“It’s not your fault,” Lady Armitage continued. “Jemima should have known better than to be so inhibiting. She saw what happened when her sister tried to keep Cilla on a tight leash. For that matter, she lived the consequences of her own wild youth. But it was obviously in your blood to break free and run off into the dark with a wicked boy.”

“I’m not a boy,” Ned interjected, but Cecilia spoke over him.

“Aunt Darlington had a wild youth?”

Both Lady Armitage and Ned looked at her with surprise.

“You don’t know?” Ned asked.

Cecilia frowned. “Know what?”

“Never mind,” Lady Armitage said firmly. “We should not stand here gossiping. If Morvath is out there, he will have heard you shooting that Jingelsen chap.”

“How did Jacobsen even get free?” Ned asked.

“No idea.”

“So he wasn’t released by someone and sent out here to kill us?”

Lady Armitage gasped. “Of course not! What do you take me for, Signor?” Her smirk made a response unnecessary. “We must hurry now; there is much to do. If the abbey is indeed yonder, we must return to my house and prepare for battle in the morning—and assassinating Cecilia in the afternoon, Signor de Luca, if you please, or else I’d like my deposit refunded.”

“Why don’t I kill her now and get it over with?” Ned asked dryly.

“In a woods? She is not a peasant; have some respect!”

“Fine. But we go forth quietly—does everyone understand? No stamping on twigs, no sudden leaping out from behind trees. If that is Northangerland Abbey, we do not want to get caught.”

“I agree,” Lady Armitage said promptly.

Ned turned to Cecilia for her reply, but she was gazing off through the darkness with a thoughtful look in her eye. “Cecilia?” he said nervously.

She blinked and looked back at him. “What? Oh. Yes, I agree. We most certainly do not want to get caught and taken into the abbey.”

Ned frowned at her. Lady Armitage frowned at her. She smiled brightly in return. “Are we going, then?”

“Just to look,” Ned clarified.

“Of course.” Her smile faded into a wounded expression. “Don’t you trust me?”

Ned sighed. This was, after all, innocent young Cecilia, who had never gone more than a few hours from her aunt’s guidance. Her big eyes gazing at him with hurt made him want to cringe apologetically. “Yes, I trust you,” he said, smiling.

Lady Armitage made a snorting noise, but when they glanced at her she waved a hand beneath her nose. “Don’t mind me. Allergies.”

Ned sighed again and shook his head, then turned to lead a cautious way through the woods. Cecilia came close behind him, not at all smirking, followed by Lady Armitage. The old lady stepped on one twig and then, at a frown from Ned, became as silent as a rogue.

“I can’t believe you don’t know about your aunt and Morvath,” Ned whispered to Cecilia.

“Know what?” she asked again.