by Lucy Adams
“Things have much improved, I hope.”
Putting a broad smile on his face and a cheeriness in his voice that he did not feel, Matthew greeted Lord Westbrook warmly.
“Much improved indeed,” Lord Westbrook answered with a grin. “Lady Esther is doing very well also, although she is somewhat frustrated that we must return to the estate soon.”
Matthew frowned. “You do not intend to stay for the rest of the Season?”
“She must soon go into her confinement,” Lord Westbrook explained, making Matthew catch his breath, a true smile spreading across his face as his friend beamed with pride. “Although she is not greatly impressed with such a thing, I confess.”
“My hearty congratulations!” Matthew cried, truly happy for Lord Westbrook. “That is wonderful news. Do give Lady Esther my very best wishes. After what she has endured, I think this is exactly what she deserves.” He slapped Lord Westbrook on the shoulder. “What you both deserve.”
“I will,” Lord Westbrook said, thanking him. “I am sorry I cannot stay in London for as long as I had first expected, but there are ongoing concerns that can be dealt with near to my estate.”
“But of course,” Matthew said firmly, not wanting to have Lord Westbrook risk himself for anything of a serious nature, given that he would soon be welcoming a baby into his family. “Please, you need not concern yourself. There are a few matters here in London, yes, but there are plenty of us here who can take them on. Your most important concern at the present must be Lady Esther.” He smiled, and Lord Westbrook let out a slow breath of evident relief, seemingly glad that the League did not require him.
Matthew gestured for Lord Westbrook to continue on through to the drawing room where the rest of the gentlemen were waiting, ready to begin another meeting of The King’s League.
The King’s League was primarily used to protect the Crown – which included both the King himself, ill as he was, and the Prince Regent. Given that there were those who wished to take advantage of the King’s illness and absence from court, the League worked tirelessly to ensure that those who might want to bring harm to England in any way were brought to justice. The French had a good many spies amongst them at present, and those spies could not be permitted to make any headway in their plans. The League did all they could to stop them, whilst maintaining their façade that they were nothing more than gentlemen of the ton.
Matthew had always been glad to be a part of it, feeling as though he was doing something beneficial for his country. When he had first started courting Miss Williams, he had known then that Lord Harrogate would be keeping a careful eye on him, but also that he had an advantage from other gentlemen in that Lord Harrogate knew of his dedication and devotion to his country.
Before Lord Harrogate’s death, Matthew had never really known someone personally whose life had been taken from them due to their involvement in the League. Yes, there had been one or two who had gone from their company and been quietly commended by those in the League left behind, but he had never known them personally. Lord Harrogate’s death had been a shock.
Clearing his throat, Matthew walked into the drawing room and looked all about it, seeing the men sitting in various corners of the room, with some standing and talking to each other in low voices. They all glanced up as he walked further in, evidently expecting him to address them all.
“Thank you all for coming,” Matthew said quietly, sitting down in a chair near to the hearth, which had only a small fire within it. “We have a few things to discuss this evening, as well as some reports on how certain endeavors have gone.” He gestured to Lord Montague and then to Lord Harrison. “And on top of that, I have been told by Lord Templeton that he will soon step back from the League and begin to consider his retirement.” He heard a murmur of surprise go around the room and smiled briefly at Lord Monteforte, who was nodding in understanding, being that he also was drawing close to that age when one might start thinking about quiet nights by the fire and days spent wandering through the grounds of one’s estate with very little else to occupy one’s time.
“The greatest matter which faces us now,” Matthew continued, as silence began to fall across the group again, “is the matter of Lord Harrogate’s death.” Waiting for a moment and fully expecting someone to say something about that, he was surprised when not even a single murmur broke the quiet. “It has been two years, I know,” he continued, aware that every eye was on him. “But given just how much we had to deal with last Season, as well as the difficulties we then faced in finding out anything about the gentlemen Lord Harrogate was dealing with before his death, we have had a good deal set against us. Now, however, the time has come for us to focus on it entirely.” Drawing in a long breath, he lifted his chin and looked at each gentleman in turn. “Some of you have your own assignments already underway. You are not to give them up. Continue on as you have been and do not let anything distract you from them. Those who do not, you will come alongside me and work with me to find out who took Lord Harrogate’s life from him and why. We owe it to him to discover the truth.”
“Hear, hear,” someone said, lifting their glass in a toast. “We will have justice.”
“Indeed,” Matthew stated, as the other gentlemen of the League lifted their glasses in agreement. “We will have the justice Lord Harrogate’s family deserves, one way or another. They will not be allowed to escape the consequences of their actions.”
So saying, he lifted the glass of brandy to his lips and drank deeply, his lips pulling into a thin, grim line. The perpetrators would not be long for this earth, once their identity became known. They had taken the life of a gentleman of the League, and of a friend, and their actions could not be allowed to stand. That, he knew, was in the heart of every gentleman here, and resounded all the more loudly in his own heart.
“And for Daisy,” he whispered, before throwing back the rest of his brandy and swallowing it in one large gulp.
