Jenelle smoothed the towels in the master bath and then looked around.  Pristine, spotless, everything in place.  She left and went into the adjoining room, converted into a boudoir for the missing Miss DuBois.  She looked around there as well, approving the sight, when her cell phone rang.  "Hello?"

"Darling."

"Hello Father," she said.  "How did it go?  Was he surprised?"

"It went perfectly.  You did a great job, Jenny.  I'm really proud of you."

She glowed at the praise.  "Thank you."

"I'm sure there will be developments.  I know my trust in you won't be misplaced."

She blushed, the glow fading a bit at his warning.  "I didn't fail you on the plans, did I?" she said defensively.

"Of course not, my darling.  I have no doubts whatsoever.  It's just I am concerned for you because I love you so much."

"I know," she said, her voice small.  "It's just...I miss you and we talk so little on the phone.  I mean I know it's safer and I should only call you if there's news or I've found out something that will help.  But still..."

"I know darling.  It won't be for much longer.  We'll be together again soon.  Until then be brave, be strong for me."

"I will.  I'll call you as soon as I learn something," she said, and then closed the phone, slipping it back into her pocket, turning towards the door.  She gasped and froze, her eyes searching wildly for an escape, measuring the distance between her and the other door.  "Mr. Edwards," she squeaked.  "You startled me."

"Forgive me, please. I didn't mean to startle you. I was just collecting Lord Avery's suits for the cleaners. I heard a voice and .. well, no matter. Off you go," Edwards said and watched her as she walked away toward the servants stairs.

Edwards collected the suits needing to go to the cleaners, straightened his master's closet, checked the bathroom just to be certain it was perfect then carried the bundle down to the back door. They'd be collected within the hour.  He cajoled himself a cuppa from Cook and took it into the servants sitting room, where Withers was polishing silver.

Edwards sat down and toyed with a spoon, frowning down at his cup.

"I say, do go someplace else to grump, Edwards," Withers complained.

"It's .. If you overheard something and it puzzled you, would you speak of it to someone?" Edwards asked.

Withers held a silver teapot up to his eye to examine it critically and gave it some thought. "It'd depend, Edwards, it'd depend.  If it's going to worry you, then by all means speak of it. You'll get indigestion otherwise," was the sage advice.

Edwards finished his tea and went round to the master's study to tidy it up. To his surprise Lord Avery was sitting slumped looking depressed and miserable.  "No luck then, sir?" 

Ian looked up. "No, Edwards, I'm afraid not. It's as if... Well, as if he knew ... Never mind."

Edwards frowned. "Milord?"

Ian looked up at the old word. "What is it?"

"I.. I don't like carrying gossip, Lord Avery, and I didn't mean to over listen someone's conversation but..."

"But?" Ian asked, rather lethargically.

"It's Jenny Collins, milord. She was talking on the phone. I heard her voice and thought, you know, she was speaking with someone, perhaps you, so I stopped by the door. She said... "

Ian looked up at him for the first time.  "What did she say into the phone, Edwards?"

"She said, and I'm not swearing it is the exact words, so I might have misunderstood, and otherwise she's been a very good servant but.. well, she... she seemed to be saying she would call the person back when she 'knew more' or something to that effect. I wondered if well, if she were not a spy, milord, put perhaps with the papers or something."

Ian frowned.

"I'm very sorry, Lord Avery, it isn't my place..."

"Oh but it is, Edwards, it most certainly is. I thank you for telling me this. Don't treat her any differently, please. And by no means, let her realize you've said something to me."

"Of course, sir, I wouldn't dream of it."  Edwards tidied up a bit and left Ian sitting in his favorite chair, thinking hard.

Jonah followed Ian into the dining room his face set in hard lines.  "I think we can pull it off, if you can get to her as we hit the place."

They took their seats as Edwards and Janelle began serving, Ian and Jonah waiting for Bobbie and Libby to take their seats.

"Billie and Leroy will handle the prelim with Laz's mercs. Laz says he can have everything in place for tomorrow night. I don't want to leave her there a day longer than necessary. And we don't want to lose the element of surprise," Ian added as Janelle ladled soup into his bowl. "I still don't understand how he knew.  Well, he knows the both of us, so perhaps he just assumed we'd had the plans altered."

Bobbie looked up from her soup.  "Maybe.  And maybe he was just playing with you and grabbed the excuse."

"I don't know, Bobbie. He put a lot of effort into getting those plans and was furious when he didn't manage it."

"And grabbing Betty was his way to get them back?" she asked. 

"Hardly," Jonah said.  "Or not exclusively.   Anyway, it doesn't matter.  We'll have her back tomorrow and we can put all this behind us," he said, rubbing Libby's hand.

Ian changed the subject to more intimate things, or at least everyday things going on in their lives and dinner proceeded normally. After dinner, as usual, Ian and his guests retired to the drawing room, and Edwards and Jenny helped clear the table and Withers was his usual hindrance. "I do wish Lord Avery would hurry up with hiring more permanent staff," Withers huffed.  "If he insists on having long term guests.."

