A Perfect Match

3

The next morning Nora found Percy sitting sleeping in her chair. She looked at his fine features he had sandy blond hair that he wore clubbed back she assumed it was longer. She had not seen him wear a wig she presumed he prefered it natural. His eyes were closed but she knew they were a hazel color, but they had specks of brown in them she remembered the condition was called heterochromia iridis. Someone she had been searching for a few years ago had this disorder. She had spent time doing research on it because not only did she find it fascinating, but she needed to know if at any time could it fade away. She did not want to waste her time looking for someone with two colors in their eyes and find he now had one. He was taller than her but not by much he was 5'11" she was 5'6". That was pretty much all she knew about the duke. Well she knew he was in love with Ada, and they had been together when she was being trained by her.

Nora smiled, she knew she would never be loved like Percy loved Ada. She was too old and that kind of love only comes once in a lifetime; she laughed to herself what made her think of love? It was something she never thought of. She did not want a man in her life telling her what to do or making her quit working for the crown. She enjoyed what she did. Was she a bad person for liking what she did even if it meant she had to kill someone? She was never able to balance that. She lived a double life she was Lady Rutherford, and Athena she had to wonder who the real one was.

She jumpped out of bed and made herself ready for the day. She decided to wear a simple shift without any of the undergarments that would cause her wound to hurt. Her fever was gone. She needed to arrange to go out to the docks to see if she could find the chap who had stabbed her. She wandered back over to where Percy was still sleeping. Nora decided not to wake him and disturbed his slumber she would leave him a note letting him know she went out to investigate and that she was hopping to be back before dinner.

Outside, she found the stables and asked the groom to hitch a barouche for her she was going for a drive. Once the horse were ready, she touched the secret pocket of her shift and felt the tobi and the knife she was hiding there. On the ride to town she took in the view it did not seem as beautiful as yesterday. She laughed at herself since when did spend the day with a man change the place for the better? She continued with her ride and made it to the marketplace where she decided to eat before she searched the town. She approched a street vendor then drove to the beach to have her meal. She enjoyed the smell of the water and the feel of the sand between her toes. She had taken her shoes off as she sat and watched the Lady Latitia waiting to see who was coming and going from the ship. When, the day turned to twilight then into night. She was glad that the groomsmen had made sure a blanket had been placed in the carriage. She had spent the day watching and waiting and plotting on how to slip on the ship to figure out what they were up to.

Nora, decided the best way on to the watercraft without being detected. She would swim out to the craft, but she would have to do it in the nude. If, she was to enter the water with her dress on she would drown. She knew the ocean was not warm the weather had been too cold for this season so warm water was not something she would be expecting. She did not see she had too much of a choice this was her job. She stood under the dock and stripped her clothing down and tested the water. She was not surprised the water was cold. Nora estimated that she had less than a quarter of an hour before she would die from exposure.

She stood hesitating she hated cold, but she had seen the man who had stabbed her going aboard the ship again, and he had not come off. She assured herself they were having a meeting she needed to gather information to confirm what was going on. Nora braced herself against the cold and entered the water silently swimming in the night. She was an excellent swimmer, and she was fast. She was sure to arrive to the ship before she was in trouble from the cold. Nora knew where she needed to swim to, she noticed a rope ladder had been thrown over the side while, watching. It was on the side away from the side someone might happen upon a naked woman hanging from a ships ladder.