“How soon can you be ready to leave?”
“I could be ready to go in under an hour.”
She grinned. “Good.”
Linus grinned back, feeling eager to head out with her. The sooner they left, the sooner they could sort out whatwas going on, and the sooner she’d be safe again. And, he had to admit, he wouldn’t mind spending time with her, though he’d have to be certain to keep their every interaction aboveboard. He couldn’t give Jason any reason to bring up his long-buried record.
“I can book a flight for 3:00 p.m., then,” Julia said, but didn’t turn back to her computer.
After staring at her in silence foranother moment, Linus realized he still had the spec sheet on the shoes that Oliver had given to him. If he was going to fit in any more research before their flight, he should ask her now if she recognized anything about the footwear. He pulled out the pages.
“Our investigators matched the shoe print they took on the beach to these shoes in a size twelve.” Linus stepped close and unfoldedthe paper.
Julia sighed as she laid the page flat on the desk beside her laptop. “They sell these shoes everywhere.”
“You’ve seen shoes like this before?”
“Sure. A lot of shoe stores in the malls back home carry them. It’s a popular design. He could have bought his shoes anywhere.”
“Not in Lydia.” Linus watched Julia’s face carefully as he revealed the details Oliver had includedon the spec sheet. “This company uses sweatshop labor. Lydia strictly prohibits products produced under unjust conditions. These shoes have never been sold in Lydia.”
A haunted look entered Julia’s eyes. “He could have bought them at the mall near my house.” Her words remained level until the final two words, when a squeak of terror penetrated her determined stoicism.
Linus had alreadysuspected her attacker might have followed her from Seattle. But even knowing that ahead of time didn’t make it any easier to hear the fear that edged her voice. In fact, he was surprised by the way his heart clenched with concern for her.
But that didn’t change the fact that her attacker hadn’t bought his shoes in Lydia. Linus made a mental note to ask Oliver to do a specific search on wherethe shoes were sold. If they could be bought just across the border in Albania or Greece, Linus wouldn’t rule out a local. Maybe the text from Fletcher Pendleton was only a coincidence. He couldn’t let himself jump to conclusions. But if the shoes were only available in the United States, he’d have to assume trouble had followed Julia from home.
FIVE
A s Linus might have guessed, the queen was determined to protect her little sister, and the rest of the royal family rallied around her. By the time Julia emerged from her room, they had a plan in place, beginning with Queen Monica’s big announcement.
“We were going to save this news and announce it over dinner on Friday night, but if you leave in the morning you mightnot be back by Friday,” the queen began, love for her little sister shimmering in her eyes.
Julia looked apprehensive.
“Since you are my sister,” Monica continued, “and since the Lydian royal family feels you should retain the rights and privileges of an extended member of the royal family, we have decided to grant you a royal title.”
“Oh, Monica.” Julia’s face turned a deep shadeof red. “I don’t need any rights or privileges—”
The queen cut her off, beaming happily at her sister’s red-faced response. “As my sister, the most fitting title you can hold is that of duchess.”
“Duchess!” Julia gasped. “I was thinking more along the lines of Her Royal Bookworm.”
The rest of the royal family laughed, clearly pleased with Julia’s shocked reaction and relieved tohave something happy to share after all Julia had been through.
Linus lingered in the doorway. Even though he’d known ahead of time about the intended title, he still felt a warm glow as the honor was
“I could be ready to go in under an hour.”
She grinned. “Good.”
Linus grinned back, feeling eager to head out with her. The sooner they left, the sooner they could sort out whatwas going on, and the sooner she’d be safe again. And, he had to admit, he wouldn’t mind spending time with her, though he’d have to be certain to keep their every interaction aboveboard. He couldn’t give Jason any reason to bring up his long-buried record.
“I can book a flight for 3:00 p.m., then,” Julia said, but didn’t turn back to her computer.
After staring at her in silence foranother moment, Linus realized he still had the spec sheet on the shoes that Oliver had given to him. If he was going to fit in any more research before their flight, he should ask her now if she recognized anything about the footwear. He pulled out the pages.
“Our investigators matched the shoe print they took on the beach to these shoes in a size twelve.” Linus stepped close and unfoldedthe paper.
Julia sighed as she laid the page flat on the desk beside her laptop. “They sell these shoes everywhere.”
“You’ve seen shoes like this before?”
“Sure. A lot of shoe stores in the malls back home carry them. It’s a popular design. He could have bought his shoes anywhere.”
“Not in Lydia.” Linus watched Julia’s face carefully as he revealed the details Oliver had includedon the spec sheet. “This company uses sweatshop labor. Lydia strictly prohibits products produced under unjust conditions. These shoes have never been sold in Lydia.”
A haunted look entered Julia’s eyes. “He could have bought them at the mall near my house.” Her words remained level until the final two words, when a squeak of terror penetrated her determined stoicism.
Linus had alreadysuspected her attacker might have followed her from Seattle. But even knowing that ahead of time didn’t make it any easier to hear the fear that edged her voice. In fact, he was surprised by the way his heart clenched with concern for her.
But that didn’t change the fact that her attacker hadn’t bought his shoes in Lydia. Linus made a mental note to ask Oliver to do a specific search on wherethe shoes were sold. If they could be bought just across the border in Albania or Greece, Linus wouldn’t rule out a local. Maybe the text from Fletcher Pendleton was only a coincidence. He couldn’t let himself jump to conclusions. But if the shoes were only available in the United States, he’d have to assume trouble had followed Julia from home.
FIVE
A s Linus might have guessed, the queen was determined to protect her little sister, and the rest of the royal family rallied around her. By the time Julia emerged from her room, they had a plan in place, beginning with Queen Monica’s big announcement.
“We were going to save this news and announce it over dinner on Friday night, but if you leave in the morning you mightnot be back by Friday,” the queen began, love for her little sister shimmering in her eyes.
Julia looked apprehensive.
“Since you are my sister,” Monica continued, “and since the Lydian royal family feels you should retain the rights and privileges of an extended member of the royal family, we have decided to grant you a royal title.”
“Oh, Monica.” Julia’s face turned a deep shadeof red. “I don’t need any rights or privileges—”
The queen cut her off, beaming happily at her sister’s red-faced response. “As my sister, the most fitting title you can hold is that of duchess.”
“Duchess!” Julia gasped. “I was thinking more along the lines of Her Royal Bookworm.”
The rest of the royal family laughed, clearly pleased with Julia’s shocked reaction and relieved tohave something happy to share after all Julia had been through.
Linus lingered in the doorway. Even though he’d known ahead of time about the intended title, he still felt a warm glow as the honor was
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