Lady Evelyn,
I wish to see you again soon. I hope to find you soon enough.
Leo, The Marquess of Shrewsbury
Evie read the words over and over, wondering how it had appeared there, but wondering in equal measure why. Even if it were from the marquess, why would he want to see her again? She considered it being to ask her more questions, but she was quite sure that she had answered everything that she could, and surely he did not want to see her for any other reason? She was a maid, after all, and nothing more.
She was not like Imogen, who was at the breakfast table with an incredibly sour look on her face, as if she had bitten into a lemon rather than an orange.
“The marquess could not stand me,” she said with a sigh. “What did I do wrong, Mama?”
“You did nothing wrong at all, dearest. The marquess seemed to have a lot to do, however, with that sudden exit and all.”
“Yes, and I have to say that it was rather unrefined. The least he could have done was to bid us good night.”
“Then why are his actions bothering you so?” Evie asked.
“Excuse me?” Imogen thundered.
“All I mean to ask is, if he is unrefined and disrespectful, why do you care about him so much? There were many gentlemen present last night. Why are you so interested in this one?”
“How do you know how many gentlemen were there last night?” Her aunt asked, and she felt her cheeks flame.
“I—Well, it is an assumption,” she explained. “Am I not correct?”
“You may be, but that does not take away from the fact that you are speaking out of turn. Refrain from doing so.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Now, Imogen, were there any other gentlemen that caught your eye?”
“Well,” Imogen said slowly, clearly needing to think carefully, “there was the Baron of Shropshire…”
“A baron is not good enough for you,” her uncle said at last, having been silent all morning. “We have certain expectations for you. You know this.”
“Of course, but the marquess did not seem all too interested. He was certainly the most handsome there, however, even if I could not see a lot of his face.”
“The marquess will show an interest when he hears of your dowry. Any gentleman would. Now, if he is who you want, then we shall find a way to secure him.”
Judging by her cousin’s face, Evie could quite clearly tell that Imogen was not certain of such a thing at all.
What she noticed more, however, was the sudden ache in her chest. They were speaking of Lord Shrewsbury as if he were some dog that Imogen had asked for, not a gentleman she wished to marry.
“Imogen?” Aunt Josephine asked. “You do wish to marry him, do you not?”
“Of course, Mama. If the two of you believe that he is a good match for me, then that is what I shall do.”
It had never made sense to Evie. They had always given their daughter exactly what she wanted, and any other child would have grown up with it as an expectation, but Imogen almost sounded defeated. She was willing to do what was necessary to make them happy, and Evie wondered if, were her parents alive, she would have been the same way.
“Very well.” Aunt Josephine nodded. “Now, back to the other issue at hand. Evie, how did you know about our guests yesterday? You should not have been there.”
Evie felt heat rushing through her. She had hoped that Imogen’s uncertainty might have drawn attention away from her, but it had not happened that way. Her aunt’s eyes burned into hers, and she did not know what to say.
“I could only assume, ma’am,” she replied quickly. “I knew that the ball was to be held in Imogen’s honor, and so it made sense that the two of you would have invited the most eligible bachelors in London. Pardon my misspeaking.”
“Very well.” She nodded, though her eyes were still narrowed at her. “Run along. We are finished with our meals, and there is plenty for you to do elsewhere while the family has a conversation.”
Evie nodded and left, for once not feeling the sting that she so often did at the word family. It was better for her to leave; she would not incriminate herself if she was not there to be able to do so. Besides, she thought, there was someone that she needed to speak with, and at least this person was within the household.
“Francesca!” she squeaked as she found her in the kitchens.
“Ah, if it isn’t the belle of the ball!” She smiled, handing her a biscuit. “You simply must tell me everything about last night.”
“It was frightening. I thought that I would be discovered at every turn, and so it was quite difficult to relax.”
“That is no surprise, but it cannot have ruined the evening entirely. Did you meet anyone?”
“No.” She sighed. “Nobody at all.”
But she could see how her friend was looking at her as if she did not believe a word.
“Is that so?” she asked. “Well, in that case, you couldn’t have been the Lady Evelyn that was being searched for.”
Evie froze.
“You saw the note?”
“I held the note.” Francesca laughed. “A gentleman handed it to me. He seemed quite hasty, determined to leave, I thought, but he insisted that I find a way to give it to you. It was quite the surprise.”
