He Strikes at the Hotel

Chapter Twenty Seven

Zachery had sat down on the end of my bed patiently waiting for me to get over the situation he had just put me in with Nerissa. He was looking around the room inquisitively, when his eyes stopped on the dress hanging up on my wardrobe door, staying there and widening as he took in the stunning blue dress I had picked out.

"Is that the dress you are wearing for the ball?" I could see his adams apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed.

"Yes, they were delivered today. Nerissa was in here trying hers on ready for tomorrow, but I couldn't bare to go through the long process myself, so I'm waiting until tomorrow. I'm sure that they have made all of the right alterations, for the price I can't imagine they would slack on quality." I replied, realising what I had said, since we had been using his money for the dresses. "I mean... Thank you for letting us get them, we really do appreciate it, I just don't understand how anyone could justify spending that kind of money on clothing on a regular basis..." I tried to dig myself out of the hole I felt I was digging myself into.

"I completely agree, Kitten. The rich are creatures I can't quite comprehend." He told me sincerely.

"You are a Duke." I said plainly before I thought of how it could have been perceived.

"Really? I wondered why those men followed me around everywhere..." Zachery began to laugh at my pointing out the obvious, which was good, as he obviously hadn't taken it offensively. I really needed to start thinking before I spoke.

I laughed with him, enjoying his sense of humour which was very similar to mine. "You know what I meant. You have enough money to allow two maids to go and buy dresses from the most prestigious shop in London. So how do you not understand them?"

"I have money because of the family I was born into. But I have worked for everything I have wanted, and everything I enjoy. My money is to be shared with those around me. I don't have the time of day for people who live and breathe money, and those who feel superior because their mummy and daddy give them a ridiculous allowance each week. Respect is earned, and good people are hard to find." He spoke wisely and with experience, which made it all the more attractive that he had such respectable morals, even whilst being in such a position of power.

"You're incredible you know." I said, concious of the fact I had blurted this out before thinking of my words first, which is what I had just told myself I must start doing.

Zachery looked like he was taken back by my comment. He usually responds pretty quickly with a witty comment when there was an opportunity to do so, and I thought this would have been a prime opportunity for him. But he was silent, looking at me in that way which made me nervous. He took in a deep breath through his nose before he exhaled and smiled. "I'm glad you think so." His smile got bigger, as if he had just heard something much more exhilarating than what I said, which made me curious.

"What?" I asked, raising my brows.

"Did Giles pay you to be nice to me?" Zachery came back with his usual humour, as I swatted his arm.

"So, what time is the Duke picking me up for the ball?" I said, changing the subject.

"The Duke will pick you up at seven thirty sharp, and he does not like tardiness." He insisted.

"Oh does he not? That's a shame, I may not be ready until seven thirty-two now you've mentioned it..." I joked back to him, as I could see he was enjoying the sarcasm.

"Ah, you see, although he does not like tardiness, he will wait when it is worth it." He said as he moved his glistening gaze back over to my dress. "And it will most certainly be worth it." He cunningly added, as he shot me a dark look.

"I'm glad you think so." I said, mimicking his earlier comment. I was getting excited for the ball, and now I was excited to get into my dress, and for Zachery to see me in it, and for us to spend the night with Nerissa and Pierre in a room full of beautiful decorations and delicious food and wine. I was so excited that I had almost forgotten about the reason we were going to this ball in the first place. Until Zachery brought it up.

"When we get to the ball, we need to stay alert from the beginning, but I want us to have a lovely evening as well. So I think it would be wise for us to lay low for the first hour, to really enjoy ourselves. But people will have had enough time to see the show by around nine o'clock, which is when we need to be cautious of who is acting strange, and you cannot leave my side. Under any circumstances. I will come to the bathroom with you if I have to." Zachery had this magical way of being precise with his plans, speaking authoritatively, and then adding a sentence in which crushes the serious atmosphere clouding the air.

"I don't think that will be necessary, however I understand your point. There is a performance at nine thirty I heard? When the lights go out before the show begins, and before the curtains are drawn, that would surely be the best time for someone who likes to make people disappear, to make someone disappear? It would be dark and everyone would be so preoccupied on the show that was about to begin, that no one would notice someone walking out, even if they were dragging someone behind them. So I think that would be the best time for us to be on high alert." I said, with my nerves rising at the thought of being in the dark with someone around me who wanted to get rid of me because I was with the Duke. I started picking at my fingernails, a dreadful nervous habit of mine.

"That's correct. Plus, once the lights came back on, nobody would be interested in a couple empty seats around the room, as the performance would have started. We need to be vigilant, Audrey Rose. No one knows about this plan other than us, so it is down to us to protect ourselves against any danger we put ourselves into. Once we figure out who has been doing these atrocious crimes, we can hand it over to the authorities, but until then, we are on our own." He was speaking sternly, as if trying to drum safety into my very core.

"We are going to be fine, Zachery. And we are going to find out who is torturing innocent people, and tormenting your life. And we are going to have a fabulous evening!" I tried to lift his spirits away from the idea of imminent danger, even though I know he was just trying to look out for me.

"And, we shall have our first dance." Zachery added playfully, then proceeded to move about in rhythm to the music he must have been imagining. He continued to add intensity to the silent dancing, which he was still sitting down for, up until he ran out of room on the edge of the bed, and fell off. He looked shocked. And I cracked up laughing, to the point where I fell on the floor from my hysterics.

"Well, Zachery, I do hope you improve your dance moves by tomorrow evening, for your sake." I mumbled through my fits of laughter.