Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel Read Free Book Online

her mother. Even if he might possibly know which corner of the earth her father had taken himself to.
    These thoughts formed a comforting buttress against the night’s fears, allowing me to bear the ritual of being dressed with patience. The upstairs maid efficiently laced me into a plain yellow morning dress with relatively few petticoats and a relatively loose corset. A cap with a lace ruffle covered my hair, and a cream silk housecoat would keep me from any drafts. A pair of simple earrings and a quick pat of powder, and I could make my way downstairs to the breakfast room. Olivia would already be there, of that I was certain. I’d have to decide how much to tell her. I couldn’t face the possibility of actively lying to my dearest friend and cousin. I’d even tucked Mr. Tinderflint’s card into my sleeve to show her. But did I need to tell her the whole truth? Yes, yes, I did. I had to tell someone, and Olivia would take my part, even if no one else did.
    But I never reached the breakfast room. The maid, Dolcy, was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.
    “You’re wanted in the book room, Miss Fitzroy. At once.”
    Lord Sandford must have sent his letter shortly after daybreak. My brief betrothal was finished. The movement of the breakfast room door caught my eye, and I saw Olivia peering out, with at least three of the dogs struggling to escape around her skirts. I shook my head at her. It was better to get this over with. I could tell Olivia the whole story in one great lump then. I handed the maid my wrapper and proceeded down the hall to the book room. My uncle would rage and banish me to Norwich. I could bear it, and the sooner it happened, the sooner Olivia would be able to help me come back.
    This was how I consoled myself as I knocked on the door. There was a grunt of acknowledgment from the other side, and I entered.
    And froze in place, as stunned as if I had been slapped.
    Uncle Pierpont was not behind his desk. The great ledger was closed, and the papers were scattered from their usual sturdy piles. My uncle stood at the window, his hands clasped tightly behind his back and his eyes swollen near out of their sockets with rage. Neither was he alone. Another man, dressed in a coat of russet broadcloth, white velvet breeches, and silver-buckled shoes, sat in the chair by the hearth. One gloved hand lay on his knee, and a smile of cold satisfaction rested on his broad, hateful lips.
    “Good morning, Miss Fitzroy,” said Sebastian Sandford.

CHAPTER SIX

T HE WORST HAPPENS.
    Fear hit me first, but anger followed fast on its heels. Anger cleared sight and sense and lent me the strength to turn my back and to spit out my next words to my uncle.
    “What is he doing here?”
    “
He
is waiting for your apology,” declared Sebastian from behind me.
    “
What?
” I swung around.
    Sebastian’s smile did not so much as waver. “It was with great reluctance that I felt I had to come speak to your uncle about your shocking behavior.” Sebastian gestured languidly toward Uncle Pierpont. “But as you are still young and somewhat untutored in these matters, I am willing to overlook the incident, provided I receive an apology and your promise that you’ll never behave in such a fashion again.”
    As Sebastian spoke, the entire room seemed to take on a scarlet tinge. I remembered each one of his pinches and his sharp-toothed grin as he held me down. The bruises on my wrists and my legs seemed to burn with their own fury. “You’ll accept
my
apology, will you? When
you’re
the one—”
    Sebastian’s eyes slid sideways. My uncle was close behind me. I could feel him there as if he were a fire burning at my back. My mouth shut tight. Sebastian settled more deeply into his chair.
    “To answer your question, Miss Fitzroy, yes, I will accept your apology. I would be most grieved to have to tell my father, Lord Sanford, that you and I cannot agree.”
    What he should be doing was thanking Heaven there were no