The Faerie Ring (29 page)

When they turned onto Grosvenor Square, Tiki stared at the beautiful buildings in amazement. So this was Mayfair, where London’s wealthiest lived. It was like being in a different world.

The cab pulled to a stop in front of a row of immaculate town houses, their black porches a crisp accent to the white brick. Tiki stayed perfectly still as Rieker exited the cab. She debated when to reveal herself, suddenly unsure if her plan to help would please or anger him. She could hear him talking to the driver as he paid the fare.

“Get up!” the driver cried as he slapped the reins and urged the horses on their way. As the carriage rolled down the street, Tiki watched Rieker climb the steps to Number 6. She rose to a crouch and waited until they had rounded the corner of the square before she timed her jump from the moving cab.

Tiki hurried back past the lush garden that filled the square and worked her way down until she stood in the shadows of the trees across from Number 6. By the time she got back down the street, the front door was closed and there was no sign of Rieker.

Tiki paced back and forth between the trees, plotting how to get in.

Finally she threw caution to the wind. She had to do something. She ran across the street and up the steps. With a shaking hand she lifted the brass knocker, letting it fall hard twice, the metal ringing against the stop. Tiki took several deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. It was only a few moments before the door swung open. A tall, robust man dressed in the black-and-white apparel of a butler peered down his rather large nose at her.

“Yes?”

She had to think fast. She doubted the man would let someone off the street dressed as she was into his master’s affluent town home.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Tiki said. “I’ve got a delivery for a Mrs. Arthur Emerson. Is this the right address?”

His eyes narrowed as he examined her empty hands. “What sort of delivery?”

“Oh.” Tiki clapped her hands together. “I don’t have it with me at the moment. See, I’m with, um, Binder’s Bakery, and we have a … um … cake delivery to make tomorrow. They sent me on ahead to make sure we had the right house.” She smiled up at him. “Don’t want the cake to be late for the party.”

Tiki tried to peer around the man’s sizable girth to see into the house. If she spotted Clara or Rieker, she was going to force her way in. Somehow.

“Yes, well, how very fortunate that you checked,” the butler said in a dry tone, “for you do indeed have the wrong address. This is the Richmond residence. Good day.” The butler started to swing the door closed, but Tiki threw her hand out to stop him.

“The Richmond residence?” she echoed. “You mean
William
Richmond?”

“Yes. Exactly. William Becker Richmond.” His eyes raked over her. “I assume you don’t have a cake for him?”

Tiki swayed on her feet. For a second the butler seemed very far away, then he rushed back into focus. “No…”

“I thought not. Should you locate your Mrs. Emerson, you might note that she will most probably want her cake delivered to the
back
door. Good day.” Then he shut the door as soundlessly as he had opened it.

Tiki reached out to grip the black iron railing to steady herself. This was
Rieker’s
house? He lived here, in Mayfair, one of the poshest parts of town? She pushed herself away from the door and stared at the blank windows, hiding the secrets within. This was where Larkin was keeping Clara? It was as though someone had knocked the wind out of her. She sagged against the railing and held tight to the black handrail to hold herself up. Then a blinding rage filled her. Had he known all along? It was all she could do not to pound on the door and demand entry. Demand an explanation.

She drew a shaky breath, trying to steady her nerves. Her stomach turned with an unusual queasiness, and for a minute Tiki thought she was going to be sick. Rieker couldn’t be trusted. That much was clear now. She needed a plan. She needed to outsmart him at his own game. Before it was too late.

*   *   *

“L
ARKIN
is staying in
his
house.” Tiki knew that she was bordering on hysteria as evidenced by the shrillness of her voice, but she couldn’t help herself. She fought to keep her tears in check at the depth of Rieker’s duplicity. “He’s done it all for the bloody ring. He doesn’t care about Clara or … or any of us.” She wiped her nose on her sleeve. “He’s lied about it all. He only wants one thing.”

“Calm down, Teek.” Shamus reached out a hand to steady her. Fiona sat next to Tiki, her face drawn and worried. Even Toots was frowning.

“He’s a bloody liar,” the young boy cried.

“I knew he was too good-looking to be trusted,” Fiona said.