“It was an even greater surprise to receive it. I do not understand why he—never mind. It is not as though it matters.”
“What do you mean? You had clearly impressed a gentleman greatly.”
“Yes, when he thought that I was Lady Evelyn.”
“It certainly was not the most inspired name, I must say. It is so close to your name that one might think you want to be found.”
“That is not the case at all, I simply had to think quickly, and it was the first name that came to mind.”
“That upsets me greatly. I would have thought that you would have my name come to you first, given how important I am to you.”
“And you are not to doubt that, but I think of you when I am happy. I do not tend to think of you when I am frightened.”
“Very well. Now, as you know that you cannot keep this from me, you might as well be completely honest. Who sent you the note?”
“It does not matter.”
“It does! Who is it?”
“It is the Marquess of Shrewsbury. His name is Leo, or so he says.”
“Wonderful! What did he want?”
“He wishes to see me. I believe it is about a young lady he is searching for, not that I am of any help there.”
“But if he wants your help, you could form a friendship with him at the very least! A connection as powerful as a marquess can only be a good thing.”
“It appears that I shall have a connection to him in another way soon enough, regardless.” Evie sighed. “Not that he will ever know that, of course.”
“What do you mean?”
“My aunt and uncle wish to marry Imogen off to him.”
“And what does he think about that?”
“He does not know, although given their behavior yesterday, it would not at all surprise me if he had considered that they would try to make the match happen.”
“And how did he seem to feel?”
“He seemed rather unimpressed by her, but it is as they said. She has a sizable dowry, almost twice that of any other young lady of her standing. Any gentleman would have to admit that it is tempting, and it is not as though Imogen is unfortunate-looking.”
“No, it is what is inside her that is unfortunate. Regardless, you mustn’t lose hope!”
“Of what?” Evie sighed. “I cannot enjoy these flights of fancy as you do. He is a marquess, and I am a servant girl living here because my aunt and uncle are charitable. My cousin is a talented young lady with a pretty face. There is no competition.”
“And yet,” Francesca smirked, “he did not write to Imogen. He wrote to you. Who is to say that he would not wish to marry you?”
“I would say that, and if you were not my friend, you would agree. I am a penniless servant with no dowry. Who could possibly lower themselves enough to marry a girl like that?”
“That has never made any sense to me,” Francesca whispered.
“What do you mean?”
Francesca remained quiet for a moment, looking at the floor. She did that when in thought, and Evie usually found it quite endearing, but in that moment, she simply wished to know what her friend was thinking.
“Francesca?” Evie asked.
“How are you penniless? Your father was not destitute. In fact, you were raised very well and were extremely fortunate. It does not make any sense.”
“His debts, remember? My aunt and uncle have already explained that to me, and I have already told you. He had been affording such a lifestyle because he was in a great deal of debt.”
“Even so, it is strange that he left you with nothing.”
“That is what happens when one values their vices more than their children, I suppose. Perhaps if I were an heir, he might have taken better care of what he had. Alas, I was merely a daughter and would never inherit anything, thus it was no concern of his what became of me.”
“Do you truly believe that?”
“I have no choice but to. I am simply fortunate that my uncle did not cast me out when he inherited the earldom and that he was able to fix everything so quickly. They may not be perfect as far as an aunt and uncle, but they have truly done so much for me that they did not need to do.”
“I suppose.” Francesca sighed. “But it is still odd that they treat you this way. You are their niece. I am not saying that they have a duty to care for you as if you were their daughter, but a servant? It is not right.”
“How else am I to repay my father’s debts? It is important for me to do so, so that I can have a clear mind, and if being a servant enables me to do that, then it is no issue to me. It is simply the right thing to do.”
“And how long do you suppose that it will take?”
“I do not know. My uncle says that he is doing me a favor by not adding interest, but that even with his kindness it will take a long time.”
“It is not a favor. You are family.”
“As far as they are concerned, we are not. I am simply an orphan girl that they pitied enough to help, nothing more. It may seem cruel, but when I think about what my father has done to them it makes me think differently. If I were them, I might have felt the same way.”
“What are the two of you doing?” Francesca’s mother asked, appearing in the doorway. “There is much to be done today.”
“There is much to be done every day, Mother.” Francesca laughed. “I was asking Evie about her evening, and I am sure that you were planning to do the same thing during the day.”
