“What is with those Neverhartts and their penchant for nearly drowning…” Fox mumbled the words as he ran his fingers through his black hair. Ezra hoped he didn’t actually expect him to respond to that. Fox had mentioned something before about one of the younger girls swimming, or maybe Teddy had…he couldn’t recall. “I think I need a drink.”
“You always need a drink,” Ezra said. “Why don’t you wait for Sheffield too arrive, and we can all have one together. I expect he’ll be around soon.”
“Did I hear my name?” the Earl of Sheffield said as he entered the room. “And yes, Fox, pour me a drink. It’s been a bloody long day already.” The earl’s golden blond hair was disheveled, and Ezra couldn’t recall him ever not being completely put together. His cravat was loose around his neck, his waistcoat unbuttoned, and his jacket looked…torn.
“What the blazes happened to you?” Ezra asked, concerned for his friend.
“Some ruffian thought it would be fun to try to pummel me to death.” Fox handed a glass of brandy to him. “He learned a hard lesson today. Not all of the gentry are soft marks.”
“You need to stay away from the rough rookeries,” Fox said. “Then maybe they wouldn’t target you.”
“Wasn’t in a rookery,” Sheffield said, then downed the brandy. “Walked out of my rooms, and they jumped me on my way here.” He waved his hand. “I handled it.” He turned his attention to Ezra. “What is it that you need me to do? Does someone else need to feel my fists hit their face?”
Ezra grinned. Trust Sheffield to go straight to the heart of the matter. “Not yet,” he told his friend. “But soon I might let you do that.”
“Is that so?” Sheffield smirked. “What is this about?”
“It’s about a lady” Fox supplied. “Which brings me to my other questions…” He took a sip of his brandy and sat down in the chair in front of Ezra’s desk. “Why isn’t Graystone here and why do you care what your uncle did to Lady…” He frowned and sat forward, suddenly concerned where he hadn’t been previously. “Which of Graystone’s sisters-in-law did you say your uncle pushed into the Serpentine?”
“I didn’t say,” Ezra told him. “Does it matter which one it was?” That was an intriguing reaction form Fox. Perhaps he was protesting too much about his feelings for Lady Christiana.
“No, I guess it doesn’t,” Fox said casually, but Ezra didn’t believe him.
“As the twins are at finishing school there is only one sister in town. Tonight is her comeout ball.” Ezra tapped his fingers on the desk. “Lady Theodora was attacked by my uncle yesterday. He attempted to kill her by pushing her into the Serpentine. She cannot swim and would have died if I had not been there to save her.”
He paused briefly. “She was too distraught to explain any of it to me yesterday. At the first reasonable opportunity, I’ll speak to her again to see if she recalls anything or knows why Lord Eaton would have wanted to hurt her. To answer your questions, Fox…Graystone is unaware of what my uncle has done, and since this concerns my uncle, I intend to decide how to rectify the problem. After I speak to Lady Theodora, I’ll inform Graystone of everything.”
“So we are going to a ball tonight,” Sheffield said with resignation.
“I am going to need more than one glass of brandy if I have to attend a ball.” Fox said as he stood. “I might need the whole decanter.”
Ezra grinned. “I am glad I can depend on the two of you. Now please, sit as I explain what I’ll need the two of you to do while we are at the ball. Fox you need to distract Graystone’s wife. I can’t have her interrupting me as I meet with her sister in private.” He turned to Sheffield. “You’ll take Graystone aside and tell him the little we know. After I speak with Lady Theodora, I’ll come find you two and fill in the rest.”
Fox handed Ezra a glass of brandy and returned to his seat. Sheffield sat in the other chair in the room. They worked through everything, and at the end of their discussion, Ezra felt better about it all. Now he had to remain patient until later that evening. He could not wait until he had Teddy in his arms again. Maybe he would kiss her the way he’d been dreaming about, too…
Chapter 8
Teddy sat at her vanity as Billie’s maid, Ella, dressed her hair. She had most of her golden blonde hair pulled up, but a few curls were curved around her face and neck. was currently weaving a silk bandeau adorned with tiny seed pearls and diamonds through her hair at the top of her head, almost like a tiara for a princess. Teddy had never much cared for fashion or pretty things, but with the gown the modiste had created, and the style Ella had created with her hair…she almost felt like royalty.
“There,” Ella said. “Your hair is finished. Now I can help you into that gorgeous gown.”
“It’s almost too pretty to wear,” Teddy said. It was a light blue silk with a lace overlay. Tiny gems were sewn throughout the skirt, giving it a shimmer in the light.
“Come now,” Ella gestured for her to follow her. Teddy stood and went over to her side. Ella lifted the dress and held it out so Teddy could step into it. She lifted it up around Teddy and smoothed the skirt down. Teddy slipped her arms into the sleeves, then Ella started fastening all the tiny buttons in the back of the dress. After she was finished, Ella said, “One final step and you’re ready to make your entrance. Go sit and I’ll get the slippers that match.” Teddy sat at her vanity again and waited for Ella to bring her shoes. Ella retrieved them then went
