“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.”
“It wasn’t like it was a commodity they had lying around. It was their home. When they made the treaty, where were they supposed to go?”
“We didn’t take all their lands,” he said. “They had plenty left.”
I’d seen the maps in my studies. “Plenty” was an overly optimistic way to describe it.
“And,” he continued, “they can always move over to the western tribes’ territory.”
“Won’t that cause friction with those tribes?” I asked.
“Not our problem. We’re the conquerors.”
I opened my mouth to protest and then thought better of it. It had been this way for the last week, during which I’d had three visits with Warren—two public and one private. He wasn’t exactly offensive, but there were a number of times I’d had to bite my tongue, lest I counter his opinions. Be charming, Cedric had advised me. Give him no reason to suspect anything.
“How wonderful,” I said, switching to something less controversial. “To have all that gold.”
Warren nodded eagerly. “Yes. It’s practically just lying around, waiting for anyone to take. We’ve got too few men to help get it out, but I think once we put the call out, and I arrive with a more established presence, settlers are going to flock to it.” He regarded me meaningfully. “I’m leaving in two weeks.”
I knew that. He reminded me of it every time we were together. Putting him off this long had saved me from a wedding before his departure, but I knew he and Viola were hoping to have a marriage contract sealed before then. My friendliness this week might have bought me some time, but soon, the Doyles were going to demand more.