Her words rushed into my head while my blood roared, and I struggled to rearrange them into something that made sense.
I shifted my fan and gave her hand a tight squeeze, feeling equal parts relief and guilt that Sebastian would not be here tonight. “Oh dear. Mae, I am sorry to say that I received word that Mr. Braddock will not be able to make it.”
I had seen faces fall before, seen joy turn to a perplexed sadness before, but never so piercing as it was on her grave features. Her eyes tightened as she drew in a sharp breath, placing her hand on her stomach as though my words had been a hard punch, robbing her of air.
“Oh. I see.”
“But, but you should certainly call on him tomorrow!” I said frantically, wondering how quickly I could get word to him if all went well tonight. Then, perhaps, he wouldn’t be so worried about her safety. Then they could be together.
Mae did not even smile as she listlessly wandered into the ballroom, her purpose in coming quite spoiled.
When my mother finally nodded to me that we had done our duties at the entryway, I took a deep breath and entered the ballroom. It was grandly turned out, with enough greenery to impress the Queen herself. Lights reflected off the many-mirrored surfaces, but my mother had proved her excellent taste without veering into the territory of gaudy. There was no garish Oriental-meets-Turkish-opulence theme, just the beauty of her guests set among the many green plants that announced her new wealth more elegantly than any number of jewels would. She would have had to raid more than our conservatory, indeed many hothouses, for the beautiful blooms and potted trees, their scents mingling sweetly without overwhelming. I admired her hostess skills even while despairing of my own, which probably shouldn’t involve kidnapping guests.
I caught sight of Miss Grey, staring pointedly at me from her chair in the corner. I slowly walked to her side, flapping my fan lazily.
“You recognize someone?”
“Behind Lord Atherton—that small woman with very plainly done hair. She’s the one with the talent your friends Arthur and William described.”
I shivered as I took in the woman. She had a thin face—not pleasant or unpleasant, simply not one anyone would take notice of. “And she is not a member of the Society we’ve seen before?” I asked.
“I don’t believe so.”
“Then please see if she stays with Lord Atherton,” I said.
Miss Grey nodded and I felt a measure of relief. This proved he was the head.
We would end it tonight.
The first strains from the small orchestra sounded. Mr. Kent was at my side immediately, bowing deeply. He looked so very at home in his dark suit and trousers, nattily tied tie, and shining shoes.
“Shall we?” He expertly swung me to the center of the floor. I looked up at his familiar face, felt the heat of his hand lightly resting on my waist as we spun again and he pulled me back into his arms. Mr. Kent was as graceful a dancer as ever. We both tried to scan the room discreetly when he let out a quiet rumble of a laugh.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I just realized this is the first time you danced with me without me having to cajole you.”
Mr. Kent smiled and a silence fell between us. I wondered if he was about to mention our kiss. I wondered if he was waiting for me to resume the conversation we had about our future. I wondered again why I couldn’t simply be in love with my friend. With every turn, a jumble of emotions flew through my head.
But before I could identify any of them, we swung around again and my attention was completely arrested by Sebastian Braddock.
He was standing in the shadows, obviously, near a large fern that seemed set there expressly to show off how well his blasted eyes matched the deep green. Of course he had to be here. He just had to figure out we had a plan and come to help. He just had to interfere to do the kind, noble thing. He just had to give me more reasons to wish he were mine.
Oh, damn it.
“And here I thought you didn’t invite him,” Mr. Kent said.
“I didn’t,” I snapped. Sebastian eyed us then, and I watched as his hand clenched the stem of his glass hard, liquid spilling over the lip.
“What on earth is he doing here?” I breathed, and received a glare from Sebastian across the room and an icy reply from Mr. Kent.
“I suspect he is here for you.”
I didn’t respond. My stomach and mind were whirling faster than the dance and I was too busy thinking about how to get Sebastian out of here and also keep him in my sight forever.
“It’s almost indecent,” Mr. Kent said with a sigh.
“What is?”
