Sebastian Gray, the Earl of Somerset, tapped his fingers impatiently against the arm of his chair. He had been summoned to the home office by his uncle, the Duke of Wharton, and no one ignored a command from the duke. Not even his favorite nephew… Bas had been doing his uncle’s bidding for as long as he could remember. Wharton had been more of a father to him than his own had been. Not that the former earl had been alive long enough to be a father to begin with. Bas’s father had been a wastrel and died how he lived…with a bottle of good whiskey and a whore by his side. No one really knew what happened, but that didn’t make him any less dead.
Bas’s mother had been devastated. Not because there was any true love between her and the dead earl, but because of the scandal that had followed. She couldn’t take all the loud whispers and sly glances in her direction. A fortnight after Bas’s father’s death, his mother fled the country. She went on an extended tour of the continent, and never returned. Bas had been left in the Duke of Wharton’s care and he didn’t spare his mother a second thought. She hadn’t done so for him, so why should he bother with her?
“Hello, Bas,” his uncle greeted him. The Duke of Wharton sat behind his large oak desk and leaned back in his chair. “You look well.” His uncle’s hair was dark and streaked with gray at the sides. His blue eyes were cold, but they warmed up when he was truly happy—a rare occurrence, but it happened at times.
“I am,” he agreed. This was not necessarily an unusual start to their conversation, but there was something odd in the duke’s expression. “You wished to see me.”
“I did,” the duke replied, but didn’t immediately elaborate.
Bas started to fidget in his seat. What was going on in that diabolical mind of the duke’s? He had a feeling when the duke finally spoke, he wouldn’t like one word of it. Still, Bas knew from experience he couldn’t rush the duke into speaking. He would explain everything in his own way, and in his own time. Nothing would or could make the duke do anything he didn’t wish to. “I need you to do me a favor.”
Somehow, he held in the groan that had formed at the back of his throat. His uncle’s idea of a favor always turned out terribly for Bas. The last favor had Bas acting the fool in polite society, so anyone and everyone believed him a complete ninny. He lifted a brow. “What exactly is this favor?”
“It’s more than one, actually.” The duke frowned. “Seraphina and Agatha have been invited to a house party.”
His cousin, Seraphina, was popular in the ton. She was the daughter of a duke and had a dowry that fortune hunters drooled over. That made his uncle extra protective of her. Agatha was Wharton’s ward. He’d taken her in when her father, Baron Cartwright, had died. Agatha had been two, and an orphan since her mother died at her birth. Much like Bas, Agatha had never truly known either of her parents.
Bas sighed. “Please tell me you don’t wish for me to attend with them.”
The duke just stared at him. His heart flipped and his stomach plummeted. Bas did not wish to attend any house party. They were never fun for him. “It’s more than that. Yes, I do need you to escort them.” He ran his hand through his dark hair. “But only because it will be a good cover for what I really need.”
And it only got worse… “You need me to continue to act the fool.”
There was only one reason his uncle ever wanted him to attend a social function. Bas was his inside man. Because they all thought him an unintelligent addle pate, they said things in front of him they would never do otherwise. It made him the duke’s perfect spy. He couldn’t wait until the day he could no longer pretend to be oblivious.
“I do.” He leaned forward. “There is a smuggler ring that operates near the coast of Wales, in the area of St. Davids. The town is many miles from the Seabury Castle where the house party is located, and it is situated along a cove that is perfect for a smuggling ring.”
“What makes you think the smugglers work near this castle?” His uncle always had excellent information and if he thought there were smugglers, there would be smugglers, but Bas had to have all the details if he was to be the spy the duke needed.
“I have someone working near the town. He will make contact with you once you arrive, but I need solid proof if we are going to make any moves. This involves, or possibly does, a member of the aristocracy. I can’t do anything unless there is irrefutable proof.”
Bas cursed under his breath. This got worse and worse… A member of the aristocracy could make his life miserable. In fact, he probably should count on it. Still, he couldn’t say no. “When do we leave?”
His uncle smiled and stood. He walked over to his decanter of brandy and poured two glasses, then handed one to Bas. “At dawn,” he told him, then sipped his brandy. “Seraphina and Agatha are already preparing for the journey. Have your trunk delivered to Wharton house and stay in your old room. It will make leaving easier in the morning.”
As usual, the duke was right. He hated losing even a small amount of his independence, though. Bas had yet to set up residence at Somerset Manor or his own townhouse in London. He’d chosen to take a bachelor apartment since he was rarely in town. His uncle kept sending him off on missions of some sort. “I’ll do this on one condition.” He had to set down some sort of rules or his uncle would keep having him do his spying. “That after this, I am free. I’m tired and I want to start being the earl and restore my family name.”
The duke waved his hand. “That’s not necessary and you know it. One day you’ll have my title and it is all the prestige you’ll need.”
Bas just stared at him. “That is a long way off, and I want to be my own man. I’m done being a fool for you.”
His uncle smiled. “All right. How about we make a compromise, then?”
He didn’t want to compromise, but perhaps he should hear what his uncle had to say. “What’s your offer?”
“When you marry, I’ll stop asking you to spy for me,” he said, then grinned. As if this was something he thought Bas would never agree to. His uncle was wrong. He’d gladly find a wife if it allowed him a different kind of freedom. “Until then, you will work for me as I need it.”
“All right,” Bas agreed, then downed the contents of his glass. He let the burn from the brandy fill his throat and he felt good after. This was exactly what he needed. “I can agree with that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go pack. I have a house party to prepare for.”
