Page 1 of The Missing Book (Bluestocking Book Club #3)

PROLOGUE

L eopold narrowed his gaze at his own reflection. “The cravat is not quite perfect.”

“Yes, my lord.” The valet came back to him at once, straightening and tugging the cravat before stepping back.

A frown darkened Leopold’s brow. “I do not understand why a valet of your standing cannot fix a cravat correctly! You have worked for me for three years now and still – ”

“I do hope that you are not berating your poor valet again, brother?”

With a scowl, Leopold stepped closer to the looking glass, just as his younger sister sailed through the door. “This is none of your business, Anna.”

“I think it is. I am mistress of this house, am I not?”

This made Leopold snort. “Hardly, my dear. You may be the only lady present in the house but that does not give you any real standing.”

Anna only laughed at this rather than taking his words with any great seriousness which, in turn, made Leopold’s irritation grow.

“My dear brother, you are much too hard upon the staff,” she said, coming to stand closer to the valet, who was doing nothing but standing with his hands behind his back and his head lowered just a little… though Leopold was quite sure he saw a smirk threatening to touch the edge of the man’s lips.

His scowl darkened. “And you are much too soft,” he said, a little harshly. “My cravat is not correctly placed and any good valet would see that. In fact, they would not be satisfied until it was entirely as it ought to be!”

This made his sister roll her eyes. “Broughton, we are to go to a country ball. There is no need for an intimate detail, surely? It is not as though we are in London as yet, is it?”

“That is no excuse,” Leopold answered, sharply. “Country dance or not, everything ought to be correct and that includes my cravat.” Turning, he looked his valet straight in the eye. “You see? This is what you ought to have done.”

Anna sniffed as his valet only lowered his head. “I can see no difference.”

“Then you are being deliberately obtuse,” Leopold answered, steadily.

“Johnston, you are dismissed. Though I must tell you now, I am going to have to consider whether or not to take you to London with me or hire an entirely new valet once I am there. I cannot have mistakes such as this, not when I am in high society!”

This made the valet’s shoulders round and, with a murmured apology, he scuttled from the room. Still irritated, Leopold gestured for his sister to quit the room also, only for her to round on him, her face flushed and her eyes as sharp as knives.

“How dare you threaten Johnston with such a thing?”

Leopold took a step back, a little surprised that his sister was now showing such upset. “Anna, these are my staff. I can do just as I please and – ”

“He has done nothing wrong!” she interrupted, throwing up her hands, her face scarlet now. “Five years he was father’s valet and for three years, he has been yours and this is how you think to treat him? With such inconsideration?”

“You do not understand the importance of such things,” Leopold answered, trying to speak steadily despite his sister’s clear upset. “Dressing correctly is what is expected of a gentleman. There can be no mistakes.”

“Your cravat not sitting as you would have it is not a mistake!” she cried, her eyes glistening with tears which, Leopold had to consider, was a little surprising.

“Can you not see how much you drain from this house? Your servants are constantly concerned about whether or not they will meet your satisfaction!”

Leopold shrugged. “That is the sign of a good servant.”

“No, it is not!” Anna rubbed one hand over her eyes, seemingly to dash away her angry tears. “Not when they are barely sleeping from the anxiety of being in this household! Not when the maids are in floods of tears on a regular basis because you have found something more to complain about!”

Attempting to be indifferent though, inwardly, her comments needled him, Leopold looked away with a plaintive sigh. “If their tasks are not completed satisfactorily, then I have every right to say something, Anna. This is my house and my staff. You need not take anything to do with it.”

Anna let out an exasperated scream, making Leopold wince.

“Why must you be so cantankerous? You find fault with everything and near enough every one with it! You say that my hair is not curled correctly, you state that Melford’s jacket is a little too short about the waist, and seem to think that we will take delight in these remarks! ”

“Do you not?”

The sound his sister made was so high-pitched, Leopold could not help but put his hands to his ears.

She said something more, something that was muffled given that his hands blocked out the sound, then turned out flounced out of the room.

Leopold dropped his hands and let out a sigh of relief, though he quickly straightened his cuffs and then brushed down his jacket.

His sister was right to say that he was rather strict with the servants but that, to his mind, was not because he was particular.

It came from an understanding of society and his place within it.

There were rules and expectations and Leopold had every intention of making sure that he abided by every one of them.

If that meant informing his sister that her lady’s maid had done a poor job of her ringlets that morning, then he had no difficulty in stating it.

If his brother’s coat was a little short, then it was right for Leopold to inform him of such a thing for he did not want Melford to bring any shame upon himself or the family name.

To the very same end, he expected everything just so within his house and if his servants were not doing as they ought, then he would tell them!

Though I do not like to hear that there is such upset.

Sniffing, Leopold dismissed the thought quickly enough.

No doubt Anna was being overly dramatic in her speech, to communicate her exasperation with me.

This determined, he made his way from his rooms and walked quickly to the drawing room, expecting to meet his brother and sister there.

“Anna is already in the carriage.” His younger brother Richard, otherwise known as Viscount Melford, greeted him with a dark look. “You upset her again. What did you do this time?”

“Do?” Leopold frowned, frustrated now that Anna had gone to her brother with her complaint. “I did nothing whatsoever!”

“You did not criticize her gown? Did not tell her that her hair needed to be a little adjusted? Or did you state that her lady’s maid had chosen poorly when it came to her necklace?”

Not a single flicker of shame pushed itself into Leopold’s heart. “No, I did none of those things but if I had, it would have been done with the very best of intentions. As all of my concerns are.”

This did not bring his brother any sort of relief, for he only rolled his eyes, let out a groan of exasperation and turned away.

“Quite how you are to find a bride this Season, I cannot imagine,” he threw back over his shoulder, as Leopold hurried after him towards the front of the house. “You will never be able to find someone suitable for you, I am quite sure.”

“Nonsense,” Leopold answered, quickly. “I am certain there will be a great many young ladies present that I will be able to deem suitable. Besides, I am not there for myself alone. My primary concern will be Anna.”

“Though no doubt, you will find bothersome things about whichever gentlemen approach you about her, ” Melford muttered, as they approached the carriage. “Now, might I advise you not to speak to Anna as we drive to the house? It would be best, given her present state of mind.”

Leopold wanted to state that he had done nothing wrong and would be more than happy to explain that all to Anna but, seeing the sharp look his brother sent him, chose to do just as he asked.

It was not often that he deigned to his younger brother but Leopold had to admit that Melford did seem to understand Anna a good deal more than he did.

In addition, the angry look that Anna shot at him as he climbed into the carriage was enough to convince Leopold that he ought to remain silent, if only to prevent another argument.

I shall be able to find a suitable bride, he told himself as the carriage rolled away. In that, I am certain there will be no difficulty whatsoever.