Shamus raised his hands to quiet them. “If what Tiki’s said is the truth, then we just need to be one step ahead of him.”

“What do you mean?” Tiki sniffed and wiped her nose along her sleeve.

“Well, the ring is in Buckingham now, isn’t it?” Shamus asked.

Tiki sniffed again and nodded.

“And Rieker knows the princes. Didn’t he say he was invited to a card game there tonight?”

“Yes.”

“And now you know where he lives, right?”

Tiki nodded.

Shamus held his palms up. “Well, I say we let Rieker get the ring out of Buckingham for us and then we’ll just steal it from him.”

Tiki turned the idea over in her mind. Rieker had access to the palace. He was really their only hope of getting the ring back from the royals. Then, once it was out of the palace, she could steal the ring from him.

“It might work,” Tiki said. “But Larkin told me to be back to Hyde Park by twilight tonight. Rieker probably won’t even go to the palace until this evening, so the first chance we’ll get to steal it will be after he plays cards and goes home. What if she doesn’t wait?”

Shamus’s voice was steady and sure. “Trust me, Tiki. If Larkin has been after the ring all these years, she’ll wait one more day. Trading Clara is her best chance of ever seeing the queen’s ring. I think one more day will be all right. What we need to focus on is getting the ring from Rieker.”

Chapter Thirty-three

I
T
was dark when Rieker returned. Tiki and the others were huddled around the meager heat of the stove, which couldn’t keep up with the cool air seeping in through the walls.

Tiki jumped to her feet when Rieker came through the door and hurried toward him. It was all she could do not to shout accusations at him.

“Did you find her?” She searched his face for answers.

His expression was guarded, and he shook his head wearily. “Larkin was already gone. She must have known that I would find out where she was staying.”

Tiki looked away. Her stomach turned at the thought of Rieker using a helpless child for his own gain. “Are you sure Clara was there?”

Rieker reached inside his jacket. He pulled out a worn pink puppy that looked as though half of its stuffing had been removed.

“Doggie,” Tiki cried. She reached out to take the little stuffed animal from Rieker. The toy’s black button eyes were askew, but his felt mouth smiled at her. A pang of sadness welled inside her. “Clara can’t sleep without Doggie,” Tiki whispered. She took a deep breath against the helplessness that threatened to overwhelm her. Maybe Larkin had left Doggie behind just to taunt her.

Rieker reached out to comfort her, but she shied away, turning so he couldn’t see the anger in her eyes. He dropped his hands to his sides and stared at her, sadness etched across his face. “We’ll find her, Tiki. I promise.”

Tiki couldn’t bite back her words. “If she’s still alive.”

“She’s alive. But we need the ring.” His words were firm.

“What time are you going to the palace tonight?” Tiki watched him with wary eyes, Doggie clutched to her chest.

“Leo said to arrive by eight.” Rieker stood with his arms folded across his chest, his lips pressed tight at the corners. “If I don’t show up, I think Leo will hunt me down so he can drag some answers out of me. He’s very suspicious of the beautiful Elizabeth.”

Tiki ignored his compliment. Just another lie. “And what will you tell him?”

“At this moment, I have no idea.” Rieker turned back to face her. “But this is probably my only chance to reclaim the ring to negotiate with Larkin.” His smoky eyes shifted to her face. “Will you tell me where it’s hidden?”

Tiki chewed on the corner of her lip. She had to tell him, to play along with the charade of trusting him, yet it was a secret she hated to share. What if Rieker and Larkin disappeared together once he had the ring? Perhaps they would never return Clara. Tiki pushed the thought from her mind. She couldn’t allow herself to think of things like that. First, she had to get the ring out of Buckingham, and Rieker was going to do that for her.

“It’s hidden on a piece of wire behind the painting of the faerie on the second floor.” Tiki said the words quickly, before she changed her mind. Once Rieker got the ring, she would be one step closer to stealing it back.

“Sir Thomas’ Folly?”

“Pardon me?” Tiki squinted at him, unsure of his meaning.

“The painting. Is it the piece of art that you and Leo were discussing when I interrupted the other day? In that alcove that looks out to the back gardens?”