“The way you look at each other.” I did not pretend to misunderstand him.
“Mr. Kent—” I began, but he interrupted me gently.
“Lately, in order to win you over, I’ve been finding myself thinking, What would Mr. Braddock do in this situation? And it took me far too long to realize what that meant: I wanted to tell you that I would not be interfering anymore. I don’t pretend to understand why it is that you would want to be with him, but even someone without my superior detective skills would notice how you gravitate toward each other.”
Even as he spoke, I was perfectly aware of where Sebastian was in the room and where his eyes were trained—still directly on us as we flew across the floor in circles that even Mr. Kent’s monologue did not disrupt.
“And more than that…” Mr. Kent’s eyes were focused somewhere between my eyes and forehead. He looked suddenly less angular. “I no longer wish to pursue someone who does not realize how excellent I am.”
I drew back, feeling threads of panic begin to run through my body. “Mr. Kent, you have been my friend for some time and I certainly realize how excellent you are,” I said honestly.
“Yes, I know that. And you shall always have my friendship as well. But I do not wish to press anyone into loving me. The person who loves me will see me for who I am, good and bad, and say, Yes, that’s the handsome gentleman I have been hoping to meet all along, that handsome, charming, witty, disarming, genius, remarkable, dashing—”
“Mr. Kent.”
“See? That is not going to be you, Ev—Miss Wyndham. Which is why I will leave you to the most ridiculous man in London—who is made much less ridiculous by you. Indeed, I might even say he is tolerable.”
I stared at him, wanting to smile and wanting to throw up. If I agreed, it would be the end of the future we had been tiptoeing around for almost a year now. I would not be able to change my mind and ask for time, for space, for the chance to keep the possibility of us alive. I’d be shutting the door on the safety that would come from being with one of my dearest friends, one who loved me enough to let me go.
“The dance is ending,” he said, softly, gently. He had never looked so handsome.
“It is,” I agreed.
I caught Sebastian’s eye again. Whether Mr. Kent knew it or not, Sebastian was not for me, either. But no matter what, it wasn’t fair to hold on to Mr. Kent. He did deserve someone who loved him for all the wonderful things he was, someone who would go to ridiculous lengths to make him happy, just as he did for me. He and I were never destined for more than a wonderful friendship.
“I am glad we shall continue to be friends, Mr. Kent.”
Mr. Kent looked at me closely, a speculative glint in his eyes. “Are you absolutely sure you aren’t having second thoughts on account of how noble I am being right now?”
“Mr. Kent!” I couldn’t help but laugh trying to hit him with our entwined hands.
“All right, all right, just making sure,” he said, holding me back. “No, no, very glad it’s all settled and all that.”
However, the dance was ending. Lord Atherton would be sure to claim his second. And Sebastian was walking toward us.
Drat.
Mr. Kent, no matter what he had said, was not removing his arm from mine as we reached the edge of the floor and Sebastian.
“Mr. Braddock, how unexpected,”
Mr. Kent said.
“Mr. Kent.” Sebastian bowed stiffly. “Miss Wyndham.”
“What are you doing here?” I said, heart beating swiftly. Talking to Sebastian, trying to enact our plan with Lord Atherton and look innocent, all at once, was too much to handle with equanimity.
“Arthur and William suspected you planned to do something tonight,” he said, his voice low and urgent.
“I did not—that is—why are you—”
But before I could sputter my way through another question, Lord Atherton, grim and determined, came over for his dance.
“Miss Wyndham, we have the dance.” And I was not sure which one of us was least thrilled at the prospect.
“Indeed, my lord.” I curtsied and opened my fan, flapping it rapidly four times—the signal for Miss Chen to break my shoe’s heel from her view above. A few steps toward Lord Atherton, and a satisfying crack made me stumble right onto Lord Atherton’s arm.
“Oh dear,” I said dramatically.
Lord Atherton held me upright with stiff surprise, as if I was an unidentifiable liquid spilled onto his arm. “Why, Miss Wyndham! Is it … the music? I’ve heard too much can be exhausting for ladies.”