Chapter Three
“Lord Templeton.”
Daisy bobbed a quick curtsy before walking a little further into the room, sitting down in the chair that Lord Templeton gestured towards. He had not said a word to her as yet, his eyes still remaining fixed and calculated as he watched her.
“I am returned to London, as you can see,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I had to call upon you just as soon as I could.”
Lord Templeton arched one eyebrow. “You are not dead and buried, then.”
For a moment, Daisy was stunned to hear such a comment, only to realize that this was the rumor that her mother and sister had informed her about. “No,” she answered, with a small, rueful smile. “I am not dead, as it has been said. In truth, Lord Templeton, I have very little idea where such a whisper has come from, but I have not any particular urgency to prove it otherwise.” She watched him frown, his eyes darting from one side of the room to the other before fixing back on hers again. “I am not come to London in order to re-enter society, Lord Templeton. I am come for one reason only.”
Lord Templeton’s frown remained. “You come to seek out more information about the death of your father,” he said, without hesitation. “And I do not think that you will willingly give up without learning what it is I have discovered.” He lifted one eyebrow and let out a weary sigh, as though her determination was more than a little irritating. “But I must be honest with you, Miss Williams. I have discovered very little indeed, but before you begin to protest, I will state that this is not the end of the matter. A further investigation is already beginning and will bring to light those who were responsible.”
“I want to help.”
Daisy saw the older man stiffen and steeled herself against what she thought would be an immediate refusal, only to see Lord Templeton sigh heavily and rub one hand over his eyes.
“Your resolve is stronger than almost anyone I have ever met,” he told her, with a shake of his head. “I want to refuse you, Miss Williams, but I fear I cannot. It would not be righ
t to keep you from doing what you wish and from helping you with what you seek. After all,” he finished, with a small sigh, “it was your father that was taken from you and the explanations given to you thus far have been severely lacking indeed.”
“I want to help,” Daisy said fervently, finding a small modicum of hope beginning to burn in her soul. Lord Templeton was not about to turn her away, as she had feared. Instead, he seemed to be softening somewhat, seemed to be encouraging her to continue her pursuit of this matter. It was not at all what she had thought would occur, having feared that Lord Templeton would steadfastly refuse to give her any help whatsoever and instead would state that, should they find out anything more, she would be duly informed.
“I will do whatever I can to help,” she said quietly, her fingers lacing together as she looked back at him steadily. “I know that my father was a part of The King’s League, and whilst I know that a woman could not be permitted, I would like to try and help in whatever way I can.”
This, for whatever reason, made Lord Templeton smile. His light blue eyes lit up with evident humor, and his lips curved up gently. Daisy did not know what to make of this, and so she sat quietly, waiting for him to speak. Her heart was beginning to beat furiously, and she forced her fingers to tighten all the more, remaining silent as Lord Templeton continued to smile at her.
“The King’s League has always looked for gentlemen who have a strong resolve, a determined spirit, and a belief in doing what is right,” he said, after some moments. “Those within it are gentlemen who have a strong sense of justice and who are unafraid to face difficult situations. Whilst they are within society, they put their desires and the like to the very back of their minds, choosing to put the safety of their country over their own wishes.” His smile grew just a little. “You are everything one might wish for when it comes to recruiting someone new, Miss Williams.”
Daisy blinked in surprise. “Oh.” She had not expected Lord Templeton to compliment her so, but rather had expected him to turn her away.
“I am getting old,” Lord Templeton continued, with a small sigh. “I have decided that will be the very last thing I am fully involved with in the King’s League. Thereafter, I will still be able to advise and the like, but I shall not become fully involved.” He looked at her again, considering. “I think that I would be willing to consider involving you, Miss Williams, given that this is my last investigation. The other gentlemen of the League might not be particularly impressed with such an idea, which is why we shall not tell anyone of it.”
Daisy blinked in surprise, awash with a sudden warmth. “I see,” she murmured quietly. “And what is it you think I can do?”
Lord Templeton grinned suddenly, his lined face alive with enthusiasm. “There are four gentlemen with whom your father was acquainted,” he said, sitting up a little more in his seat. “He was doing what he could to befriend them, knowing that one was an enemy of the Crown.” His smile began to fade, the light in his eyes dimming. “Perhaps all four were involved in some way.”
“Involved?”
Lord Templeton nodded and cleared his throat gruffly. “We found coded messages being passed from one person to another, speaking of the weakness of English defenses.” He waited until a tea tray had been set before Daisy before continuing, waving his hands about expressively.
“It was one evening, at some soiree or other, that we first discovered these messages. Lord Winchester was hosting the ball, and he is one of the gentlemen within the League, so we had every reason to trust him. However, by chance, both myself and Lord Harrogate – your father, walked into the library to discover a gentleman pulling something out from one of the books within Lord Winchester’s library.”
A wave of shock crashed over Daisy. “Goodness,” she murmured, reaching forward to pour herself some tea. There was only one cup on the tray itself, making her realize that Lord Templeton clearly did not want any. “So what happened next?”
