Rachelle had the authority to go most places in the Château. All she needed to do was ask a footman, and they were shown the way.The problem was in getting there without attracting an entourage of onlookers. They got enough attention just walking through the public areas of the Château; once they stepped into the servants’ corridors, nobody could look away.Rachelle knew that they could just wait until the middle of the night, and sneak down under cover of darkness. But she didn’t want to wait. Now that she finally had a hope of finding Joyeuse, she couldn’t stand to wait another hour.So instead, she resorted to telling the truth. Almost.“Please keep everyone out of the cellars,” she said to the gaping majordomo. “In order to secure the safety of the Château, I must perform an inspection.”“Of course,” he said dazedly, and then seemed to notice the sword hanging at her side. “But—but why are you bringing Monsieur Vareilles?”Armand smiled self-deprecatingly. “I promised I’d go with her, to lend whatever help I can.”There was going to be gossip.