Bas didn’t give his uncle a chance to reply. He stood and left the duke’s office and didn’t look back once.
Bas sat up on the bed and groaned. He hadn’t been able to sleep much the night before. This trip to the remote area of Wales was not something he looked forward to. It was going to be so much worse with Seraphina and Agatha along. Seraphina more than Agatha… He loved his younger cousin, but she was a shrew at times. Especially when she didn’t get her way. Her red hair was the only outer indication of her fiery nature. Agatha was far more demure and steady. She didn’t make noise and was too obedient. She should be a little more like Seraphina, but she couldn’t seem to be less strict with her demeanor. Perhaps this house party would help her relax a little. Bas hoped so anyway.
He dressed quickly and went down to the dining room. Cook would have risen early enough to make them a hearty meal before their excursion, and if Bas knew Cook, he expected a basket of food for the journey as well. He adored Mrs. Harrow and had often visited with her in the kitchen as a boy. She made the best biscuits and tarts. He hoped she packed several of those in the basket of food. In fact, Mrs. Harrow’s treats were the only ones he ever enjoyed. Any others didn’t compare and he never liked eating them.
When he entered the dining room, he found Agatha already seated at the table. She was nibbling on a piece of toast. There was tea on the table, but she had no other food on her plate. “You need to eat more than toast,” he told her. “It’s going to be a long and tedious journey.”
She frowned. Her dark hair was pulled up into a simple chignon and her green eyes held no humor in them. “I cannot eat anything heavy in the morning. When I do I get ill.”
He did recall that she hadn’t seemed to have much on her plate for the morning meal in the past. How had he forgotten that? They would need a basket of food from Mrs. Harrow more than ever now. Seraphina might skip breakfast as well. Though her reasons would not be the same as Agatha’s. Seraphina tended to worry she would gain too much weight and often skipped meals to keep her figure trim. Instead of addressing Agatha’s lack of food, Bas asked, “Are you excited about this house party?”
“Are you?” she quipped.
He grinned. “Well, at least we can depend upon each other for entertainment.”
Agatha wrinkled her nose. “Are you going to act like you don’t have a thought inside your brain while we are there?”
He sighed, then nodded. “I promised the duke I would.”
“I wish he would let you stop doing that.” She lifted her tea and sipped it. “I find it rather annoying to go along with your charade. I hate lies.”
He couldn’t blame her for that outlook. “I’m not particularly fond of them myself.” Bas sat at the table and not long after, a footman brought out a plate of food for him. His plate was full of eggs, kippers, and sausage. He lifted the teapot and filled his cup. “But hopefully I won’t have to pretend for much longer. This trip may be the last time.”
“The last time for what?” Seraphina asked as she entered the dining room. She sat next to Agatha with a flourish. Trust Seraphina to make an entrance even when there was only family around. Her bright red hair was pinned up in a far more elaborate style than Agatha’s. There were so many braids and twists Bas didn’t even want to begin figuring out how her maid had wound it all together.
“Bas has to pretend to be addle pated again,” Agatha said, then took a bite of her toast.
Seraphina turned her attention to him. “That’s unfortunate for you. I don’t understand how you can act like a ninny so often. Anyone with a brain has to see there is intelligence in your eyes.”
“You only say that because you have known me your entire life.” Bas shrugged. “Besides the individuals that matter know the truth.” His closest friends understood what he did for the duke. When he was in school, he struggled with his education. It took him longer to learn how to read because he kept mixing up the letters. The other boys had made fun of him and his reputation as being unintelligent had grown from there. Caleb, the Duke of Riverdale, and Roarke, the Marquess of Huntington, had helped him overcome his difficulties. They had shared a room with him at Eton when he’d attended. When it was time for him to continue his education, Bas had hired tutors instead of going to Oxford. The embarrassment had been too much for him, and he could learn at a slower pace with tutors. He still had an excellent education. His uncle had ensured it.
“Still,” Seraphina began. “How are you to find a wife when they all think you are empty-headed?” She shook her head. “You’re going to end up with a simpleton for a bride.”
Bas hoped not, but at least he’d be free from his obligations to the duke if he had a wife. “I’ll worry about that when I start searching for a wife. I won’t be doing anything of the sort during this house party.” He grinned. “Are you husband hunting?”
Seraphina shrugged. “I’m not certain what I expect from this house party. If I find a husband, then I’ll be free to enjoy the season this spring. If I don’t, then I’ll still enjoy it. I’m in no rush to tie myself down.”
Bas nodded. “A wise decision.” He turned toward Agatha. “What do you want from this house party?”
She met his gaze. “To be left alone. I have no desire to marry anyone. I’ll most likely look for a position as a governess or a lady’s companion. I don’t want a family or a man to depend on for my fortune.”
Agatha had a plan, at least. Though Bas suspected her view had more to do with her orphan status than she would ever admit. A family meant obligations and the possibility of loss. Agatha had lost far too much already in her life. Bas understood her reluctance to let anyone in and risk losing them, too.
“Well,” he began. “Either way, we’re going to be together through it all.” Bas pushed his plate away. “I’ll meet you two in the carriage.” With those words, he left Seraphina and Agatha to their meal. He’d lost his appetite and wished he could find a way to avoid the upcoming house party. Something told him that this trip, this party, would change his life forever, and he wasn’t certain how he felt about that possibility.