“Lord Harrogate and I had been on our guard that evening,” Lord Templeton continued, making Daisy’s heart swell with both pride and pain over the mention of her father. “We knew that only four gentlemen had left the drawing room at one time or another, which meant–”
“Which meant that only one of those four could have placed the coded message within the library,” Daisy interrupted, making Lord Templeton smile. “I quite understand.”
The gentleman nodded, watching her keenly. “You are correct. Therefore, your father decided that he would further his acquaintance with each of these men, believing that one was not as he seemed.”
A heavy stone fell into Daisy’s stomach. “And you believe that one of these men killed my father, because he discovered the truth of his identity.”
Lord Templeton nodded gravely, no smile on his face now. “That is it entirely, Miss Williams.”
“And you do not know the names of the four men my father was trying to befriend?” she asked, her stomach knotting. “Is that right?”
“No, no, indeed not!” Lord Templeton protested immediately, shifting forward in his chair. “We do know the names of these four men, but the difficulty has been in following their movements, Miss Williams. You see, in the days following your father’s death, it was discovered that the four gentlemen had all decided to leave England’s shores.”
Daisy blinked in surprise, her hands tight on the china cup as she lifted it slowly to her lips, taking a quick sip of tea which spread warmth through her. So this was why no progress had been made in identifying who had taken her father’s life. Each of the four men who might have done such a thing were, in fact, gone from England entirely!
“One decided to undertake the Grand Tour and made his way to the docks almost at once,” Lord Templeton continued, with a shake of his head. “He was young enough for such a thing to have been acceptable, of course, but it was decided upon very swiftly.”
“And the others?” Daisy asked, her heart beginning to quicken all the more. “What of the other three?”
“One left to inspect holdings on the continent somewhere, whilst the other two sailed for America.”
Daisy closed her eyes in frustration, feeling as though whoever had taken her father’s life had managed to escape without any sort of consequence.
“I have heard, however,” Lord Templeton continued, “that two are returning. Viscount Fitzherbert has made arrangements to return from his Grand Tour and will be amongst the ton again within the week, whilst Lord Stevenson has already come back from the continent. His holdings there have taken him almost two years to inspect, but he has returned in time for the Season.”
Daisy’s heart beat all the more quickly as she looked into Lord Templeton’s eyes. “You think I can help discover if either of them have been involved with spying or the like?”
Lord Templeton nodded firmly, his eyes fixing themselves onto hers. “If one of them is the spy and the one responsible for your father’s death, then they will be on their guard. No doubt they will be very careful about those they befriend, which is why I fear that the gentlemen within the League will not make particular progress.” He tipped his head to the left, looking at her steadily. “But you, however…” Trailing off, he left the rest of the words unspoken, making her realize precisely what he wanted. Her breath hitched as she realized what Lord Templeton wanted from her, making her heart pound in her chest.
“You wish me to return to society,” she said slowly, each word like a death knell in her mind. “You want me to pretend that all is well, that I have put my sadness behind me and have, instead, decided to seek out a husband for myself.”
Lord Templeton chuckled. “You need not look so despondent. You will still be keeping to your intentions, Miss Williams, even though you will be doing nothing other than playing a part.”
Daisy considered this, feeling herself recoil from the idea of throwing herself back into society. She did not want to mix with the beau monde, knowing that they would whisper about her the very moment she set f
oot amongst them. Of course, there would be an uproar when it was learned that she was not dead and gone from this world, as they had first suspected, and surely that could not be a good thing?
“You will be playing a part only, Miss Williams,” Lord Templeton repeated gently, making her turn her head back towards him. “You will have nothing other than this goal in mind. Gentlemen and ladies of the ton will think your return to them is because you are determined to find a husband for yourself and the like, but you need not care about what they will think. Your intention will be to draw near to Lord Fitzherbert and Lord Stevenson. They are both eligible bachelors, I believe, and so they will think your attentions to be entirely innocuous.”
It was a good plan, Daisy knew, but still, she felt herself rebel against it. Out of her tumbling thoughts came the sudden vision of Lord Watt, making her shudder violently. If Lord Watt was back in London, as her sister had said, then what would he make of her seeking out these two gentlemen?
It does not matter what he thinks, she told herself sternly. He is your past, that is all. You have a role to play and play it you must, if you wish to find any truths out about your father.
“And if neither have any link to what happened to my father?” she asked, turning her gaze back towards Lord Templeton, who was watching her closely. “What then?”
Lord Templeton gave her a small, half-shrug. “Then there is nothing else for you to concern yourself with, Miss Williams. Those two gentlemen will be freed from our suspicions, and we will know to look to the return of the other two who are, as yet, still in America. Unless, of course, I receive word from the men that were sent there in search of them.”
Again, Daisy nodded slowly, feeling a small sense of satisfaction creep over her soul. This was what she had wanted, was it not? She had longed to be given some role to play, something important to do – and now, this was it. Lord Templeton was offering her that and she could not turn away from it.