“I may or may not have,” she said with a smile. “But that would have been when neither of us had work to do. Come along now, the both of you.”
“Evie met a marquess last night!”
At that, she paused in the doorway.
“A marquess?” she asked. “Well, that changes everything.”
“We have work to do,” Evie squeaked. “It is as you say, we must do what is expected of us if we are to continue working here.”
“Evie, I took a pay cut when your aunt and uncle came here simply so that I could stay with you. Believe me, I shall not let anything jeopardize my position here with you.”
Evie couldn’t help but smile. It was true; Rose had always adored her and treated her as if she were her daughter. In any case, she had felt like Rose was her family far more than she had ever considered her real aunt to be. It had been that way for as long as she could remember, even before she had lost her father.
“Tell her!” Francesca hissed. “You simply must.”
“There was a marquess in attendance last night, and he has passed along a message that he wishes to see me again. There is nothing more to it, for he is inevitably to marry Imogen, and in any case it is not as though I would ever want him to be anything more than an acquaintance. I shall aid him in his efforts to find a girl, but nothing more.”
“Why are you thinking about him in any other way?”
“Because your daughter has insisted on it!” Evie laughed.
“That…may or may not be the truth.” Francesca giggled. “But I have no choice but to! Could you imagine it, Mama? Evie could marry a marquess, do you not agree? She is from a good family, the daughter of an earl, and she is more than capable of making such a match. That is without considering how well-liked she was when she was out in society.”
“She will not listen to reason. She believes that I, a maid, could find a husband of that status. It does not seem to make sense to her that I am a lowly servant girl now.”
“And it does not make sense to you that you could be much more.” Francesca sighed. “At least tell me that you will consider it, Evie. That is all I truly want you to do.”
“And if I do that, you shall leave the matter be?”
“She will,” Rose replied, nudging her daughter. “But I must agree with her. You have to try.”
“Very well.” Evie sighed. “And when nothing comes of it, I shall at least find comfort in the fact that my aunt will not invite me to my cousin’s wedding. I would much rather spend such a day with you anyway.”
“Then the matter is settled.” Rose smiled. “Now, Francesca, you will be in the kitchens with me, and Evie, you shall be in the gardens. We really must be going now, else the countess will…”
All three ladies laughed sadly. They knew exactly what the countess would do.
Each time Leo had to house his unruly brother, he was reminded why he did not indulge.
He had been awake for three hours, had eaten breakfast, and had completed his work for the day. He knew that he would be otherwise occupied that day, and so he wanted to have everything ready for that.
Dylan, on the other hand, had thundered down the stairs as Leo was leaving. His hair was unkempt, and he was ghostly pale, as if hideously unwell.
“I do not have time this morning, Brother,” Leo said, not pausing to speak with him.
“Leo, I fear that I am dying,” he groaned.
“You so often do. You know, the first few times you claimed this, it had an effect on me. The hundredth time, however, the words seem to lose their meaning.”
“So you are going to leave me behind? I could have something terrible happen.”
“Should that be the case, there are plenty of people here to care for you. I have responsibilities, and as much as you wish you were, you are not one of them.”
“Then why am I here? You could have just as easily taken me to my own lodgings, but you instead brought me to yours.”
“Because at least then I could have control over you, so that you did not have any outbursts in the middle of the city. It would not have been the first time.”
Dylan grumbled at him, and normally Leo would lose his composure but that morning he could not. He had a mission, and it did not involve wasting time giving his brother a lecture that he would not listen to.
“I shall be home later,” he said calmly. “If you are here, then you are welcome. If not, then I shall see you another time.”
He did not give Dylan any time to respond, leaving the household immediately and boarding his carriage.
The night before, he had been distracted. It was only when he had arrived home that he realized, but his mind had been elsewhere all evening. He was supposed to be investigating the disappearance of a girl but had instead stumbled upon a beautiful maid and allowed himself to forget his purpose. Not only that, but his brother had caused so much trouble that he had had to leave altogether.
Perhaps that was why he had little interest in nursing him that morning; he was furious with him.
Regardless, he could not allow his brother to ruin anything once again. He would see the young lady again, and this time he would find out everything that he wished to know. It had to be that way.
