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“A n ice? We are to go to Gunter’s, Evie? Really?” Prue followed these words with a little bounce on the balls of her feet.

“Well, there is the small matter of a walk through the park first we are about to undertake. It is everything to be seen as you know, sister dear,” Evie said, smiling at her excitement.

“But an ice.” Prue sighed. “I’ve so longed for one.” She lifted her face to the sun. “It’s a beautiful day to savor a Gunter’s ice,” she sang.

“You sound like a child.”

“And happy to be so rather than a curmudgeonly old woman like you,” her sister said, poking out her tongue.

She’d won well three nights ago. For all, it had been the most uncomfortable evening she’d spent so far at the tables.

If Evie could choose to never see two men again, it would be Lords Hamilton and Cavendish.

Yet, that night, she’d sat with both, gambling with social disgrace, dressed as a Frenchman, and won well, while they shot arrows of displeasure at each other and exchanged cutting words.

“Why can we spend frivolously on ices today, when a few days ago we could not?” Prue asked.

“Because I worked through our finances again, and things are not as dire as I’d first thought.” In fact, what she’d earned had eased the financial burden greatly. They still needed to show caution, but an ice was now within the budget.

“Goody,” Prue said, sounding five years old.

They entered the park through a gate no one from society used. The walks were a trifle overgrown, but the Spencer sisters had found it not long after their arrival in London. Here they could walk in solitude before they frequented the more socially acceptable areas.

“I danced with a man last night who seemed very nice, Evie. We talked on a great many topics.”

“Did you? Well, I’m glad to hear it.” Evie knew who her sister meant but waited to have it confirmed.

“Mr. Landon. He has a very nice smile and is charming.”

“Excellent.”

She often thought about what would happen when Prue married and Evie was left alone with her father. She would miss her sister dearly, as they shared everything, but if Prue was happy, that was all she could ask for.

“What is happening over there, do you think?” Prue pointed to the left to a line of trees.

“I have no idea, but there appears to be a group of people beyond them. It is hard to tell what they are doing from here.”

“Then we must investigate,” Prue said.

“Must we? We are walking and then going to Gunter’s. Why do we care what a group of people we likely do not know are doing?”

“Yes, we must,” Prue said walking in that direction.

“Perhaps they want to be left alone?” Evie followed.

“If they wanted to be left alone, they would do so in a more private setting.”

“They’re behind some trees in an area of the park hardly anyone uses,” Evie protested.

“I just want to see what they are about, Evie. They could be murdering someone.”

“Yes, and of course if they are we would simply introduce ourselves and say, stop, don’t do that? Come, this is not for us to investigate,” Evie said. Before she could leave, a man she met most evenings in society ballrooms walked through the trees toward them.

“Miss Spencer, Miss Prudence Spencer,” Lord Corbyn said bowing. “How lovely to see you.” His smile seemed genuine, and not that of someone with murder on their mind.

“Apologies, my lord, we were just leaving,” Evie said.

“Why are you apologizing?”

Prue turned to look at her, as if to say, yes, Evie, what are you apologizing for?

“I can see you are… have something—”

“Archery,” he said cutting her off, as clearly she had no idea what to say next. “We play here once a month. If you would care to watch, then by all means do.”

“Oh no—”

“We would love to, Lord Corbyn. My sister is an exceptionally skilled archer,” Prue said.

“Is she? Well then, come along.” He walked back through the row of trees.

“I don’t want to go with him, and why did you tell him I was good at archery?” Evie hissed.

“Because you crow loudly when we play at home about how easy it is to beat me.” Prue followed Lord Corbyn. Evie stood there for two seconds, then hissed out a breath and did the same.

“I do not crow,” she said when they’d stepped through the trees. Evie looked at the people gathered and felt her stomach plunge to her toes. She’d known these men were often seen together but hoped that was not the case today.

Lord Jamieson and Lord Hamilton. The man was appearing far too frequently in her life as far as Evie was concerned.

Her opinion of him may be changing, slightly, after his protection of Mr. Renee and clear dislike of the revolting Lord Cavendish, but still, she had no wish to encounter him too often.

Besides, she doubted he could ever change his wild ways, and she and Prue should not associate with such a man.

“Look who was lurking in the trees,” Lord Corbyn said much to Evie’s embarrassment. “Miss Spencer and Miss Prudence Spencer.”

Lord Hamilton’s head turned so fast it was amazing it didn’t do permanent damage.

He impaled her with a look of absolute displeasure.

Evie almost smiled. Instead, she looked around for any women present.

There were none. Their reputation would be ruined if anyone saw them, which was a good reason to leave.

“We will leave you gentlemen to your archery,” Evie said.

“Damned grass everywhere!”

These words came from behind Evie and Prue. They turned in time to see Lord Hamilton’s three aunts making their way through the trees. Three footmen were with them, carrying chairs. Another a picnic basket large enough to hold a body.

“Well now!” Lady Petunia said, seeing Evie and Prue. “Isn’t this grand? How wonderful that you ladies are joining us! We shall have a picnic while these fools see who can best the other. We are here to referee, you see. They are extremely competitive and have been since they were boys.”

“We were just leaving,” Evie said.

“Lovely,” Prue said at the same time. “I do enjoy a picnic.”

“What are you doing? I have no wish to be here,” Evie hissed in her sister’s ear.

