Charles rose from the table, straightening his jacket. He was as clueless as the rest of us, but he knew there had to be a reason Mistress Culpepper had admitted a guest at this hour. “May I help you, sir?”

The stranger gave a curt nod. “My name is Silas Garrett. I’m with the McGraw Agency.”

If anyone had thought this would be a boring morning, those notions were quickly shut down. The McGraw Agency was a group based out of Osfro who investigated all sorts of matters for those who could pay well enough. Technically, they were an independent organization, but we all knew they had royal authority to enforce the law. Their agents were notoriously ruthless and determined in their missions, going to great lengths—covert or overt—to achieve their goals. They investigated everything from infidelity among minor nobles to espionage for the king. There had been rumors of them being active in the New World, but no one knew for what, or who had employed them.

Jasper strolled up beside his brother. “My goodness. We rarely entertain gentlemen of such standing. I don’t suppose you’re looking for a wife?”

Silas Garrett didn’t crack a smile. “No, but I’m here looking for a woman.”

I don’t know how I knew then, but suddenly, I just did. My whole body stiffened, and I felt Cedric’s hand clasp mine under the table. I didn’t dare look at him, but I understood the message: Stay calm.

“I’m here on undisclosed business of my own, but I have a colleague up in Archerwood who was hired last summer to investigate the possibility that a runaway noblewoman had fled here from Osfrid,” Silas explained. “He’s had little luck—not surprising since Adoria’s such a big place, and he had no real clues about which colony she might have gone to.”

“Understandable,” said Charles. “Forgive me, but what does that have to do with us?”

Silas glanced between Charles and Jasper with hard eyes. “Well, I was recently given a tip that the lady in question might very well be in Cape Triumph—and that your household might have information about her whereabouts.”

“Us?” asked Charles. “How in the world would we know anything about a missing woman?”

“A noblewoman,” corrected Silas. “Lady Witmore, Countess of Rothford.”

Cedric’s hand tightened its grip.

“Countess . . .” Jasper’s brow knitted into a frown. “You don’t mean that business that stopped us in Osfro that night?”

“What night?” demanded Silas.

“Cedric and I were bringing a group of girls out last spring. They were stopping everyone at the city gates. We were searched and sent on our way.” Jasper glanced at his son. “You remember that, don’t you?”

Cedric nodded, wearing the open expression of someone who was simply pleasantly curious. “I do. It was causing quite a stir. Why’s it coming up again?”

“As I said, we received a tip that there might be some lead on the lady here in your household.” Silas glanced around those of us gathered at the table. “You have a great many girls here—the same age as Lady Witmore.”

Jasper’s smile stiffened, but only a little. “Yes, we do. Just as we do every year. It’s our business, Mister Garrett. We bring girls of marriageable age here from Osfrid. I can’t help it if your countess is the same age.”

“How would you even expect to find her?” asked Charles. “Surely you aren’t going to go blindly accusing my girls.”

“No, sir. I wouldn’t dream of it. I’m merely following up on this lead and will send a letter to my colleague up north. All I know is that the lady has brown hair. He has a small portrait.” Silas’s manner was perfectly polite, but I saw his gaze linger briefly on every brown-haired girl at the table, including me. It was a relief that there were three others. “If he comes here, I’m sure he’ll bring it to confirm her identity. Can you verify that all of these girls come from the places they say?”

“These girls are from common backgrounds,” said Jasper. “Illiterate laborers don’t exactly keep extensive paperwork on their daughters. But I can tell you either my son or I saw the households each one came from. No countesses.”

“If we did have one,” quipped Cedric, “we could certainly charge a lot more.”

Silas turned his stare on Cedric, clearly not appreciating the joke. I could tell Cedric was going out of his way to be relaxed and affable, so as not to appear suspicious. But he would have been better off imitating his father and uncle, who were polite but both somewhat affronted.

“Mister Garrett,” said Jasper. “I respect what you do—I really do. But we already went through this in Osfro a year ago. I don’t know what it is that causes the eye of suspicion to keep falling on us, but please, until you have something more concrete than a ‘tip,’ I’d thank you to remember we’re trying to run a respectable business.”

“Of course,” said Silas, turning toward the doorway. “I’ll most certainly be back if I know more.”

“Before you go,” called Cedric. “I’m terribly curious about where you got this tip.”

“Anonymous,” said Silas. “Showed up late last night.”

It was hard to keep my panic down until Cedric and I caught a quick moment alone later in the day, just before some suitors were coming for afternoon tea.

“His partner has a portrait!” I hissed. “No doubt supplied by my grandmother when she hired him to come to Adoria.”

Cedric’s face was grim. “And Mister Garrett’s ‘tip’ was most certainly from the Doyles.”

“Viola. Warren still seems so . . . I don’t know. Hapless. She suggested that I might become ‘motivated’ to pay more attention to him.”

“And thus the motivation is possible exposure and capture— assuming you don’t get married first.”

I briefly closed my eyes. “And no doubt she’s hoping I’ll panic and use Warren for the marriage that will save me.”

“No.” Cedric stepped toward me and held my hands, a dangerous gesture when anyone in the house might walk right into this parlor. “I told you before, you won’t be forced to do that. We’ll get things settled with Nicholas Adelton and get them settled quickly. But while we do . . .”

I eyed him carefully. Tenderness filled his face, but I could tell there was something he was hesitant to tell me. “Yes?” I prompted.

“We’re going to need to make sure the Doyles don’t take any more action. We need to pacify them.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Adelaide. But you’re going to have to make it look like you want him.”

Chapter 18

“The Icori didn’t know Hadisen had so many gold deposits. But why would they? They’re savages. They don’t mine. They don’t have the technology for it. It’s a wonder they ever got across the sea. So we got a deal on it in the treaty.”

Warren looked at me expectantly, and I mustered what I hoped was an impressed smile. “Was it really for sale, exactly?” I asked. “I mean, it was where they lived.”

He frowned. “I don’t understand what you’re asking.”