Chapter 13
Jane and I gaped at Darcy. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the staccato tap of rain lashing against the roof.
Darcy nodded, his gaze flicking to me, then away. “Instead of constantly having to glamour myself to hide my identity, I wear a charm that makes it so people can’t recognize me.” He pulled a plain silver necklace with a small crystal on the end from beneath his shirt.
Even though I’d come to the conclusion myself, it was still hard to swallow.
The distance between us, which had shrunk when I realized he wasn’t the killer, grew to immeasurable proportions again.
All along I’d pictured Darcy as the king on the chessboard, but I hadn’t realized just how right I was.
Darcy was the fae crown prince, and his uncle was the king.
Somehow, the title didn’t match the man who saved my life less than an hour ago and blindfolded himself so I could take a shower, but in other ways, it made perfect sense.
His haughty attitude at the club. The number of bodyguards that were constantly around him—him, not Charles.
The way even the chief of police had had no choice but to listen to him.
“Why hide your identity?” I asked.
“It’s a lot easier to move around if people don’t know who I am.” Darcy’s eyes were tight. “I garner too much attention otherwise.”
He garnered too much attention either way.
“Why are you in Austen Heights, Prince Fitzwilliam?” I threw the title at him like an arrow, even though my frustration wasn’t fair. Darcy never told me his name. I just heard Charles call him that, and I’d assumed the rest. I was mad at how I’d made yet another wrong assumption about him.
“Please call me Darcy.” His expression was tight again. “All of my friends and family do.”
“Why?” Jane asked.”
“When my little sister was young, she had trouble saying Darcellion and called me Darcy. Then it just sort of stuck.”
I took that in, trying not to think of how adorable it was to imagine Darcy with his younger sister.
“Fine.” I blew out a breath and fiddled with the blanket next to me. “Why did you come to Austen Heights, Darcy?”
“Like I said, we’re following a lead, but as far as we’re aware, it has nothing to do with Easton’s death.” He pressed his lips together, the move sharpening the line of his jaw.
So he had no intention of opening up about it.
“Let’s focus on what we can discuss,” Jane said, ever the peacemaker.
Charles’s auburn hair glinted in the kitchen light as he nodded. “We found evidence of a love potion among Easton’s belongings, and that’s what fueled the investigation at first, but I’m not sure why someone would want him to fall in love with them and then kill him.”
“I thought you said Easton was killed by poison.” Jane held her mug with one hand while her free hand rested close to Charles’s on the table so their pinkies almost touched.
It was a shame that the fortune-teller’s spell hadn’t backfired on them.
Jane and Charles would’ve loved any excuse to spend all their time together and hold hands.
But Charles would never lie and get them caught in that sort of mess in the first place.
“The police considered that at first since Easton’s body reacted as if it had been poisoned, but they haven’t been able to find any traces in his system,” he said.
“What about an old girlfriend?” Jane said.
“He didn’t have one, but Lizzy thinks she might have a suspect,” Darcy said. “She saw a man at the fair…”
Their conversation flowed over me while the earlier revelation hit me again and again.
Darcy was the crown prince. I pulled out my notebook and skimmed over the pages with a fresh perspective, filtering through the information once more.
My gaze landed on the notes about the sunglasses man from the club, the one who’d also appeared at the festival.
Both times I’d seen him, I’d been with Darcy.
My stomach dropped. That was it.
“What if we’ve been looking at this all wrong?” I said. “What if Easton wasn’t the target?”
“What do you mean?” Darcy asked sharply.
“I mean, what if he was a casualty of someone trying to kill you?” I said. “He was your bodyguard, wasn’t he? Maybe the potion was for you.”
Darcy and Charles exchanged grim looks.
“Outside of my group, I didn’t think anyone here knew who I was,” Darcy said. “And none of them would try to hurt me.”
“Maybe someone followed you here,” I said.
“Could the lightning have been targeting Darcy too?” Jane asked. “Maybe Lizzy was just caught in the crossfire.”
Charles’s frown deepened. “Didn’t you say the lightning was meant for Lizzy?”
Darcy let out a slow breath. “It seemed to be heading straight for her, but I suppose it could have been meant for me if someone’s aim was off. Although you’d think if they were trying to hurt me, they’d know I’d be able to protect myself.”
“But why would that man want to kill you?” I asked. “I thought he was one of your bodyguards.”
Darcy let out a mirthless laugh. “You’d be surprised by the number of people who have grievances with the crown—even if I’m not the one wearing it.”
