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Annabelle’s feet barely touched the floor as she made her way back to her room with her ball gown in her arms. She wondered if it’d fit. She wasn’t worried. There was a woman on staff at the palace who could work magic with a needle.
She couldn’t believe Grayson had bought her a ball gown. No one had ever done anything so thoughtful for her—ever. Annabelle spread the gown out over the bed. It was simply stunning, with a crystal-studded bodice. The man certainly had good taste. A smile pulled at her lips.
If he didn’t want to get involved with her, he was certainly sending out the wrong signals, from the kiss in the park to this gown. Maybe he was changing his mind. And she didn’t see how that would be so bad.
There was a knock at her door. She rushed over, thinking that it was Grayson. She wondered what he’d forgotten to tell her. She opened it to find a new member of the household staff standing there holding a silver tray.
The young woman smiled. “Ma’am, your mail.”
Annabelle accepted it and closed the door. She was about to set the mail aside when she noticed that the top envelope didn’t have a postage stamp.
She stared at it a little longer. It had her name typed out but no address. And the longer she stared at it, the more convinced she was that someone had actually used a typewriter. She was intrigued. She didn’t know of anyone these days who used a typewriter.
She placed the other two envelopes on the desk before picking up a letter opener and running it smoothly along the fold in the envelope. She withdrew a plain piece of paper. When she unfolded it, she found a typed note:
This is your only warning.
Leave the past alone.
Nothing good will come of you unearthing ghosts.
You don’t want to end up like your mother.
Annabelle gasped. She’d been threatened. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. The implications of this note were staggering.
She backed up to the edge of the bed and then sat down. This verified her father’s suspicions. He’d been right all along. Suddenly, guilt assailed Annabelle for thinking all these years that her father was paranoid.
Her mother’s killer was alive and here in Mirraccino. And this cipher was somehow tied in to it all.
She had to tell Grayson. She rushed out of her room and down the hallway to Grayson’s door. Please let him be here. She knocked, rapidly and continuously.
“Okay, okay. I’m coming.”
Grayson swung the door open. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and his shirt was unbuttoned. The words caught in the back of Annabelle’s throat. He looked good—really good.
“Annabelle, what’s the matter?” Grayson’s voice shook her out of her stupor.
“I, ah...” She suddenly realized that telling him about the note probably wasn’t a good idea. She moved the envelope behind her back.
The more she got to know about Grayson, the more she realized that he was cautious like her father and uncle. He’d probably want to tell the king about the note and she didn’t intend to let that happen until she discovered the truth about her mother’s death.
“Annabelle?”
“Sorry.” Her mind rapidly searched for an answer that wouldn’t raise his suspicions. She glanced up and down the hallway, making sure they were alone. Then she lowered her voice. “I just wanted to let you know that I stashed the note.” Then she made a point of checking her bracelet watch. “Shouldn’t we be going?”
He frowned at her. “I didn’t think you’d be anxious to get to the courthouse early.”
She shrugged. “It never hurts to make a good impression.”
“Annabelle, there’s something else. Tell me.”
She frowned at him. How could he read her thoughts so easily? The truth was that she really did want to share the contents of the note with him. She’d trusted him this far, surely she could trust him with this too.
“There is one other thing.” She glanced around again to make sure they were still alone. She really didn’t want anyone to overhear them and report back to the king.
“Would you like to come inside?”
He didn’t have to ask her twice. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. “I received something very strange in today’s mail.”
