Chapter 2

"Now, you know what you're meant to do, don't you?" Lady Phoebe said as she stood at the top of the huge staircase. Maggie checked that her skirts were pristine and no crease was in sight.

"Yes, My Lady," Maggie said, not looking at the young woman as she carried on making sure she looked perfect.

"Then tell me what you're meant to do."

It was not a request. Maggie bit back a sigh and straightened up, dusting herself down.

"I'm to stay out of sight and not say a word if any of the guests come across me. I'm to keep myself busy and not cross your eyesight."

"Not even in an emergency," Lady Phoebe reminded her. "If you do feel the desperate need to speak to me, then you find Mrs Crawford, who will tell my mother, and then she'll tell me. Because I don't want to see your face tonight until I return to retire for the night. And you will be awake for me."

Maggie wanted to ask what happened if the emergency was immediate and there was no time to go through two other people, but she decided against it. She didn't want to carry on this conversation longer than she had to. She simply curtsied.

"Yes, My Lady. I'll endeavour to carry out your requests."

"Good girl. There are times when I think you're not that slow, after all." Lady Phoebe waved her away with a flick of her hand. "Now, off you go. I don't want to see you again tonight."

Maggie stepped aside and moved out of sight as Lady Phoebe swept her way down the stairs to join her parents at the bottom. The ball was in full swing, and so many guests were milling around. Lady Phoebe had waited to make her grand entrance until plenty of people were present so her father could introduce her.

One thing that Maggie could credit the girl for was that she had a lot of confidence.

"I wonder how she's going to cope with tonight," Mrs Crawford said as she appeared at Maggie's side, leaning her arms on the railing to mimic the maid's stance. "She's been getting excited about it; sure that she's going to be the talk of the ball, and everyone is going to love her."

"I've been hearing about that as well," Maggie replied. "I must admire that she's not scared about doing this. I can only imagine how hard it is to be introduced when you're young and have never been in Society like this before."

"Lady Phoebe takes it in her stride; that much is certain."

"What are the chances that it will work out well for her?"

Maggie knew that they shouldn't be so rude about their mistress, especially when there were always servants around who would report back to their employers if someone was speaking ill of them, but she knew that Mrs Crawford was a safe person to talk to. Both had dealt with Lady Phoebe, and the housekeeper understood Maggie's issues all too well. She sympathized with Maggie's situation.

There were times when Maggie felt a little bad being unkind about a nineteen-year-old girl, but then she was reminded about how Lady Phoebe treated her and found that it was only fair. How else was she supposed to get her frustrations out? As long as she didn't say it to the young lady or forgot herself when working, it should be fine.

Shouldn't it?

"I think she's going to be in for a rude awakening. We may not see her get upset in public, but I get the feeling that if it doesn't go well tonight, she will be even ruder to you when she retires for the night."

"Thank you for making me look forward to my evening, Mrs Crawford."

"It's just a fair warning, which I'm sure you don't need from me." Mrs Crawford straightened up and patted Maggie on the shoulder. "We'd better get downstairs. You're to work in the kitchens for the evening. Lady Phoebe made everyone aware that she doesn't want to see you tonight, so that's probably the safest place for you to be."

"Do you know why she's so rude to me?" Maggie asked as she pushed herself off the banister and followed the housekeeper towards the servants' stairs. "I feel like it's fixated on me because I'm working directly with her, but also …"

"She's just a not very nice girl, and her parents pander to her demands. It's as simple as that." Mrs Crawford shrugged. "I know it's not respectful to talk about her like that, but …"

"I won't say a word," Maggie promised, falling into step beside the older woman and smiling at her. "I'll make sure to mind my tongue around Lady Phoebe as well."

"Thank you, Maggie. I know it's not easy, but I do admire your discretion." Mrs Crawford kept the door open for Maggie to go through. "You go on downstairs, and I'll join you shortly. I need to fetch something for the baroness."

