“Come, come, dear Ally,” Sir Oswald continued. “You must tell me all about how your enchanting mother is faring these days. You clearly inherited her beauty—that much is evident. Too many years have passed since I last saw her…”
Sir Oswald went on to share a memory that included a chicken, a tea set and a thunderstorm, but Alex wasn’t paying much attention to his words. She was trying to figure out if she should start laughing or just shake her head in astonishment. She would have to remember to thank Hunter later… Or not, depending on how the rest of the evening played out.
“—and so, really, I have your mother to thank for setting me up with my darling wife. Oh, how dearly I miss my beloved Bryonie.”
Alex had no idea what to say, so she patted him consolingly on the hand that still held her own.
“You’re such a lovely girl,” he told her. “Kind and caring, just like your mother.”
She managed to plaster an embarrassed smile on her face. “That’s very sweet of you, Sir Oswald.”
“Come along, my dear,” he said, taking her arm. “I want you to meet some of my acquaintances. Although, I daresay you will have been introduced to many already, given your mother’s commendably active role in society.”
“I’d be delighted to,” Alex said, but her fear spiked as she tried to figure out how to move her plan along and not get stuck talking with people Larissa’s ‘daughter’ should already know.
“Sir,” called a guard, stopping them from going any further. “Please allow me to scan the young woman’s ID before you continue.”
“That’s unnecessary, Quinn. Ally is no intruder,” Sir Oswald said.
“All the same, sir, for your guests’ piece of mind, I ask you to permit me to check,” the guard insisted.
“Be quick about it, then,” Sir Oswald said, clearly unimpressed.
“Your identification tag please, Miss,” the guard said to Alex, holding out his hand.
“Of course,” she said, brushing her hand along her side and frowning in mock-confusion. “I had it pinned to my dress right here. It was there just before… when—Oh! I must have left it in the bathroom. I took it off when I went to powder my nose.”
Alex held out the compact container of makeup that remained grasped in her hand as if to verify her words. At least she hadn’t dropped it in her fall down the stairs.
“Miss, you’ll have to come with me,” the guard said in a no-nonsense tone.
“Come now, Quinn,” Sir Oswald said. “I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding. Why don’t we both escort Ally back to the bathroom so she can retrieve her ID and ease your fears.”
“Sir, I’d prefer it if you would remain here with your guests,” the guard said.
“Fortunately for me, I don’t take orders from you,” Sir Oswald replied firmly.
“Your guest of honour will be arriving shortly,” the guard said.
“And if you cease stalling, then we’ll all be back in time to greet him,” Sir Oswald returned. “Now, lead the way, Quinn.”
Quinn must have realised he wasn’t going to separate Alex from the party’s host, so he abruptly turned and led the way up the staircase. When they reached the top and began along the hallway, Alex had to quickly modify her original plan. Sir Oswald was exactly where she wanted him to be but she hadn’t counted on an armed escort. She just had to hope Skyla was in position and not still reading stories to Benjamin.
When Quinn opened the door and stepped into the bathroom, Alex felt some of the tension leave her body at the sight of the pillow resting on the bench beside the powder brush she’d left there. Skyla was ready and waiting, which meant that their plan just might work.
“It’s over there,” Alex said, pointing to the bench.
Quinn asked Sir Oswald to remain in the doorway and the host grudgingly agreed, ordering the guard to hurry up.
Alex stepped over to the bench. Her armed escort remained a few feet behind her, but she needed him to be closer.
“Oh, look, I left my powder brush here, too,” she said. “Silly me.”
She giggled as if it was the funniest thing in the world as she reached for the pillow.
“I see the brush, Miss,” Quinn said. “But I don’t see your ID.”
“It’s right here,” Alex said, gesturing for him to step closer.
He looked at her with narrowed eyes and raised his Stabiliser, edging forward.
Alex’s heart thudded in her chest and she prayed that the relaxant would be as fast-acting as it had been with Pip. She stepped towards the guard and deliberately staggered sideways, collapsing onto the ground at his feet.
“Ally?” Sir Oswald called from where he stood at the doorway to the bathroom. He made to move towards her but the guard held up a warning hand, so Sir Oswald remained where he was but in an irritated voice, he ordered, “Quinn, help her.”
“Miss?” the guard said cautiously, kneeling down in front of her.
“I guess I’m still a bit dizzy,” Alex admitted sheepishly. “These heels aren’t helping, either. Would you please help me up?”
Quinn hesitated for a moment before he lowered his Stabiliser and reached for Alex with his free hand. She latched on and yanked him closer, causing him to overbalance and stumble forward. It was the perfect position for her to shove the pillow into his startled face.
“What—”
His eyes glazed over before he could manage a second muffled word, but she kept the pillow pressed against his face for a few more moments to be sure he was mentally out of it.
“Ally, what are you—”
Alex didn’t pause to think as she grabbed Quinn’s fallen Stabiliser and aimed it at Sir Oswald, pulling the trigger. A blast of light hit him in the chest and he crumpled to the floor where, if Kaiden was right, he would remain unconscious for the next ten minutes.
She stared in shock at what she’d done, but she didn’t have the chance to feel guilty because Quinn chose that moment to collapse on top of her. The increased contact with the relaxant had not just sedated him, it seemed to have knocked him unconscious. Alex grunted with the strain of his weight and slid him off her and onto the floor. She then stood and moved over to the doorway to drag Sir Oswald into the bathroom so that he lay beside his guard.
“Skyla? Are you in here?” Alex called.
The door to the toilet opened and a white-faced Skyla stumbled out.
“Do you know how many bathrooms there are on this floor?” she asked hysterically. “Five. Five bathrooms! It’s a good thing no one picked up your powder brush, because otherwise I never would have known where to meet you!”
“You did great, Skyla,” Alex said. “But we have to hurry before they wake up or someone comes looking for them. We don’t have much time.”
“All right, all right,” Skyla huffed. “You get his clothes.”
Alex grimaced as she removed Sir Oswald’s jacket, tie, vest, dress shirt, trousers and shoes. She left him in his underclothes, but she still felt uncomfortable at having to undress him at all.
“Here.” She handed the clothes to Skyla who transformed so quickly that Alex blinked and said, “Whoa. That was fast.”