Prelude for a Lord by Camille Elliot Read Free Book Online

her violin still in its hiding place? Had the intruder searched beyond the more obvious places? Her panic grew from a simmering to a boiling. She could not lose Calandra’s violin. Its value, both emotional and professional, was undeniable.
    “Alethea!”
    Her aunt’s voice brought her attention back. Alethea followed her into the kitchen.
    Soon all the servants except the butler and the footman had gathered in the kitchen, and Alethea stood against the back wall with Margaret by her side. Aunt Ebena spoke with precision. “An intruder has been through Lady Alethea’s room. Dodd is checking the house to ensure they are gone.” Aunt Ebena had to raise her voice as several people gasped. “Who was last in Lady Alethea’s room?”
    The upper housemaid, Sally, began to tremble violently. “I was, to straighten up. Just before church, ma’am.”
    “Did no one hear anything?” Aunt Ebena said.
    “Most of the servants went to church,” Mrs. Hill said. “Mrs. Dodd and I were here in the kitchen with Miss Margaret.”
    “I made a poultice for Mrs. Hill’s knees.” Mrs. Dodd swiftly inhaled. “I went to the herb garden and noticed some broken branches on the bushes against the back wall, but didn’t think much of it.”
    “I cannot believe it,” Mrs. Hill said, her hand at her chest. “In broad daylight, with us in the house.”
    Aunt Ebena questioned each servant in turn, noticing if anyone hesitated or seemed to recall something.
    “Will we be safe?” Margaret whispered to Alethea.
    Alethea feigned a confidence she was far from feeling. “We shall be quite safe.”
    “Do you have a secret treasure?”
    “What?”
    “You must or someone would not break into the house to search for it.” Margaret’s eyes gleamed. “Is it gold? Jewels? Maybe a cursed pirate’s treasure?”
    “If I had a pirate’s treasure, cursed or not, I would be on my ship, sailing the high seas, rather than taking you for dress fittings at the seamstress.”
    “I would too. And I wouldn’t need dresses because I’d be in man’s breeches and wielding my deadly sword.”
    Dodd and the footman returned now, confirming the intruder was no longer in the house. The room exhaled as one, and Alethea squeezed Margaret’s shoulders.
    Aunt Ebena went to Alethea. “Go and see what has been taken,” she said.
    “May I come?” Margaret asked.
    “I am going to clean my room, not go to Astley’s Circus,” Alethea said dryly.
    At the word clean , Margaret’s enthusiasm dimmed a trifle, but she quickly said, “I still want to come.”
    Since it would keep her out of Aunt Ebena’s way, Alethea nodded and headed upstairs.
    The sight of the room caused nausea to rise up in Alethea’s stomach, but she stood in the doorway and took quick, shallow breaths.
    “A biscuit helps,” Margaret said.
    “What?”

    “I would steal a biscuit from the kitchen before I had to clean my room.”
    “I have no need for you to steal a biscuit for me,” Alethea said. “And for your information, asking Mrs. Dodd politely will usually accomplish the trick as opposed to raiding her larder.”
    “Oh,” Margaret said. “Our cook was not so nice.”
    Alethea took a deeper breath and plunged into the fray. She first went to her trunk to ascertain her violin was still in its hiding place and breathed a sigh of relief.
    It was not so terrible a mess once Alethea picked up her clothes from the floor. She shared Aunt Ebena’s lady’s maid, so she set aside the clothing she would give to the maid to be washed, pressed, or mended. Gradually she realized Margaret was depositing various items into the wardrobe willy-nilly.
    “What are you doing?” Alethea said.
    Margaret froze. “Helping?”
    “Why did you put my hairbrush into the wardrobe?”
    Margaret looked into the wardrobe at the pile of random items, then back at Alethea. “It was on the floor.”
    “So why not place it on the dressing table?”
    Margaret looked at the dressing table. “I’ll put