Free The Third Circle (Arcane Society Book 04) by Amanda Quick

asleep in an inn?” Behind the lenses of her gold-rimmed spectacles, Carolyn
    Marrick’s expressive eyes narrowed with sharp disapproval. "That was extremely risky, don’t you think?”
    “It is not as though we had a choice in the matter,” Leona said. She removed a small stack of chemises from a drawer and put them carefully into a trunk. “We could hardly toss him out of the carriage and leave him by the side of the road.”
    Carolyn paused in her packing, looking quite blank. “Why ever not? That sounds as though it would have been an excellent way to get rid of him.”
    “I will admit that Adam did suggest that approach to the problem,” Leona said. “I refused to go along with it. After all, he saved my life, Carolyn. What else could I do?”
    The conversation was not going well. To ease her frustration, she paused on her way back to the chest of drawers to pat Fog. The big dog raised his head and grinned his wolfish smile.
    It was early afternoon. The three of them were in Carolyn’s bedroom. Two large traveling trunks, one filled with books and notebooks, the other with neatly folded clothes, stood open. Carolyn was preparing to set out on her honeymoon trip. In the morning she would marry George Kettering, a dashing Egyptologist who shared her passion for antiquities.
    Neither the bride nor the groom possessed any close family, and neither wished to wait a moment longer than necessary to set out for Egypt. The ceremony was to be a small, private affair with only Leona and a friend of the groom’s in attendance. The couple planned to leave on their journey directly afterward. It would be months before they returned, and when they did, Leona thought, things would not be the same.
    She was thrilled for Carolyn, who literally glowed with love and excitement. Nevertheless, deep down, she had to squelch a pang of incipient loneliness. The truth was, she had never envisioned that her association with Carolyn would take this unexpected turn.
    When they had met nearly two years ago, a pair of impoverished spinsters alone in the world, it had seemed that they were destined to become close friends, each dedicated to her career, sharing a house and an abiding, lifelong friendship. But all that had changed when Carolyn had met George, a widower with a passion for Egyptian antiquities that matched her own.
    Tomorrow night, Leona thought, things would be different. In truth, things already were different. Not wanting to alarm Carolyn any more than necessary, she had not told her all of the details of the night’s adventure. Among other things, she had not mentioned the dead woman in the gallery. There was no point. Carolyn would have been horrified. The anxiety would likely have ruined her wedding day and the joy she felt as she embarked on her new life.
    I’m keeping secrets again, Leona thought. I’m already back in the habit of being alone. Just like the old days after Uncle Edward left for America and never returned.
    Enough of that nonsense. You are happy for Carolyn and you will not feel sorry for yourself. Remember Uncle Edward’s advice: Never waste time dwelling on the negative. Where is the logic in that? Concentrate on the positive. You have a career, a roof over your head and a faithful dog. What is more, you are not entirely bereft of friends. There is Adam Harrow.
    Well, yes, but Adam’s first priority will always be Mr. Pierce.
    What of it? You will make new friends.
    Fog raised his head from his paws and looked at her intently with his fathomless eyes, his ears pricked. He was very sensitive to her moods. She reached down and gave him another pat, silently reassuring him.
    “It seems to me you did more than enough when you saved Mr. Ware from the hallucinations brought on by that strange vapor,” Carolyn said, busy with her brushes and combs. “Adam was right. You should have gotten rid of him as soon as possible. Everyone knows that hypnotists can be extremely dangerous.”
    Another secret,