4. Chapter 4
Sydney brought over a mug of steaming apple cider and I sank into a chair. “Why would someone want to kill me?”
I sipped the cider, reveling in the warmth of the liquid as it slid down my throat, and wrapped my shaking hands around the mug to soak in more of the heat.
Charles rubbed his chin. “I don’t know. But please tell me you’ll agree to go to Paris, at least until the police catch the killer.”
“Absolutely not. I’m on the verge of making a name for myself and achieving financial independence. I just got a design job and Lady Catherine expressed interest in my services. If I run away now, I’ll have to start all over again.”
He shook his head. “I’ll feel better if you leave until we determine it’s safe for you to come back. I’ll open a new expense account—you can do some shopping and see some sights.”
No. Louisa had tried to kill Elizabeth because she thought she needed to take care of me.
Charles meant well, but knowing he didn’t believe I could manage on my own made my stomach churn.
It was bad enough that I had to crash at his house while I got back on my feet—I didn’t want him doing anything else for me.
I rested one hand on his arm. “I’ll be safe here with you. You provide security services to high-profile clients, including the prince, so I’d say your house is safe enough for me.”
“It wasn’t today. And I can’t divert my attention to protecting you right now.”
“What if we got her a bodyguard?” Sydney asked.
Charles nodded slowly. “That would work.”
I wasn’t ready to voice my complicated feelings about Charles helping me, so I told a half-truth. “No thanks. I don’t want one of your somber, cranky guys following me around all the time.”
“Then you have to go to Paris.”
Sidney steepled her hands. “How about we meet in the middle? Caroline, If you can tolerate having one of Charles’s men watch over you tonight, I can get someone for you by tomorrow morning.”
They looked to me for confirmation. “I’ll stay here and hire my own protection. Thanks, Sydney.”
“If that’s what you want, Caroline,” Charles said. It was a testament to how capable Charles knew Sydney to be that he was willing to let her handle a matter of security.
“I’ll get everything lined up for tomorrow morning. Goodnight,” Sydney said.
“Goodnight. I turned back to my brother. “Are the police done with the crime scene?”
“Yes. They’ve already taken the body away and photographed everything.” He picked up his phone, no doubt he had a lot to do.
I felt a little guilty at the relief I felt that I wouldn’t see the body. It was tragic that somebody had been killed, and I was sorry for her, even though we didn’t know who she was or why she had glamoured herself to look like me. Or had she?
“Wait, she still looked exactly like me after she died?”
He set his phone back down and gave me his full attention. “Yes, why?”
“That means she didn’t glamour herself. If she had done it, the magic would have faded when she died. Someone else had to have glamoured her.”
Charles rubbed his chin. “You’re right, I hadn’t even thought of that. Good catch, Caroline. Darcy is on his way, so I’m going to wait for him. Want to keep me company?”
My cheeks burned. I hadn’t spoken to Darcy since Louisa tried to murder his…
what was Elizabeth to him? His friend? I needed to explain to him that I had nothing to do with Louisa’s plan.
It shouldn’t be hard to explain that my childish crush on him was in the past, but the thought of having that conversation with him made me want to throw up.
“No, I want to check out the breakfast room I designed and make sure the murder didn’t ruin anything.”
I wasn’t actually concerned about the state of the room, but I didn’t want Charles to know that.
If he knew I wanted to investigate the murder, he would try to stop me.
But this was not something I could sit back and let him handle.
I would go crazy from looking over my shoulder all the time, wondering if the killer would strike again.
And I owed it to the girl who’d died in my place to bring her killer to justice.
Charles gave me a quick hug. “Okay, let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks. Goodnight.”
I carefully pushed through the yellow tape and into the breakfast room, grateful that the body had already been removed and I wouldn’t have the image of myself lying dead on the floor to traumatize me for the rest of my life.
Flipping on the light switch, I looked around the room I had so carefully designed.
The mirror—the fabulous accessory that was going to please Lady Catherine and put everything in my life right again—was missing.
Had Mr. McFarland wanted his mirror back so badly that he was willing to kill me for it?
I looked around the room to see if anything else was out of order.
The table was untouched, which led me to believe there wasn’t much of a struggle, but on the sideboard there was an empty space where the wooden Celtic knot had been.
I crouched down to check under the table and around the room, but it wasn’t there. Had the police bagged it as evidence or was it stolen along with the mirror? It was too much of a coincidence that both of the items I’d purchased from Mr. McFarland were missing.
After thoroughly searching the rest of the room without finding anything else of note, I placed a hand on the wall and asked Netherfield to provide me a passage to my room so I wouldn’t have to face Darcy.
It obliged and I moved numbly upstairs to my room and plopped on my mahogany four-poster bed, wishing more than ever that Louisa was here.