Yet, when he saw her entering a chicken coop, he faltered almost instantly. He had been speaking to her all evening whilst she wore a mask, but she was even more beautiful without it. Then again, he couldn’t help but feel as though she was familiar. It was a strange feeling, and so he pushed it aside. He had a task to complete, and come hell or high water that was precisely what he was going to do.
It was a miracle that she did not scream as he entered behind her.
“You!” she hissed. “What are you—Why are you—”
“I had to see you,” he said as calmly as he could muster. “Now, if you do not mind, I would rather you lower your voice. I would hate for you to be in trouble.”
“Then you should have considered that before frightening me like that!”
“Ah, yes. My apologies for that. Regardless, I wanted to speak with you.”
“I know. I saw your letter. I was wondering how you would plan such a thing, my lord, but then again, I should have considered the fact that you know where I live.”
“You make it sound as though I am deranged.”
“You must admit that your behavior is rather…well, not deranged, so to speak, but you know what I mean.”
“To some, yes I can see why it is unorthodox, but it was the dying wish of my father that I found the girl, and I had a lot to think about last night, and now I must know a few things.”
She sighed at him, but there was a faint smile playing on her lips.
“You are not going to leave me be until you have asked me everything, are you?”
“No, and I cannot promise you that I will go even then, but it would be a start.”
She paused, sitting back. She looked up at him expectantly, and suddenly, he forgot every single thing he wished to ask her. She was beautiful, and it began to make sense as to why she was hidden away.
Then again…
“The earl and the countess,” he began, “they do not talk about you.”
“I cannot imagine that they do. Why would they?”
“Allow me to rephrase that. Do you recall how I asked you last night if there were any other young ladies here? You told me that there was the daughter of the hosts and two servant girls. The earl and countess only told me of their daughter. They did not tell me about the servants.”
“Why would they? They need only tell you about their daughter, which they are hoping to marry off, rather than two useless maids.”
“Perhaps, but I was very specific with my wording. As were they. They were hiding your existence, and it makes little sense to me. They should have had no reason to keep you a secret.”
The young lady fell silent, chewing her lip. She averted her gaze from him, and suddenly, he found himself missing it a good deal.
“If I tell you,” she said carefully, “it shall stay between the two of us, will it not?”
“Yes, of course.”
“They likely did not dare mention my name because they are ashamed of me.”
“Why on earth would that be the case? Are you a ruined woman?”
“Of course not!” she snapped before taking a breath. “No, it was my father. He died recently, and he had amassed a good deal of debt, leaving it for my uncle to manage when he became the earl.”
“The earl,” he said slowly, “is your uncle? And your father is the late earl?”
“Yes,” she replied softly. “Please forgive me.”
Leo’s mind raced. He wanted to ask her so many things, but one prevailed above all else: why was she asking him for forgiveness?
“You have given me no reason to be angry with you. Why are you apologizing?”
“Because you might now think that I have duped you. I know that you were searching for a girl who lived here once before, and I knew that the girl you were describing was…was me, but I lied to you. I wanted you to leave the matter be, but now I am realizing that it was because I was frightened.”
“You are frightened of your own family? Then again, I cannot say that I am surprised. They treat you like a slave.”
“They must! If they are to manage my father’s debts, then they must do what they can. I understand their plight, and I do not begrudge them having to do what they must.”
“And they must?”
“He gambled, my lord.”
Leo eyed her carefully. If she were truly the late earl’s daughter, then something was very wrong indeed. To his recollection, her father had never had such a problem. If it were the case, his father would have known about it and made him aware beforehand. As he did not know a thing about it, it could not have been true.
But he could not tell her that. There was no way for him to prove to her that he knew it to be the case without revealing his true identity, and he wished to keep it hidden from her for a while longer. It was already precarious enough that her aunt and uncle thought him to be an eligible marquess, but if word were to spread that he was an eligible duke, it was all too likely that he would be forced to the altar with the earl’s pistol against his back.
He could not risk that.
“And what of Lady Imogen? I assume that makes her your cousin?”
“She is, indeed, not that I have ever seen it that way. Nor does she, to my knowledge.”
“Whyever not?”
“It is simply not how it has been for the two of us. When she arrived with my aunt and uncle, it was made clear to me that she was a very special young lady, and that I was to stay away lest I corrupt her.”
“I do not think you could be capable of corruption.”
