They arrived on the balcony, which was deserted of others, and he released her. "Now, would you care to
tell
me what has you so distressed?"
"I told you
—
"
"Yes. You did. Tea." He smiled. "You're a terrible liar in a pinch, Minx."
"It's not a lie!"
"No?" He crossed his arms and leaned back against the marble banister edging the balcony.
"No!" she exclaimed. He looked at her. Waiting. "Al
l
right! Yes! It's a lie. If you must know, I'm rather ... nervous around you."
"Real
l
y? I hadn't noticed."
She offered him a
quelling
look. "Stop looking so amused." To give him his due, he did stop. "Very
well
. Why are you nervous?"
She couldn't help but look at him as though his brain were addled. "You honestly cannot imagine why?"
He did not respond, but waited for her to continue. She gripped the cool marble banister and looked out into the darkened garden. What should she say? In her mind it was not only obvious why she was nervous
—
but expected. Hadn't their relationship undergone a tremendous shift over the past few days? Was she wrong to believe that there was something new and fresh and different and rather terrifying between them?
He clearly didn't think so. And as much as she wanted to appear as calm and
collected
as he was, she couldn't do it. She whispered, "You kissed me."
He took a deep breath and exhaled. "I did."
"And, that night, everything seemed that it was somehow going to be different. Only it wasn't. It was
all
the same. In a good way ... I suppose. But... I just..." She turned her large, clear emerald eyes on him and whispered again, "You kissed me. And you cannot erase that."
"You're right. I cannot take it back. I wouldn't even attempt to erase it. Because it would be impossible." He sighed, standing up straight. "But kissing you again would be one of the biggest mistakes I could make."
He saw the flash of pain in her eyes but, before he could explain, Vivi burst through the doors. "Oh, thank goodness you're here! Grabhands quite awkwardly cornered me on the way to the refreshment room. I had no choice but to escape
—
I saw you two on your way out here and made for you!" She offered a broad smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but I need a savior."
Alex's emerald eyes were glassy with unshed tears as she looked at Blackmoor.
«Well,
you're in luck. Savior is a role in which Blackmoor feels more than comfortable." Turning toward the
ball
room, she continued, "If you're
all
right, Vivi, I have to get back inside."
And, with that, she fled.
Alex pushed back into the
ball
, desperate for a spot where she could be alone to nurse her wounded ego. Of course, with more than five hundred people in her home, that desire wasn't the easiest to
fulfill
. She hadn't spent her entire life sneaking around this house on nights just like this one for nothing, however.
Slipping through the ladies' cloakroom to access the servants' passage that would lead her to the unoccupied part of the house, she wondered if she could simply take to her bedchamber without attracting notice. The idea hadn't even
full
y formed in her mind before she realized that she would never escape her mother's wrath if she did anything close to that. By her calculations, she had less than a quarter of an hour to be by herself before she would have to return to the
ball
.
She exited the servants' quarters into a darkened passageway, heading for the orangery, which had always been her favorite room in the house. The sounds of the orchestra faded into the distance as she moved quietly through the
hall
way, thanking her maker that the duchess had decided to keep these particular rooms free from visitors, only to be replaced with quiet murmurings coming from behind one of the closed doors of the corridor. Wondering who had snuck away from the
ball
and, more importantly, why they were behind closed doors deep in the inner recesses of the house, Alex paused outside the door, pressing her ear to the rich, dark wood, attempting to make out the voices inside, which appeared to be discussing politics.
"Napoleon gains strength. He's garnering support across France. If the Crown is going to strike, it
will
do so soon. We don't need informants to
tell
us that." The voice, laced with disdain, sounded foreign, but Alex couldn't identify it through the thick door.
"No, of course not. I wasn't suggesting that you did. I was simply pointing out that I have many strong connections that could prove useful in your search for information. If a strike is planned, I can help you predict it. I think I've done more than prove my commitment to your cause." Alex put a hand to her mouth in surprise, recognizing that she was eavesdropping on a particularly dark conversation. She stayed quiet, trying to hear over the pounding of her heart.
