Page 19 of Only a Duke (Ladies Who Dare #6)

L ouisa stepped into the drawing room the footman led her to, filled with the women who were guests of the party, as well as the host, Lady Havendish.

She’d left the duke at the stables with the carriage and their horses.

As well as that rascal called Reaper. The duke, however, had instructions to rest the horses but to have them ready to be harnessed again as soon as possible.

The plan was clear.

She’d find a time to search the house, locate the ledger, then they would leave post haste back to Brighton.

However, the more she thought about it, the more flawed this plan became. For one, she’d be leaving after she found the ledger. Would this not cast immediate suspicion onto her when the ledger was then discovered to be missing?

Also, she had pretended it was not a problem before, but it would get her into a spot of trouble with her father.

Even if she weren’t suspected, or if the ledger weren’t found missing soon after she left, it would still be rather rude to join a party and leave the next day without so much as a by your leave.

Louisa decided she’d slip away like a ghost in the night. She’d thought of other ways, but she couldn’t merely claim something like illness, for then they’d expect her to recuperate here.

She stared at the ladies, who all turned their heads to stare at her .

This part was the worst. She really didn’t want to be here!

Perhaps she would use Theodosia as an excuse to leave, since that was her excuse for coming and Theodosia clearly wasn’t here.

Another course of action could be to leave word that she’d received a message from a friend that they needed help in an urgent matter, though if someone did a thorough check of that one, she might be caught in the lie.

Would it even matter, though?

Hopefully, by then, the truth would be out about this blasted women’s club, and everyone would have forgotten about her rudeness.

Why then, did her heart flutter like a trapped bird??

“Louisa?” The Duchess of Talbot’s gaze widened in what Louisa could only assume was true disbelief and false delight. “What are you doing here?”

Louisa’s gaze swept over the drawing room, brushing past the silent scrutiny, before falling on her stepmother again. “I’ve found myself in the mood for some company.”

“Well,” Lady Havendish said with a smile, “you are most welcome. Come sit. You are quite on time. There is a masquerade ball tonight.”

Masquerade ball?

Louisa’s mood cleared a bit, as she lowered into an empty chair.

That was indeed quite perfect! It may even benefit Mortimer, who could use the cover to sneak into the house.

Then again, seeing how he was dressing like a working man these days, she doubted he would come as himself.

The corner of her lips inched upward. Would she be able to see him in livery again?

With a mask?

She could just imagine the dashing figure he would cut.

He’d be able to move a bit more freely in the house, while she would use the masked ball to slip away and search her host’s bedchamber.

That should be the likely spot to hide an incriminating item of value.

It was where she would hide it if she were part of a secret club and kept a private ledger.

“I do so enjoy a masquerade ball.”

“Indeed,” the duchess said, her smile tight. “It seems this must be fate.”

“Fate?” Louisa said with an equally tight stretch of lips. Her stepmother’s tone put her instantly on guard. “Why?”

“Since you are here, there is someone I would like to introduce you to tonight,” the duchess answered with a gleam that put Louisa further on edge.

Lawks, this would not be good. In fact, this could be really, really bad. “Oh? And who might that be?”

“The Earl of Westbridgeson.”

Curses she would never utter out loud flew across her mind.

“Ah.” Louisa fought to keep her smile in place. All eyes turned to her reaction, so she took a page from Mortimer’s book to keep her countenance as cool as a fresh, crisp breeze. “I am sure he is an interesting fellow.” With your nails dug deep into him.

Considering what she’d recently discovered about her stepmother and presumably her stepmother’s friends, every single woman in this drawing room took on a suspicious aspect.

She could not trust anyone in this house.

“And quite handsome,” Lady Havendish said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, yet her gaze held some sort of excitement in them, nevertheless.

Louisa shivered.

One of the other women, Lady Keening, poured Louisa a cup of tea. “Have some honey tea, Lousia. You must be weary from your journey.”

“Oh, it wasn’t that far,” Louisa said lightly, willing her heart to stop throbbing in her ears.

“The journey was quite uneventful.” If you could call sharing a carriage with a man who exuded raw power with one mere gaze and constantly stole small increments of his companion’s breath uneventful. Stole her breath.

But she preferred that over this .

Honestly, Louisa!