"Yes, Mrs Crawford."

Maggie went down the stairs and into the hallway just beyond the library. She would take a few quick turns and go down the stairs to the kitchens. But instead of going that way, she ventured towards the ballroom. She could hear the music and the multiple voices talking and laughing. It sounded like a gay event.

While she didn't care for her mistress, Maggie hoped that Lady Phoebe was enjoying herself. She loved social gatherings with loads of people and music to dance to. She liked to dance and was a good dancer; Maggie had seen her having dance lessons, and she was very light on her feet. If she were lucky, Lady Phoebe would retire for the night and be in such a good mood that she wouldn't be rude towards Maggie.

It was really hard not to lose your temper when someone kept calling you dimwitted and slow when you weren't.

There was a door towards the back of the ballroom that wasn't often used. The baron thought it was unsightly as the door had become slightly warped, and he hadn't cared to replace it, so it was essentially blocked off with a curtain across the doorway.

Maggie could open the door towards her and twitch aside the curtain to look into the room without being seen. It was a risk of being caught by another servant, but at least she would be able to see the ball itself without Lady Phoebe catching sight of her.

And she spied the girl immediately, talking to a gentleman wearing a dove gray jacket. His back was to her, so all Maggie could see was his short, dark hair. He was tall as well, but that was it. She couldn't see his expression, and she couldn't see if Lady Phoebe was keeping his attention. The mean part of Maggie hoped that she didn't, and then she would witness the girl being turned down.

Maggie knew that her thoughts about Lady Phoebe were not good and that she should be more gracious, but she also couldn't stop the resentment from building.

She couldn't dictate how some people treated others, and yet it should be common decency not to mistreat their household staff. It wasn't just Maggie that Lady Phoebe treated horribly, but she was the one in regular contact, so she took the brunt. She couldn't get her head around why she would do it.

Maybe she would grow up and become more mature, and this abuse would stop. Although Maggie wasn't entirely sure if it would happen anytime soon.

She was aware that she should be grateful for her position. Her family had grown up poor and worked really hard for their money. From a very young age, Maggie was instilled with a work ethic to do whatever she could to get the money they needed to survive.

Her brother Ben had expressed so many times that he would love to have a grand life like those in the ton, and there was always a hint of jealousy that he barely contained. Even when he was in the army and taking orders from those more fortunate than him, Maggie's brother expressed how much he hated his position.

Maggie felt a hint of sadness for Ben. He had been hurt badly during battle and had been medically discharged. Now, he walked with a permanent limp and was scarred all over his body. And his hatred of the world, and their life in general, was worse.

At least she could work and do what she could to help her family survive. Maggie would be a fool to turn it down.

It didn't stop her feeling upset that Lady Phoebe treated her badly. Her parents were nice, but they had no control over their daughter and barely kept her in line. If that had happened in Maggie's home, it wouldn't have been tolerated. They didn't tolerate Ben's attitude, either, but Ben was far bigger and stronger than them, so there was only so much her parents could do to stop him from being a pain.

Maggie couldn't imagine causing such distress for her family.

The gentleman Lady Phoebe had been talking to had partly turned around and was now talking to someone who had joined the pair. His profile was clear for Maggie to see, and she took in the strong jawline, the high cheekbones, and the firm-looking nose. He was handsome. Maggie could see why Lady Phoebe had gone to him; she would have done the same if she were a lady of the ton.

As she watched, the gentleman's head turned very slightly towards her, and Maggie dropped the curtain back into place. If he did look, she was going to get caught. Nobody noticed if she was watching from an obscure place unless they were looking right at her, and she didn't want to have her presence pointed out; Lady Phoebe would be furious.

Maggie didn't want to deal with that tonight.

Counting to ten in her head, Maggie reached for the curtain and moved it aside. If she was lucky, Lady Phoebe and the handsome gentleman had moved on, and she would be safe again.

Instead, she saw the gentleman looking directly at her. And from the flash in his eyes, he did not look happy at all.

