‘You look very pretty, my dear,’ Mama said, her voice filling the uneasy silence. ‘I dare say you are excited at the prospect of your first society ball and the attention you are bound to attract.’
Daniel made a sound that could have been a grunt or a curse and buried his nose in his glass. Adela ignored his discourtesy and agreed that she was looking forward to the evening very much. Her aunt remained distracted and said nothing.
The stilted conversation was in danger of dwindling altogether by the time Talbot announced that the carriage was at the door.
‘Shall we, Mama?’
Adela swept from the room and accepted her evening cape from Bess. When her mother and aunt had also donned their outdoor garments, Adela led the way to the waiting conveyance. Harker was there to open the door for them. He winked at Adela as she followed her mother into the carriage and sat beside her, leaving her aunt and cousin to take the seat with their backs to the horses.
They travelled the short distance with only the sound of the horses’ hooves on cobbles and her mother’s idle chatter to alleviate the brittle silence. Adela could sense that her aunt and cousin were plotting something, uncomfortable when they both looked at her a little too frequently. There was nothing of an admiring nature in either of their expressions, causing her to wonder if she should have been a little less forthright with her aunt. Her impetuosity would be the death of her yet! She had wanted to make her feelings plain, so that there would be no misunderstandings or misguided expectations. Perhaps that had been a miscalculation. Her aunt was a disappointed and bitter woman. Not that there was anything she could do to Adela in retaliation, but even so…
It was past ten o’clock when their carriage joined a steady procession of conveyances making its way to Lady Harrington’s door.
‘Goodness, I had forgotten how crowded these balls can be.’ Mama peered through the window at the elegantly attired ladies and gentlemen alighting from their carriages. ‘I declare we shall be crushed half to death.’
‘Is that not the yardstick by which success is measured, Mama?’ Adela asked, feeling nervous. Ezra seemed convinced that the traitor would show his hand one way or another tonight. She sincerely hoped that it would not be at the expense of her own life. It had been easy to pretend fearlessness when discussing the matter in the comfort of Ezra’s carriage, but now the time had come to take the risks she no longer felt quite so brave.
She glanced at the gentlemen entering the house ahead of her, wondering if any of them was the traitor. No one paid her any particular notice, but then the traitor would not have survived detection for so long if he was that careless. She had not met Lord Jordan, but assumed he would be amongst the guests. Mama had told her that tonight’s ball was one of the events of the season, and even the most reclusive of aristocrats felt obliged to show their faces.
She noticed Harker leave their carriage and slip into the grounds of Lady Harrington’s abode, no doubt on Ezra’s orders. His loyal henchman might not be able to pass himself off as an indoor servant on this occasion, but he could make himself equally useful outside, she assumed. Adela felt better knowing he was there.
They eventually reached the door and surrendered their cloaks to an attendant. Then they joined another procession making its slow way down a wide, winding staircase to the ballroom on the floor below. Eventually they reached the head of that queue and were announced. At the sound of her name, dozens of heads turned in her direction. Some even rudely raised quizzing glasses and didn’t seem that impressed by what they saw. She noticed a few shaken heads and raised eyebrows. Far from feeling slighted by society’s less than fulsome reaction, Adela found it diverting.
‘I can see that you are still mindless of my possessiveness.’
Adela had been so interested in surveying the throng that she had not seen Ezra approach. But she recognised his deep, resonant voice sounding in her ear from behind, even before she turned to greet him.
‘I cannot think what you mean,’ she replied, dipping a curtsey, aware of what felt like hundreds of pairs of eyes watching them with avid interest.
‘That gown is almost as revealing as last night’s,’ he replied in a seductive drawl, taking her hand and placing it on his sleeve. ‘How am I supposed to concentrate on rogues with traitorous inclinations with such distractions to…well, distract me?’
‘Oh, I dare say you will manage to keep your mind on what’s important. I regret to say that Papa’s trunk gave up no secrets,’ she added, lowering her voice despite the fact that no one could hope to overhear them above the noise of countless conversations, most of which were drowned out by the musicians.