She accepted the cup from Lady Keening, a beautiful woman who could be considered in her prime.

If only she didn’t have ties to her stepmother and their host. Her gaze flicked over the other ladies who were chatting away in all corners of the room, most not paying her any attention anymore except for the occasional glance.

So, this was how it felt to enter the den of predators. Like a pack of hyenas, each gaze glinted with cunning, always assessing, and always calculating.

They would sense the smallest weakness.

But so long as Louisa revealed no weakness and did not challenge these gazes, no teeth would be bared her way. Fortunately, her only weakness was in Brighton. Un fortunately, a wolf had already entered that den.

She brought the teacup to her lips and took a sip. Lawks. No sugar. Smile, Louisa! Her composure was her strength! She set the cup on the table. “I would very much enjoy some rest before the ball tonight if that is possible?”

“Of course,” the duchess said as if this were her household. “I shall inform your father of your arrival when he returns.”

Lady Havendish nodded.

“Where is Papa?” She hadn’t glimpsed any gentlemen yet.

“He is out hunting today with the other gentlemen.”

In Worthing? What on earth would they be hunting? Birds? An inward snort. Hyenas? They need not look any further than this room. In any event, it seemed everyone at the party was on the hunt in one way or another.

At least she was not being scolded for joining the party without notice.

What was Mortimer doing at that moment? Not to mention that man, Reaper. Hopefully, they were both staying out of sight. There was no way she’d be able to explain her “hires” to her father, and never mind that scarred Fury, the duke would recognize the other duke instantly.

“It’s a shame the earl went hunting as well,” Lady Keening said. “The two of you could have taken a delightful stroll in the garden.”

Delightful? No, thank you.

“And we have a lovely conservatory,” Lady Havendish added.

What did that have to do with her? She enjoyed greenery but not enough to idly wander in a conservatory with a man she had no interest in. She dipped her head politely at Lady Havendish. “I’m sure there shall be ample time to view the gardens and conservatory.”

“The masked ball shall have to do for now,” her stepmother said. “I hope you have brought your best dress.”

Ah, no. She hadn’t.

Lady Havendish nodded. “Yes, tonight is special. We will present a marvel from the depths of the ocean, and tomorrow, that marvel will grace our plates as a rare delicacy.”

How . . . delightful.

Louisa gave a slight nod, her mind racing over her belongings rather than fixing on this rare delicacy, whatever it was.

She had packed for the trip—a trip to Brighton to see criminals—but nothing extravagant.

Nothing the duchess would approve of. In fact, she had a dress with her that Camilla would absolutely hate.

Her grin turned inward.

She lived to displease her stepmother.

And it wasn’t as if she wanted to shine her brightest for this earl they wished to introduce her to, either. “I have just the dress in mind.”

A simple black day dress. Thoroughly out of fashion, since it was one of the dresses she always wore on the anniversary of her mother’s death, as well as the anniversary of the day she was taken captive. It would do perfectly.

Which reminded her . . .

What day was it today? If she was not misplacing time , that bittersweet day was tomorrow.

Lawks. It was tomorrow . . .

Her twentieth birthday.

And the ninth anniversary of her mother’s death and the tenth anniversary of her abduction.

Birthdays were not days she usually enjoyed celebrating.

Her most terrifying and saddest memories had happened on them.

Yet somehow this year, she’d almost completely forgotten.

Well, then, she’d just have to make the most of tonight, wouldn’t she?

*

“There is a masked ball tonight.”

“I know.” Oliver stared at the neat scrawl on the note from Lousia, not bothering to lift his head to the Fury who had followed them.

He cursed his inability to observe and act fast if something were to happen out of his control.

He wanted to be inside that house. He wanted to keep an eye on the angel who could turn impulsive at any moment.

Discomfort gnawed at him.

He despised the sensation. It made him feel weak. Powerless. Had he made the right decision? Sending her into that den of vipers without him? Send her in at all?

He almost barked out a laugh. What decision had he even made? She had all the power here.

His gaze swept over the corner of the stables they occupied. He had his own matters to attend to. The men had gone hunting and would return soon, so they would have to keep out of sight as much as possible.

He stretched his legs, shifting on the small stool beneath him.

“Are you attending?” Reaper asked, dangling a mask from his fingertips.