The Season

nineteen

Last night, everything had been so clear. His plans had been so well laid out, so perfect, so clean. He had returned home from the Worthington Ball to change clothes, planning to find young Blackmoor quickly and finally finish that which he should have finished long ago. As he changed out of his formal attire, he had imagined what it would feel like to eliminate the boy. How free and invigorated he would feel knowing that another high-and-mighty Blackmoor was gone from the earth. For moments, he had been giddy with laughter — eager to kill again. He'd allowed himself a few moments to fantasize about the manner in which he would dispose of the brat.

And then, everything had changed. A messenger had arrived at breakneck speed, barely able to breathe from the exertion. He had known before reading the missive that his plans for the evening were changed. Sadly, he would have to wait to exact his punishment on another Blackmoor, but the messenger had brought news of an unacceptable turn of events — one that must be rectified with all deliberate speed. He could not contain the hint of excitement that he felt in his new task — even though it increased a hundredfold his risk of being discovered. No matter. Here was his chance to prove his allegiance.

As always, he threw the note into the fire, watching the edges of the paper char and curl in the heat. He watched the lines of ink turn from black to brown and eventually become consumed by the flames. Long after the paper disintegrated, he remembered the message.

There was a girl in the orangery find her.

He was going to enjoy this.

The next morning, Alex awoke to bright sunlight and the sound of fervent whispering. For a few seconds, she lingered in that moment between sleeping and waking when everything seems hazy and comfortable — until the memory of the previous evening's events came crashing down on her and she had an intense desire to throw the covers over her head and never leave her bed.

Instead, she rolled over and spied the source of the whispering. Vivi and Ella were sitting cross-legged on the chaise, facing each other, the tea tray next to them laden with a steaming pot, pastries, and jams. Vivi nibbled on a scone, nodding as Ella waved her hands in the air wildly to emphasize her hushed point.

"What are you two up to?" Alex said sleepily, sitting up. They both turned to her with broad smiles. "Oh, excellent! You are awake!" Ella exclaimed.

"How are you feeling?" Vivi asked, pouring a cup of tea for her friend.

Alex stretched broadly, reaching out to accept the tea and biscuit Vivi brought to her. "What are you two plotting?"

"To be fair," Vivi said with a pointed look at Ella, "only one of us is plotting."

"Mmm. I see that. And what mischief have you devised for us, Lady Eleanor?"

"Not mischief so much as detective work," replied Ella.

"Ah. Of course."

"My theory is this: If we cannot prove Lucian's role in the plot to kill the earl, we can at least uncover the information that led to his death. Perhaps that in turn will lead us to the entire plot against the Crown! At the very least, it will prove to Blackmoor that he was wrong not to believe you."

"There's only one problem with that," Alex said.

"Only one?" Vivi interjected, earning a black look from Ella.

"Well, only one big one. If the War Office, Bow Street, and Blackmoor himself have not been able to find this information, why on earth would we be able to?"

"Ah... the voice of reason awakes," Vivi said with a smile.

"I’ll tell you why. Because we have" — Ella ticked off the qualities on her fingers as she spoke them — "cleverness, a fresh eye for the problem, curiosity, superior instinct — as proven by my hunch that Montgrave was involved from the beginning — and —" She paused dramatically. "— the most important thing of all."

"Which is?" Alex asked.

"Desire to prove that we can," she added, with a measure of fantasy in her voice. "And think of the coup when they realize that three young women did something that a battalion of men could not."

At that moment, a knock came at the door and the duchess entered with all the poise befitting her position. She was wearing a day dress of rich purple satin and looked as though she had been up and fresh for hours, despite the fact that she'd hosted one of the greatest balls in London history the evening before. Stopping a few paces into the room, she looked suspiciously from one girl to the next, leveling each with a cool, blue gaze before finally speaking to her daughter. "Alexandra, I trust you are feeling better?"

"Yes, Mother. Thank you."

"What was it that befell you last evening?"

"I — uh —" For the life of her, Alex couldn't remember what Vivi and Freddie's excuse was. "I had a turned ankle after the dance with Freddie, and Vivi and Ella were nice enough to escort me here and keep me company."

A single brow of her mother's rose as Vivi coughed into her hand. "By that thoroughly unsubtle cough, I rather imagine that Vivian is attempting to tell you that it was not your ankle that bothered you last evening, but a touch of the ague."

Alex blushed under her mother's scrutiny. "Mothers always find out, Alexandra."