She’d always been the one to pick me up when things went wrong.
And now she was in jail for who knew how long.
The next morning, I awoke to my phone buzzing and reached for it, squinting in the dim morning light. Sydney’s photo lit up the screen. No way, it was much too early for productivity. My party had been a disaster, even if I had gotten a client out of it. And now someone was trying to kill me.
Sydney gave up on calling and sent a text.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get down here.
I considered ignoring her and soaking in the bathtub, but as my grogginess faded I remembered I had big objectives, namely: get my mirror back and find out who killed that girl who looked like me.
Not to mention the fact that I promised Gladys I would stop by today.
If I was going to get more clients, I had to impress her.
My phone buzzed again.
Your bodyguard is here.
Come downstairs unless you want me to bring him to your bedroom
You wouldn’t dare
Try me
Fine. I’m coming. Is he hot?
She sent me a string of emojis, each ruder than the last.
I’ll take that as a no.
Hurry up
Skincare first.
I dry-shampooed my hair, put on a full face of makeup, and slipped on a dress from my favorite magical designer, Svetlana Gorodetskaya.
Her fabrics shone with a magical iridescence that nobody else could replicate.
I selected a pair of black heels and was down the stairs in less time than Sydney probably expected.
I sauntered to the sitting room where she waited with—I stopped in my tracks.
Jack stood next to her, looking as handsome as ever with his chiseled, stubbled jaw and amber eyes that seemed to see right through me.
Eyes that seemed to enjoy what they saw as he studied me back.
“No way, Sydney. Your brother is way too hot.”
Jack didn’t bother to hide his grin.
Sydney turned her glare from me to him and back again. “That’s a stupid reason for refusing to hire someone.”
“I think it’s valid,” Jack said. “And while we’re complaining, I’d like to point out that she is much too gorgeous to work for, but I’m not one to leave a lady in distress. I’m willing to give it a go.”
My mouth actually dropped open, but I quickly recovered, twisting it into a smirk. Heat rose in my cheeks, but he was staring at me like he’d never seen a girl blush before so I didn’t glamour it away.
Sydney threw her hands in the air and glared at both of us. “Don’t encourage her, Jack. And Caroline, I hope you enjoy Paris. I’ll take on the Ponvale house myself.”
“Fine, I’m sorry. Thanks for finding me a bodyguard so I don’t have to rely on Charles.” I turned to Jack. “I’m willing to hire you on a trial basis, considering your attractiveness stays at tolerable levels.”
He grinned. “I accept. Should I show up to work in sweatpants tomorrow?”
I gave his muscled quads an assessing glance and sighed. “Wear whatever you want, there’s no toning you down.” I turned to Sydney. “Will you go get measurements from Gladys? I’m going to The Trinket Trove .”
She raised an eyebrow. You’re going back there after our hostile takeover of the mirror?”
“Of course I am. Mr. McFarland is my number one suspect, which means I need to question him. I’ll be perfectly safe now that I have a bodyguard.” I smiled at Jack.
Sydney shook her head in disbelief before stalking out of the room, muttering about difficult people.
I looked back at Jack and the way his muscled arms peeked out of his black T-shirt as he leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms across his broad chest. I could handle this.
If I was going to be a sought-after designer, I’d have to work with attractive people all the time.
There would probably be hot painters and carpet layers and electricians I’d be working with, so it was a good idea for me to get acclimatized now.
I smoothed my copper hair. “Okay then, are you good to start right now? “I’m good.”
I cleared my throat and began walking toward the front door as swiftly as my protesting feet would allow. I hadn’t chosen the most practical footwear for a day of work, but the shoes really did look great with the dress.
Jack walked beside me, but his eyes scanned our surroundings, looking for potential threats. I cleared my throat. “The only rule is that you can’t get invested in me beyond just protecting me.”
“No attachment. Got it.” His expression was serious, but his jaw twitched with a suppressed smile.
“Great.” I smiled at him and opened the front door. “Oh, and there’s one more thing I’d like you to help me do.”
“You need a date to a wedding?”
I smacked him on the biceps. “Very funny. I need you to help me find the killer.”
“Why not let the police handle that?”
“I can’t sit around while someone out there is trying to kill me. Besides, it was clearly personal. Maybe I’ll be able to spot something the police won’t.”
“Okay. Anything you need, I’m here for you.
” The way he spoke the words made me really believe him.
I shifted my gaze away and took a bracing breath.
This was going to be fine. I’d enjoy hanging out with my smoking-hot bodyguard for a couple of days while I solved this murder and then get out before any real feelings had a chance to grow.
Because if anyone stood a chance of penetrating my fragile heart, it would be him.