#

Adam had been sure that someone was watching him, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. From what he could see, the rest of the guests were not paying attention to him until his friend came over to join him and Lady Phoebe Cavendish. Nobody seemed to be looking directly at him.

But he could feel it. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. Someone was observing him, albeit discreetly.

Maybe it was because he was talking to Lady Phoebe, and she was making him uncomfortable. She was beautiful and graceful, but her voice was a little too high, and her personality was a bit too much for him. She was overly pushy and trying too hard. Adam gave her grace because it was her first ball in society, but he didn't think it was his place to point out that she needed to ease off on her intentions as they weren't attractive.

If she got herself perfectly composed and let just a little bit of her personality come out, she would be an ideal catch for whoever was looking for a wife. That wasn't him, but she could be for someone else.

"Are you alright, Adam?" George Fletcher frowned at him as Lady Phoebe turned to talk to someone who had just walked past them. "You look like you've done your cravat up too tight, and it's uncomfortable."

"Not quite." Adam resisted the urge to check his cravat, which now felt like it had got a little tighter. "Do you get the feeling that someone is watching us?"

"No. I think that's just your paranoia coming through." George gave him a nudge. "With everything going on, you're constantly looking over your shoulder. I don't blame you for thinking someone's going to jump out at you from the shadows."

"It's more than paranoia, George." Adam scowled, casting another look around the ballroom, but he couldn't spy anyone watching him. "How would you feel if someone was stealing from you and then vandalizing your property? And it's focused on me."

"Your mother still doesn't know about this? I know you said you didn't want to tell her about any of what's going on."

"No, I haven't. I don't want her to worry."

Also, if Lady Banbury found out that the cufflinks and the signet ring with the family crest on it passed down to Adam by his father had gone missing suddenly, she would be devastated. The cufflinks and ring were family heirlooms, and Adam was supposed to care for them.

He had been, and they had been put in a locked box in his bedchamber. But then they still disappeared. His valet had been dismissed as it had been his responsibility, and he couldn't say where he had been at the time, so that made Adam suspicious. He couldn't have someone he couldn't trust in his household.

It had been four months, and they still hadn't turned up.

"You are going to need to tell her sooner or later," George pointed out. "Otherwise, you're going to end up trying to cover it up until it explodes."

"How do you tell your mother that something that belonged to the family has disappeared, and you don't know where it's gone?"

"Surely she knows that you've dismissed your valet?"

"She knows he's left, but the only people who know the truth are Morrison and me, and Morrison stuck with him the whole time he was collecting his belongings, so he wouldn't have said anything to anyone." Nobody crossed Morrison, the butler when he was angry. Having him around was useful. "If he didn't steal the heirlooms outright, then he knows who did, and more than likely helped them."

George shook his head and took a healthy gulp of his drink.

"She's going to find out about it even if you keep it under wraps. What about the vandalism? You can't keep that hidden forever. You know how some of the maids who are always around your mother and sisters gossip? They're going to know and be upset with you that you didn't say anything."

"You think I'm not aware of that, George?" Adam rubbed the back of his neck, but it didn't stop the discomfort. "It's not easy being a duke and having all these responsibilities, and I'm trying not to hurt Mother any further. Eleanor and Sabrina are too young to know about any of this as well."

"Lady Banbury is not a woman to be trifled with, you know that."

"You might be a close friend, George, but there is a line when it comes to family business."

Immediately, Adam felt bad for saying that. George Fletcher had always been there for him since they were children, and he had not left his side after Adam's father suddenly passed away. Having someone like that around him was a godsend, but for some reason, this was making Adam uncomfortable.

And George would know the reason why. He knew that someone had painted ‘traitor' onto the stable door to Adam's horse. Thankfully, the horse hadn't been disturbed or injured, but the fact that someone had got that close and could have hurt his animal didn't sit well with Adam at all. At least his stable manager had managed to get it off before Eleanor came out for her daily ride; otherwise, there would have been a lot of questions.

