“Who in Velos’s name are you?” Mallory cried.
He wheezed slightly, then managed to suck in enough air to mutter, “Ar—er. Axel. Axel Badeaux.” He coughed. “I’m here for the tour.”
CHAPTER THREE
Triphine tutted condescendingly while Louis helped the newcomer to his feet. “Honestly, Mallory. How are you ever going to find yourself a suitable husband if you go around thinking every handsome boy you meet is trying to kill you?”
Mallory shot her a look. It wasn’t as if she was about to take marriage advice from the woman who hadliterallybeen murdered by her husband.
But Triphine saw the look as a victory. “Aha! I knew you couldn’t ignore me all night.”
Mallory crossed her arms and waited for Axel to finish brushing himself off, trying not to feel smug at her ability to so efficiently fell this boy who had startled her. Years ago she had studied a book on ancient fighting techniques, which had been written by a great warrior, and a female one at that. Its instructions included using one’s own strengths against an opponent. Speed. Agility. Skilled weaponry. And perhaps most important to the more petitehalf of the human race… the nature of surprise. Men didn’t expect a woman to fight back.
The book had been an inspiration, and she and Anaïs had sometimes spent entire days practicing the techniques against each other. Sparring. Wrestling. But this was the first time she’d had cause to use those skills against a real attacker… even if his intention hadn’t been to attack her at all.
“Are you in the habit of sneaking up on people like that?” she snapped when Axel had finished straightening his fine coat—black brocade done up in small silver buttons. She had never heard of the Badeaux family before, so she imagined he had traveled some distance, as he was either nobility or from the wealthy merchant class. Perhaps both.
“Are you in the habit of assaulting a person for no reason?” he countered.
“I had every reason. Next time, perhaps you would consider alerting us to your presence.”
“I did,” he snapped back. “I knocked twice at the main entrance. You mustn’t have heard.”
She frowned. This far into the house, and with Triphine yapping in her ear, it was possible. But she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of saying so.
Though he could not have been much older than Mallory, his posture suggested a proper upbringing, the sort reserved for those who believed themselves superior to everyone but the king himself. His scowl was made up of full lips and fuller eyebrows. The only thing about him that wasn’t immaculate was the tousled, silky black hair that fell loose past his ears and one rebellious string dangling from the cuff of his sleeve. Though Mallory wascertain she’d never seen him before, there was something oddly familiar about him. Something—
“Velos below,” whispered Triphine, cutting into their group so that she was standing inches from Axel, staring up at his dour face. “Do you realize who he looks like?”
Mallory drew back, her attention darting between the newcomer and Triphine. They might have been related. Except…
The light caught on Axel’s eyes, as blue as faceted sapphires.
It had to be a coincidence. Count Bastien Saphir had only one heir, and the family tree was not a robust one. Mallory knew the names of every descendant, every distant cousin—and she had never heard the name Axel Badeaux in her life.
“It’s the eyes,” said Triphine. “Never seen blue like that before, have you? Well, I certainly have. Once in my no-good husband, and once…” Her voice dimmed. “In my son. Mallory, you don’t suppose…” She tilted her head to one side. “Ask him, won’t you?”
Mallory would not. Surely the heir to House Saphir would have no interest in her silly tours. And if he did show up to one, well… it would probably be because he meant to have her arrested for trespassing.
The house groaned—the timbers of the floors creaking as slow footsteps clomped over their heads.
Axel glanced upward. “Very clever. Do you have someone up there? An accomplice, playing the part of a ghost?” His arctic eyes sparked with amusement. “Is it supposed to bethe duchess?”
Mallory smiled wanly. “I’ve had many skeptics on these tours, but the House Saphir has a way of changing their minds.”
Sophia nudged her brother. “That witch did say it was haunted.”
“But itisn’tme,” said Triphine, whipping her head around. “That’s what I wanted to tell you earlier. Something is—”
But Mallory couldn’t listen to Triphine because Axel had started to speak again.
“—pologize for my tardiness. Please, do go on. I’m very curious about this ghost that supposedly haunts the mansion.”
“Notsupposedly,” said Mallory. “She’s been seen by many—ugh, never mind. You’ve ruined the moment.” She held out her hand with a huff. “I’ll collect your payment for the tour now. I don’t give discounts, even if you are late.”
“Mallory, are you listening to me?” said Triphine. “There issomething up there.”
She ignored the ghost as Axel handed her his coins. In this abandoned house, there was alwayssomething up there, and that something was usually disease-riddled rats. Even in death, Triphine was as skittish as a hummingbird.