"Indeed. You have made your ... commitment ... more than clear."
"I intend to do it again. I expect to, within days, have very specific information about
Wellington
's movements." Alex's eyes widened as she realized that one of the men on the other side of the door was the worst kind of spy
—
one who traded secrets from British
intelligence
.
"I'm sure you think that's true. But
you’ll
understand that we are unable to trust that you
will
make wise decisions any longer. We have come too far to risk losing ground. We simply cannot have you involved." The voice was cold, calm, and dismissive; Alex could hear that even through two inches of oak.
"You have acted rashly ... and to no avail. You have been unable to discover anything about what is known of our plans. And the knowledge, is directly under your nose. Your involvement is becoming messy. And we simply don't have the time or the inclination to clean up after you anymore."
"Clean up after me?
I'm
the one who has done the cleaning." Alex started as the voice on the other side of the door shook with barely contained anger.
"If it weren't for me, this entire operation would have been uncovered. You, and everyone else, would have been found and hanged. If it weren't for me, Blackmoor would
still
be alive."
Alex's mouth gaped in horror as she grasped the importance of what she was hearing. She knew she should run and fetch her father, Vivi's father, and any number of others. But she couldn't bring herself to move from her spot, waiting for the next revelation.
"And even with him dead, you cannot seem to retrieve the information he had. We're lucky that, by now, the young earl hasn't discovered everything and had us
all
strung up for treason. Between your botched robbery and your almost being discovered, this entire string of events has become far too risky."
"You need not worry. Young Blackmoor
will
very soon no longer be of concern. I plan to deal with him."
"Forgive me if I have little faith in your ability to
follow
through on that promise."
Alex was unable to keep the gasp from escaping as she realized what the
villain
on the other side of the door meant. The noise rent the air, jolting her out of her trance as silence
fell
on the other side of the door. She flew down the
hall
way, her soft calfskin slippers lending her a silent tread. Once she reached the orangery, she sank to the ground in the darkened room,
all
owing the sweet
smell
of citrus flowers to envelop her. Her heart was pounding with the realization of what she'd just overheard; she could barely think for the sound of her labored breathing.
The earl had been murdered. Gavin had been right. Alex shook her head, as though the action could erase her newfound knowledge. The elder Earl of Blackmoor was dead and Gavin was in danger. Blackmoor would no longer be a concern after this evening, they had said. She had to get to him first.
The thought had barely formed before she leapt to her feet, nothing considered except that she had to find Gavin. She started to exit the orangery when she heard a latch click along the
hall
way.
Pressing herself against the
wall
, she offered a silent prayer of thanks for the darkness and shadows that hid her position and she peered down the
hallway
as one man, then a second, emerged from the room. She couldn't identify either of the
figures for a moment
—
they simply appeared as shadows clad in formal attire
—
but as they moved closer to the light trickling into the passageway from the
ball
room, her eyes widened in horror.
While she wasn't entirely certain, she was fairly sure that one of the men was Lucian
Sewell
, Gavin's uncle.
She stood
still
for a moment, frozen by the gravity of everything she had overheard, combined with the weight of the probability that Gavin's uncle had murdered his own brother in cold blood. How was she going to
tell
Gavin that his uncle had
killed
his father? How was she going to
tell
him that, if he did not seek help immediately, he was going to be next? She had to get to him. They could be seeking him out right now.
After waiting a brief moment to ensure that the men had indeed returned to the
ball
and that she would not be discovered, she retraced her steps through the darkened corridor and back to the ladies' cloakroom, increasing her speed as she went so that she was just short of a run when she burst into the
ball
room ... where she was immediately stayed by the crush of people at the
ball
.
Looking around her, she was desperate for someone she knew. Her brow furrowed as she stood on her toes and searched for Gavin, one of her brothers, Vivi,
Ella
,
anyone.