The first dance had formed up. Ezra and Adela continued to promenade rather than join the couples on the floor.
‘What do you make of all this?’ Ezra swept his free hand in a graceful arc to encompass the entire ballroom.
‘As you say, it’s a terrible crush.’ She apologised to a lady whose shoulder she accidentally bumped. ‘Why do people put themselves through it?’
‘I think you are supposed to feel euphoric at being included and not ask such intelligent questions.’ There was a smile in his voice. ‘Only we gentlemen are supposed to find it all a terrible bore.’
She giggled. ‘I was probably not supposed to do that, either. Giggle, I mean. But I feel reckless this evening, and ready to offend the matrons.’
Ezra shuddered. ‘Then you have more courage than me.’
‘You could not offend them if you tried. You are well-connected and highly eligible, so it follows that you can do no wrong in their eyes.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that.’
They had strolled to the end of the room. A corridor led to a large cardroom, already full of gentlemen who had no interest in dancing. There were smaller chambers too, presumably for fatigued dancers to enjoy a respite.
‘Is Lord Jordan here?’ she asked.
‘Yes. That tall thin man standing beside the window. No, don’t look. He’s watching us.’
They had reached the edge of the ballroom. Adela stood on her toes to scan the throng, casually permitting her glance to roam over Lord Jordan. Their gazes briefly clashed, and he was the one to look away first. Her aunt stood beside him, chattering away but it didn’t look as though Jordan was paying her much attention.
‘He looks tense,’ Adela remarked. ‘But then again he could simply be bored with my aunt’s conversation. It can become tedious is a very short space of time. Take it from one who knows.’ He placed a gloved hand over her mouth. ‘Did that sound spiteful?’
‘We can choose our friends, but not our relatives.’
‘Why is no one joining us?’ She sent him a mischievous smile. ‘I was hoping to dance until my feet ache. I adore dancing.’
‘I have already told you,’ he responded with a frown. ‘There will be no dancing for you tonight with anyone other than me. Several of your admirers have you in their sights, but the spineless youths back off if they find the courage to get close and I scowl at them.’
‘Hardly surprising. You terrify me when you scowl.’
Ezra laughed. ‘Nothing terrifies you. That is part of your problem.’
‘I have nothing to be afraid of when I have you to protect me,’ she replied, batting her lashes at him flirtatiously and making him laugh harder.
‘If you are attempting to simper, I think it only fair to warn you that it does not come naturally to you.’
‘And makes me look cross-eyed, I dare say.’ She sighed. ‘What a pity.’
‘Ah,’ he said, at a waltz struck up. ‘Now we can dance.’
Without bothering to ask her if she would like to, he swung her into his arms and swept her around the floor, all elegance and graceful coordination.
‘You realise that you will become a laughing stock when you make the obligatory proposal and I reject you. Society will think that the proposal was genuine and that you are heartbroken. I suppose that just goes to show how observant th
ey are not.’
‘You think I will not be heartbroken if you decline me?’
‘Well of course you will not be when I do. We both know we are pretending, and all you will feel is unmitigated relief because you are still not convinced that I really will turn you down.’
‘You are very hard-hearted, Lady Adela.’
‘I am a realist, Lord Bairstow, and have not lost sight of the fact that you need my assistance, which I am happy to provide. I realise it goes against all your gentlemanly instincts to depend upon a woman to help fight your battles for you, but I dare say you will recover from the indignity in time.’
‘Wench!’
The danced came to an end. Ezra raised her from her curtsey and let her to the side of the room, where they were intercepted by a gentleman Adela hadn’t seen before.
‘I say, Bairstow, bad form to keep the lady all to yourself.’
‘What the devil are you doing here, Charlie?’ Ezra asked, shaking his friend’s hand. ‘You usually avoid these affairs like the plague.’
‘The same could be said of you, although I can see why you were tempted out of hibernation,’ he said, his gaze lingering upon Adela.