“Yes.”

Rieker laughed. Not just a chuckle. He laughed until his sides heaved with his exertion. Finally, he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and heaved a deep sigh of delight.

“I’m afraid I missed the joke,” Tiki said in a cold voice.

“The painting,” Rieker explained, “behind which the ring of the truce is hidden is quite aptly titled
Sir Thomas’ Folly
. The canvas is named after a play where a prince falls in love with a faerie and loses his kingdom to her deceptions.” He eyed Tiki. “Or perhaps you already knew that and just have a vicious sense of humor.”

“I had no idea that was the name of the painting,” she said. “It appeared to be a good place to hide the ring where it wouldn’t be found.” Tiki turned away and stared at the glow of flame flickering through the vent in the box stove. How was it possible to love someone one minute and then hate him the next?

“So you and Leo stood a foot away from the very ring he has sought so desperately?” Rieker chuckled again. “Ah, if only Leo knew. He would probably laugh, too.”

“Amusing, I’m sure, but do you think you can retrieve the thing without being caught?”

Rieker sobered. “Which side of the canvas is the ring on?”

“On the lower right,” Tiki snapped.

He wasn’t smiling now. “Yes. I can get the ring.”

*   *   *

T
IKI
sat on the bench outside Mr. Potts’s bookstore and nervously flipped a coin across her fingers. Rieker had been brusque when he’d left. Perhaps it was in reaction to her mood, or perhaps it was because he didn’t need to pretend to care anymore.

She had desperately wanted to follow him, to keep her eyes on something, anything, that would lead her to Clara. But she had forced herself to stay seated as he’d walked out the door with the knowledge of where the ring was hidden. She had given up everything to save Clara. She prayed that it worked.

A long sigh escaped her lips. The constant worry about the little girl was draining her energy. And then there was Larkin. A jealous twinge went through Tiki as she envisioned the other girl’s exquisite looks. It was no surprise that Rieker wasn’t immune to her unearthly beauty.

Tiki searched the station. Even now, travelers hurried back and forth as the bellowing gusts of steam and the shrill whistles of the trains coming and going echoed through the cavernous room. Things wouldn’t be the same without Clara. There was something so endearing about the frail little girl, something so compelling, that Tiki couldn’t imagine life without her. For a second, she allowed herself to consider the worst: What if Larkin didn’t return her? What if Clara died?

Tiki took a deep breath, trying to hold back the sob that tore from her throat.

If Clara didn’t come back, it would be like losing her parents all over again. She didn’t know if she could go through it another time. There was no place she could run to escape that kind of pain. Or guilt. Because this time she would be responsible. For not taking better care of Clara. For not saving her from Larkin. A crushing ache formed in Tiki’s chest.

Frustrated, Tiki jumped to her feet and headed for the main part of the station. Traffic picked up as she got closer to the loading ramps. She watched the crowd as she walked, fighting the sense of desperation that threatened to engulf her. By tomorrow she would have the ring again and could make the trade with Larkin.

A voice whispered in her ear, “Your little girl is sick.”

Tiki jerked around. Larkin gave her a guileless smile. The other girl’s blond ringlets hung in perfect sausage curls and her beautiful face was serene, as though she were asking the time of day.

“How sick?” Tiki forced herself to remain calm.

“Well, I don’t normally deal with children, but I’d say she’s not doing well at all. She seems to sleep most all of the time, and she’s coughing up a lot of blood.” Larkin’s blue green eyes gazed at Tiki without emotion. “I’d suggest you bring me the ring tonight as you promised.”

“I don’t have it. Yet.” Tiki wanted to throttle the girl and cry at the same time. “But I’ll have it tomorrow. Let me have Clara and I
promise
I’ll bring it to you tomorrow.” Longing tore at Tiki’s heart, and she clenched her fingers so tight that she could feel her fingernails biting into the palms of her hands.

Larkin laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners as her lips curved in a dazzling smile. “It’s a terrible thing to want and long for something you can’t have, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but I’m concerned about a
person
. You want a
thing,
” Tiki snapped. “Why do you want the ring so much? Just to destroy the truce?”