by Lucy Adams
If you were the enemy of the Crown, he said to himself quietly, as Lord Lincolnshire began to suggest ideas as to how they might progress in this difficult matter, then what would you do?
Clearing his throat gently, Phillip picked up his port and took another long sip. Surely if he was an enemy of the Crown, he would like nothing better than for the Prince to continue in his foolish ways so that the judgements that came from the Crown would be poorly made. If the Prince continued to behave in such a reckless and idiotic manner, then the only thing that could come out of it would be a both difficulties and ruin. When everyone was looking to the Prince, talking of the Prince, and growing concerned over the Prince, then their attention was placed solely on him and not on whatever else might be going on around them.
“Do we have to do anything?” he asked, allowing a little laziness into his voice. “I am aware that he does not act with decorum and certainly has upset the Church, but such matters are his own, are they not?”
Lord Lincolnshire looked affronted. “Surely not!” he exclaimed, sounding quite angry. “His decisions affect all of us! Whilst I am sure there are those that find his antics to be both delightful and hilarious, there are a great many concerns that strike those of us who have greater insight.”
“I do not mean to insult you,” Phillip said quickly, waving his glass in Lord Lincolnshire’s direction, “but is it not best to allow the Prince to behave as he pleases? He is not the King yet, and whilst I am aware that he has taken on the duties of the King, there is still a freedom in how he chooses to behave, is there not?”
Much to Phillip’s surprise, Lord Dayton chuckled. “You speak of what you know, Lord Monteforte,” he said, shaking his head at him. “You do not see the full impact of Prinny’s behavior, both here and across the seas.” The smile faded from his lips, sending Phillip into a slight panic. Perhaps he had been fully mistaken. Perhaps he had just said something so foolish that both Lord Dayton and the other gentlemen would now remove him from this gathering. “Consider what our enemies must think of us!”
Trying to put an expression of contemplation on his face, Phillip let out a slow breath, sighing heavily and shaking his head. “I understand,” he said, after a moment or two. “I had not thought of such a thing.”
“Many of us do not when we first join,” Lord Tullett said quickly, as though to put Phillip at ease. “You need not apologize. We quite understand.”
Phillip put a grateful smile on his lips, looking back at Lord Tullett steadily. “That is very kind of you to say.” He waited for a moment or two longer, silence spreading out across the room. Lord Lincolnshire cleared his throat abruptly, a look of disdain shooting out towards Phillip as he looked back at him.
“Well, if we all now fully understand the significance of Prinny’s actions, then mayhap we can discuss precisely what we are to do about it!”
“Of course,” Phillip murmured, as Lord Lincolnshire threw him yet another disparaging look. “I would be glad to listen and to learn from those more experienced in such matters than I.” Spreading his hands, he included every gentleman at the table, his gaze firm and steady. “I will listen to you without interruption.”
“Very wise,” Lord Cammish interrupted darkly. “Now, what is it you suggest, Lord Lincolnshire?”
One hour later and Phillip rose from the table, feeling more unsatisfied and foolish than ever before. The gentlemen had spent the time discussing the Prince Regent with such fervency that he had not been able to make any sort of assessment of any of the gentlemen present. They had all been quite fervent in their desire to prevent Prinny from behaving in the foolish way he had been thus far, with some expressing horror at the thought of the Prince taking up with a lady already married to another. The shame of his behavior seemed to lay heavily on each of their shoulders, and Phillip could not help but think rather highly of their intentions.
He had been wrong, he concluded. He would have to go back to the League and state that there was nothing here for them to discover. There was not a single gentleman within this group that had any intention of bringing damage to England, for they all clearly cared about their country and their King.
“Do not be so hasty to depart, Lord Monteforte.”
Turning his head, Phillip was surprised to see Lord Cammish coming towards him, as Lord Dayton bid good night to the other gentlemen, who were clearly much in need of rest for their minds.
“Lord Cammish,” he answered, with a small, self-conscious smile. “I must ask you not to judge me on my first, foolish remarks as regards the Prince.” Shaking his head, he let out a long breath, trying to show contrition. “I can see now that such a remark was rather foolish.”