‘Lady Adela, I’m not sure if I should risk introducing you to my reprobate of a friend, Mr Charlie Barker. Charlie, this is Lady Adela Gantz.’
Adela dipped a curtsey, smiling at Ezra’s friend as he sent her a roguish grin and elaborately kissed the back of his hand. ‘It is a very great pleasure,’ she said.
‘More so than being saddled with this oaf, I dare say.’
‘You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here,’ Ezra said.
‘Have to show my face at these shindigs every so often, if only to keep the mater satisfied,’ he said, cheerfully. ‘You’d think she would have given up on trying to marry me off by now, but she’s tenaciously determined, I’ll say that for the old girl. Won’t be staying for long, unless Lady Adela agrees to dance with me.’
‘The lady is not dancing,’ Ezra replied. ‘She has a weak ankle.’
‘Ha! A likely story.’
‘Ignore him, Mr Barker. I do as much as I can, despite my infirmity. And I shall be delighted to dance with you later,’ she said, flashing Ezra a mischievous look.
‘In that case I shall definitely stay around.’ He took her hand and kissed it again, all charm and high spirits. ‘Until later,’ he said.
‘He seems pleasant,’ Adela said, watching him go. ‘Is he important?’
‘He’s Viscount Barker’s younger son. Totally irresponsible.’
‘And the greatest possible fun, I suspect.’
Ezra flexed a brow. ‘Should I be worried?’
‘Absolutely.’ She grinned at him. ‘I would definitely consider an offer from Mr Barker. He is very handsome.’
Ezra grunted, but before he could respond Adela’s attention was drawn towards her mother’s position across the room, where she had just been approached by a gentleman who looked familiar and whose presence appeared to give her considerable pleasure. Her exclamations of joy could be heard over the music and drone of conversations, drawing the attention of others in the room besides Adela.
‘Who is that?’ Ezra asked, following the direction of her gaze.
Adela frowned. ‘I know him, but I cannot quite place him.’ She wrinkled her brow. ‘Mama is pointing him in our direction, so we shall soon know.’
‘Lady Adela,’ the stranger said when he reached them, smiling broadly. ‘What a pleasure.’
At closer quarters, Adela recognised him immediately.
‘Captain Snelling,’ she said with a delighted smile, bobbing a curtsey and then offering him her hand. ‘What a lovely surprise. I did not expect to see you here. Indeed, I did not even recognise you at first out of uniform.’
‘I am in London on business for my father, and it is plain Mr Snelling now.’
‘Then allow me to introduce you to Lord Bairstow. Mr Snelling was my father’s adjutant,’ she explained as the two gentlemen sized one another up and shook hands.
‘I am glad to have seen you here, Lady Adela,’ Mr Snelling said. ‘I have just paid my respects and offered my condolences to your lady mother. I had intended to call at Eaton Square tomorrow…’
‘Let’s go somewhere a little quieter,’ Ezra suggested.
If Mr Snelling thought it odd that Ezra took control of the situation he showed no sign, and followed Adela in the direction of the ante-room into which Ezra led them. It proved to be unoccupied and he pushed the door almost closed behind them, muting the sound of the ball.
‘You will be very welcome at Eaton Square,’ Adela assured him, the moment she had taken the chair that Ezra conducted her to. ‘I cannot imagine why Lord Bairstow thought we would need privacy for me to offer you that assurance. Mama will be glad of the opportunity to speak with you at leisure, as will I.’
‘Thank you. I shall certainly make time to call,’ Mr Snelling replied. ‘I was shocked and saddened to hear of your father’s death. He threw himself wholeheartedly into the fight against Napoleon and barely incurred a scratch, only to succumb to…’ He cleared his throat. ‘I am well aware how devoted you and the colonel were to one another.’
Adela dipped her head. ‘Thank you,’ she said softly. ‘It was most unexpected, and ironic when you consider all the devilish situations he came through virtually unscathed.’ She sighed. ‘It was a difficult time for Mama and me.’
