Chapter 5

Vivienne shot Bess a look and blinked hard at her. Go. Don’t argue with me. 

Bess didn’t understand a bit of it, but her faith that her lady was always right won out, so she muttered something that passed for agreement and ducked inside. She came back out with the tarts and the fruit piled in her arms and a small gilded candle dish swinging from one hand. 

Vivienne looked at the pile of evidence in Bess’s arms, and the weight finally lifted off her chest. She gave a satisfied nod, then jerked her chin at Cordelia and put an ugly edge in her voice. “This’ll do for tonight. Cross me again and I’ll burn this place down around you.” 

She tugged at Bess’s arm. “Bess, we’re leaving.” 

One of them had her arms full and the other could barely stand, and the two of them still cleared that courtyard faster than a pair of rabbits. 

Tilly watched them disappear through the archway with tears rolling down her face. “My lady, Lady Vivienne’s gone too far this time! She robs you blind and acts like she’s owed it!” 

The small smile faded from Cordelia’s face. She looked toward the gate and shook her head. “It seems my cousin… isn’t quite as far gone as I thought.”