Chapter 16

Daphne woke up feeling like she would like to spend another day at the beach. She had never known how pleasurable kissing and touching could be. Jamie said he would not take her virginity in the dunes of a cave, but there were other things they could do. She smiled they had done them all. She could not wait to be married to experience the joys of love making on a regular basis. She laid there thinking about all the wonderful things that happened yesterday and then she remembered she forgot to tell either Jamie or Victor that Emily was a poisons expert or at least she claimed to be.

Nanny came in to tend Daphne and was surprised she was up after all they did not returned to the house until after three.

"What has you up so early?"

Daphne stretched and yawned she really did not know why she was awake.

"I do not know Nanny I just already feel refreshed and ready for a new day."

"Today is the civic banquet I think we should go elegant but comfortable."

They went with her tapered dress with the plaid on top and the solid blue on the bottom. She had a hat made with the plaid to add a more sophisticated touch. Since it was short sleeves she wore matching gloves. Daphne was so please to not be in the cumbersome gowns she was ready to jump for joy, but her thoughts turned wicked and thought how much easier it would be to have Jamie do all those wicked things to her with less clothing. Nanny could tell Daphne was having some thought or another about the duke because she was blushing. Daphne wanted to squash the awkwardness that seemed to be filling the room right now.

"Nanny do you know anything about weever fish?

"Aye, I do. It is used to paralyze a person without killing them. Why do you ask?"

"Emily was bragging on her knowledge of poison and to prove her point she went off about the weever fish."

"Did she now? Did you tell Jamie or were the two of you to busy to be safe?"

Daphne's blush confirmed everything she was thinking.

"I will say I did forget to mention it. We had such a lovely day I did not want to spoil it with talk of fish."

"Well it is the talk of those fish that will keep you alive I am betting."

"Do you really think Emily has it in her to poison me? I think she is all talk and no bite personally. She did show up to Jamie's room in night clothing the other day so maybe she has a little more bite than I give her credit for."

"It is not a matter of what we think it is what we can prove and if we keep this to ourselves we will never know."

"Fine when I am finished dressing I will talk with Jamie and Victor and tell them what she said."

Daphne did what she had promised she found Jamie meaning to tell him, but she got side tracked by his lips. When they finally came up for air the guard had found them and announced it was time to leave for the banquet. They joined the procession that included the Clan MacGregor Regalia Guards who were dressed in all their clan finery. The carriages went slow, so the king could enjoy the music of the highlands. He had told Sir Walter Scott the one thing he wanted on this trip was he wish for his trip to have all music purely national and characteristic of the traditions of Scotland he was getting his wish. By the time the King reached the great hall of Parliament house the music could be heard from everywhere. It was one of the most beautiful things Daphne had heard.

If Daphne thought yesterday's food was in abundance today's banquet had an ungodly amount of food. Daphne could not help thinking this amount of food would feed the poor of London for a year. That of course did not stop her from enjoying each morsel on her plate. Jamie watched her amused at the enjoyment Daphne was getting for all the different foods being offered. He was not sure how she stayed so slender with all the foods she liked. She was a wonderment to him. He laughed when she came to the fish and paused.

"Do you not like fish?"

"Yes, I like fish, what do you know of the weever fish?"

"Nothing is it good?"

"I do not know I was supposed to tell you Emily is knowledgeable about weever fish."

"Daph, if that is supposed to mean anything to me it does not. Why should I care if Emily knows about a weever fish?"

Daphne started to giggle.

"I guess I did not state that well Emily is knowable about poisons she had a tutor well rather her brother had a tutor who used to teach them some strange facts and one of them was about weever fish who are poisonous but not deadly."

Daphne could see the wheels turning in Jamie's brain, and she could tell when he connected with she was trying to tell him.

"When did you obtain this information?"

"Yesterday we were talking about Adel Dubois, and Léonette Andre' and how they tried to kill the king with a knife, and that the real Lilly and Alice had been killed. I mentioned they were the ones suspected of poisoning your kitchen staff. That is when Emily replied. "Poison is a nasty business but its discrete. If they did it right they would never have gotten caught." Olivia called her out on it and she told us about her brother's tutor."

"Why did you not tell me yesterday?"

She got a wicked grin on her face and he knew where this was leading.

"I was preoccupied yesterday if you recall your grace."

His smiled matched hers how could he forget about their time in the cave. It was the most pleasurable afternoon he had ever spent at the beach in his entire life.

"We need to let Othello know."

She looked at him a little puzzled.

"I do not know who this Othello you and Victor seem to talk about."

"Of course not. Let us go find Victor."

Daphne was not surprised when they found Victor he was surrounded by a group of adorning females. One Daphne was not to happy about. It was Emily how could he betray Daphne by cavorting with her enemy if that was what she was?"

