Prologue
“Must you always take this long?”
Titania laughed lightly and whirled around to face her sister. “Come now, Merry!” she exclaimed, her eyes bright. “It is the first ball of the Season, and I must ensure that I look my very best.” She let her gaze brush over Merry’s gown and coiffure, taking in the usual dull color of gown and the unimaginative chignon. “You may not care for such things, my dear sister, but I do.”
“As well I know,” Merry muttered, running one hand over the front of her gown a trifle self-consciously. “I am quite certain that you will look wonderful in whatever gown you choose, Titania. Although you must hurry, for else we shall all be late and you know that Mama will not be pleased.”
At the mention of their mother, Lady Whitehaven, Titania allowed her smile to fade somewhat, her exuberance dampening down. Their mother, widow to the late Marquess of Whitehaven, would not be pleased if Titania was the reason for their late arrival at the first ball of the Season. A small stab of guilt washed over her as she saw Merry’s arched eyebrow and realized that she must be the only one of the sisters not yet prepared.
Not that she was about to let Merry know that she felt such a way.
“You are very kind to compliment me so,” she said, with a grin that stretched wide across her face. “But I must think of what the gentlemen of the beau monde will think when they see me. Would they prefer me in a light green? Or perhaps something softer and more delicate?”
Merry made an impatient noise in the back of her throat.
“The green, I think,” Titania said hastily, turning away from her sister. “For it shall match my eyes.”
“That is wise, since you will find nothing to match your hair,” Merry said stiffly, as the door opened behind them and a maid walked into the room, followed by Catherine, another of one of their sisters.
“Do hurry up, Titania,” Catherine said at once, rolling her eyes as she came to stand by Merry. “As you can see, both myself and Merry are already prepared.”
Titania huffed and sat down in the chair in front of the dressing table, looking at her reflection and wondering if she should add any other small adornments. Catherine, she knew, did not care for her appearance in any way whatsoever, and whilst she looked presentable this evening, she had not gone to any great lengths to improve her appearance. “I must have something else,” she murmured aloud, as the maid began to prepare the gown for Titania to wear. “Something that will truly capture their attention.”
Merry shook her head and let out a long, pained sigh. “You will capture the gentlemen’s attention simply by being present, Titania,” she said firmly. “For I am certain that you will be the only redhaired young lady in London.”
“If not, only one of the few,” Catherine added, as though this would encourage Merry to step away from the mirror. “Come now, Titania. Just step into your gown so that we may depart.”
“Wait!” Titania twisted back in her chair, her eyes alight. “There are those beautiful mother of pearl butterflies in the garden, are there not?”
Her two sisters stared back at her in astonishment, their mouths falling open as they took in what she had said.
“I must fetch them,” Titania said hurriedly, getting to her feet and making her way to the door. “I will not be a moment.”
“You cannot, Titania!” Catherine exclaimed, grasping her arm. “Those butterflies are adornments for the garden only. They are not to be worn as adornments!”
Titania, who had a strong will and was, therefore, quite determined that she should do whatever she pleased, tugged her arm from her sister’s staying hand. “But they will be quite perfect,” she insisted. “And, from what I recall, they somehow tie to the stem of the plant, which means they must be able to fix themselves to my hair in some fashion.”
“There is not time for this nonsense, Titania,” Merry groaned, throwing up her hands in exasperation. “You are not even in your gown as yet and–”
“I do not want to dirty it,” Titania interrupted, grasping a thin dressing gown and throwing it over herself, tying it at the waist. “Now, do stop fussing. I know very well that Dinah and Mama are not yet prepared—else Dinah would be here also.” She caught the way her sisters exchanged a glance and felt a sense of triumph from deep within her. Most likely, Dinah, her cousin, was having to be persuaded to attend the ball by their mother, given that she had no interest in the Season whatsoever and often found a good many things utterly unfavorable. “Just wait for a few minutes longer, and then I shall be quite prepared.” She did not wait to hear her sisters’ protests, quite sure they would be flung around her ears should she hesitate for even a moment and so, instead, she slipped from the room.
* * *
Walking along the hallway towards the staircase, Titania grew a trifle frustrated that she had not thought to bring a candle. The house was fairly gloomy, given that the family was to be out, and as such, she was finding it difficult to walk quickly and with precision. Seeing the drawing room, she stepped inside with the hope of finding a candle within.
The room was well lit, for the family would be meeting there before leaving for the ball, and, with relief, Titania saw a single candlestick on the mantlepiece. Reaching for it, she sighed heavily to herself as she wandered to the window, wondering what was making her heart so heavy. It could not be that it was the beginning of the Season surely, for that knowledge brought great joy with it. Was it because she, out of all of her sisters, found the idea of returning to the Season to be one of excitement and joy? Merry, Catherine, and Dinah, her cousin, did not seem to care particularly much for all that was to occur and certainly did not give it as much of an interest as she.
“They shall have to show an interest soon enough,” Titania muttered to herself. “It is 1815 after all, and they will not have a good many years left until they are thought of as spinsters by the ton.” Unfortunately, Titania realized, this would not be a particularly painful thought to someone such as Merry or even Catherine. They both stated that they did not care for the Season nor for the gentlemen that were within in. This was not something Titania could understand, for why would one not wish to converse, dance, and even be courted by an eligible gentleman?
Her eyes caught something outside in the gloom, her breath catching in her throat as she saw a figure running along the street, only to lash out furiously at another. The cry from the second man seemed to make its way through the window and directly towards her, crying out for help as the first man continued his attack.
Before she kn
ew what she was doing, Titania was outside. Her heart was in her throat as she hurried towards the first man, meaning to shout aloud at him so as to frighten him into ceasing his terrible attack – only for her gaze to catch sight of a blade as it flashed in the moonlight.
Her breath caught and a faint trembling seized her. Whatever was she doing? This was utterly, utterly foolish! She ought not to be out of doors on her own, especially not when a man was now standing across from her, his knife held in front of him as he looked down at the fallen man at his feet.
“You.”
Titania jerked violently, going cold all over as she realized just what had occurred. The man with the knife had obviously spotted her, and now, to her horror, was beginning to advance towards her. A scream lodged in her throat as she stumbled back, aware that she had no weapon, no way to protect herself.
The only thing she could do was to return to the house before he could catch her. She had only taken a few steps once she had reached the bottom of the stone steps but, for whatever reason, the house now seemed to be much further away. Titania turned and attempted to run to the steps, her feet feeling heavy and weighted as she tried to run. The sound of running footsteps behind her made her scream aloud, the sound echoing through the gloom as her heart beat wildly with fear.
“You there!”