“You told me this very morning you are bored with society, so this could be fun and alleviate that,” Prue said watching the elderly ladies make their way to where the footmen were placing chairs.

“I do not class being here fun in any way. Especially if he is here.”

Prue looked around Evie at Lord Hamilton.

“Stop it.”

Her sister had that mischievous look in her eyes that usually meant trouble for Evie.

“Come along, ladies,” Lady Petunia called to them.

“There really is no need to leave,” Lord Corbyn said. “You could keep my friend’s aunts company, and stop them heckling us.”

“We have no wish to intrude on something that is clearly an intimate gathering,” Evie said stiffly.

“Let Miss Spencer leave, if that is her wish,” a deep voice said that she instantly knew was Lord Hamilton.

“We shall stay, but only for a few minutes,” Evie said far too quickly.

Lord Corbyn smirked at her words. “He has that effect on most people. Now, go and sit with the aunts, who are wonderful ladies. It will be entertaining, I promise you,” he said before walking away.

“This is fun,” Prue said moving toward the three women.

“No, it’s not.”

“Stop being so stuffy.”

“We are in the company of one of society’s most… most—”

“Rakish rakes?” Prue supplied.

Without telling Prue what had happened between them, she couldn’t explain why she felt as she did around that man. As Renee, she was grateful to him—when he wasn’t insulting her that was as Evangeline Spencer. She thought him a horrid man… who saved you from being trampled by a horse .

She sighed, silently. Evie moved to stand behind the party of women, who were all settling in chairs, like nesting hens around a blanket that Prue had lowered herself to.

Evie could say with complete honesty she would rather be anywhere but here. Even listening to Father Colin’s long, monotonous sermons in Chipping Nodbury’s church that made her fall asleep.

“We come every month,” Lady Petunia said. “Our nephew excels at archery.”

Evie only just managed not to roll her eyes.

“My sister is a superb archer,” Prue said, shooting a look over her shoulder at Evie.

“Prudence is fond of embellishing,” Evie said with a smile that did not reach her eyes. “I am below average at best.”

“Nonsense. You were Chipping Nodbury area champion three years running.”

The look Evie sent her sibling should have reduced her to ash. Sadly, it did not.

“Three years, you say?” Lady Petunia said. “Anthony!” Lord Hamilton turned at his aunt’s call. “Come here at once.”

He looked like he’d rather walk over hot coals but did as she asked.

“You bellowed?” He shot Evie a look and frowned.

Yes, well, it’s not my wish to be here either.

He’d removed his jacket and wore only his shirt and waistcoat. The others had put on their jackets, but not him. The arrogant lord never did anything he didn’t want to.

Seeing him dressed so informally made her stomach feel odd. Or perhaps the eggs she’d eaten for her morning meal were not sitting right. Evie felt a desperate need to leave here at once.

“Prue, we need to—”

“Miss Spencer was the three times Chipping Nodbury area champion for archery, nephew,” Lady Petunia said before she could finish the sentence.

“Allow her to play, Anthony,” Lady Agatha added, much to Evie’s horror.

“Absolutely not,” he said, just as Evie said, “I don’t want to play.”

“Are you afraid she will beat you?” Lady Agatha asked.

“No, Aunt Aggie, I am not afraid,” he said through his teeth.

He called his aunt, Aunt Aggie? Why did that seem ridiculously sweet coming from a man like him? Evie thought. “Come, Prue, we have that…thing to attend to.”

“I hate it when a thing gets in the way of doing what I love,” Lord Jamieson said, arriving to stand beside his now fuming friend.

“How do you know I love archery?” Evie found herself saying.

“Because you are a three times Chipping Nodbury champion. I doubt you won because you loathed archery and did not practice.”

Drat. She should have put more thought into that question.

“Let Miss Spencer leave. She has something that needs her attention,” Lord Hamilton said glaring at her, which she was sure was meant to prompt her to do just that.

“What’s the problem here, nephew? Are you scared she will beat you?” Lady Petunia asked with a glint in her eyes which suggested she knew exactly how to annoy him.

“No,” he snapped. “But we never let anyone else participate on these days.”

“Well,” Lord Jamieson said. “There is no time like the present to change that.”

Small daggers of anger fired her way from Lord Hamilton’s eyes.

“Excellent. I’m glad that’s settled,” Lord Jamieson said, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

“Perhaps she is not comfortable competing against men?”

Lord Hamilton had given her a way out and may not have intentionally meant the words as a challenge, but Evie took them that way.

“I will compete,” she heard herself saying seconds later.

“Evie is extremely competitive,” Prue said. “I’m sorry to say I am not.”

Evie followed the men back to where Lord Corbyn now stood, watching everything unfold. His smirk matched Lord Jamieson’s.

“Well, give her a bloody bow then,” Lord Hamilton snapped.

“Tsk tsk,” Lord Jamieson said, a look passing between him and Lord Corbyn that she had no idea how to interpret. “There is no need for bad manners, Anthony.”

“Indeed,” Evie added, because she knew it would annoy Lord Hamilton, and they disliked each other already, so why not annoy him more.

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them he was smiling. It was forced and would terrify small children.

“One hopes your prowess is not exaggerated, Miss Spencer. I would not want you to leave here weeping piteously after losing to me.”

Bastard.