“Nor did I, and a part of me had hoped that my cousin might rebel, but she did not. She has always been eager to please her parents, you see, and so she did as she was told and kept her distance. I also think that she simply cannot stand me, though I have never quite understood why.”
“It is likely because you are a pretty young lady, and to my recollection, you were talented and well-liked when your father was alive.”
“How do you know that?”
“I have my ways.”
He did not dare tell her that he knew because he was a duke and that their fathers had been the best of friends, and that they had known each other themselves years ago, not that she seemed to remember any of it. Perhaps he was simply not that important to her. He shook his head, trying to focus on the matter at hand.
“So,” she said nervously, laughing slightly. “I suppose you want nothing more to do with me.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Well, the mystery is over, isn’t it? The strange young lady you found has turned out to be no more than a maid. Once the daughter of an earl, but now a maid and nothing more. It is not exactly the most exciting thing that a young lady can be.”
“On the contrary, I think you are fascinating,” he said gently. “I have never met someone so content with their lot, even if they have been so unfortunate.”
“I suppose that I simply do not see it that way. I have friends here, and I am able to do things for myself rather than sit and simper. It is a gift to know that when I go to bed each night, I can sleep well, knowing that I achieved something each day. Not very many ladies are able to say that, you know.”
“This is precisely what I mean. Any other lady in your position would simply yearn for the life they once knew.”
“I do not think you know ladies as well as you might think.” She laughed softly. “In any case, you may wish to stay but I cannot let you. I have far too much to do today, and thanks to my spritely activities last night I have begun my work far too late and now I have even less time than usual.”
“Then I must see you again,” he said quickly. “We must speak more.”
“My lord, I have work to do.”
“And I have ambitions to fulfill. One of those is seeing you, and so I must do so. If I were to make it possible, would you like to accompany me to Somerset House? It is filled with art, and you would adore it.”
“My aunt would never let me.”
“Unlike you, I do not care what your aunt will and will not allow you to do. I will find a way, and when I do, you will come with me, yes?”
She rolled her eyes at him, and he wondered how her aunt had managed to instill such fear into her when even he could not intimidate her. He was tall and broad and muscular, yet she was as happy to argue with him as she would have been a lady of her standing. It was admirable, he had to admit.
“Very well.” She sighed. “If you insist, my lord, then yes. I will accompany you once you find a way to make it possible.”
“Wonderful.” He grinned, turning to leave the coop.
“Wait!” she exclaimed as he began to leave. “Before you leave…”
“Yes?”
He turned back, hoping that she would confess something, anything, but instead, when he looked at her, she was almost glaring at him.
“How did you know that I love art?”
He cursed himself instantly. He had remembered her love of art from when they were children, and it had frankly been wishful thinking that she still had that same passion, but he could not reveal that to her. Not yet, at least.
“It was a good guess.” He shrugged. “Ladies tend to enjoy art, do they not?”
“My lord, do you know ladies or not?”
“I do not,” he smirked. “But I am very fortunate in that you are quite easy to understand. As I was correct, and you do enjoy art, I am rather excited to show you it all.”
“If I am able to attend with you.”
“Yes, if you are able to attend with me. Might you be able to bring that young lady out here?”
“My cousin?”
“Heavens no. No, the one I handed my note to last night.”
“Francesca?” she asked. “I suppose I can try. Stay here, and do not do anything to bring attention to yourself.”
“Very well.”
She disappeared, and the wait felt as though it was never going to end. He knew exactly how to get her to meet him, if she dared. It was a risk, and the biggest ask he could make of her; if she were caught, it could destroy her life, and yet he knew that it would work. It had to work, and if it did not then he would find a way to help her.
No matter what, he wanted to show her something outside of the life she had grown accustomed to.
“Oh! Hello, my lord.”
Leo turned to see the same young lady from the night before.
“This is Francesca.” The young lady smiled, turning to her friend. “The marquess would like to speak with you.”
“Is it about the note?”
“No, it is something else,” he explained. “You see, I have been thinking, and I have formed a plan, but I need you to aid me in it.”
“Is it for Evie?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will do it. No questions asked.”
Leo was quite taken aback by the girl’s instant willingness, but he did not need to think on that. She wanted to help, and that was all that mattered.
“Wonderful.” He smiled. “Now, I shall need you to lie to the countess.”