"I didn't —"

The duchess silenced her with a single raised hand. "I would prefer not to hear whatever excuse you have devised to explain your behavior last evening. Instead, I am here to tell you that, although you may have escaped the ball, you cannot escape me. As punishment for missing my ball, I am requiring your attendance at a country house party."

Despite her relief that her mother seemed to think they had schemed only to escape the ball last night and not for any more serious reason, Alex groaned, "Mother! You cannot!"

"On the contrary, daughter, I can. More so, I shall. You and your brothers are hereby required to be in attendance. They, I'm sure, will have a bone to pick with you when they hear." She turned to Vivi and Ella, adding, "I've invited both of your parents — so I expect you will be there as well."

Her statement elicited a wan smile from Ella and a slightly brighter one from Vivi. Alex piped in, "Well, at least you two will be forced to be there as well.

That might help a bit." Turning back to her mother, she said grumpily, "Who else has been invited?"

"I have dispatched invitations to a number of influentials — including Blackmoor and Stanhope, the Salisburys, Lady Twizzleton, the Warings — I know your feelings on the young lord, but he is indeed a marquess — and a number of additional young, eligible men. The season is almost half over; it's time you girls turn your thoughts to finding a proper match."

She was so wrapped up in making her point, the duchess failed to notice the slight catch in Alex's breath when she referenced Gavin. He wouldn't attend, would he? Or maybe he would, simply to ignore her. She didn't know what was worse. Perhaps she could convince her mother to postpone this silly party? Alex opened her mouth to say something, when Ella beat her to the task with a bright smile and an "Oh, Your Grace! What a wonderful group of people! I, for one, am quite excited to attend. Aren't you, Vivi?"

Vivi gave Ella a strange look and answered warily, "Indeed."

Pleasantly surprised, the duchess smiled at Ella. "Thank you, Eleanor, I share your excitement and shall look forward to having you with us." Turning back to Alex, she continued, "You would do well to take a leaf from your friend's book, Alexandra. I shall expect to see you in a better humor when we leave tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning!" Alex cried. "But that's impossible!" Her stomach dropped as she was flooded with reasons to dread the house party. Between Blackmoor's clear frustration with her, which could easily lead him to decline the invitation and stay in town, leaving Lucian and Montgrave with a much easier time finding and dispatching the young earl the way, they'd done to his father, and the real possibility that he might join them in the country and plague her with his obvious dislike, her heart was racing and she was beginning to feel panicked.

"Well, I'm on rather an impressive streak of hosting excellent parties," Her Grace explained, "a fact you would be aware of if you had bothered to attend last evening's festivities. I see no reason to wait. The guests will join us on Saturday. I shall need your help to prepare the manor." Turning to the girls, she suggested, "Why don't you both join us? I'm happy to extend the request to your parents if you'd like. You would be welcome company for both Alexandra and myself."

Ella and Vivi nodded assent as Alex sighed heavily, drawing a smile from her mother. "There's no reason to be so dramatic, Alexandra. You like the country. Remember?"

"I know," she replied with reservation, "I just hate the season."

"Well, that's all the more reason to get yourself married — and avoid having to have another," her mother said with a broad grin that reminded Alex of her brothers on their most infuriating of days. She returned the smile with a black look as her mother kissed her on the forehead and turned on her heel to leave the room, saying, "Things will look better once you've dressed, my love. Girls, there's a beautiful breakfast spread in the dining room — Cook really has outdone herself. May I suggest you join us?"

And, with that, she departed.

As the door closed behind her mother, Alex worried her lip, wishing that she'd never escaped to the orangery the night before and swearing silently that she would never eavesdrop on another conversation again. Now she'd made a mess of everything. She had no idea to whom Lucian had been talking and no proof to share with anyone that she'd heard what she'd heard. On top of that, Blackmoor had all but pushed her out of his study last night. This was horrible.

"This is excellent!" Ella burst out after the door to the bedchamber closed behind the duchess.

Vivi and Alex turned shocked gazes on their friend. Vivi found her voice first. "I beg your pardon? This sounds the very opposite of excellent."

"You're not thinking about it in the right way! A house party in Essex will give us a chance to search for clues and information in Essex, where the crime was committed! If we don't return from the country with the whole mystery solved, I shall be quite surprised!"

"Ella, at the rate we're going, if we return from the country with all of our loved ones intact, I shall be quite surprised," Alex said, her words laced with frustration as she threw back her coverlet and got out of bed, ringing for Eliza to help her dress. "That's it. I'm going to tell my father everything. We can't do this alone."

"But, Alex!" Ella exclaimed.

