The Season (25 page)

"Capital," he pronounced, and kissed her roundly, threading his fingers through her hair, scattering her hairpins and setting her heart racing.

After several moments, she stopped the kiss, meeting his gaze directly for several seconds before saying firmly, "Gavin. Promise me you won't do anything rash about your uncle. Promise me you won't do anything by yourself. Promise me
you’ll
ask for help."

"I promise. If you promise not to get yourself any more involved in this than you already are, Alex. I
will
tie you up in a linen closet if I think I must to keep you safe."

"Al
l
right."

"Say the words." I promise.

They sat together long into the night, basking in the glow of their newly professed love, talking until the light of day began to creep over the horizon in deep purple streaks and Alex was unable to keep her eyes open. Placing one final kiss on her forehead, Blackmoor snuck into the
hallway
and, unseen, found his own chamber.

He watched the Essex countryside 'rol
l
past beyond the carriage window. He had been traveling
all
night
—
seething with anger.

He had lost everything.
all
because of that brat. His French partners had broken contact with him. Stopped using his services. It was only a matter of time before they came for him; he knew too much
—
their identities, their plans, their location.

The girls had to be dealt with. He would not be bested by a gaggle of irritating children.

He knew, without question, that they had been searching the study of Blackmoor House. They had been looking for the same thing he had been looking for
—
information that could lead to his capture and the capture of his contacts. Information that would see them
all
hanged.

While he was certain the girls hadn't found anything
—
after
all
, if he had failed to find the evidence designed to incriminate him, he was sure that three
silly
girls playing at investigators could do no better
—
but now he was concerned about Blackmoor's suspicions being raised.

He was growing more desperate. Everything he had worked for was lost. He could not risk losing his life as
well
. The ridiculous young earl was proving to be no sort of threat; he was just as much of a lapdog as
his father had been. But those girls ... they had to be silenced. Starting with that meddling Worthington chit, who seemed fearless. If anything
happened to her, it would devastate the earl.

He smiled darkly, willing the horses forward.

***

Alex woke, stretching luxuriously, keenly aware of the sun high in the sky, marking the lateness of the hour. Outside her chamber, she could hear two maids chattering as they moved down the
hall
way, clearing away any stray dust that might take away from the imposing stature of the manor. One laughed, the sound tinkling through the door, and Alex felt a jolt of happiness at the sound.

Of course, it would have been difficult to dampen her mood on this particular morning, after such a wonderful night shared with Blackmoor.
Her
Blackmoor. She smiled to herself as a wave of eagerness coursed through her. She wondered if she'd missed the chance to see him at breakfast, if he was
still
in the house, if she could catch him before he left on whatever excursion her brothers had likely cooked up to avoid the arrival of her parents' guests. She threw back the covers and bounded from the bed,
pulling
the
bell
for Eliza.

She was deep in her wardrobe, poring through clothes, when the knock sounded on her door. She
called
out, "Enter!" expecting Eliza. Instead,
Ella
and Vivi entered, then stopped short just inside the room, surprised by the scene they had disturbed.

Vivi spoke first, unable to keep the curiosity from her tone. "Begging your pardon, whatever are you doing?"

Alex stepped back, exclaiming, "Oh! Thank goodness! I don't have any idea what to wear! You have to help me. What should I wear to make me look"
—
she waved her hand in the air as she searched for the word
—
"beautiful? The green walking dress? The lavender day dress? Something else? Help!"

"Whatever for? When have you ever been concerned with fashion?"
Ella
asked, unable to keep the confusion from her tone.

Vivi understood immediately. "
Ella
, you
really
can be dense at times." She walked toward Alex, pushing her way into the wardrobe beside her. "Looking to impress Blackmoor, are we?"

Alex blushed prettily, peeking around a cream-colored evening gown. "Yes. How did you know?"

"You've hardly been the model of discretion," Vivi pointed out.

Alex held up a turquoise-colored riding habit for Vivi and
Ella
to consider. "Am I that obvious?"

"Only to those who know you best,"
Ella
said, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head at the dress and pointing, instead, to the buttercup-colored Empire walking dress that Vivi was holding. "That one."

Within minutes, Alex was dressed and the three girls had made their way to the terrace of the manor, where they joined the duchess and
will
, who were seated under a large linen canopy, out of the sun. As soon as they dropped into the chairs set out for them, Alex announced, "I'm famished!"

The duchess reached for a nearby teapot and poured her daughter a cup of tea while continuing to list the tasks she needed to complete prior to the arrival of several early guests that afternoon. "I'm
still
not entirely sure how to arrange
all
the rooms
—
I thought I had it
all
complete, then realized that I placed Lady Twizzleton and Lord Vauxwel in adjoining rooms. That won't do." She placed two biscuits on the saucer and passed the makeshift breakfast to her youngest child.

"Why can't you just move one of them to an unused room?"
will
queried.

"My dear boy, there
aren't
any unused rooms."

"Mother!" Alex exclaimed around a mouth
filled
with biscuit. "Whatever do you mean, there aren't any rooms? There are twenty-three bedchambers in this house."

"Twenty-four, actual
l
y. It seems the party has grown in size."

"It certainly has! How many young, eligible men did you invite?" Alex's exasperation showed.

