“Is that so?”
“Mr. de la Guerra gives me more credit than is due,” Poppy said. “I merely reported an unusual occurrence, and he took care of the rest.”
“Oh,” Mr. Towers said. “And what, if I may ask, is the rest?” He looked very confused.
“The small matter of an opium smuggling operation,” Carlos said.
Poppy could not reply because Miss Mist had darted across the lawn and meowed so loudly that Poppy had to scoop her up and reassure her that she was well and safe. The cat settled into her arms, purring contentedly.
Carlos was still explaining, “Thankfully, Customs and the local magistrate have the ringleaders in custody,” Carlos continued. “It turns out that Ainsworth didn’t just want to buy this property for the house and the lovely view…there’s an extensive network of caves below, and one passage leads all the way to your basement.
“What?” Towers repeated, in total astonishment.
“Ainsworth pretends to be gentry—and his wife is gentry— but he has made most of his wealth from smuggling. He hoped to work himself onto the top of the chain here in Treversey, using Spargo as his pawn. Dr. Drake, however, was the real leader. He saw that Ainsworth was trying to become a more important part of the chain between here and London, and sold him out. Actually, Ainsworth is lucky we intervened when we did. Otherwise, Spargo was about to kill him and dispose of the body the way he has so many others.”
“So it’s over?” Towers asked anxiously. As he spoke, several more people started filing out of the French doors, drawn by the noise and novelty of the scene.
“Yes, it’s over,” Carlos said softly.
Poppy leaned into Carlos, hoping to convey some of her sympathy for the intense personal mission he’d just completed. He’d come to Cornwall to avenge his friend’s murder, and now that was finally done.
“What a relief,” Mr. Towers said as his wife joined them, clad in a morning gown with a riotous pattern of cabbage roses all over it.
“I will need a full accounting!” his wife said then. “Do not pretend that is the whole story!”
“Dearest,” her husband began.
She pointed to Carlos and Poppy. “You two young people are…glowing. You’re madly in love.”
“Oh! Are you?” Mr. Towers stared at Poppy and Carlos, then he started to laugh. “You two stopped a smuggling ring and fell in love in the process?”
“To make a long story short…yes.” Carlos cleared his throat. “Fortunately, Poppy has already agreed to marry me.”
“Carlos!” Poppy almost shouted. “I wanted to tell my parents first!”
“Oh, this is too wonderful,” Mrs. Towers cried. “I want to hear the whole story.”
“Perhaps over breakfast?” Poppy suggested. “I’m starving.”
“Indeed! I’ll tell Cook we need sustenance as soon as possible.”
About an hour later (during which Poppy was bathed and dressed so that she felt like a normal person again), she went down to the breakfast room. Everyone was there…with the exception of the Ainsworths.
Happily, sustenance was supplied in huge quantities. Poppy and Carlos found themselves besieged by more food than any human could eat. Soon the breakfast room was as lively as any ball, with chattering from incredulous guests.
Elowen beamed on seeing Poppy and Carlos safe. She also seemed relieved her part in the smuggling could remain buried. Officer Lowry was there as well, having arrived to report the final details of the operation to the Towers (and to verify for himself that his beloved Elowen had not been troubled by the cannonfire).
Poppy was asked to recount Carlos’s unusual proposal more than once, and she blushed each time, to the delight of Mrs. Towers. They received congratulations from the Metcalfe sisters and the Hobbsons.
Following breakfast, Carlos walked her back out to the terrace. Morning light restored all color to a world the moon had reduced to black and white. Poppy yawned. She hadn’t slept all night long, though she hadn’t noticed any tiredness before then.
Carlos stood beside her, watching the water. “I haven’t been honest with you, Poppy.”
“What do you mean?”
“I should have told you immediately when I met you that I intended to pursue you. My hesitation caused you a quite unnecessary amount of distress.”
“Oh,” she said. That confession wasn’t what she expected. “Let us forget it. It was due to events beyond our control.”
