliza what she’d heard. Sebastian and Leopold, having heard the tale from Eliza, assumed Hollis had misunderstood.
“You mustn’t worry, Eliza,” Leopold said. “Whatever talk there is concerns the Weslorians, and frankly, none of it can be believed.” And then he, too, cast an accusing look at Hollis.
“But it’s happened before,” Eliza insisted, again repeating something Hollis had told her. She leaned forward and whispered loudly, “King Maksim’s firstborn was kidnapped and murdered in the course of a failed rebellion.”
Caroline gasped. Sebastian and Leopold again turned twin looks of exasperation on Hollis. Beck sighed wearily, as if Hollis had been taxing him all day. “Well, now you’ve done it,” he muttered.
All right, allright,perhaps it hadn’t been entirely necessary to tell her sisterthatpart. But Hollis had read the whole, terrible account at the London Library. She’d studied the long and bloody histories of Wesloria and Alucia, because there was no lighter reading material to be had at the library, and because her sister would one day be queen of Alucia. God save Eliza, poor thing. It was one thing to enjoy the spoils of royalty, but quite another to have to shoulderallthe trappings of a monarchy. Like this conflict between Alucia and Wesloria. It was true—the firstborn child and heir to King Maksim of Wesloria had been kidnapped at the age of eight months. Taken from his cradle, for God’s sake, by rebels who meant to use him to force the king to abdicate. But the rebels were killed and the child was never seen again. Hollis read that the queen died of grief.
No one was ever certain who was behind the rebellion. One theory suggested Alucia might have had something to do with the kidnapping and murder, which only added to the tensions between the two countries. Another theory posited it had to be someone inside the palace, someone close to the king.
The most plausible theory, at least to Hollis, was the one that laid the blame at the feet of Felix Oberon, the exiled half brother of King Karl of Alucia. Prince Sebastian and Prince Leopold’s uncle had been cast out of Alucia many years ago for plotting an overthrow of their father, King Karl. Oberon had constructed the plot to kidnap Sebastian two years ago, as well. It seemed perfectly reasonable to Hollis to suspect him of kidnapping the poor royal baby.
Whoever had done it, Hollis had not told Eliza that story to alarm her. The reason she’d told her at all was that when the Weslorian king remarried a few years after the death of his wife, and Queen Agnes bore their first child, the Princess Justine, the Weslorian parliament had changed the rules of succession so that King Maksim’s oldest daughter could inherit the throne in the event a son was born after her. Herpointhad been that Cecelia could one day be queen if Eliza pressed Sebastian now to see that the same law of succession was passed in Alucia. What if Eliza had a slew of sons after Cecelia? It was only fair that the little darling be allowed her rightful place on a throne.
“Eliza, my love, Cecelia is perfectly safe here,” the duke said, slanting a look at Hollis that brooked no argument. “She is in a palace, surrounded by guards and nurses. It would take an army to penetrate these walls. And besides, it’s time for her supper.” He took his daughter from Eliza’s arms, pausing to allow Eliza to kiss the baby’s cheek over and over until Cecelia pushed her away. The duke kissed the top of Cecelia’s head, then handed the baby to the nurse and signaled for the nurse to go.
Eliza looked helplessly at Hollis. Hollis winced apologetically as she looped her arm through Eliza’s. “She’ll befine.”
But Eliza didn’t look convinced, and really, neither was Hollis.
“Shall we?” Sebastian said, and nodded to the head butler.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Eliza,” Hollis said softly as everyone began to queue to enter the adjoining stateroom. “I only meant to help.”
“How is that helpful?” Caroline asked.
“Caro,” Prince Leopold said, and beckoned for her. Caroline frowned at Hollis, then moved to join her husband.
“Don’t listen to them, Hollis,” Eliza said. “You were right to warn me that Cecelia could be kidnapped.”
“That wasn’t... That was not what I...” Lord, look what she’d done. Hollis sighed. It hardly mattered what she’d meant—everyone was cross with her as it was.
“Well,” Eliza said, and paused to check that her tiara was straight on her head. “Do you think we’ll be treated to the queen’s favorite lemon sponge cake? Lady Sutherland has said it’s the best confection she’s ever tasted.”
“Eliza?” her husband said, reaching a hand for her.
“I hope so, but I think I would prefer a sandwich or two,” Hollis said. “I’m famished,” she added as Eliza moved to join her husband at the head of the procession.
Beck took his place next to Hollis. “What is the matter with you and all this talk of rebellion and kidnapping?”
