I climbed into the transport and programmed in the destination. As the vehicle lifted off, I sank deeper into my public persona. Evelyn was just as shrewd as her mother, Anne, the matriarch of House Rockhurst. I needed to be on my game.
The transport settled outside the tea shop with nearly ten minutes to spare. The shop was bustling, filled with sharp-eyed men and women who were doing a poor job of disguising their true purpose.
And standing between me and the shop was Ian Bishop. His face was a hard mask of anger, and despite his seemingly casual stance, I could see the tension in his body.
With nothing to do but brazen it out, I exited the transport. “Hello, Director Bishop. I suppose half of those patrons are ours?”
His eyes narrowed. His voice came out low and harsh. “I had to scramble to get people here to protect you when they should be out looking for your brother and that’s all you have to say?”
I retreated behind the icy facade of my training, where his words couldn’t cut like blades. “I do not remember asking for your help, Director Bishop. I have the situation well in hand. And stay out of my correspondence.”
I’d sent the message to Evelyn through my normal House account because I hadn’t really thought she would respond. I knew that account was under surveillance, but I had expected Ian to be busy enough with other things to miss the message. I should’ve known better.
“You are not to go anywhere with Lady Evelyn,” Ian said. “Stay in my sight at all times. I have people outside as well. If things go sideways, hit the floor and stay there. I will come to you.”
“I do not need your help,” I reiterated. “I will speak to Lady Evelyn—alone—and find out if she knows anything about Ferdinand’s disappearance. Stay out of my way.”
I moved to sweep past him, but Ian caught my arm. His grip was gentle, but I could feel the steel strength of his fingers. I stopped abruptly, then cursed myself for the weakness. I refused to meet Ian’s gaze and the speculation I knew I’d find there.
“I am trying to keep you safe. Do not do anything reckless, Lady Bianca,” Ian said softly.
I glanced up at him. “I am never reckless,” I said. These days, it wasn’t even a lie, though that hadn’t always been the case.
Ian raised his eyebrows but didn’t contradict my statement. He leaned in close. “Lady Evelyn is already here,” he murmured into my ear. “I don’t think a single person in the shop is just a customer, so be careful. I’d prefer not to have a battle in the middle of Serenity.”
“I will see what I can do.”
Inside the shop, the roomful of people watched me out of the corner of their eyes as I made my way to Evelyn’s table. Situated in the middle of the shop, it had a three-meter circle of clear space around it.
Evelyn stood with a polite smile. In her early thirties, with strong features and a slimly muscular build, she favored her father more than her mother, though she had the trademark Rockhurst blond hair and blue eyes. Even with the added height from my heels, she topped me by several centimeters.
Her makeup didn’t quite hide the dark circles under her eyes. Her brow was lined with worry, and she looked like she hadn’t slept much last night. The question was why.
Evelyn didn’t offer a hand to shake. Instead, she waved me to a seat. A silencer already sat on the table and I could tell it was working by the silence in my head. However, it would be remiss of me to trust her technology.
“If you don’t mind,” I said, as I slipped my own silencer from my purse. At her nod, I clicked it on and placed it on the table. I met her direct stare. “Do you prefer the diplomatic route or shall we cut the bullshit?” I asked pleasantly.
She blinked, but that was the only sign of her surprise. I’d dealt with her a few times and regarded her more highly than her mother, but I didn’t have a real feel for her personality. My opening was a test as much as anything.
Evelyn grinned and it seemed far more genuine than the polite smile she’d worn earlier. “Let’s cut the bullshit. As far as I know, we didn’t attack you, and we don’t have Ferdinand,” she said.
“And would you know if someone in House Rockhurst had orchestrated the attack, even if it was Lady Rockhurst herself?”
“Yes,” she said with complete conviction. “I can’t speak for every soldier under our command, but no orders came from House leadership.”
“Could it have been Richard? Some sort of payback for Ada?” My sister had made a fool of him when she’d stolen his prototype ship. And Richard Rockhurst did not seem like the type to forgive and forget.
Evelyn let a tiny grimace slip through her mask. “Richard thought that he was helping the House avoid war by pursuing Ada. Mother showed him the error of his ways,” she said, her voice flat. “He is not in any position to scheme.”
Her tone indicated that she didn’t agree with whatever Lady Rockhurst had done. I filed away that tidbit of information. There was dissent in the ranks of House Rockhurst.
“You do realize it’s highly suspicious that Ferdinand disappeared on the night he was meeting with you, right?” I asked.
She inclined her head. “It is the reason I agreed to meet with you.” She paused, then continued, “You are not what I expected, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Why were you meeting with Ferdinand?” I asked.
The pause was longer this time. Her eyes seemed to take my measure, but her expression didn’t give away anything of her thoughts. I sat patiently, but internally I wanted to shake her and demand answers.
Finally, she reached for her purse. I felt the entire room tense, and I could practically feel Ian’s eyes burning a hole in my back. She smiled slyly, then slowly pulled a handheld fabric fan from the bag. She snapped it open and waved it lazily in front of her face, obscuring her mouth.
Whatever she was going to say, she didn’t want anyone to be able to read it from her lips.
Very quietly, she asked, “Do you trust your brother?”
“Absolutely,” I said.
“More than your father?”
It was my turn to pause, to weigh the impact of a true answer. “Yes,” I said at last. I didn’t elaborate, but I trusted all of my siblings far, far more than I trusted my father.
“Ferdinand and I have been dating for nearly a year,” Evelyn said.
I could hardly believe that my serious, dutiful eldest brother had done something as rebellious as dating the heir of a rival House in secret, but she seemed sincere. I smiled. Good for him.
Evelyn continued, “As you can imagine, the war made things difficult. We hadn’t met in weeks. Last night was supposed to be our reunion.” She paused again before she said, “And we were going to discuss the best way to end the conflict.”
She lobbed that bombshell at me without any warning, so only my training prevented my mouth from dropping open in surprise. “How?”
Evelyn’s expression was full of regret. “I’m sorry. I know Ferdinand trusts you, but I cannot, not that far.”
I dipped my head in acknowledgment. “Do you have any proof?”
She waved the fan closer to her mouth. “Swear to me that you won’t tell your father or my mother,” she said. “I don’t need an accident in my future on top of everything else.”