Page 85 of A Problem Princess

That caught their attention, and the two women sat eagerly forward at the possibility of intrigue.

“I removed the princess from London for her safety when Lord Harrowby’s town house was attacked,” Clayton explained. “But it’s time to bring her back.” He paused pointedly. “Along with the two respectable society ladies who served as chaperones and provided proper supervision and companionship at every moment. You never let her out of your sight, not once the entire time. Understand?”

“But we attended our London Ladies meeting last night,” Lady Bromley said. “And had tea with the Duchess of Hampton the day before that.”

Lady Agnes narrowed her eyes on Cordelia and muttered sideways to the viscountess, “No, Harriet, you aremistaken. We were with the princess the entire time. General Elliott collected us immediately after the attack, and we all decided that the best course of action would be to remove Her Serene Highness to Windsor, where she could remain in hiding for her safety yet still be near the castle should additional protection be needed.” She rested a ring-laden hand on her friend’s knee. “Don’t you remember?”

Lady Bromley blinked away the moment’s confusion, then her face lit up. “Oh, yes! We never went to the London Ladies meeting or tea with the duchess, and anyone who says they saw us there is mistaken. They must have seen us last week and confused matters.”

Lady Agnes’s eyes gleamed at their conspiracy. “We spent the past three days doing needlework and sketching, and we told lots of stories to entertain the princess, who never left our sides.”

“Not once.” The viscountess waved a hand at Clayton. “Certainly not to be alone with you.”

Cordelia’s cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment. Thank heavens the inside of the carriage was dark!

With a slight hesitation, Clayton slid his hand across the seat to touch hers for reassurance.

She pulled away.

“We will do whatever we can to protect the princess,” Lady Agnes declared.

Viscountess Bromley nodded emphatically, as if she’d just been recruited into the Home Office as an operative. “You can depend on us.”

That was why Clayton had picked them to be their alibi, Cordelia realized. The aunties would do whatever he wanted if it meant being swept up into the thrill of government intrigue, including lying to the world to protect her reputation.

Lady Agnes glanced out the window at the dark city and suspiciously arched a brow that reached nearly as high as her peacock-green turban. “If we’re returning the princess, then why have we just driven past the palace?”

A very good question.Cordelia glanced at Clayton, who carefully kept an inscrutable expression on his face.

“We’re not going to the palace,” he informed them. “We’re going somewhere far safer than that.”

Both ladies held their breaths, caught up in the moment as if they were spies embarking on their first espionage mission.

Clayton eased back on the seat. “We’re going to the Armory.”

The two aunties exhaled with a burst of barely controlled excitement. Their faces practically glowed in the shadows.

“What’s the Armory?” Cordelia asked.

“Oh, my dear,” Lady Bromley said with an exhilarated smile. “It’s the most amazing place!”

“It’s a sanctuary for soldiers,” Lady Agnes attempted to clarify, although her statement did nothing to aid in Cordelia’s understanding.

“It’s the safest place I know,” Clayton murmured in a low voice as he leaned toward her to keep the aunties from overhearing. “I will never let any harm come to you. Trust me.”

She nodded because it was expected, and even now, she did as expected.

But she turned away to look out the window and moved her hand out of reach in case he tried to touch it again.Trust me…After his accusations about her uncle, she wasn’t at all certain she could.

When the carriage finally stopped, she gaped outside at the building in front of them. The aunties were wrong. This wasn’t a sanctuary—

It was a fortress made for war.

“Welcome to the Armory,” Clayton announced, then opened the door and dropped to the ground to help the ladies out.

The two aunties scurried forward, chatting excitedly to each other as a guard positioned at the front gate nodded deferentially and opened the gate for them to pass. Another guard escorted them inside, through a thick iron door that clanked and screeched as it opened and then down a dark tunnel lit by flickering torchlight.

Following behind, Cordelia paused at the footpath and stared up at the great building.