"No, Ella. This is not a game. A man died. We're not in any position to solve this mystery ourselves. Blackmoor's life is at stake. And ours as well if we don't tell what we know."

Vivi nodded in agreement. "I think Alex is right, Ella. We cannot traipse off to Essex to save the day — we wouldn't even know how to begin to do that."

Ella pouted briefly until she recognized the truth behind her friends' words. Although she did allow herself a heavy sigh and a disappointed "Fine."

The rich, savory aromas of a traditional English breakfast were detectable even as they descended the massive central staircase of Worthington House. Alex's mouth was watering before the girls joined the Staffords in the dining room for breakfast.

The entire family was present for the meal, with the exception of the duke, who had clearly already been and gone; the seat always reserved for him at the head of the long mahogany table was empty save for an already-read newspaper. Alex tempered her disappointment — she had been hoping to catch her father before he left for the business of the day — and focused on the rest of the room. The duchess was seated in her traditional position at the foot of the table, listening to the chatter of Alex's brothers, who were dispersed amongst the eight places that had been prepared along either side of the long table. As was to be expected, the boys had filled their plates with mountains of food and were eating with gusto while they talked.

Noticing the entrance of the girls, all three stood to greet Ella and Vivi, as was expected of them as gentlemen, and the two, in turn, dropped quick curtsies in response. As the boys returned to their food, the girls made their way to the sideboard, where Cook had created a feast. There were eggs, English bacon and sausages, sautéed mushrooms, freshly baked bread and churned butter from Stafford Manor, and a dozen other choices in all manners sweet and savory. Alex's stomach rumbled and she smiled wryly to herself, thinking, Anxious or no, it seems my appetite is very much intact.

As she filled her plate, she listened to the conversation around her. "Mother, you cannot be serious. Four days in the country in a house teeming with as-yet-unspoken-for women and their cloying mothers?" Nick said. "Are you attempting to estrange your sons?"

"I cannot do it," Will said flatly. "Last night was enough — if I was introduced once as the 'Next Duke of Worthington,' I was introduced that way a thousand times. It's horrid. Those women want nothing more of me than my title... which I don't even hold as yet!"

"Nonsense," said Her Grace. "You are an attractive, charming, entertaining young man. Your title has little to do with your eligibility. They would be after you even if you were a farmer, or a butcher, or any other sort of untitled person."

There was a moment of silence during which the young Staffords looked at each other in shock before bursting into laughter. "It's true!" defended the duchess, indignantly.

"Mother, you cannot honestly believe that," Kit said. "Those mamas want money and land for their little angels. Ask yourself how you would feel if Alex came home wanting to marry a butcher. How would the Earl and Countess of Marlborough feel about that for Ella? Or the Marquess of Langford for Vivi?"

All three girls looked up from their plates, surprised to have been dragged into the discussion, and the duchess was saved from speaking by Alex, who had made her way to a seat next to Will. "Oh, no, don't bring our prospects for marriage into this. We have nothing to do with it."

"It seems, Scamp," Will said, "that you have everything to do with it, seeing as the three of you have secured the punishment in question for all of us with your behavior last night."

"Thank you all for that," Nick said. "I should tan your hide, Alex... and Freddie's, too, for his part in it." Looking at Ella and Vivi, he added, "You two are saved only because you are neither family nor male."

The duchess spoke, her place at the foot of the table making the statement seem more of a decree. "I am through with the four of you being so cavalier about your prospects for marriage and a future. You will all attend the house party and, more so, you will all enjoy it."

"You cannot force us to enjoy it, Mother," Kit said with a smile.

"You forget that I'm a duchess, Christopher. I can do whatever I like."

She flashed a bright smile as all four Stafford children groaned at her statement, a commonplace proclamation, sending Vivi and Ella into giggles.

"I still don't understand why we have to be punished for Alex's ills," Will said.

Alex looked her eldest brother square in the eye, saying tartly, "I assure you it's my punishment as well, Will. There is little I want to do less than be trapped in the country with you lot."

"Exactly why I'm guessing Mother is forcing all of us to attend," Nick pointed out. "Why not just suffer through the ball?"

Alex smiled sweetly. "Why, to make your collective lives more difficult, of course!" Three sets of male eyes narrowed as Ella went into a coughing fit and Vivi smiled into her teacup.