"Well, Mr. Withers, if things work out as we heard, the lady will be home tomorrow and our guests will, one hopes depart," Edwards replied.

"It will be good to have her back," Jenelle said, picking up a pile of dishes and heading to the kitchen.

Edwards watched her leave, picked up some things himself and approached the kitchen with caution.

Jenelle set the pile down and wiped her hands on her apron.  Then she turned and headed towards the servants bathroom where she locked the door behind her and pulled out her cell phone.  When she finished her call she flushed the toilet and washed her hands before opening the door and going back towards the kitchen and the dining room to finish clearing up.

Edwards came in to join her getting together the coffee tray. "Will you take this in to them this evening, Jenny? Withers and I will handle the rest of the cleanup in here."

"Certainly Mr. Edwards," she said taking the tray.  She took it to the drawing room and took it in, setting it on the table.  "Will there be anything else, my lord?"

"Yes, one other thing, Miss Collins."  She felt the magic that locked down the room as Lord Avery said it.  He was holding a small tape recorder and hit the play button. She heard her voice coming out of it as she spoke to her father. When it ended, he said, "Don't bother with an explanation. I expect we understand things full well."

An expression of panic filled her eyes.  "What do you want?" she asked, her voice hoarse, breathless. 

"Daddy?" Ian asked. "Your father or just your rich lover?"

She pushed against the force surrounding the room, her eyes frantically searching for a way out.

Ian sat back more comfortably. "Do take a seat Miss Collins. I'll wait."

She looked at him and then sat on the edge of a straight back chair.

"Thank you. I'd rather not get physical if we can avoid it. Would you be so kind as to loan me your cell phone? Bobbie, would you be so kind as to pour coffee. Your mother looks as if she could use some."

Jenelle went absolutely white, her eyes glued to Ian's face.  Finally, her hand trembling, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and sat, staring at it.

Jonah waited a moment and then went and took it out of her hand and passed it to Ian.

Ian flipped it open, and hit redial.

"Hello darling," Collins said.

"Why I had no idea you cared, Barnaby," Ian replied.

"Ah, Ian.  I see."

"Yes, I'm sure that you do. Shall we try a trade again? Or not."

"I sense an offer in there somewhere.  Am I right?" Collins asked.

"Your... daughter is it? For Betty Jo. Simple enough."

"Yes, extremely straight forward," Collins agreed. 

"Just you and Betty Jo, me and Jenelle. Let's do it someplace public. Trafalgar Square. You know the place. One hour."

"An hour," he agreed and hung up.

An hour later everything was in place. Laz, Anja, Paul and Chance were providing backup on the ground, and Marc and Dinah were on dragons above.

Ian and Jonah dropped in, with Jenelle between them. Ian had her locked down solid with a spell and she wasn't going anywhere until he said so.  Jonah shared a look with Ian and fell back to stand about twenty feet away.  Ian, Janelle beside him, waited still and silent.

Collins watched Ian appear from the shadows by the statute and waited a moment, then, holding Betty Jo by the arm he stepped out of the shadows and into the light, walking towards Ian and Jenelle. 

When they were about ten feet away Ian said, "Close enough. Let her go. Walk toward me Betty Jo."

Collins whispered in her ear and then let go of her arm.  He held her still with a look and then bent, each millimeter of the motion slow, meticulous and focused.  He kissed her, catching her in his arms as she leaned into him and lengthened the kiss, taking it as far as it would go.  As she drew, her breath rasping in and out, he set her back on her feet.  He spoke softly to her again, gesturing towards Ian, "Go to him, my darling.  For me.  Please."

She whimpered, looking from him to Ian, and then shook her head, pleading with him with her eyes.  "No, please."

Ian was unmoved, waiting patiently, thinking at the time that this was yet one more attempt to hurt him.

Collins spoke again and Betty Jo put a hand on his chest, still shaking her head.  Collins stroked her cheek and smiled, his arm slipping around her waist, pulling her closer.  Then he turned to Ian.  "I'm afraid she doesn't want to," he said. 

"Send her to me, now, Collins," Ian repeated, his voice tight, his body tense.

Collins smiled and shook his head.  "Who am I to refuse a lady?  I'm afraid we won't be able to accommodate you, old man."

Jenelle had stiffened at Collins first words.  As he finished she screamed, enraged and jerked against Ian's hold.  When she couldn't get loose she screamed, "NO!  Daddy! NO!" And when Collins didn't move, didn't answer, she hissed, like she was spitting venom and lifted both her hands like claws towards Betty Jo.  Before anyone could move energy poured out, bolt after bolt, hitting Betty Jo, sending the sound of burning fabric, burning flesh into the night while Collins yelled at her to stop and Betty Jo crumbled to the ground.