“Of course you do, of course you do,” he said, firmly. “Everyone knows that a gentleman ought to secure the opinions of others before he decides on a wife! Else, he might be caught up in only the lady’s beauty and miss the viper tongue that is so plain for others to see!” He chuckled at this but Sebastian only winced, fully aware that everything Lord Chesterfield said was true but still finding himself quite reluctant to agree.
“As I have said, I have no desire to secure a wife at present,” he said, but it was to no avail. Lord Chesterfield, appearing now to be in very high spirits, slammed down his hand of cards, showing the rest of the gentlemen that he had won and, chuckling, slapped Sebastian hard on the back.
“Capital!” he boomed, grinning broadly at Sebastian, who was struggling to show any sign of contentment back in return. “You will be at Lord and Lady Whitehaven’s ball this evening, I presume?” Seeing Sebastian’s feeble nod, he laughed and clapped Sebastian hard on the back again. “Then I look forward to seeing you then, so that we might begin this momentous task!” With a chuckle, he rose from the table and moved away, leaving Sebastian sitting, somewhat stupefied, with the other gentlemen.
“I cannot quite believe he won,” he heard someone say, finding himself blinking rapidly at what had just been decided. “That gentleman is always rather lucky, I must say.”
“Indeed,” he heard another gentleman remark. “And with those shipments, I cannot quite……”
Sebastian pulled himself out of his own thoughts and listened hard, trying to overhear what else was being said, only for the two men to wander too far away. Shipments?
He was alert at once, his mind turning over what had just been said. It was not as though there was anything untoward about Lord Chesterfield having shipments and the like arriving at the docks, for many gentlemen did such things but for Sebastian, it was a piece of information that he would now have to pass on, knowing that it might soon prove to be very useful indeed. There had been someone in London smuggling spies from other countries into England but as yet, no-one had caught them. Could it be Lord Chesterfield?
Do not be so ridiculous. Frowning, Sebastian stood up and straightened, telling himself that it was time to return home to prepare for this evening’s ball. And yet, another part of him wanted to go to the other two gentlemen who had been talking to see if he could find out anything more. Battling between his two different desires, Sebastian let out a long, steadying breath and tried to think clearly. He would see Lord Chesterfield again this evening, which meant there was certainly no need for him to hurry after him now and try to wring out some information from him about these supposed shipments. And besides which, he told himself, sternly, he was being overly cautious. Such a remark probably meant very little indeed.
With a long breath, Sebastian set his shoulders and walked to his host, taking his leave but thanking the gentleman for a very pleasant afternoon. Feeling rather glad that he had decided to return to his own townhouse on foot rather than taking his carriage, Sebastian set out along the pavement, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and finding that his mind became a little more settled as he walked.
Being a part of The King’s League meant that he was, of course, constantly on his guard. He had been a part of the group for some three years now, but last Season, he had found himself embroiled in a particularly difficult situation which, whilst resolved, had left its mark upon the group. One of the gentlemen involved in trying to decipher the truth of the situation had lost his life, and some others had been gravely injured. He had not sustained anything particularly terrible, but to know that a friend of his had died at the hand of their quarry had been galling. He had found it difficult to return to the League, not because he was afraid for his own safety but rather because he was so torn with sorrow whenever he realized that there was one of them absent, never to return.
You still have responsibilities. Do not let his death be in vain
It was words he had spoken to himself many times before but Sebastian knew that he still needed to remind himself of such things. Being in The King’s League brought danger with it, no matter where one was or what one did, but it was a risk that each gentleman accepted when they joined. To keep the country and the King and Prince Regent safe from enemies who crept in, hidden in shadow and falsehoods, was one of the greatest privileges Sebastian had ever known, and he was not about to turn away from it now.
Consider things carefully, Sebastian. He had to take his time and not hurry towards conclusions that did not make sense. Just because the League had found out from a captured enemy that there was someone smuggling others such as he into the country did not mean that Lord Chesterton was involved! He was being much too eager, much too hasty in his thinking. After last Season, Sebastian knew he was desperate to bring any new investigations to a swift conclusion, so as to avoid all danger and to minimize the chances of someone else’s life to be brought to a sudden end. It was a strange, unsettling feeling and he certainly did not much like it.