“No, I think my—” I looked down at my broken slipper and wobbled it about. “Yes, oh dear, my heel has broken. They were new, too!”
Mr. Kent was suppressing a smile, Lord Atherton looked appalled, and Sebastian was narrowing his eyes at me suspiciously.
“I … I’m so sorry, sirs,” I said to the gentlemen. “Lord Atherton, would you please accompany me to the retiring room?” I did not give him a chance to answer as I pulled him along toward the exit. I shot Sebastian a hard frown as we passed him, hoping dearly that he would just leave.
I directed Lord Atherton out of the ballroom, back through the entrance hall and into a narrow corridor. I glanced behind me to see if the guard had followed, but the passage remained empty. Lord Atherton looked perplexed by our direction, but I opened the door into an empty library before he could realize what was happening.
Mr. Kent entered through another door. And Sebastian was with him.
“My apologies, he followed me,” Mr. Kent said.
“Really, Mr. Braddock, there was no need,” I began, but he closed the door behind him resolutely.
Lord Atherton looked around nervously. “I say, Miss Wyndham, this is most improper.”
“Lord Atherton, we know who you are,” I blurted out.
“I should hope so,” he said, looking offended.
“We know you are the head of the Society.”
“Head? What society is this?” He looked at me as though I were very, very confused.
“The blasted Society of Aberrations,” I said. Where was Mr. Hale? I was more than ready to throw Lord Atherton into a portal.
He looked at me with a convincing expression of bewilderment and concern for my state of mind. “What is that?”
Fortunately, before I punched a wall, Mr. Kent jumped in. “Lord Atherton, are you the head of the Society of Aberrations?”
“No,” he replied dully. “I don’t know what that is. I’ve never heard of it before.”
I stared at him closely, sure that he was lying somehow. Mr. Kent hesitated before continuing: “Are you aware of the existence of extraordinarily powered people?”
“No, I don’t know what you mean.”
“Are you aware that there are people who can heal or kill another person with a touch?”
“No,” Lord Atherton said, looking more and more uncomfortable.
Something was definitely wrong. “Ask him what he meant by his duty to the realm and his legacy,” I said.
“What did you mean when you told Miss Wyndham about your duty to the realm and legacy?” Mr. Kent repeated.
“I, well, my estates. My position as an earl and my place in the House of Lords.” He looked puzzled at the idea of my not having inferred that.
“Is your power still working?” I asked Mr. Kent.
“I don’t know. Do you find me handsome?” Mr. Kent returned.
“Yes,” I replied, following it with a growl.
“Everything is clearly in order here,” Mr. Kent said. “Perhaps he is somehow resistant.” He turned back to Lord Atherton. “What is your name?”
“Frederick Dalton Leopold Saddleworth,” he answered.
“What is the most shameful thing you’ve done?”
“I once cheated in a card game against my mother,” he said before his lips tightened in distress. “I’ve never told anyone that.”
“My God, the man is a saint,” Mr. Kent replied, shaking his head. “A boring, boring saint. Let’s try one more. What is your darkest desire?”
“Sometimes, I wish I could be a humble meteorologist,” he answered, looking aghast at his confession.
“Well, I think we can all agree that is a rather horrible thing for an earl to say. So it must be the truth.” Mr. Kent said, throwing up his arms. “I don’t know what’s happening. Perhaps he is the wrong man.”
“I … I’m going to go now,” Lord Atherton said, rising on shaky legs. “I promise, I won’t tell anyone what you … you were asking me tonight. Just please don’t tell my mother.”
Mr. Kent couldn’t resist making the man more uncomfortable. “Tell her what?”
“That I cheated at cards and wish to be a meteorologist. Please, sir, have mercy! The shame!” With that, he rushed from the room, his composure utterly shaken.
The three of us stood, staring after him for a long minute. Oliver poked halfway through the ceiling, dropping a new pair of shoes into my hands. “That one … Not a lot going on up there, is there?” he asked, pointing at his head.
