“Do you think it iseasyintroducing three daughters into society at once?” Her mother spun to face them, one hand pressed dramatically to her bosom. “The expense alone! The negotiations over dance cards! The criticisms from jealous mamas!”
She looked to the ceiling as if appealing to heaven. “And I am blessed with three beautiful daughters—an embarrassment of riches, if only the world could see it plainly.”
“We are very grateful, Mama,” June said diplomatically.
“Endlessly,” May added with a bright grin.
Their mother was not to be distracted. “A duke! A duke, April! Do you think such men appear every day, like mushrooms after rain?”
“No, Mama,” April said, sinking onto the bed.
“Precisely,” Dorothy said, jabbing a finger at her for emphasis. “A good match for you lifts May and June as well. Doors will open for them. Invitations will flood in.”
“But Mama,” April said carefully, “should I not marry for?—”
“Affection is all well and good,” her mother interrupted briskly. “But affection can grow. Respect, duty—those are the foundations of a lasting marriage.”
May, attempting to lighten the mood, tossed a pillow at April. “Besides, he is terribly handsome. You shall not suffer overly.”
June giggled. “Imagine the diamonds you shall wear once you are a duchess.”
April caught the pillow and hugged it to her chest.I want to choose him. Not be pushed into it. Not swept along like a leaf in the current.
Dorothy clapped her hands. “I shall speak with your brother first thing tomorrow?—”
“No!” April said, a touch too sharply, startling everyone.
Her mother’s brows lifted.
April softened her tone immediately. “Let us not rush matters, Mama. It would be… unseemly.”
Dorothy pursed her lips but, after a moment, nodded. “You are quite right. And dukes—well, they are peculiar creatures. Easily startled, like wild stallions.”
“Mama!” May and June chorused, laughing.
Dorothy allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. “Nevertheless, you must act wisely, April. Opportunities such as this do not come twice.”
She swept from the room, her departure as dramatic as her entrance.
The door clicked shut.
April sat back against the pillows, her heart heavy.
If Mama speaks to August… if she presses him… he will tell her everything, and I will have no choice at all.
She stared at the wax-sealed letter resting on her desk, her chest tightening with a strange, aching sense of urgency.
I must uncover the truth about the Duke. Quickly. Before I am swept into a future I did not truly choose.
Six
Theodore Roth sat motionless atop his black stallion. His hat brim shadowed his face, leaving only the glint of his eyes visible under the faint flicker of a gaslamp.
Across the narrow street, a weathered townhouse stood silent and waiting. Theo’s gloved hand tightened imperceptibly on the reins. Tonight would be different.
The door creaked open, and a hunched figure slipped out, clutching a bulging sack against his chest. The man glanced furtively up and down the street before stepping into the mist.
Theo shifted slightly, signaling with two fingers. The Bow Street Runners, hidden in the deeper shadows, moved into position.