“Lord— Lord Millerton?”
He stopped at once, lifting his head up and looking into the face of a young lady. A young lady whose light green eyes, auburn hair and gentle smile sent his heart into a hurried hammering, which did not slow down even as he bowed.
“Good afternoon, Lady Callander,” he said, with a small,
tight smile that he hoped did not betray his astonishment at seeing her. “You have returned to London for the Season?”
Lady Callander had been with Sebastian last Season, when they had both helped the League discover the truth to a deep and disturbing mystery that had caught them both up within it. He had found her to be wise, determined, and loyal but given all that had occurred and all that he had felt afterwards, he had not continued to keep up his acquaintance with her. In fact, he could recall taking his leave of her, feeling almost numb as he walked from the room. He did not know how she herself had felt over his departure, nor how she had managed to deal with all that had occurred with her friend, but to see her now, she seemed entirely unchanged.
“I have,” Lady Callander replied, with a small smile catching one side of her mouth as she looked up at him, her eyes holding his and reminding him of just how he had admired her last Season. “And you?”
“I have returned also,” he said, feeling rather foolish as he said something that was so very apparent. He cleared his throat, not wanting there to be any sort of silence between them. “And just how long have you been in London?”
She lifted one shoulder. “A fortnight or so,” she answered, although she did not smile and indeed, he noticed her eyes drifting away from his face. “I have not seen Lady Franks yet, of course, even though I hear she has returned to London.”
Knowing that she was referring to her friend, who had married Lord Franks a little less than a year ago, Sebastian nodded his head, finding it quite difficult to speak to the lady, even though they had shared so much together the previous Season. “I am sure you will see her soon,” he said, with a tight smile. “Do you have plans for this evening?”
Lady Callander’s eyes returned to his in a moment, a flicker of hope in her eyes. “I will attend Lord Whitehaven’s ball this evening.”
“As will I,” he said, surprised when he felt himself rather reluctant to speak to her again, perhaps upset by this strange and stilted awkwardness between them. “Perhaps we shall be able to speak a little longer then.”
“Yes,” Lady Callander said, sounding a little more eager than he had expected. “In fact, Lord Millerton, I had wondered if……” She trailed off, her brow furrowing and her gaze dropping to the ground. Her lips caught her teeth as she bit her lip, now appearing rather puzzled.
Sebastian looked at her steadily, feeling a flicker of interest in his mind. “Yes, Lady Callander?”
She looked up at him again, giving herself a small shake. “No, it does not matter,” she said, as though speaking to herself. “There is nothing that need concern you, Lord Millerton,” she said, clearly now deciding to keep what she had thought to say to herself. “This evening, then.”
He bowed, touching his hat. “Yes, until this evening, Lady Callander,” he said, refusing to give in to the desire to speak to her about what it was she had been about to say and quenching his curiosity. Taking his leave of her, Sebastian let out a long breath he had not known he had been holding. With another deep breath, he continued walking along the streets of London, pushing aside all thoughts of Lady Callander and trying desperately not to think of what had occurred the last time he had seen her. The last thing he needed was to be reminded of that! Mayhap this evening, he would find a way to keep out of her way, until his mind and heart began to settle instead of returning repeatedly to the events of last Season. With a grimace, Sebastian shook his head to himself, lifting one hand to rub across his eyes as if he could erase the memory of meeting Lady Callander from his mind.
Perhaps this evening would not be as joyful an evening as he had expected. What with Lord Chesterfield and his determination to have Sebastian’s thoughts on each and every young lady that he danced with, as well as Lady Callander’s expectation that he would seek her out for another conversation, Sebastian felt his heart sink towards his toes, his eager expectation for this evening beginning to fade away already. Perhaps returning to London had been a mistake.
Chapter Three