In Pursuit of a Princess. Lenora Worth

“Very sure. A man was standing there.”

      Malcolm put his big arms across his chest. “So you screamed?”

      “Yes.”

      “But you didn’t answer when we came to the door.”

      “I was still frightened.”

      He motioned again to the two men. “Search the balcony and the grounds.”

      Lara took Deidre by the arm, her own jitters making her shaky. “Come with me. We’ll sit awhile and I’ll make us some chamomile tea.”

      Deidre looked mortified. “Ma’am, you don’t need to wait on me. I’m...okay.”

      “You are not okay,” Lara countered. “Malcolm, we’re going down to the kitchen. Could you make sure a guard is nearby while we brew our tea?”

      “Certainly, Your Highness. But please let us secure the house before you wander around.”

      Lara nodded. “Deidre, let’s get you a robe from your room.”

      The girl followed Lara into the room and stood by the door, staring out into the night. “I saw a man there, Miss Lara. I promise.”

      “I believe you,” Lara replied. She helped Deidre with her robe. “Did the man try to get into your room?”

      “No. He just stood there. When I screamed, he ran away.”

      Lara took in the information but said nothing. She wouldn’t allow Deidre to see her fears. That might put the girl over the edge.

      But when they were turning to leave the room, something caught Lara’s eye. “Just a moment, Deidre. Stay there by the door, please.”

      Deidre nodded. Lara walked to the open door that led out onto the balcony, careful to stay on the edge of the sheer lace curtains. Peeking around the lace, she saw something through the moonlight, lying there on the planked floor. The guards had rushed right past it. Another package, this one bigger than the first one.

      Another delivery. But how in the world had the intruder planned to get that box inside? And what if he’d been looking for her room instead of Deidre’s?

      THREE

      Gabriel knew something was wrong the minute he rounded the corner the next morning. He’d taken the streetcar to RWN magazine and then walked the rest of the way to the Kincade estate since it was such a gorgeous spring day.

      But that notion ended when he saw two NOPD cruisers parked inside the gated driveway and a whole passel of reporters and onlookers stationed outside the closed gate. Pulling out the smaller of his two cameras and his phone, he dialed Deidre’s cell so she could open the gate for him. He held the phone to one ear, clicked away and got some one-handed shots of the cruisers and the growing crowd at the gate.

      But Deidre didn’t answer. A male voice greeted him. “Hello?”

      “Uh, I was looking for Deidre Wilder. I’m Gabriel Murdock. I have an appointment with Princess Lara this morning.”

      “Hold on.” He heard shuffling and voices. “You’re clear. Someone will come and escort you inside.”

      “Uh, thanks.”

      Gabriel shifted his equipment pack and bypassed the other photographers gathered beyond the gate, then waited where he could see the entryway. When a uniformed officer came out and punched in the code for the walk-through gate next to the driveway, there was a rush of people behind Gabriel.

      The officer held up his hand. “Sorry, no one else allowed. This man has special clearance.”

      Moans and groans and foul language ensued behind Gabriel, followed by desperate questions: “Was anything stolen last night? Is the princess safe in New Orleans? Why are you here? Was anyone arrested? Will the princess make a statement to the press?”

      Gathering that there had been a break-in attempt last night, Gabriel hurried through the gate and didn’t look back at the agitated crowd. He’d been in worse jams. And he did have an official pass, which he flashed at the officer just for good measure.

      But getting special treatment had stirred up the paparazzi. He’d probably hear about this in the news later.

      “What happened?” he asked the stoic officer, hoping to verify what he’d heard from the reporters at the gate.

      “An intruder last night.”

      And that would be all he’d get from that one. “Thanks.”

      He made his way behind the policeman into the side entrance, where a small porch was tucked behind a heavy canopy of banana fronds. This entryway led to the mudroom and kitchen.

      And that was where he found Lara sitting with Deidre.

      “Good morning,” he said, glancing around at the guards and police officers. “Brunch?”

      Lara got up, her expression as serene as ever, her hair back in its chignon, her light blue linen pantsuit not daring to wrinkle. “We had a scare last night. Deidre saw someone on one of the upstairs balconies, out by her window.” She glanced around, then lowered her voice. “He left another package.”

      Not good news. “What was in the package?”

      She shrugged, gathered her arms against her stomach. “It’s another oddity.” Motioning toward the breakfast table, she walked him over. “Sit down and I’ll get you some coffee and explain.”

      Deidre, looking drawn and unkempt, jumped up. “Let me do that, ma’am.”

      Lara nodded, then sank into a cushioned chair. Gabriel sat down across from her. In the bright sunlight coming through the wall-to-wall bay windows that gave a full view of the back garden, she looked tired and...lost. Still lovely, but at least now he knew she was fairly normal. Wasn’t everyone tired and lost anyway?

      “The box, Lara?”

      She sent a quick glance toward the swarm of men roaming up and down the stairs. “We can’t go up to see it. They’re taking photos and logging it as evidence. And they don’t want us to disturb the scene—which really is only the balcony and the package.”

      “So the package is still where someone found it?”

      “I saw it after I heard Deidre screaming. It was left on the balcony outside her room.”

      She waited until Deidre brought him coffee and a plate with muffins and cheese. The fidgety girl took her own dishes to the sink and busied herself with cleaning the kitchen. Lara continued, “It’s a replica of one of the art pieces I showed you last night. The Benoit.” She stopped, shook her head.

      “But?”

      She blinked, looked away to the right. “But it’s not really the same portrait. I know it looks familiar but I can’t place it. It’s as if someone is trying to copy the Benoit’s style.”

      Gabriel’s instincts kicked in and he got that coiling knot inside his stomach, the knot he always got when he was onto something no one had been expecting. “Did anyone else see this intruder?”

      “No. Deidre saw a shadow. The person ran when she screamed.”

      “Do you know if Deidre talked to Herbert about the first package?”

      Looking surprised, she shook her head. “Deidre mentioned that this morning, but no. He didn’t answer her calls or messages.”

      Deidre had brought her the first package last night. No one else had seen that one delivered. And Deidre hadn’t been able to get in touch with the chef last night to see what he might know.

      Now Deidre had seen an intruder who’d conveniently left yet another package near her room? Coincidence or carefully planned attack?

      Gabriel didn’t believe in coincidences.

      No