"Lady's duty calls. Never fear I will be back."

Victor took one look at Daphne's face and knew he was in for a heap of trouble. The one thing the Valentine women were not good at was hiding their emotions and Daphne was no exception. What had he done now? He broke away from the group of women and joined Jamie and his cousin.

Jamie did not say a word he turned and walked off they both followed him to an alcove in the banquet room where they could talk.

"Daphne seemed to have forgotten to tell us about a conversation with Emily about being a poison expert.

He turned to his cousin furious.

"How could you forget something so important?

Daphne snapped at him.

"Maybe because I was taking your advice and it made me forget all about that kind of danger. Why are you so mad at me?"

"You put your life in jeopardy for a bit of passion."

"What do you do for a bit of passion Victor."

"You're a woman."

She poked her finger at Victor her dander up.

"You think only men can experience passion? You are a such a..."

she stopped and stuttered.

"You are such a Man!"

She turned and stomped off from them leaving them speechless.

"What the bloody hell just happened?"

Victor started to walk off, but he called back to Jamie.

"Welcome to the family the women are all crazy."

Jamie was left alone trying to figure out what had just happened. He went to find Othello and give him an update. If no one else was going to protect Daphne, he would. He found Simon and gave him a report. He neglected to mention the fight between the cousins. He figured he would keep their privet conversation privet. Then he went in search of Daphne and Victor hopefully they were not off killing each other. He found Daphne had gone to the stables and took Roy for a ride. He had his horse saddled and he road off in the direction he thought she would go. That was the Cliffs at the beach they had their picnic at. When they were at Inveraray Castle after the girls had given her trouble, she would go to the cliff and look out on the water. She had told him on one of their rides she found it a place for her to calm down.

He found Roy at the cliff tied up, but he did not find Daphne. He became frantic where could she be. He started to call out to her but the sound of the water crashing against the rocks made his voice only a whisper on the wind. He looked over the cliff praying he did not find her there. He breathed a sigh of relief she was not down at the bottom of the cliff. He looked around for another hour, but it was getting dark and he could not see the land around him. He decided to go back to Dalkeith House to get help in looking for her. He hoped she was back there and safe.

Upon his arrival at Dalkeith House he went directly to Simon to tell them they had lost Daphne. Simon started to bark out orders then turned to Jamie and started to shout.

"How in the bloody hell did you lose her. You have been attached to her from my reports since she stepped foot in Scotland. Did you have a row with the girl?"

"No, I did not have a row with Daphne Victor did."

Simon started to yell again at someone outside of his office.

"Find the prince of Savoy and bring him here now and I do not care how he gets here just get him here now."

Ten minutes later Victor was brought to Simon half naked being dragged in yelling at the guard who was dragging him along.

"What did I do all you had to do was ask me I would have been here."

"Your cousin is missing, and she has not been seen since the two of you had a row. Care to explain what happened to her?"

Victor seemed to come unglued what did they mean Daphne was missing. He turned to Jamie

"She was with you when I left."

"She walked off before you did I thought you walked off after her that is why I did not follow. I did not want to get caught in a family squabble."

The arguing stopped when Charlotte walked into the room. All eyes were on her, she looked at Simon.

"Emily and Iris are missing also find my daughter that is an order."

Simon paled, he knew she was higher up on the government food chain than he was, and he was the assistant to the head of the war office.

"Yes, your highness, everything that can be done will be done."

Charlotte looked at Victor knowing the two of them had a row, but Daphne had not shared with her what the argument was about when she saw her upon her arrival back to Dalkeith House. She talked in a tone Victor would never expect from his aunt it was confident and in command.

"Daphne said you two had a row. I want to know what the two of you argued about. I am sure it is something silly like it always is with the two of you, but I need to know no matter what."

"I do not think what we argued about will help the course of finding her."

Victor turned bright red, the last thing he wanted to tell his aunt was they were arguing about the passion between men and woman. How could he phrase that, so he did not let on what they were all about?

"It was..."

"Victor tell me now or I will have words with your mother and Vincent as soon as I get back. You are only twenty he still has control over your life and if you do not want it curtailed then I suggest you tell me. And if that is not enough of a threat I will not let Simon assign you anymore missions which I am aware you find thrilling. Now what was the argument about?"

A lot of thoughts ran through his mind and all the consequences she mentioned. He was not sure about her power over Simon, but he was pretty sure she could convince Vincent and his mother to restrict his activities till he became of age.

"It was about passion and if woman or men had more passion or shared in passion the same."

Charlotte closed her eyes and counted to ten. She did not want to yell at her nephew about their conversation after all she knew that is how he talk with his sister.

