Chapter 44

After Diana’s name left Denis’s lips, he rapidly collected himself and cleared his throat.

“I’m so sorry. I mistook you for someone I knew long ago. Please forgive my miss-observation. Allow me to help you. That was quite a tumble you almost had.” He gingerly got up and made his way to help Diana with the mess the fallen tray had left.

“Please, let me take care of it, Sir,” I interjected, stepping in front of Diana.

Whatever had happened, Diana still seemed a little shaken by the event. She straightened and mumbled, “it’s fine,” then started gathering the broken porcelain. I didn’t think my friend almost fell; her path was clear, and Diana had an extremely sure footing from being a maid for a good part of her life. I thought she let the tray slip by sheer shock. If this man knew her and she knew him, and they both acted like they didn’t know each other, then I thought it best to separate them before the guards became suspicious.

I glanced at Xander, who took the hint and asked the curator questions about the chest's content. I went ahead and piled up some of the broken pieces and set everything on the tray, pulling Diana with me toward the kitchen. Gideon started cleaning the floor where the teapot had broken when we took our leave.

I sat her down and put everything on the chopping block. When I returned, I sat in front of her and waited for her to calm down. Her chest was heaving, and I could see cold sweat dripping along her neck down to her back.

“You mind telling me what that was all about?”

She stared back at me with a blank, white face. I saw her swallow hard, then press her lips in a thin line.

“That was my brother, the one I thought dead.”

Wait, what?

“What? He’s been alive all this time, and you didn’t know about it?”

“Yeah. Funny how everything turned out, huh?”

“Is this a good thing or a bad thing for us?” I frowned when I asked the question.

“I-I don’t know. I always presumed he was dead. I had heard that Osprey had killed everyone working in that library. Could he have kept him alive because he was such a valuable asset and knew everything there was to know of the contents of the library?”

I leaned forward in my chair and took both her hands in mine.

“Well, I’m glad you now know he’s alive and well. He must have thought you dead as well with the face he made before changing it back to a friendly, concerned look. I have to hand it to him; he can pull off a compelling face. That must be why he’s still alive. He can play someone easily.”

She laughed and cried at the same time.

“All this time, I thought I was the only Chickadee left!”

I squeezed her hands reassuringly. I had never seen her this emotional. I really wished I could give her a break, but we needed to keep up appearances. Unfortunately, we had to make haste, or it would look questionable if we didn’t return soon. I sighed and dropped my head toward my chest in defeat.

“Will you be alright to cater to him for the rest of the day, or should I have Gideon do it? He’s posing as our footman, so it would look natural if he helped serve things to our guests since it’s basically in their job description.”

She let go of my hands and cleared her tear-streaked face.

“I’ll be alright. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting to see him.”

I got up and gathered new teaware and remade the food platter.

“Take your time, Diana. I understand this was an enormous shock.”

I feared we were gone for too long, so I thought of an idea to lessen any doubts. I took a small knife and pulled it along the tip of my finger. Diana’s face looked distressed by my action. I cleaned the wound and placed a cloth over it. It was only a surface cut, but it was enough to draw blood and warrant Diana’s ‘attention.’

“Don’t worry about it. It’s our excuse for staying away too long. You were helping me out with the cut I made when picking up the shattered cups.” I winked at her, then hurried along the corridor back into the main room.

“Tell them I didn’t bandage it because it’s small and needs to breathe.” She shouted from the kitchen.

I force more blood to come out of the tiny slit. It made a red bead of blood on the cloth, and it seeped through the cotton, showing on the outside. I wanted them to see it.

Xander smelled my blood almost immediately and rushed over as I entered the room. He looked at my hand, and his nostrils flared.

“I’m fine! It’s just a minor cut. My maid helped me clean it up. She didn’t patch it since it was small, and she said it needed to breathe.” I repeated her words. I had omitted to say her name because I didn’t want them to know that Denis had been right.

Xander took my hand and guided me back onto the loveseat next to him. As I was sitting, Diana came back with the new tray that I made and went over to our guests, offering them a cup of hot tea and the small amuse-bouche of cheeses and meats. Her face betrayed nothing that had transpired only minutes before. She was courteous and friendly.

As I suspected, the guards refused what Diana was offering them, so she set the platter on the corner of the table closer to us to serve ourselves when she left.

“Has your maid served to you for a long time, my Lord?” Asked Denis curiously.

“She has!” Xander replied, faking yet another joyful expression. I knew very well how he hated talking about slaves. “Once I became engaged to Ida, I asked her to be Ida’s lady’s maid since she had been a loyal servant in my father’s household. Ida had an unfortunate accident a few months ago, and it just so happened that this maid had incredible healing knowledge. She could patch my fiancée right up. I am very grateful that Ida has her.”

I noticed that he, too, was neglecting saying Diana’s name. Xander must have picked up what I was lying down. I smiled slyly as I brought my teacup to my mouth and sipped the hot, delicious beverage.

“Were you able to find anything useful while you perused through the letters?” I questioned Xander to change the subject.

“No.” He answered in defeat. “The messages look coded. I would need the key to make sense of what they were saying. It’s mostly gibberish. They sent some of them to King Osprey, which mentions some rebel activity, but they span the entire kingdom. They are not specific to one place. I had thought of finding concrete evidence through these letters, but I am afraid this was a wasted venture. I am sorry to have made you lose your time, Denis, but I appreciate you brought these to my attention. I would have hated leaving Osprey city without having a good look at this material.”

The small man bowed his head in acknowledgment. He didn’t seem angry about Xander’s comment.

“It’s perfectly logical. I was hoping you would have been able to decipher the letters, if I am honest. You are renowned for your insatiable curiosity. I wish you had found the key to unlock this mystery. There is not much I do not know of what resides in the Arcane Library, but the content of this chest is one thing I do not know of, and King Osprey has been impatient about finding what they mean.”

If Denis left now, there was no guaranty that we would ever see him again, and we needed to meet with him alone. I didn’t know how loyal he was to Osprey, but I thought it was a chance to take. We needed information, and Diana had said in the past that if her brother had still been alive, he would know right away what was happening. I couldn’t let this golden opportunity leave the front steps of this house.

“As a show of thanks for the convenience you have provided us, please accept to stay for dinner. We will not be staying here much longer, and I would love to thank you in this manner. You went out of your way to help Lord Alexander in his search. This is the least we can do to repay you.”

“I thank you, mistress, for the proposition, but I fear I must decline. I have much to do back at the library. Your thoughts of appreciation are payment enough.”

Denis got up and reattached the multiple locks on the chest. I heard a slight imperceptive creaking sound coming from the door and caught Diana’s eye peering through the tiny crack she had made. Her fingers were sticking out slightly, holding a thin piece of paper, neatly folded into a little square. I got up while the guards and Denis were distracted and took the small letter in my hand.

I placed the long edges between my fingers, clenched them in place inside of my hand, and waited for my opportunity to give it to him.

The guards had each taken a handle and were being ushered to the main door by Gideon. Denis stayed with us, bidding us farewell and safe travels. I extended the hand that had the message in it, and when he took it, I slid my fingers over his and forced his down over the paper with the palm of my hand. I heard the paper crinkle, and so did Denis. He furrowed his eyebrows, but didn’t say a word. I smiled at him encouragingly, guiding him out of the living room and through the entrance.

When I removed my hand from Denis's, he placed the tiny square in one of his front pockets and left, following the guards closely from behind. I had no idea what Diana had written, but I hoped she knew what she was doing.