‘I can well imagine.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I trust the regiment helped you to return to England.’
‘Yes, thank you. It played its part.’
Mr Snelling nodded his approval. ‘As well as paying my respects, I particularly wanted to call since I have documents in my possession that your father sent to me with very specific instructions for their dispersal.’
‘Documents?’ Adela and Ezra exchanged a prolonged glance. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘No more do I, ma’am. Your father sent them to me not long before his death. There is a letter addressed to you, together with a sealed package. He told me in a covering note that they are of the utmost importance, and that he needed to know they were in the hands of someone dependable.’ Mr Snelling scratched his head. ‘I don’t mean to upset you, Lady Adela, but it sounded to me as though he suspected something might happen to him, which is why I find the cause of his death as suspicious as you appear to.’
‘I do indeed,’ Adela said absently. ‘I absolutely do.’
‘He asked me to hold onto the papers pending further instructions from him. In the event of his death I was to get them to you. He seemed to think you would know what to do with them.’
‘I cannot imagine why.’ Adela glanced again at Ezra, whose urgency to get his hands on those documents was palpable. ‘I expect he left instructions in the letter he addressed to me.’
‘Very likely. He asked me specifically not to mention the papers to your lady mother.’
Adela nodded. Mama would be upset to receive word from her husband from beyond the grave, and anyway, she was completely incapable of keeping a secret. ‘Then we shall not tell her about them. It would only worry her.’
‘Where are the papers now, Snelling?’ Ezra asked, an edge to his voice.
‘In my lodgings in Brook Street. If I had known you would be here this evening, Lady Adela, I would have brought them with me. Indeed, I was not aware that you were back in London until I overheard a chance remark at my club. I would have delivered them to you in Ripon, but your father was quite adamant on that point also. I was to place them in your hands only when you returned to London. He specifically warned me against making any mention of them in front of your relatives.’
‘Did he indeed?’ Ezra said in a contemplative tone. ‘I believe I know what is in those papers, Snelling, and I assure you that their contents are of vital national importance.’
Mr Snelling nodded. ‘I assumed as much. The colonel was a straightforward, no nonsense sort of gentleman, and not one to exa
ggerate or needlessly complicate matters. The fact that he went to so much trouble to protect those documents convinced me of their importance. I respected the man absolutely, and he knew I would follow his instructions to the letter.’
‘With Lady Adela’s consent, would it inconvenience you to take me to your rooms now and hand those documents to me?’
‘Well no, I suppose not.’ Mr Snelling looked a little startled by the request, but his response was courteous and obliging. ‘Provided I have Lady Adela’s permission, of course.’
‘You do, Mr Snelling. I trust Lord Bairstow as much as you trusted my father. He is right to say that the matter is sensitive and of the greatest possible importance. If we are right about the contents of those documents then it’s safe to say that certain parties have been scouring London hoping to find them, dealing brutally with anyone who got in their way.’ She shuddered. ‘I am very glad they did not succeed.’
‘Quite. Well then, by all means,’ Mr Snelling replied.
‘I will see you out front in five minutes, Snelling,’ Ezra said, ‘just as soon as I have returned Lady Adela to her mother’s care. It won’t take us long to walk to Brook Street from here.’
‘Good evening, Mr Snelling,’ Adela said, smiling. ‘I hope that because you have discharged my father’s instructions it will not prevent you from calling at Eaton Square. We shall be delighted to receive you there and talk about old times.’
‘You can depend upon my calling,’ he replied, bowing over her hand.
‘Now then,’ Ezra said, taking Adela’s arm and steering her towards her mother, who was sitting in an alcove with several of her friends. ‘I trust I can rely upon you to behave yourself while I am gone. You must realise what Snelling’s intelligence means, of course, and why I cannot wait for even a day to get my hands on those documents. If Snelling was seen here in conversation with you, and if the traitor is in attendance, which I believe to be the case, then…well, I am sure you appreciate the urgency of the situation.’
‘I am not a complete imbecile.’
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