“I believe,” said Mel, “that the street will be crawling with Bow Street Runners and constables from the other Magistrates’ Courts. Someone took a shot at a marquess’s heir, and others of the marquess’s sons have been harassed on their way here. Nobody is going to want any harm to come to any of you on their patch. Nor is Farnham going to want his men caught and blabbing if the officers of the law are behind every brick, bush, and chimney pot.”
“That makes sense,” Clara said. “But also, Moriarty Protection’s men have been efficient so far. We shall take their advice. First, though, we have a stack of invitations to consider. I have ordered tea…” she looked toward the door as it opened to let in a procession of maids and footmen. “And here it is. Please be seated, brothers and sisters—I include you as a sister, Melody, for you are as close as a sister to Thomasina and Winifred.” She cast a sly look at Allan, but she was out in her thinking. Mel had no expectation of anything except heartbreak at the end of their affair. She was not marchioness material. Allan would have to marry one of his own kind.Enjoy it while it lasts and don’t fret about the future.
The maids and footmen brought in all the paraphernalia for tea making, a couple of coffee pots, another two chocolate pots, and trays full of sandwiches, savories, and sweet cakes. A feast, in fact, though with sixteen of them in the room, they would probably devour much of it.
Once everyone had a plate of edibles and the beverage of their choice, Clara began. “Verity, Parthena, Winifred, and I have sorted these into three piles. I must say it was much easier than it would have been in the Season, when there are scores—perhaps even hundreds, if one counts the lesser entertainments—of possible invitations every day. Even if one only considers those from the top 500 families, it can be hard to choose.”
“Some people remain in London all year round,” said Winifred. “Some leave only in the worst of the heat. And some return for a few weeks over Christmas and the new year, so there are always a few events worth attending.”
Verity pointed to the left-most of the three piles on the table. “We discarded those events with small numbers and those unlikely to attract guests whose opinions might matter to the marquess or those he still respects.”
Parthena touched the smallest of the three piles—the one on the right. “These are the invitations most suited to our purpose.”
“I suggest we discuss those first, and decide who is going to attend,” Clara said. “Then we can go through the middle pile and use them to fill in available time.”
“No fewer than three couples at any event, with their bodyguards,” Allan decreed. He looked at Mel, and though he kept his lips from smiling, his eyes danced. “I suppose you would like me to say, ‘I suggest’ and ‘please’.”
“Melody doesn’t do that,” Winifred observed. “She has a habit of handing down decrees.”
Thomasina chuckled. “It comes of being the oldest,” she said. “She grew up bossing Harmony and myself around, and it stuck.”
Allan took Mel’s hand. “We have insubordination in the ranks, fellow commander,” he said. “We two shall need to stick together.”
“If we could focus on the matter at hand,” Clara reminded them, “we might be able to complete our responses to the invitations before it is time for our promenade in Hyde Park.”
