Sample: A Stolen Crown (Stolen Royals #2)

Chapter 11: A Stolen Crown

Cecily recounted her jewels, as she did every night. Her fight with Rory had forced her to count and recount.

But it couldn't have been her.

Ever since they'd arrived, Rory had been acting strange, avoiding Cecily's questions and doing odd things—odd, even for Rory. After everything Cecily had said, there was no way Rory would open up to her.

Why won't she talk to me?

Cecily had given her every opportunity to come clean both before and after dinner, but Rory insisted on keeping secrets. Cecily bit back the tears threatening to spill forth. She shouldn't have yelled at Rory like that, but she'd been so angry! Why wouldn't Rory just tell her the truth?

She hasn't even told me about her attraction to Tom.

"Why does Rory keep going to bed early?" Cecily asked, returning to the main sitting room where Doreen and Muriel waited for her, Gayla having already gone to bed. "Has she said anything to either of you?"

"She's probably just upset about your fight," Muriel said in a tone of disinterest. "She'll calm down by morning."

"But she's done this multiple times since we've arrived."

"Maybe she's meeting a man," Doreen said with waggling eyebrows.

"Not likely," Muriel said with a snort. "Even if Rory noticed a man, I doubt he'd think much of her."

"Hold your tongue," Cecily ordered with a pointed glare at Muriel.

Muriel's eyebrows arched. "You're allowed to tell Rory to her face what a horrible person she is, but I'm not allowed to comment when she's not even here?"

"I didn't tell her she was a horrible person!"

"You did." Muriel went back to focusing on her nails. "Rory's never wanted anything but your safety. It's rather annoying, but she's like your little bulldog. She'd do anything for you, and you jumped down her throat for wanting some sleep."

"She's not tired," Cecily insisted. "Something's wrong, and she isn't telling me about it."

Muriel's cool blue eyes flickered to Cecily. "And it's your right to demand that of her? Tell me, are you interested in Ephraim, or are you just enjoying the attention?"

Cecily frowned. "That's a horrible thing to ask."

"Why? Because neither answer is becoming? Maybe the truth won't cast Rory in the best light either, and so she doesn't want to confess it." Muriel leaned back against the arm of the chair.

"You can be a real bitch sometimes, you know that?" Doreen asked Muriel.

"Of course," Muriel turned her lazy gaze on Doreen, "but I own it. It's everyone else who pretends they're something they're not."

Cecily considered Muriel. One of the things that drew Cecily to Muriel also aggravated her—Muriel's honesty. What if Muriel was right? Part of Cecily wanted to patch things up with Rory, but another part wanted to find Ephraim—find him and put an end to all of this madness.

"Whatever you're thinking," Muriel said, turning her nose up, "I'd stop now if I were you."

"Is it that obvious?" Cecily asked, brow arching.

"Oh, come now." Doreen rolled her eyes. "What's wrong with fancying a prince?"

"Nothing. Unless you're engaged to his brother."

"It's not like Myrzellians are all that concerned about having a paramour." Doreen shifted her long onyx waves back over her shoulder. "I say we go swimming tomorrow in the pools. What do you think?"