“Con artists can be very convincing, as you well know.”
“They were the real thing.” She examined the business card. “If we start to feel like we’re in over our heads, I’ll contact them and offer to split the profits.”
“We are already in over our—”
Anaïs cut off abruptly.
Mallory heard it, too. Footsteps in the hall. Floorboards squeaking. That quiet, steady shuffling.
Again, it stopped outside their door.
With a growl, Mallory stormed toward the door and threw back the deadbolt. “You are not half as scary as you—”
She opened the door.
Julie cried out and threw herself against the corridor wall, nearly dropping the lantern she carried. “I’m sorry! I wasn’t meaning to frighten you.”
“What do you want?” asked Mallory. “Has something happened?”
“No, no, nothing! I… I heard voices. My bedroom is just above here, you see.” She pointed toward the ceiling. “And I thought you must be awake, and I was going to offer to make you some tea…” She trailed off, her face pinching with guilt. “Oh, that’s a lie! I came for an entirely selfish purpose. Forgive my terrible manners, but I’ve been wanting to ask ever since the first day you came.”
“Ask what?” Mallory tensed, prepared to defend herself or her sister against any accusation that was lobbed at them by the curious maid.
But Julie’s eyes were shining with emotion as she said, “I was wondering if you would read my fortune.”
Mallory stared. “Your what?”
“My fortune. You are… You do that sort of thing. Don’t you?”
Anaïs climbed from the bed and threw a robe over her nightgown.
“I… well… yes. My sister does, anyway. But what…” Mallory turned back to the maid, and the question evaporated from her thoughts as her attention fell on Julie’s hand, clutching the lantern—and the sparkling blue stone on her finger. Far bigger andfarmore brilliant than she would expect for a housemaid.
Her eyebrows shot upward. “Is that an engagement ring?”
Julie clasped a hand over her fingers, hiding the jewel. “It’s nothing special.”
“Nothing special?” said Mallory. “That rock could sink you to the bottom of the ocean.”
Julie bit her lower lip. “I suppose perhaps it is a little special.”
“You have a beau,” said Anaïs, shouldering beside Mallory. She reached forward and took the lantern away so she could properly admire the ring. “A very generous beau,” she added, dragging the maid into the room. “Is that what you want a reading for?”
“Yes, miss. It started so of a sudden, and my mind is quite aflutter over it all. You know, things like this don’t usually happen to plain nobodies like me.”
“Nonsense,” said Anaïs, leading Julie to the table by the window. “Everyone deserves to find true love, no matter their station in life.”
“Do you think so?” Julie took the seat offered to her. “It’s been feeling all a bit too good to be true. But… oh, I do so desperately want it to be true.”
“But… I thought you liked Armand!” Mallory said.
The maid looked at her, eyes wide. “A-Armand?” she squeaked.
“You blush and giggle every time you see him,” said Mallory.
To which Julie… blushed. And giggled. “Well, the lordisrather handsome, isn’t he?”
“But he isn’t your beau?”
