"Brave words," Anthony growled. "But this is my sister we're talking about. She ran away from you once before, if you will recall."
Gabriel winced. "That was a different matter entirely."
"So you say. I'm going to call on her at once. I want to be certain she is at home."
"She will be there."
Anthony shot him a derisive look as he headed toward the door. "Ten pounds says she's not. I know Phoebe. She is too headstrong by far to take orders from a husband."
"I'll accompany you on this call you intend to pay on my wife," Gabriel said. "And make no mistake, I fully intend to collect my ten pounds."
"And if she is not at home? What will you do then?" Anthony challenged.
"Find her and lock her in her bedchamber," Gabriel vowed.
"Phoebe's very good at knotting bedsheets together," Anthony reminded him.
Meredith and Lydia arrived at the town house within half an hour after Phoebe sent her messages to them. They hastened into the drawing room, expressions of grave alarm on their faces.
"What is this about Wylde confining you to the house?" Lydia demanded as she pulled her spectacles out of her reticule and ran a worried eye over Phoebe. "What has happened? Has he beaten you? I vow, your Papa will not stand for that. And neither will I. We agreed to allow him to marry you because we thought he could deal with you, but he goes too far, by heaven."
Meredith gave Phoebe an anxious look as she untied her bonnet strings. "Has he hurt you, Phoebe? I warned you he was not a patient man. Nevertheless, rest assured we will not let him get away with abusing you."
Phoebe smiled serenely and reached for the teapot. "Please be seated. It is a very exciting story. And as I am longing to tell someone the tale, I decided to send for you and Mama."
Lydia eyed her warily as she seated herself. "Phoebe, this is not some sort of jest, is it? When I got your note, I was extremely worried. Are you or are you not confined to the house?"
"I have been forbidden to leave unless Wylde escorts me." Phoebe wrinkled her nose. "Or unless a certain Mr. Stinton is available to follow me about. It is most annoying, I assure you."
"Then it's true? You have been confined against your will?" Meredith searched her face as she accepted her cup of tea.
"It certainly was not my choice," Phoebe said.
"Then why, might one ask, are you staying put?" Lydia asked bluntly.
"Because Wylde is extremely worried about my safety." Phoebe sipped her tea. "Actually, I take it as a rather hopeful sign, if you must know the truth. I think he is worried because he loves me. Not that he will admit it, of course."
Meredith exchanged glances with Lydia and then turned back to Phoebe. "Perhaps you had better start from the beginning."
"Perhaps I should," Phoebe agreed. She ran through the tale quickly. "The thing is, we do not know who, precisely, this Alice is. Nor do we know how she came to learn of the curse in the back of The Lady in the Tower. Gabriel suspects Neil Baxter is involved somehow."
"Good grief," Lydia said. "Will we never be free of that abominable man?"
Phoebe pursed her lips. "I am not at all certain Neil has anything to do — with this. I feel it's quite possible that Wylde is leaping to conclusions simply because he does not have any liking for Neil and because he may be just a tiny bit jealous."
"Ah, that would explain his reaction, wouldn't it?" Meredith murmured.
"I like to think so," Phoebe agreed cheerfully. "However, the fact remains that Wylde has forbidden me to even communicate with Neil, so I cannot talk to him to get his side of the story."
"Just as well, if you ask me," Lydia said. "Well, then, what are Meredith and I to do? Entertain you during the course of your imprisonment?"
"Mother, really." Meredith frowned at her. "She is hardly a prisoner."
"Yes, I am," Phoebe said.
"Yes, she is," Lydia agreed.
Meredith scowled at both of them. "Wylde is quite right to keep you safely tucked up here until he can determine what is going on, Phoebe. I do not blame him in the least."
"I'm sure he means well," Phoebe said. "Wylde generally does mean well. It is just that he tends to go about things in a rather heavy-handed fashion. But I expect I shall be able to correct that bad habit in time."
"Excellent attitude." Lydia smiled with maternal approval. "Always knew you'd make a clever wife, Phoebe."
Meredith's lovely brow creased in another gentle frown. "You should not be plotting to correct your husband's habits, Phoebe. You should be grateful that he is able to guide you."
"I suggest we change the subject," Phoebe said determinedly. "Now, then, I asked both of you to come here today for a reason. I have every intention of getting myself out of prison as quickly as possible."
Lydia's brows rose. "And just how do you plan to do that?"
Phoebe smiled. "With your help, of course."
Meredith gasped. "You surely cannot mean you want Mama and me to help you sneak out of the house. Phoebe, it would not be right to go against your husband like that. Not when all he is trying to do is protect you. And Wylde would be furious if we did get you out."
"I do not intend to defy Wylde in this," Phoebe said.
"Thank heaven." Meredith sagged with relief.
"What I intend to do," Phoebe continued smoothly, "is help Wylde solve the puzzle of who is behind these strange occurrences."
"Oh, my God," Meredith murmured.
Lydia gazed intently at Phoebe. "Just how do you plan to solve this puzzle?"
"First," Phoebe said as she poured more tea, "we must discover the truth about Neil. I wish to know for certain if he is truly a villain or merely the victim of unfortunate misunderstandings and circumstances."
"How do you propose to learn the truth?" Lydia's eyes were alight with curiosity behind the lenses of her spectacles.
"I believe you are in a very good position to help, Mama." Phoebe smiled. "I want you to question your card-playing friends very carefully and with great subtlety. They are always a wonderful source of gossip. Let us see if they know anything about Neil and a woman named Alice."
"That," Lydia exclaimed, "is not a bad notion."
"I suppose there would be no harm done," Meredith agreed slowly.
"And as for you, Meredith," Phoebe said, "1 believe you are in a position to make inquiries, also."
Meredith's eyes widened. "You mean because of the amount of entertaining I do?"
"Precisely. And because people talk to you freely. When they look at you, they see only a demure paragon of womanhood."
"You needn't go into details," Meredith said. "I am well aware that most people do not believe I have a brain in my head. And I will admit that perception is useful at times. 1 have had some experience picking up bits and pieces of information that Trowbridgc has found helpful in his business affairs."
"You know very well your husband relies on you as an equal partner in his business affairs because of your skills. Will you help me?"
"Of course," Meredith said.
Lydia beamed with pleasure. "I really did a rather fine job of raising you two, if I do say so."
The drawing room door crashed open at that moment and everyone turned in surprise as Anthony and Gabriel stalked into the room.
Gabriel's eyes went first to Phoebe. She saw intense relief mingled with a great deal of masculine satisfaction reflected there. She arched one brow in a silent question.
"Told you she'd be here," Gabriel said to Anthony.
"Well, I'll be damned." Anthony chuckled. "So she is. My compliments, Wylde. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Good afternoon, ladies."
"Good afternoon, my lords," Phoebe said politely. "We were not expecting you. Would you care for tea?"
Gabriel grinned as he went toward her. "That sounds delightful, my dear. I see you have summoned some visitors to keep you company while you pine away here in prison."