"Not as many as I would have liked," the duchess replied.
will
snickered, only to stop immediately when she explained, "I had to invite eligible young ladies as
well
... and their parents, of course."

Alex smiled sweetly at her brother. "Of course. Ah, sweet justice. You have to deal with girls
and
mothers."

Wil
l
scowled. "At least I'm not the only eligible male in attendance."

"To that end, where are Nick and Kit and Blackmoor?" Alex queried, attempting to sound casual.

"Christopher and Nicholas are
still
abed," the duchess replied, shaking her head. "I'm sending their valets to wake them in a quarter of an hour if they fail to emerge on their own. As for Blackmoor, he was up very early to go back to
Sewell hall
and check on some estate affairs. I expect him back before this evening's dinner."

"Indeed,"
Will
agreed, "Blackmoor
swore
he'd not leave me to face the wolves alone."

Alex sipped her tea to cover her disappointment that she wouldn't see Blackmoor until the evening. She had been hoping to spend some part of the day with him
—
she would have settled for seeing him at a distance. She sighed quietly into her teacup, wondering if he would come back sooner rather than later to see her.

Her brother gave her a wry look. "I feel exactly the s
ame way," he said sympatheticall
y, clearly thinking that she was accepting her fate as the unmarried daughter of an inveterate matchmaker.

Alex understood his meaning and smiled to herself, amused by his misinterpretation. "Somehow, I doubt that."

«Well,
both of you
will
have to endeavor to overcome your disappointment," the duchess said distractedly, looking down at the list in her hand. "Eleanor, Vivian, do you girls
mind my moving you to the adjoining rooms? That way, I can put Lord Vauxwel between Gavin's uncle and Lord and Lady Waring, and Lady Twizzleton next to the Stanhopes."

Alex's head snapped up at her mother's words. She met
Ella
's gaze to confirm that she'd heard correctly.
Ella
nodded mutely.

"Mother, did you say Lucian
Sewell will
be here?"

"Indeed, I did. I know he's an odd man, but I couldn't very
well
invite Blackmoor and leave him off the list.
especially
since he's been such a help since the earl's death."

Vivi coughed to cover her innate response to the duchess's words. Alex, a
chill
running down her spine, spoke, choosing her words
carefully
. "Of course. I was merely surprised. When do you expect him to arrive?"

"My understanding is that they are on their way presently and should be here not long before dinner."

"They?"
Ella
blurted out.

"He and Baron Montgrave. They seem to be very close. I thought it might make Lucian more comfortable."

"I'm sure you did," Alex replied, her voice strained.

"Girls?" Her mother spoke, looking from Vivi to
Ella
. "You don't mind having adjoining rooms, do you?"

Ella
shook her head as Vivi answered, "Not at
all
, Your Grace. We would be happy to share."

"
Excellent.
I'm off to make those changes, then." The duchess stood, then turned back to her children. "Do not go far, you two. And do not let your brothers disappear, should
you see them. I may
well
require your combined assistance. In fact,
William
—
" He groaned, knowing that he was about to be assigned a task. "Why don't you go and wake them?"

"I
shall
go as soon as I have finished reading this article." He nodded toward the paper he'd been trying to read. Seeming to accept that compromise, the duchess turned on her he
el a
nd exited the terrace into the house.

Alex watched her go, then turned to
will
, buried in his newspaper. Cautiously, she asked, "Wil
l
, how do you
feel about
Blackmoor's uncle?"

"Strange
fell
ow, but harmless," he said, distracted. "I suppose I understand why Mother invited him, but I find it very odd that he would attend. As helpful as the uncle has been, Blackmoor is thoroughly able to see to his duties himself by now. I think it's time for him to return to his prior life."

"Indeed,"
Ella
said, meeting Alex's eye.

With a shake of the newsprint,
will
closed the paper, folded it to its original position, and placed it on the table in front of him. Raising himself up to his
full
, looming height, he offered a short bow to the girls and spoke, taking two more biscuits from the tray. "I suppose I ought to raise the miscreants. Be warned ... when we return, they
shall
devour everything in sight." Garnering a smile from the three friends, he entered the house to find his brothers.

Alex snatched another biscuit off the tea tray herself, nodding her agreement with
will
's prediction. She needed to eat her
fill
before Nick and Kit arrived, or she'd have no chance of leaving this particular meal
full
.

Once
will
was out of earshot, she spoke quietly to her friends. "Lucian Sew
ell a
nd the Baron Montgrave are on their way here? I would guarantee they aren't coming because of my mother's reputation as a hostess."

"Likely not," Vivi said. "I think that when Blackmoor returns from the
hall
, we should sit our fathers down and discuss our next steps."

"Agreed."

Ella
nodded, then
pulled
a familiar volume from her reticule, saying,
«Well,
I can cross one next step off of our list. I spent much of last evening reading
A
History of Essex.
And guess what I discovered."

"What?" Alex leaned forward, hoping for a major revelation.

"Absolutely nothing. Aside from the fact that Essex has a thoroughly uninteresting history." She placed the book on the table between them.

Alex lifted the book and ran her fingers over the embossed letters on its cover. "I gave the earl's copy back to Blackmoor. Where did this copy come from?"

"Your father's library. It's incredible to me that there isn't a house in the county that doesn't have a copy of this exhaustively boring book. Even more so that the earl would have used it for his last missive."