Eleven

Hunter

Losing our fourth when Lady Gwendolyn departed, the game no longer held appeal for me. I turned my attention to the host's daughter, Miss Davina Halverson and her cousin, Lady Julia Greene. They both appeared to be well acquainted with Lady Gwendolyn, and maybe with a few minutes of casual conversation, they might offer some insight to the maddening woman.

"Lady Julia? Miss Davina? How long have you known Lady Gwendolyn?"

Lady Julia peered at me curiously with bright blue eyes and, by the way she hesitated, I could tell she struggled to weigh the consequences of being impolite to a peer and being loyal to her friend. "She and I have been friends for seven years. Long before our come out. We attended school together."

"And where did you receive your education?"

"Minerva House."

She glanced at Miss Davina with what appeared to be a plea for help.

I continued as if I didn't notice. "I'm astounded she has any close friends, to be honest," I said, specifically with the intent to elicit a reaction.

Lady Julia reeled back. Her expression bordered on anger. "Then you are quite unacquainted with her." I smiled at the force in which she continued, "She is one of the most warm and caring women I've ever known."

Gwendolyn's dear friend had hardly said more than two sentences to me the entire night and now appeared resolute on lecturing me. This brought an even wider smile to my face. I should not enjoy provoking people quite so much. "How can a warm and caring woman earn the title Ice Princess in society?" The question seemed valid.

"Perhaps, my lord…" She glared at me. "You should reserve your judgements and endeavor to ascertain on your own."

"Interesting you might say that." I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my chin.

"Why, pray tell?" Her curiosity seemed to extinguish her ire.

"This is what I have ascertained…" I leaned forward. "She is the pinnacle of propriety, perfect in her comportment. She's an admirable dancer, though I couldn't claim to know that from personal experience. She enjoys games but has yet to truly reveal any customary sign of enjoyment… like a smile or a laugh. And, for the life of me, I cannot discover a single flaw. Tell me this list of my observations of her is in error."

Lady Julia appeared both frustrated and tempted over my request.

She stood up and brushed the wrinkles from her skirts. "I can only assure you, my lord, what you see is not the genuine Gwendolyn. If you truly desire to know, try harder." She curtsied stiffly. "That is, if you have the courage to see past society's blindness. Excuse me."

Lady Julia left the table, leaving only Miss Davina and myself. She glanced at me sympathetically. "Forgive my cousin, Lord Devon." Her gaze flitted over to the woman as she entered a conversation with another guest. "Julia is tremendously protective of Lady Gwendolyn. They are more like sisters."

I thought about my own friends and what I would do to defend them and their reputations and promptly felt remorseful for inciting the woman. "Please convey my apologies to Lady Julia," I said with a smiled. "I have overstepped. I know a great deal about the value of friendship."

She returned my smile. As I stood and bowed my gratitude for the invitation, she called for me again. "Lord Devon." Then she peered over to her cousin and back as if she was about to reveal a great secret. "Lady Gwendolyn is an exceptional artist. That's a fitting place to begin."

I nodded my thanks, then approached her parents to convey my sincere appreciation for a pleasant evening. Though acquainted with most of the attendees, my closest friends were not present, so I had few to bid goodnight.

As I stepped into the foyer to retrieve my hat and coat, I ruminated over Miss Davina's addendum to my knowledge of the puzzling woman. Most accomplished women of the ton dabbled in some form of artistry, be it languages, needlepoint, music, or drawing, so it didn't entirely surprise me. But it was her usage of the word "exceptional" that caught my ear—an adjective not easily afforded.

A footman approached me. "Pardon me, sir, but I was informed you may have dropped this." He held out a small brown package tied with a familiar red bow in his hands.

I studied the box. "I don't recall dropping anything of the sort." Then I remembered where I had seen the ribbon. "How did you receive this?"

"A woman claims to have found it and asked me to return it to you."

The right side of my lips ticked upward. "A remarkably beautiful woman with dark brown hair and green eyes?"

He looked down when he answered as if he was not allowed to remark on such observations. "Yes, sir."

"Well then," I chuckled. "I suppose I did drop it." I accepted the box and slipped it into my coat pocket, retrieving it only once I had settled myself on the bench of my coach. This could very well be a bottle of arsenic based on the way Gwendolyn frowned at me all night, but my curiosity overpowered possible death and I unraveled the ribbon… the same ribbon that hung around the neck of the dratted feline I sent to her house.

When I lifted the lid, I snorted in laughter before I read the note. The modest wooden box split into two parts with thin steel bars guarding one end and a paper label glued to its side. In bold ink, the words Perpetual Mouse Traps emerged. I reached my finger and thumb through the space where one of the bars had been deliberately removed and retrieved a folded note.

Dear Lord Devon,

One might think this mouse is bound to be caged… but do beware, you have never faced this type of mouse before. Defeat is inevitable. Consider yourself forewarned.

G

I grinned from ear to ear. This gift revealed a side to Lady Gwendolyn that had remained quite elusive until now, but the idea of urging this spirited side of her personality to reach the surface intrigued me far more than I believe she intended.