“Not entirely foolish,” Lord Dayton answered, closing the door and wandering back towards the table so that he might pick up his glass of port. “There are one or two of us who are inclined towards allowing the Prince to do as he wishes.”
Phillip’s ears pricked up at once, and he looked at Lord Dayton in genuine surprise. “Oh?”
“You may think Lord Lincolnshire very passionate,” Lord Dayton continued, as Lord Cammish chuckled wryly. “But he might still be mistaken.”
Blinking quickly, so as to betray his confusion, Phillip allowed himself to frown. “What can you mean?”
Lord Dayton made to say more, only for Lord Cammish to interrupt. “Might we go sit in the library or drawing room?” he said, reaching across the table to pick up his own glass. “If we are to have yet another discussion, I will need to find something a good deal more comfortable to sit on!”
Lord Dayton laughed and nodded, gesturing for Lord Cammish to do as he wished, leaving Phillip to follow after them both.
The hallway was dark, with only a few candles flickering in the dark. The house was very quiet indeed and, given that it was already in the early hours of the morning, Phillip suspected that either the ladies of the house were out and would soon be returning, or that they had already chosen to retire. His heart quickened suddenly as he wondered whether he might see Lady Olivia, even for a moment, only for him to dismiss the idea at once. He could not think of her now; he could not allow himself to become at all distracted.
“Goodness!”
Phillip stopped dead as the door to the library was pushed open to reveal none other than the object of his thoughts sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, a stack of books just in front of her and one book in her hand. Her eyes turned towards them, her mouth forming a perfect circle as she stared back at her uncle.
“Whatever are you doing here, Olivia?” Lord Dayton said crossly, as she scrambled to her feet, almost knocking over the books in front of her. “You ought to be abed by now.”
Lady Olivia’s face went scarlet, and she dropped her head. “I was just reading, Uncle,” she said quietly, bending to pick up one or two books but leaving the rest on the floor. “I could not sleep. Forgive me.”
Lord Dayton sighed, but before he could speak, Phillip cleared his throat. “Might I help you with those, Lady Olivia?” he asked, stepping forward and picking up the other few books from the floor. “Although surely you cannot intend to read all of these tonight!” His attempt at mirth managed to settle the awkward tension that had flung itself over Lady Olivia ever since they had stumbled in on her, and she looked up at him with a grateful smile.
“I would be very glad if you could leave them in the dining room,” she said quietly. “I will have my maid retrieve them from there so that I do not interrupt you again, Uncle.” She said this last sentence to Lord Dayton, who sighed in irritation, rolled his eyes, and then gestured for her to quit the room.
“Do not tarry,” he said, although Phillip could not be sure whether such a statement was for himself or for Lady Olivia. “We will wait for you, Lord Monteforte. I must hope that I can trust you with such important cargo.”
Aware that Lord Dayton spoke not of the books but of Lady Olivia, Phillip nodded but said nothing, hurrying out after her and feeling his he
art soar. He had wanted to be in her company for such a long time and now, here she was, walking alongside him again.
“I must apologize,” Lady Olivia whispered, as they scurried along the hallway. “I did not know my uncle intended to–”
“I believe it was Lord Cammish’s suggestion that we retire to the library,” Phillip said softly. “There is nothing for you to apologize for, Lady Olivia. I am sure it was just a mistake and will be treated so.”
Lady Olivia glanced up at him, her face half hidden in shadows, but even then he could still see the uncertainty in her face. She carried a book in one hand and a single candle in the other, lighting their way. “My uncle is a hard man, as I believe I have told you before,” she said quietly. “He treats me cordially, but there is no affection there. I know my place well in this family. I am lesser than my two cousins. I must come last.” She sighed, revealing more to him about her inner struggles than perhaps she had intended. “I should not be ungrateful, but yet I find it a difficult home to live in.”
“I am sorry for that,” he murmured, a little surprised as to how much she had told him. Perhaps the shock and embarrassment of being found in the library at such a late hour had loosened her tongue. “When you marry, then you will be mistress of your own home, and as such, have the freedom that perhaps has been held back from you thus far.”
