The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1) - Richelle Mead Page 0,16

could apply to half the girls in the city. The vaguer, the better.

“Well, we’ve got a Sirminican, a laundress, and a housemaid,” said Jasper. “If the reward’s big enough and you want to pass one of them off as a countess, be my guest, but I assure you, we’ve seen where they come from. Hardly posh conditions . . . although, Cedric, weren’t you in some noble’s house today? Isn’t that where you got Adelaide? Did you hear anything?”

The first guard’s gaze locked onto Cedric. “Sir? Where were you?”

Cedric had been staring straight ahead this whole time, perhaps hoping a lack of eye contact would render him invisible.

“Sir?” prompted the guard.

The world seemed to move in slow motion, and all I could hear for several moments was the hammering of my own heart. I was reminded of that precipice again, only now I was losing my footing. All it would take was one word from Cedric, one word to get me hauled back to my grandmother and Lionel. I didn’t doubt Cedric was clever enough to spin the situation to make himself sound innocent. And for all I knew, Cedric might think collecting a reward now was easier than earning a commission in Adoria.

Cedric took a deep breath, and as if putting on a mask, he became the swaggering young man from before. “I saw Lord John Branson,” he said. He nodded toward me. “She was mending some fine lady’s clothes at his house when I retrieved her, though. Does that count?”

“This is hardly a joking matter,” snapped the guard. But I could tell he was already losing interest in us, ready to move on. There were probably a lot of travelers trying to leave before curfew, and they didn’t want to be delayed by one unlikely carriage. A runaway noblewoman would be skulking out, not sitting with reputable businessmen.

“You can go,” said the other guard. “Thank you for your time.”

Cedric, still putting on a good face, smiled back. “Not a problem. I hope you find her.”

The door closed, and the carriage started forward, finally moving at a steady pace now that we’d cleared the stops and starts of the city. I exhaled, all the tension melting out of me as I sank into the seat. I dared a brief glance at Cedric but couldn’t read his expression or intentions. All I could hope was that maybe, finally, I’d be free.

Chapter 4

The journey took all night, and I drifted in and out of sleep. My body wanted rest, but my mind was too keyed up, fearful I’d hear horses and angry shouts behind us. But the night passed uneventfully, the rocking of the carriage lulling me into more of a calm daze than a true sleep. I came fully awake when I heard Jasper say, “Ah, here we are.” The carriage’s steady gait began to slow, and I lifted my head, startled and embarrassed to realize I’d been resting it on Cedric’s shoulder. His cologne smelled like vetiver.

My companions’ reactions were mixed. Tamsin’s face was eager, ready to take on this new adventure and seize what she saw as her destiny. Mira was more apprehensive, wearing the expression of one who had seen much and knew better than to trust initial appearances.

Jasper helped each of us out of the carriage, and as I waited my turn, I had a momentary flash of panic at what I might find. I’d gone to a great deal of trouble last night, striving for a destination grounded more in my own fantasies than any fact. Cedric had wooed me with his pitch to Ada, but there was a very real chance I was about to walk into a situation far worse than a life of barley with Lionel. I could be walking into a life of sordidness and danger.

Jasper took my hand, and I got my first good look at Blue Spring Manor. To my immediate relief, it looked neither sordid nor dangerous on the outside. Blue Spring Manor was a country estate, set out among the moors with no village or other community in sight. No one searching for me would casually pass by. It wasn’t quite as big as some of my family’s former holdings, but it was still old and impressive. The morning sun rose just beyond its roof, illuminating Tamsin and Mira’s awestruck faces.

A middle-aged woman dressed all in black met us at the door. “Well, here they are, the last of them. I was worried they weren’t going to