Perhaps she hadbecome complacent. Usually, a pretty smile and a well-timedcompliment drew most to her side. Lord Stephen, however, had seenright through her artifice, had laughed and taunted her. For amoment, he had been as wicked as Lady Asterd thought she, Sera, tobe. But then, the wickedness had bled from him and his sharpfeatures had become severe once more. And then, unforgivably, hehad abandoned her.
She had gapedafter him, unable to believe he had literally turned on his heelandabandonedher. Around her, people had tittered andwhispered, their expressions gleeful. Lifting her chin, she’darranged a pretty smile on her face and swept from the balcony, asif Lord Stephen acting the boor had always been her plan. Shemaintained her smile and her air as she had collected Maria andElizabeth—people who acted as theyought—and headed for theretiring room. As soon as she’d found them a secluded spot, she’dlet her pretty smile drop. “Lord Stephen Farlisle. What have youdiscovered?”
Maria andElizabeth had exchanged a look. “We were to discover things?” Mariaasked cautiously.
Sera scowled.“What were you evendoing?”
“Iwas talking with Margaret Mayhew about Venice,” Elizabethoffered.
“AndLord Palmer asked me to dance,” Maria said.
Ugh. Useless,the both of them. “We are to convene tomorrow at Tidswell House,”she announced. “We must learn everything there is to know aboutLord Stephen Farlisle.”
They exchangedanother look. “How are we to do that?” Elizabeth asked.
“Idon’t know, however you usually do it,” she said caustically“Tomorrow. Tidswell House. Eleven o’clock.”
And now it wastomorrow at—Sera glanced at the clock on the mantle—a quarter toeleven. For whatever else they were, Elizabeth and Maria werepunctual.
They were alsoexcellent information-gathers, and would no doubt have a wealth ofknowledge on Lord Stephen. She herself did not know much about him,apart from he was a rude boor, and what little she did would mostlikely fit in a small corner of the blackboard that wouldeventuallyreach the blue room: He was the younger brotherof the Earl of Roxwaithe; his family was close with LydiaTorrence’s family; and his younger brother had died yearsago.
She frowned. Sheshould know more. It did not matter he did not often frequent ballsand assemblies of the Ton—she should know everything abouteveryone.
“Lady Elizabeth Harcourt and Miss Maria Spencer,” Higginsannounced.
Jerking herselfto proper posture, she smoothed her hair as Higgins admittedElizabeth and Maria to the blue room. “Thank you, Higgins. And theblackboard?”
“Johnson has been momentarily delayed,” the butlerreplied.
She exhaledimpatiently. “I suppose in the meantime we shall have tea. Let MrsBroadbent know.”
“Yes, my lady.” Bowing, he departed.
Elizabeth andMaria had settled on the chaise opposite her. Elizabeth arrangingher skirts about her while Maria looked at Sera expectantly, herhands clasped in her lap.
“Well?” Sera said. “What have you discovered?”
“Lord Stephen Farlisle is the younger brother of the Earl ofRoxwaithe,” Maria announced.
Sera rolled hereyes. “Everyone knows that.”
“Dothey also know they are estranged?” Maria did not wait for areaction to that before she continued. “They hide it well, ablyassisted by Lord Stephen’s frequent absence from society, but myinformation is they have not spent above ten minutes together forthe better part of a year.”
Sera sat back onthe chaise. Well, that was a surprise. The earl and his brother didindeed hide it well, though now she thought on it, she could notrecall they spoke once at the ball the previous evening. In fact,with this information at hand, it was now clear they activelysought to avoid each other. How very interesting.
“Iheard he ran through his inheritance from his mother before he wasthree and twenty,” Elizabeth added. “And he disappeared for fouryears. There are all sorts of rumours about that time. Some evensay he killed a man.”
Sera scoffed.“That’s outlandish.”
“Itis, isn’t it? And yet, many seem to believe it.”
“Whoon earth do they think he killed?”
“Lord Harbor. You remember him: He was fabulously wealthy. Hisfamily was taken by a fever when he was two and he inheritedeverything. Anyway, he and Lord Stephen were great friendsuntil they both disappeared. Then word came Lord Harbor had died ina carriage accident, and the rumour was Lord Stephen engineered it.Lord Harbor had no heirs and very little of his fortune wasentailed, so it was bequeathed as per the terms of hiswill.”
“AndLord Stephen supposedly murdered him over this?” It sounded allstuff and nonsense to her.
Elizabethnodded. “Apparently it didn’t help he was much changed upon hisreturn. He was a wicked scamp upon his debut to society, he andLord Harbor and their friends pulling prank after prank,indiscriminate flirting, wild wagers and foolishness.”
