A New Accomplice

I rolled my eyes. "Stop being so dramatic. Perhaps you can help us."

Remdon grimaced. "I have no interest in helping you with anything that I just witnessed."

Del laughed and I giggled at the disgusted look on my brother's face. Once I got my mirth under control, I gestured to the desk.

"We are making a list of Del's possible enemies. If we want to end the threats, we need to find out who is behind them."

"Threats? Has someone threatened you?" Remdon was on his feet in a moment, standing at my side.

Del looked at me questioningly and I frowned, but nodded. If we were to include Remdon, he needed to know what we were up against. With my permission, Del pulled the note from his pocket and unfolded it, grimacing at the image before placing it in Remdon's waiting hands.

Remdon gasped and dropped the paper, then pulled me into his arms. "Where did you get that?" he muttered.

"It was under my pillow last night when I returned from the ball."

Stepping back, Remdon glared, first at me, then at Del, then back at me.

"Under your PILLOW? In your BED?"

I nodded.

"And were you even going to tell me if I had not interrupted your tender moment and you had not required a distraction?" He ran his hands up and down his cheeks in frustration.

"I had honestly not thought about whether to tell you or not, but when you came in, I realized that we would have a better chance of catching the culprit if we had more help and I know I can trust you."

Del nodded. "That is wise." He turned his gaze on Remdon. "You can protect her at home, when I cannot."

"Well she will have to move to a different room, of course."

"I will start locking my window and door," I promised. "But a different room would not help. They would just find that one as well."

He frowned and looked at Del, who nodded. "She is right."

"Oh! I have an idea!"

They both looked at me expectantly as I thought through my plan. Once I had organized it and decided that it was, indeed, a viable idea, I spoke again.

"We can use this. They implied that they know where my room is, likely to put me on guard, but what if they still plan to strike in my room?"

"That is not comforting," Remdon said.

"But what if we use that against them? Remdon, you can start sleeping secretly in my room with me, armed. Then, when they move against me, we will take them by surprise!"

"No!" both men burst out in unison. They looked at each other for a moment, then both glared at me.

"That is absolutely the most foolish-" Del began.

"Craziest-" Remdon interjected.

"And ridiculous idea you have probably ever had."

"Is it though?" I asked.

Remdon shrugged. "It has to be up there, at least. I mean, I am starting to wonder if you have a bit of a death wish, Jen."

"Why?"

"This is the second time in the space of a month that you are offering to use yourself as bait. I think after the way the last time turned out, you might be a bit more cautious."

"But it worked! And I want this to happen now. You know I am not a patient person-"

"She really is not," Remdon broke in, looking at Del. "Just so you know, if you are planning to marry her someday, she is not patient and she is completely unpredictable."

"I already knew she was unpredictable, but the impatience is new information. Thank you."

"I am right here!" I exclaimed in frustration.

"Yes, right. Go ahead, continue explaining why you want to be bait if you do not have a death wish," Remdon said with an infuriatingly indulgent smile.

I had to clench my fists to keep from stomping my foot and storming out of the room like a child. I was two years out of the schoolroom and old enough to behave, but with Remdon and Del teamed up against me, I certainly felt like throwing a fit. Instead, I put on a sweet smile.

"Oh, nevermind. You are right. It was a foolish idea."

Del's brows furrowed in confusion and he looked at Remdon again. Remdon was watching me curiously. "What are you up to, minx?" he asked.

"I know when I am beat," I answered, raising my hands in a position of surrender. "You were right. I will not go through with my plan."

"If you are planning to offer yourself as bait without the benefit of my protection, you can just stop right now. I will certainly be staying in your room until I feel that you are safe."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him.

Del cleared his throat, interrupting the moment. "What happened to this being a bad idea?" he asked.

"Well it is, but I will make sure that she does not do anything to put herself in danger. I am just going to stay in her room to provide an extra level of protection and to make sure she does not go through with her plan."

"What exactly was your plan?" Del asked.

"I was going to leave my window cracked again so they had an easy way in," I admitted.

Del shook his head. "How can someone so intelligent even consider something so completely foolish? Do you want to be killed? Do I need to show you the picture again?"

I frowned and looked away as tears pricked my eyes. "No, you do not," I answered, trying to keep my emotion out of my voice. "I am not trying to get myself killed. I just prefer to face danger in a situation where I feel some level of control."

"How is that control?"

"Well, what are they going to do if the door and window are locked?" I directed a level look at Del.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I am not sure."

"So I have no way to predict their movements. If I leave a window unlocked, I will know where they are likely to enter and can plan accordingly. I am not a fool, nor do I have a death wish. I am simply attacking this problem from a different angle than you are."