Sebastian finally turned back to us. “What on earth are the three of you up to?”
Chapter 21
AS WE RETURNED to the ballroom, I quickly filled Sebastian in on our plan. He was quite angry that I had not included him in our scheming and I was equally angry that he had shown up uninvited. We found Miss Grey at the edge of the ballroom and told her that Lord Atherton had been a mistake. I was enraged and embarrassed. How should I have known that the man was truly that boring, thinking of his useless earl duties, instead of speaking obliquely about a position as the head of the Society?
Catherine had been right after all. I stood between Sebastian and Mr. Kent as we looked for the other lords on her list. The guard Miss Grey had pointed out earlier was nowhere to be found—was she off with her charge elsewhere in the house?
A sudden idea struck me. “Lord Herrington! He’s not only on Catherine’s list but he was the first person I helped with healing and now he’s suddenly friends with my father.”
“It’s worth a try,” Mr. Kent murmured, looking out over the crowd.
“The card room,” I said, sure I was right, and turned to lead the way. We squeezed through the crush and down the corridor, twisting as I followed a trail of smoke. The door opened on raucous laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the smell of strong spirits and stronger perfumes. It was small, though, and easy enough to find Lord Herrington … and also at his table, my father. Maybe we were finally on the right course. I carefully scanned the room to see if the bodyguard was also here. Nothing—but perhaps she was hidden, sitting low in one of the chairs near the fire.…
I took Mr. Kent’s arm and we walked slowly to my father.
“Evelyn!” He stood up abruptly, looking entirely unsure as to what he should do, given the impropriety of my interrupting their game. I couldn’t help but look down to see how much money was on the table ready to be gambled away.
“Hello, Father.…” I stopped, realizing I had no excuse for being here or needing to speak to Lord Herrington. “I … well.” My mind was entirely blank.
“Evelyn, I think you should return to the ballroom.” He was pink behind his ears, and I realized he was embarrassed that I was here.
“Actually, Father, I need to speak to Lord Herrington,” I said sweetly.
; Lord Herrington eyed me unattractively and I tried to tamp down the burst of hope. However much he didn’t want to talk to me, he could not turn me down without appearing abominably rude.
“Of … of course, Miss Wyndham,” he said, getting up from his chair in a smooth motion.
“I am sure Lord Herrington—” my father began, but Mr. Kent was already gesturing us toward a quieter corner of the room.
“Lord Herrington, wonderful to meet you, Mr. Nicholas Kent,” he said, reaching for the older man’s hand.
“Indeed, sir, now what is this about?”
“Miss Wyndham and I have the smallest question for you.” He smiled silkily. I turned slightly to see Sebastian hanging back, looking grim and brooding.
“We wonder, do you know anything about the Society of Aberrations?”
“Yes, I know of them” Lord Herrington said.
“I see, I see.” Mr. Kent gave me a quick look. “And are you by chance the head of the Society of Aberrations?”
“No.”
My stomach plummeted.
“Do you know who is?”
Lord Herrington looked perplexed and annoyed as the words came out. “I thought Miss Wyndham’s father was the head of the Society of Aberrations.” He turned to me. “Is that not why you helped my daughter?”
Oh for heaven’s sake. I stared at Lord Herrington’s baffled face. He was doing as terrible a job as we were at identifying the head.
I sighed. We were wasting time.
“Thank you, Lord Herrington, please make my apologies to my father.” I gave him a tight smile and met Sebastian’s gaze across the room. I shook my head slightly and he seemed to brood harder, if such a thing were possible.
“Now what?” Mr. Kent asked. His eyes were hard and cold.
“We keep asking,” I answered, glad that his question had at least found an answer from me. I turned back to the ballroom. “We should see where that bodyguard is. Surely she wouldn’t let her charge out of sight for long.”
Sebastian caught us at the door. “Miss Wyndham, this is reckless.”
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