"Looking for someone?" The voice, close to her ear, startled her and she gave a
small
shriek, whirling to face a grinning Lord Stanhope.
"Oh! Freddie!" She put a hand to her chest in surprise. "You've no idea how happy I am that it's you!"
"As you can imagine, I hear that from women constantly," he jested, but the wicked gleam in his eye dissolved quickly into concern. "What's wrong with you, kitten? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I'm afraid it's worse than that. But I can't discuss it. I need to find Blackmoor."
Freddie's tone turned dark and menacing. "Has the rogue done something to hurt you?"
The question would have amused Alex in the past, but this evening she ignored him, waving a hand in frustration. "No. I just need to find him. Help me?"
"
I’ll
lay him out if he's done something inappropriate."
"Freddie. Stop being such a brute and help me.
all
right?" He nodded once, although he didn't seem happy about it. "Capital. Go that way," she said, indicating the direction of the orchestra. "If you see my brothers, or Vivi, or
Ella
, ask them to help find him. It's a matter of great import."
She started in the opposite direction, but he took hold of her arm and stayed her for a moment. "What's going on, Alex?"
"I
—
I can't
tell
you now. Please?" Her green eyes pleaded with him. "Please help?"
He locked gazes with her for a brief moment, as if attempting to read her thoughts. Something in her eyes must have convinced him. With a nod, he spun on his he
el a
nd disappeared
into the crowd. She watched him go for a brief second, admiring his loyalty, before turning to find Blackmoor.
Only minutes later, she came upon Vivi and
Ella
, who had their heads bent in what looked like a serious discussion ... or serious gossip. Alex approached them from behind, slipping her arms through theirs and interrupting, "Thank God I've found you. I need your help."
Both girls looked up at her in surprise before Vivi replied, "We've been looking for you everywhere! What happened out there? You looked like Blackmoor had said something awful, the rogue! Are you
all
right?"
"He did say something awful. However, that is
all
quite irrelevant now, as something much worse has come to pass. I need to find him."
"What kind of something much worse?"
Ella
spoke, concern in her blue eyes.
"I can't take the time to explain right now."
"Not even to us?" Vivi looked hurt.
"Not to anyone. I promise
you’ll
be the very first to know ...
after
I find Gavin. Which I must do. Immediately."
"Alex ..." Vivi spoke with a warning tone in her voice.
"No. Vivi." Alex slashed a hand through the air. "I am asking you for help. I
will tell
you everything later. I promise. Please, help me find him."
"He left." This from
Ella
.
"What? Why? Where did he go?" Alex turned and grasped her friend's arms with both hands.
Ella
gave Alex a startled look. "He left soon after you disappeared. Said something about
balls
not being the best places for him this season."
"Did he say where he was going?"
"No. Although he left through the gardens, so I assume he went home."
"I have to
follow
him."
"I beg your pardon?" Vivi and
Ella
spoke in unison.
"I told you, I can't explain. There's no time. You have to help me. I'm going out through the gardens. If anyone asks,
tell
them I had a
fallen
hem and went to have Eliza repair it."
"Wait. Are you
all
right, Alex?" Vivi looked concerned.
"I'm
all
right. Just do this for me? Oh ... and find Freddie.
tell
him thank you, I found Blackmoor."
"This is becoming more and more curious as the moments pass," said
Ella
.
"Alex, you can't just go traipsing off to Blackmoor House after him.
you’ll
be ruined if you're caught!"
"
I’ll
simply have to risk it," Alex said, wishing she had time to savor their confusion. "
I’ll tell
you everything upon my return. I promise." She kissed them both on the cheek. "Oh. And if I don't return in three quarters of an hour,
tell
your father where I went, Vivi."
"What?!"
"
I’ll
be fine. It's just a precaution."
"What kind of precaution involves my father?"
"
I’ll tell
you everything
upon my return," she repeated.
And, with that, she exited the room, making her way to the music room, which had an entrance to the gardens that offered a better chance of her not being caught in her escape.