A slight sound of ridicule came from her, although Phillip saw that she tried her best to hide it.
“Forgive me,” she said, as he pushed the door to the dining room open. “It is only that I do not expect to have any sort of choice in who my husband will be. My cousins may have their choice, guided by their father, but I presume that once they are both wed and settled, I will be viewed as something to be disposed of with the greatest urgency. Therefore, my uncle will pick someone suitable, and I will be told when I am to be at the church.” She shook her head, holding the door open with one hand as he set his books on the table. “I have believed for some time that my uncle would treat me in the same way as he does his daughters when the time comes for me to wed, but given how things have been these last few days, I have begun to lose hope.” Her eyes downcast, she continued to speak softly, as though she had forgotten he was there. “I will live my life without ever feeling as though it is my own,” she finished sadly. “That is all I can expect.”
“No.”
His voice was loud, resounding, filling the room, and making Lady Olivia’s head lift suddenly.
“No,” Phillip said again, coming close to her and looking down into her eyes. He wanted to reach out and touch her; he wanted to take her hand but knew he could not. “You do have hope, Lady Olivia. I…” Fumbling for words, he let out a long breath. “I have found myself eager to further my acquaintance with you, and whilst I am aware that you will refuse me for the sake of your cousin, I pray that you would reconsider.”
“But you have been very attentive towards my cousin,” Lady Olivia answered, a little breathlessly. “You have called on her a number of occasions and–”
“I have only ever come to see you.” His hand found hers in the gloomy darkness, seeing how the candlelight flickered as she held it carefully in her other hand. “You have remained silent, stepping back into the shadows and believing that you are behaving as you are expected, but it has been nothing but torturous for me. I have longed to speak to you again, to walk with you in the park and to draw our acquaintance closer.” Pressing her fingers, Phillip forced himself to take a step back as the voice of Lord Dayton echoed in his mind. He had to be careful. “Consider what I ask carefully, Lady Olivia, please,” he finished, seeing how her eyes were still wide with astonishment. “If you would be willing to accept me, I would speak to your uncle and beg his permission to court you. I would make it quite clear that I care nothing for Lady Margaret, praying for his forgiveness if such a thing has ever been seen in my behavior. I have never felt such an eagerness in my spirit before, Lady Olivia. Never have I considered such a thing as courtship and matrimony, but now it is almost all I can think of.” A small, wry laugh left his mouth. “My friend, Lord Watt, has only recently married, and I could not quite understand why he had chosen to do so. Now, however, I can see what pulled him towards such a desire because it has also begun to fill my heart.” He spoke the truth to her willingly, knowing that whilst he had been focused on his task as regarded being a part of the League, he had been, of late, thoroughly distracted by Lady Olivia. “Pray tell me that you will consider what I ask, Lady Olivia. Allow me the chance to prove to you that I am not hiding a cruel spirit beneath a thin façade. Give me that flicker of hope.” Looking steadily into her eyes, he saw how her features twisted suddenly, as though she were caught somewhere between sadness and yearning for what he had offered.
“I–I will consider it,” she whispered, making him let out a sigh of relief. “But you must return now, Lord Monteforte. They will be wondering where you are.”
“Of course.” Unable to simply step away from her, Phillip reached for hand again, fumbling for it in the darkness. Once he held her hand in his, he lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand, hearing her swift intake of breath and feeling his own heart surge with happiness. “Until we meet again, Lady Olivia.”
“You spoke of allowing Prinny to do as he wishes.”
Phillip, who had been struggling to remove his thoughts from Lady Olivia ever since he had returned to the library some half an hour ago, tried to focus on what Lord Cammish was saying.
“Why did you suggest such a thing?”
Frowning hard, Phillip tried to think of a reason as to why he might have made that remark. It had not been made in earnest, for he had been merely playing the part of one who might wish to see England badly damaged by the Prince’s foolishness. “I do not want to speak ill of the monarchy,” he said, choosing his words with great care. “But I believe that the Prince has a responsibility for his own behavior and, whilst I am aware that there is a certain shame in how he behaves at present, I confess that I am a little more inclined to permit him to do so.”