Adam knew he couldn't hide it forever but needed to keep it away from them for now. Once he had his answers.

Although he doubted he was going to have any of the answers here at Baron Atterbury's house, there was something about how he was feeling right now that made him wonder if there was. Did someone present know about his past? Were they aware that he had been involved in something that could've brought disrepute to his family?

Adam needed to know.

A movement out of the corner of his eye made him turn his head, and Adam looked around to see a tapestry-like curtain fall back into place. What was going on there? Was there a door behind there, or had someone snuck back there somehow? He stared at it, wondering if he had been seeing things. Had there been a breeze? There was no breeze in this part of the ballroom.

Then the curtain twitched aside again, and Adam saw it. A pair of hazel eyes were looking into the room and staring directly at him.

The eyes widened, and the curtain fell back again. So that was who was spying on him. But who was it?

"Will you excuse me a moment, George?" Adam passed his glass to his friend. "Keep Lady Phoebe entertained if you could? I'm sure you two would get along well."

"I thought she was more interested in you," George replied with a bemused look at him. "Isn't she going to be upset when you disappear?"

"She's talking to someone else. I don't think she's going to notice." Adam nodded at Lady Phoebe, who was still in deep discussion with a young woman close to her age. Whatever they were talking about was far more interesting. "But if she does, it's your turn to talk to her. Use your charm on her, and I'm sure you two will be head over heels in no time."

George rolled his eyes, but Adam didn't wait for a response. He headed towards the curtain and moved it aside. There was a partially open door, as if someone had tried to shut it in a hurry, but it didn't fully close. Pushing at it, Adam went behind the curtain and into a hallway. And the hallway itself was empty.

Adam looked around, trying to figure out which way to go. Whoever had been spying on him had to be close by, but which direction should he go in first? He chose right, heading away from the ballroom and the chattering guests. If someone were watching, they would want to get away and slip back in elsewhere, pretending they had been there the whole time.

It was what he would do himself.

His hunch was correct, as Adam found an outside door that led into the garden slightly ajar. It couldn't have been blown open as there was no wind this evening, and the door was very heavy. Someone had to have left it open. Following his gut instinct, Adam pushed it open and stepped out into the garden.

It was dusk, so while there were a lot of shadows, it was light enough that he could see everything ahead of him. The vast gardens spread out before him, including a maze right in front of him, the entrance edged with a trellis and decorated with various flowers. If someone was out here, they had either got back into the house or were hiding.

A movement just out of sight in the maze's entrance caught Adam's attention, a flash of white. It was either a guest exploring the maze or a couple having a romantic rendezvous …

Or it was whoever was spying on him.

Adam jumped off the terrace and ran, charging towards the maze and under the trellis. Almost immediately, he heard running footsteps, and Adam pricked up his ears. They were close by, and he could hear the rustling of leaves.

He followed them, almost running down a dead end a few times when the running stopped. Adam could also hear panting as if someone was out of breath. He was not going to let them get away. He was going to get his answers.

Turning around a corner, Adam was preparing to run, but then he collided with someone who bumped hard into him. Instinctively, as he lost his footing and began to fall, he wrapped his arms around whoever had run into him. There was a scream, and the pair ended up on the ground. Pain shot through Adam's elbow as it connected with the ground, knocking the air out of him as whoever he had grabbed landed on top of him.

That scream was not a scream that a man would give. And whoever was in his arms was a lot smaller than Adam anticipated.

Once he got his bearings back, Adam focused on the person sprawled across his chest, their face inches from his. Dark hair fell about her shoulders and brushed his cheek, and hazel eyes stared down at him in shock.

He had just grabbed a woman. And now they were in an embrace.

Adam knew he should let her go, apologize, and get up. But the moment he looked into her eyes, he couldn't move. They just kept him frozen.

They were the most mesmerizing thing he had ever seen.