Page 76 of The Maid's Secret

Penelope rushed out of the room as Mrs.Mead got on all fours and began retrieving the shards on the floor.

“Well, that was more commotion than necessary,” said Papa.

“Please, everyone. Help yourselves to the spread. I think you’ll find the food better than the service,” said Mama.

“I’ve had my fill,” Algernon announced as he stood and threw his napkin on the table. “Plus, I’ve never actually seen the whole manor. Flora, why not give me a tour?”

“Certainly,” I replied, grateful to leave the tension-filled room andpleased that I might have a moment alone with him. He’d been avoiding me since the engagement, and I thought I knew why.

“No closed doors until after the wedding,” said Mama.

“My son knows the rules, Audrey,” Magnus replied with a chuckle.

My cheeks now fully crimson, I led Algernon out of the room and through the first floor, then up the main staircase to my wing of the manor.

“Where’s your father’s office?” he asked as we reached the second floor.

I led him to Papa’s office, and when I opened the door, he waltzed right in and sat in Papa’s chair, leaning back as if he owned the place.

“My mother calls that the Capital Throne,” I said.

He began rifling through the papers on my father’s desk.

“I wouldn’t do that. Papa likes his things just so.”

“Does he?” Algernon said as he got to his feet and came my way. He rested his arms on my shoulders, and his cold blue eyes met mine.

I was grateful to have his attention. Now was my chance to make things right.

“I want to apologize for not saying yes to you right away when you proposed,” I said. “In the absence of an engagement ring, I didn’t fully understand what was happening. I’m an utter fool.”

“Do you like the Fabergé?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Good, because it’s worth more than any ring. Mags and I went to great lengths to acquire it,” he said.

“How so?” I asked.

“It belonged to a baron with deep connections in the art world.”

“I met a baron at the Workers’ Ball. Was he the former owner?”

“Maybe. My father had plans to go into business with that man, but he backed out at the last minute, claimed he didn’t like my father’s business style. Can you believe it? That’s why Mags got into bed with your father. Your family’s our fallback plan.”

Fallback plan? The words hit hard, but I tried not to show it. “If the baron and your father had a falling-out, why did he sell your father the egg?” I asked.

“He didn’t,” Algernon replied.

“I’m sorry?”

“Look, Flora. My father and I have one thing in common—what we want, we take.”

He let go of me then and paced the room, stopping by my father’s filing cabinet to open one of the drawers.

“Are you suggesting the Fabergé is stolen?” I asked.

“What I’m saying,” he said as he slammed the filing cabinet shut, “is that to be my wife, you can’t ask so many questions. Your job is to keep your mouth shut and look pretty on my arm. Can you manage that?”