“If I get photos of everyone on duty, do you think you’d recognize him, Lizzy?” Charles asked.
“Yes.” I adjusted my wet hair so it wasn’t dripping down my back. Considering the man’s cropped hair, a straight nose, and cleft chin, I’d recognize him easily.
Charles grabbed a laptop from the counter and logged into a browser before spinning the screen around. “This is every employee that’s part of the security detail. Do you see him?”
I sipped at my tea, letting the sharp cinnamon and orange taste calm my racing heart. Everyone waited in tense silence while I scanned the pictures. The pressure in the room deflated as I shook my head. “He isn’t here.”
“Then we need to find him before he tries anything else,” Charles said.
“Or hurts anyone else.” Darcy looked at me. “If today was any proof, as long as we’re connected, you’re in as much danger as I am.”
I swallowed, the taste of my tea turning bitter.
My stomach twisted at the idea of someone trying to kill Darcy.
Even more than saving my story, I wanted to save him the way he’d saved me.
“Out of the three times I’ve seen you in town, he’s been following you twice that I’ve noticed.
He was at the club and at the festival.”
“He hasn’t tried to approach, or Darcy’s security detail would’ve caught him.” Charles’s brow furrowed. “So what’s he after?”
“If we want to find out, maybe we need to give him an opportunity to get closer,” Darcy mused.
“That’s too dangerous.” Charles’s voice was firmer than I’d ever heard it. “Did you already forget what just happened?”
Darcy glanced at me and sighed, his jaw clenching again. “Trust me, I haven’t forgotten.”
His violent tone released butterflies in my stomach, but I didn’t give myself time to think about them.
“What if we glamoured a guard to look like you?” I asked.
“Then Darcy and I could stay behind and stalk the killer while he’s stalking the fake-Darcy.
That’s probably best anyway, since I’m the only one who knows what he looks like. ”
“If anyone is going to act as bait, I’ll do it.” Charles’s jaw was tight. “I won’t see another of my men get hurt.”
Admiration glimmered in Jane’s eyes. “If you’re going to help, I want to too,” she said. “After all, someone needs to play Lizzy’s part since she and Darcy have been stuck together.”
“It’s too dangerous.” Charles frowned.
“I think it’ll be okay if we stay in crowded areas,” I said. “If I’m right, he won’t try to hurt anyone in public. I’m guessing he won’t act anywhere with too many witnesses. Even today, he waited until we were alone on the street.”
“True.” Darcy drummed his fingers on the table.
"Plus, we’ll catch him before anything can happen,” I said.
“See?” Jane gave him a brilliant smile. “It’ll be more believable this way. Our chances will go up.”
If Mom and Dad found out that I’d encouraged Jane’s participation, they’d be furious, but Charles would never let anything happen to her.
Darcy ran a hand through his curls. “I hate being on the sidelines, but we have to do something before anyone else gets dragged into this mess. Is everyone okay with this plan?”
Jane and I nodded, and after a few moments, Charles did too.
“How will we capture him?” I asked.
Charles smiled grimly. “Leave that to my men.”
“And who will do the glamours?” Jane asked.
“Let’s ask Caroline,” Charles said. “She’s the best in the family.”
“Let’s talk to her in the morning,” Darcy said. “For now, let’s nail down the rest of the details so we can catch this guy tomorrow.”
Early the next evening, Darcy and I strolled down a meandering path at Regency Meadows Park.
The gurgle of the nearby stream somewhat drowned out the crunch of our footsteps on the fiery carpet of leaves.
Thanks to Caroline’s glamours, Darcy and I looked like two nondescript lovers walking through the park.
I covered a yawn with my free hand.
“Is a sting operation not exciting enough for you?” Darcy flashed a small smile.
Was he joking again? Before last night, I wasn’t sure he even knew how to recognize a joke, let alone tell one.
“Of course it is. I just didn’t sleep well.
” At his look, I flushed and added, “Because I was thinking about today.” I didn’t want him to think I’d had trouble sleeping because he was next to me.
Obviously, it had nothing to do with the fact that I could hear his breathing all night, feel his warmth next to me, or hear the rustle of sheets each time he moved.
The second night hadn’t been any easier than the first.
“Do you think everything will go smoothly today?” I stepped into dappled shadows on the path ahead.
“It’ll be fine.” He nodded once, as if saying it would make it so, then he glanced down the trail where Charles and Jane, disguised as Darcy and me, walked hand in hand.