The sentence still hung in the air as the door to the room swung open, causing all heads to turn toward it. Alex's stomach dropped and her appetite vanished as Blackmoor stepped into the room. He was clad in traveling clothes — a chestnut topcoat over a crisp white linen shirt and buckskin breeches, tightly fitted to his long legs in a way she couldn't help but notice. The pants were tucked into tall leather riding boots that were freshly polished. He looked remarkably handsome, if slightly distracted, with his golden hair mussed and his eyes betraying his impatience. He was holding a riding crop and hat in one hand and a pair of lambskin gloves in the other.

Alex's gaze flew to Vivi, who met her gaze firmly and nodded almost imperceptibly, as if to say, Be strong, and then to Ella, who was looking at Blackmoor with narrowed eyes, making her displeasure with him clear to anyone who was looking. Thankfully, no one was, and Vivi poked her before it became an issue.

"Gavin!" Her Grace said brightly, offering up her hand for Blackmoor to bow low over. "You are a welcome addition to this motley bunch. Perhaps you can bring some calm to our table? There is plenty of food; have you eaten?"

"A pleasure, as always, Your Grace." Blackmoor's rich tenor sent a shiver down Alex's spine. "As much as I would like to stay, I'm afraid I have already eaten and am only here to take the male half of this gathering off your hands." She noticed that, as he looked around the table, he deliberately avoided her gaze. "We are off to Essex."

"Indeed." Will stood up from the table.

"Essex? For what?" Ella asked sharply.

"For an adventure that doesn't involve meddling females," Kit joked, then cleared his throat when no one laughed. He stood, moving toward the hallway to call for their topcoats and hats.

Nick stood last. "We had already arranged to use the house for hunting this week. Mother's party came as a surprise to all of us, but I suspect she chose to host one so quickly because she knew we would have no excuses to avoid it."

"Indeed," said the duchess. "Your mother possesses not only beauty, but intelligence as well. Lord Blackmoor, you will be joining us for the house party?

" The words, while phrased as a question, were more a dictate.

An almost imperceptible color rose on Blackmoor's cheeks, something that Alex noticed only because she was so focused on him, waiting for his answer. "I shall endeavor to be there, my lady."

"Excellent," said the duchess, moving to exit alongside the young men. "We shall make a room for you and hope for the best."

The door closed behind the group, leaving the girls in the now quiet dining room. Alex let out a long breath — one she hadn't known she was holding.

Turning sad eyes to her friends, she said, "He didn't look at me once. Did you notice?"

"I did," Vivi said softly. "You cannot expect him to get beyond the events of last night so quickly, Alex. It was a great deal for one person to take in."

"True," said Ella. "Men are not nearly as evolved as women are, nor as intelligent, evidently."

Alex offered a half smile but was lost in her disappointment. Vivi was right — she should have expected a cool response from Blackmoor, but his cut hurt just the same.

While she understood how difficult this situation must be for him, it didn't change the fact that she was tired of fighting with him, tired of always having to start over. She wished they could go back to the beginning and just be friends again. That would be enough. Almost.

She sighed and pushed back from the table. "I'm going to find my father. I need to speak with him about last night."

Ella stopped her from getting up. "Wait. Now, I know that we said we were going to tell the duke everything, but I have an idea."

"Ella..." Vivi's tone was laced with warning.

"I know, I know. But this is thoroughly harmless!" Ella defended herself quickly.

"Somehow I doubt that," Alex said, "but I shall endeavor to humor you."

"Thank you. All right. Blackmoor is gone from the house today, correct?" Ella's eyes were bright with excitement. So it seems.

"And we have little to do."

"No, Ella." This from Vivi. "I see where this is going. And it's a terrible idea."

"Why?! Why can't we just sneak next door, take a look around Blackmoor House, and sneak back? No one will ever know!"

Alex spoke quietly. "Ella, I know how much you want to be a part of this adventure. I do, too. But now we're at a point where we have to involve someone who knows a bit more about these matters than we do. We're not talking about the Dowager Duchess of Lockwood's walking stick going missing. We're discussing murder and treason. I'm sorry, Ella. I've got to tell my father."

With that, Alex stood and went to the door, pulling it open and calling out to Harquist, "Is my father free to speak with me, Harquist?"

"No, my lady, I'm afraid His Grace left early this morning," the butler said with a low bow. "He is at Parliament for the morning and will leave directly from there to join your brothers in Essex."

Alex tempered her disappointment. "Thank you. I suppose I shall wait and speak with him there, then."

She closed the door and turned back to her friends, who were watching her carefully, waiting for her next move — one they would support without question. She met Ella's eye, noting her friend's desperate attempt to hide the thoughts that were written, quite plainly, across her face.

"All right, Ella. You win. Blackmoor House it is."