“To what end?” Lord Dayton asked, one leg up on his other knee, a glass of brandy swirling in his hand. “Why should we continue to allow the Prince to behave in such a reckless manner without attempting to guide him away from such things?”
Phillip’s mind worked quickly, and he hesitated, looking from Lord Cammish to Lord Dayton and back again.
“You may speak freely, Lord Monteforte,” Lord Cammish said, encouragingly. “There is no one to judge you here.”
“I am grateful for that,” Phillip answered, still appearing quite ill at ease. “As I have said, I do not want to speak ill of the monarchy, but it appears to me that there might very well be someone better suited to the role that the Prince currently holds.” Closing his eyes for a moment, he winced. “That sounds very bad indeed when it is spoken aloud however.”
Lord Dayton and Lord Cammish both chuckled, sharing a glance as Phillip opened his eyes.
“It is quite understandable,” Lord Cammish said, waving a hand. “But the King is gravely ill – mad, some say – and I do not believe that he will be able to take on the same role again.”
“You believe the King will die from his malaise.”
In answer to Phillip’s statement, both Lord Cammish and Lord Dayton nodded.
“Which is why we must carefully consider what is to be done,” Lord Dayton said quietly. “If the Prince is to become King, then he will gain nothing but the contempt of his people and will lower the standing of the monarchy throughout the rest of the established world.”
Nodding, Phillip rubbed at his mouth for a moment or two, clearly thinking hard. He wanted to give the impression that he was taking into consideration everything that had been said but also trying to ensure that he did not appear too eager to agree with them.
“What is it you think must be done?” he asked, feeling his heart quicken just a little as he looked directly at Lord Dayton. Was this the moment he would discover t
hat there was a spy within this small group? Were Lord Dayton and Lord Cammish both involved in such a scheme? The information he had been given had not been wrong, it seemed, and with such a sense of triumph growing within his heart, Phillip could barely keep his expression from revealing what he felt.
Again, Lord Dayton and Lord Cammish shared a look. A look that said to Phillip that they were not quite certain about revealing everything to him as yet. They could not be sure of him and—that—he quite understood.
“Let me ask you something, Lord Monteforte,” Lord Cammish said quietly, leaning forward in his chair. “What would you be willing to do in order to remove the Prince from the role he currently holds?”
All the breath left Phillip’s body as he looked into Lord Cammish’s face and saw a calmness about him that did not seem to match his words—words that had basically spoken of treachery and treason. He appeared shocked, but thinking quietly to himself that this would be quite an acceptable reaction to what he had just heard. “It is a very significant question, Lord Cammish, and one that I must consider for a short while.”
Lord Dayton nodded, appearing quite pleased at Phillip’s reaction. “That is a wise answer,” he said, as Lord Cammish sat back in his chair again. “I would ask you not to speak of this to anyone else however. The other gentlemen within our small gathering do not share our views, you understand.”
“Quite,” Phillip answered, holding Lord Dayton’s gaze. “I will say nothing but merely consider what you ask.”
“Very good,” Lord Cammish answered, as Lord Dayton nodded again slowly. “Then, might I suggest, Lord Monteforte, that if you do not wish to hear anything further, you exempt yourself from the rest of our conversation.”
It took a moment for Phillip to realize what was being suggested. Awkwardly, he rose to his feet, bowing first to one gentleman and then to the next. His heart was thumping furiously against his chest, his hands a little sweaty as he began to walk towards the door, hardly daring to believe what he had heard. The realization that he had stumbled across something significant, that he had found not only one but two gentlemen who appeared to be willing to remove the Prince from his standing as regent slammed hard into his mind, making his whole body tremble violently for a moment as he stood in the hallway, gathering his thoughts. This was of the greatest importance, and Phillip knew he would have to speak to the League just as soon as possible. They would need proof of what the gentlemen were intending – whatever it was – and that would require Phillip to agree to aid them with whatever it was they wanted to do. He would have to work slowly and would have to be careful with everything that he said or did in the hope that justice would soon be meted out to those who were working against the Crown.