“And six for me. It’s settled.” Jarrod lifted the whisky decanter and refilled their glasses. Raising his, he offered a toast to the Free Fellows League before bringing the meeting to a close. “Colin and I will put in appearances at Lady Harralson’s.”
“Fine,” Sussex replied amicably. “And be sure to wear comfortable shoes. The last time I attended one of Lady Harralson’s parties, she had me partner every woman in the place. I thought the dancing would never end.”
Colin grimaced. He liked dancing but he didn’t like being on display or having members of the ton judge him by the cut of his coat and the quality of the fabric. It made him uncomfortable to have strangers openly speculate on the weight of his purse or whether or not he was going to be the final ruination or the salvation of the McElreath family. Colin hated knowing that so many people were privy to the fact that his father was a reckless gambler who owed nearly everyone in London and Edinburgh and paid no heed to how his wife and children endured constant shame, humiliation, and deprivation.
He liked the dancing but the crush of curious spectators and the thought of seeing his hostess filled him with an odd sense of trepidation. But he wasn’t going alone, and he’d rather attend Lady Harralson’s evening of dance than appear at Almack’s, where the scrutiny and speculation was tenfold. Or find himself at Lady Compton’s, where his father often sat down to cards. As far as Colin was concerned, he couldn’t have cut a better card.
“Sussex is attending Lady Compton’s evening, so that means it is knee breeches and buckles for you, Your Grace.” Jarrod nodded toward Griffin. “And diamonds for your duchess.”
>
Griffin arched one eyebrow. “She’s not going to be happy about this.”
Jarrod grinned. Alyssa, Duchess of Avon, hated Almack’s almost as much as they did. “I know. But you’ll need her to help you identify the newest crop of eligible young ladies.”
Griff rolled his eyes at Jarrod’s logic. “If that’s the case,
I’d do better to escort my mother-in-law. Alyssa pays less attention to Debrett’s than any woman I know, and she’d much rather stay home.”
“Persuade her,” Jarrod urged. “Tell her the League will make it worth her while.”
“I’ll make it worth her while,” Griff said. “The League doesn’t have anything Alyssa wants.”
“I don’t know,” Sussex teased. “I seem to remember your duchess inquiring rather pointedly about my mother’s latest hothouse creations...”
“Name your price.” Griff laughed.
Two years earlier, Alyssa had rejected Sussex and his magnificent gardens, and married Griff, not only for love but also in part for the challenge Griffin’s neglected country house, Abernathy Manor, had offered. “Because identifying a bevy of eligible young ladies isn’t the only reason I want my wife by my side.” Griff was under no illusions about his progress since he’d returned home from the battlefield. He still had nightmares, and it was no secret to any of the Free Fellows that Griff had returned from battle on the Peninsula with an intense dislike of large crowds and loud noises. Griff would never appear at Almack’s without his wife, and everyone knew it. Not only because Griff loved his duchess, but also because Alyssa’s presence provided the sense of calm and security he needed in order to complete his mission in Almack’s uncomfortable environment.
“Gratis,” Sussex replied.
“I’m obliged.” Griffin nodded, knowing that Sussex made the offer of a plant for Alyssa, rather than risk insulting him by offering to take his place at Almack’s. He also understood that no matter how much they dreaded darkening Almack’s Assembly Room doors, his friends knew he dreaded it more and would offer to take his place without hesitation. But fair was fair. They had agreed on a cut of the cards, and Griff had no intention of allowing his friends to take on the task he’d drawn.
The Free Fellows weren’t venturing into the ton for purposes of entertainment or to answer their social obligations but as a means to an end to shield Colin. And they all understood that it was as important to note the young ladies missing from tonight’s most fashionable gatherings as it was to note the names of the young ladies who were present.
Because the social engagements to which they were invited were restricted to members of the ton, a Bow Street runner would most likely never gain entrance. At the moment, that slight advantage was the only advantage the Free Fellows had. They intended to make full use of it, appearing at all the evening’s social engagements in the hopes they could identify the young woman in question and locate the impostor before he posed a real threat to the League and the work in which they were engaged.
Chapter Six
“Reputation is an idle and most false imposition’
Oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.”
—William Shakespeare, 1564-1616
Othello
“I don’t know how we’re going to manage, Colin.”
Colin stood beside his mother and sister, watching as she wrung her hands and marveling at the fact that after all these years, his mother could doubt her ability to manage whatever life threw her way.
Colette Hepburn McElreath had been born in France of Scottish expatriate parents. Her grandparents, Malcolm and Marianne Hepburn, had fled to France following the defeat of the Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie, in ‘45. Colette had grown up in France but had been sent back to Edinburgh at the age of eighteen to marry Donald, Earl of McElreath.
The young Earl of McElreath had possessed an ancient birthright, a title, and a respectable fortune when they wed, but over the years, most of it had gone to pay gambling debts. Colette had managed to survive the ordeal of childbirth in order to produce five living children: an heir, two other sons, and two daughters. She had weathered constant worry and hunger and nearly thirty years of marriage to a charming but spendthrift gambler whom she apparently adored.
Colin wished he could feel the same, but the truth was that he felt only duty-bound to love the man who had sired him despite the fact that he had little regard for the weaknesses and lack of character his father often exhibited. But Colin truly loved his mother and held her in the highest esteem. And while it seemed highly improbable that the prospect of paying for a London season could upset her after all she had endured through the years, it had upset her. Terribly. Colette was a much better mother than Donald had been a father, constantly struggling to make life better for her children.
“Don’t worry, Maman.” Reaching down, Colin placed his hand over hers. “I’ll take care of it.”