“Who was that?” Edward asked, though his gaze shifted warily between me and the men beside me.
“I don’t know,” I answered, still shaken. “He left before I could ask for an introduction.”
Lord Chudley stepped forward, scanning the bustle of the street. “How mysterious. I am grateful he chose to be a hero before any of us could move. And he even left behind his handkerchief. If only I had been quicker to offer assistance.” The corners of his mouth lifted. “You are truly fine?”
“I am quite well. Although my book fared not so well.”
Lord Chudley’s grin widened. “No smelling salts for you. Quite spirited, Miss Grenville. Regardless, might I call sometime this week to inquire after your well-being?”
I managed to stammer out something acceptable just as an exasperated huff came from his sister, who pulled on his arm as if to lead him away.
Edward, however, offered no reassurances to the gentlemen.
The fabric clutched in my hand was made of fine linen but with no embroidery to give away its owner’s identity. I stole one last glance toward the spot where the stranger had vanished into the crowd.
“I’m going to have to keep an eye on you,” Edward grumbled. “Lord Chudley called me back to mention a ball at his home. I do believe you will receive an invitation. You’ve made quite an impression on the man.”
I grinned up at him, my heart still racing.
“Do you have an issue with Lord Chudley?” I demanded suddenly.
“What? Eh...” He halted mid-step. “No... yes.” He then shoved a hand through his hair. “It’s complicated, Kit. I know him from our school days. He’s useful for introductions at the club, but he’s not always a gentleman. Trust me, I’ve seen enough of him at White’s.”
“So you are willing to keep his acquaintance but not encourage him to make mine.”
He huffed a laugh. “You deserve only the best.”
I swatted his arm. “Then help me with this dratted Sinclair.”
My brother scowled. “Kit, you can only save yourself in this awful world. You cannot rely on others to do it for you. Do you hear me? Rely only on yourself and tell Grandfatherno. I do it every day just to provoke the old man. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is.”
I dared not inform Edward that he sounded very much like Grandfather at the moment.Rely only on yourself.
“People cannot be trusted,” he added for good measure.
“It would be a shame if we let the ugliness of the world taint us so much that we could no longer value the beauty in front of us. There is some good left in others,” I protested as he started to walk again, and at a greater pace, forcing me to hurry after him. “What about our Freddy?”
The barest tremor rippled across his shoulders. “She is the exception.”
We crossed onto the next street toward the milliner’s, the noise of the city swelling around us.
Only as the shop door closed behind us and Aunt Clarice’s voice rang out in greeting did I remember—rather inconveniently—that I had forgotten to post my letters to Miss Tippens and the palace at Hyderabad.
5:Sebastian
I’m not afraid of failure; I’m afraid of
succeeding at things that don’t matter.
WILLIAM CAREY
I stepped out of the hired carriage and onto the quiet street of Berkeley Square taking in the surroundings, curiosity competing with rising dread. Georgian townhouses with tall, symmetrical facades loomed with dignity that separated Mayfair from the rest of London.
The house before me was no different, and perhaps even grander than its neighbors. The redbrick exterior, complemented by white columns framing the black front door, gave the house an air of restrained elegance. Nothing ostentatious but every bit impressive.
I inhaled deeply, the scent of London smoke mingling with the damp earth. I had only been to this city and this house once before, and even then, just briefly. Years had passed since that fleeting visit. The townhouse before me seemed almost like a distant memory, a remnant of a life that felt both familiar and impossibly far away.
Resolved to banish my nerves at meeting Miss Grenville again, I climbed the steps and rapped the brass door knocker. Within moments,a butler ushered me into a spacious hall and led me to a drawing room decorated in pale yellow hues.