"You realize she is not Tory, but none the less thank you for sharing that with me. That explains why she would not be as cautious as she should have been of Emily and Iris."

She turned to Jamie who was about ready to drop dead on the spot. After all who would she blame for Daphne even thinking about passion. She smiled but he could see she was not happy.

"I want to know where Daphne and you shared this passion."

All eyes turned to Jamie who was twelve shades of red.

"I, we,"

Charlotte held out her hand for him to stop.

"I am not upset, I remember what it is like to be young and in love and be filled with passion. I am not judging you, after all you are engaged, and it is only natural to share a certain intimacy once you are engaged. So please just tell me what I need to know and if you think Emily could have seen the two of you."

Jamie cleared his throat.

"On the beach of Porobello sands there is a cave. As for the question of Emily seeing us I do not know I was not really paying attention. I am so sorry I never meant to dishonor her I love her with all my heart."

Charlotte caressed his cheek,

"I know you do, that is why I am not upset."

She turned to Simon

"Have someone ride to the cave I am sure that is where you will find them. I am just hoping it is not too late."

Jamie led them to the cave the weather had turned bad and they had to ride in the pouring rain. Victor was riding at Jamie side the rain would not keep them from their destination.

Emily stood before Daphne brandishing a dagger.

"All you had to do was keep your word and not try to obtain a husband then you would not have to die."

Daphne did not know where she found the courage to laugh at Emily.

"Do you really think if you hurt me he will make you his bride?"

"You do not understand I have to have him marry me or my family will lose everything. This is nothing personal."

"Nothing personal, you want to kill me how is that not personal?"

Iris stood at the opening of the cave watching for any sign of rescue.

"Emily hurry and be done with it stop toying with her it will only make what you have to do harder."

"Do you even love him."

It was Emily's turn to laugh

"What does love have to do with any of this. I am doing this to save my family from ruin. If I marry the king's grandson, he is not going to drag us off to debtors prison for not being able to pay his debts."

"I am sure if you let me go my father could pay off your fathers' debts he is very wealthy. I have a very wealthy family and they can make sure you are taken care of. You do not have to do this. Because if you do that... that same family who would help you to save me will ruin you and any chances of you saving yourself. Do you think the king will let you get away with this he has a fondness for my mother?"

"Be quite I have no choice but to do this all your talk is confusing me."

"I am talking because I think you need to hear everything you are facing if you hurt me. I am telling you I can help you with money without scandalizing your family. I can give you all my jewels my parents were very indulgent of me you can sell them and still have money left over. All we must do is tell everyone we took shelter in the cave when the rain started. No one has to know you took me."

"No, it has to be this way."

"Emily hurry we need to finish this quickly, I think I hear horse approaching."

"How can you hear anything over the rain, just keep watching."

Emily turned her attention back to Daphne. Daphne could only hope Iris had heard horses because her next attempt to show Emily she was being ridiculous was risky at best. She knew it would upset Emily, but it could also make her understand there was no hope for her and Jamie.

"You know he has to have the kings blessing to get married?"

"You lie! He is a duke he can do what he wants."

"He is the grandson of the king he had to have permission to marry me. I am not so sure the king will bless your union and he must have it to marry. Actually, the King has already posted the banns Jamie and I will be married September twenty second at Westminster Abbey."

Before Emily could react to the news Daphne imparted on her Iris shouted.

"The rescue party had arrived we need to go."

There was no longer anything they could do they would know it was them and now they would end up in prison for attempted murder on a princess and the future granddaughter to the king. Life was not kind to the William family. Iris ran into the cave and grabbed Emily and started to drag her towards the back of the cave. Daphne watched them disappear into the darkness of the cave.

When Jamie and Victor arrived, Daphne was sitting on the bench they had shared an intimate moment on with her hands tied with a big smile on her face.

"What took you so long your grace?"

He did not say anything he just held her to him. Victor lit a torch he had brought with them giving them perspective of what had taken place in the cave. Daphne had bruises from being hit or dragged her dress was torn and hair was all disheveled. To Jamie she had never looked more beautiful alive and all his. She turned her attention to Victor.

"They are somewhere in the back of the cave they took off running when you two arrived. Now untie me my arms are numb."

More men arrived in search of Daphne and joined Victor on his search of the cave Jamie was going to get Daphne back to Dalkeith House and to her mother where she would be safe. Charlotte was in Simon's office when they arrived with Daphne where she was scolding everyone in the room for their lack of professionalism on protection duty. Daphne rushed at her mother and hugged her. Charlotte was so relieved to see Daphne alive she stopped her scolding and held her daughter to her. She was back safely a little battered, but she would live and that was what was the only thing that mattered.