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“We were finalizing our plan” Courtney frowned “All but the reason we’ll give the staff Perhaps you gentlemen can assist us with that”

“What agreement?” Slayde demanded “What plan? What reason?” He rolled his eyes “And why a about?”

“I’ll tell you” Courtney extricated herself fro “Look” She pointed to the note “We’ve all been concentrating on the sketch, e should have been concentrating on the loith purpose “The idea came to me when I considered the letter Aurora and I sub it took Aurora to copy your hand Everyone’s writing is distinctive, especially when examined by an expert Well, we know the perfect expert, don’t we?”

“Gri of him? To copy the note?”

“No, to co to assemble the entire staff—which we intend to do anyway, to announce our wedding plans Once the jovial atmosphere has been established, we’ll present our dile that would require each of the servants to pen a phrase An innocuous phrase, using words contained in the e on this sketch—so innocuous that no one will feel threatened; therefore, all those who knorite will co them to Grimes”

“And he’llon the sketch to that on one of the saleaaze “I believe you should offer Miss Johnston an apology It appears she made extraordinary use of her time with the sketch”

“I believe I should offer Miss Johnston a job,” Oridge returned dryly “Her plan is ingenious”

“Thank you, gentlerinned “But the plan is useless without a plausible excuse to give the staff Why on earth would we ask them to do this?”

“Because we suspect one of the me in my escapes from Pembourne,” Aurora announced

Three heads whipped about to face her

“ ’Tis the perfect dilemma!” she continued “Every servant at Pee to escape, successfully eluding detection Well, what if I’ve beenuards were ordered to investigate—and they did, only to find an unassuside the back entrance, maybe concealed by a portion of the shrubs that fraoing’ Delivering the note to Slayde, they would all conclude that I’d been receiving help in my attempts to flee—help from someone inside Pembourne Slayde, of course, would be irate, determined to find out whosainal note, which no one will actually see ’Tis ideal, because we needn’t fabricate an elaborate and unbelievable lie Every staff —but not the truth behind e’re doing it Why, even Courtney would be required to participate After all, she is the likeliest candidate for o so far as to question the honor of his betrothed, not even the culprit will guess our true purpose He’ll participate—and play right into our hands Because if you look closely, you’ll see that every one of the words in e on this sketch So we’ll be providing Grimes with all he needs to do his job”

“Aurora, how brilliant!” Courtney grabbed her friend’s hands and led her into a victorious jig “Not only brilliant, but flawless Isn’t it, Slayde?”

Slayde stared from Aurora to Courtney to the sketch Then, he turned to his investigator, a grin of disbelief curving his lips “Oridge—you’re fired”

Chapter 18

“I’M GLAD YOU RECONSIDERED and kept Oridge on,” Courtney teased as Slayde escorted her to her bedchamber