Prologue

W hen the Vale twins, Leona and Lawrence, called their first ever family meeting, their prime worry was Julius, their eldest brother, who, they reasoned, had no need to retire from life so completely. Reviving the estate and committing to charities were important, but surely there should be more to his life than this? He was not an old man! So, as a beginning, they needed their siblings’ help to get him to attend the Blackhaven ball. They won that argument without much difficulty, for they all thought the world of Julius.

It was Leona who said to her twin later on that evening, “Delilah agreed too easily.”

Delilah was their eldest sister, a little too sharp of mind and tongue and entirely formidable when she wished to be. She was also the nearest thing they had known to a mother, and they loved her to bits.

“Did she?” Lawrence raised one thoughtful eyebrow. “Perhaps she wants to go the ball. After all, she often attended such parties with Papa. Though I’m not sure the Blackhaven assembly rooms compare with embassy balls in the capitals of the world.” He frowned. “You don’t think she’ll wriggle out of it, do you?”

Leona shook her head. “No. She wants to go for her own reasons.”

“Well, as long as she does go, it suits our purposes. And it would be excellent if she met some kind and dashing man there.”

“It would, but is it likely she would do anything about it? She has been telling us for years that she’s happily on the shelf.”

“Well, she is thirty,” Lawrence pointed out.

“Why does that matter for a woman and not for a man? Julius is six and thirty, and we all agree he should have some romance and fun in his life. Why should Delilah not?”

“No reason except she doesn’t seem to want it,” Lawrence replied. He thought about it. “She is as beautiful as Felicia in her own way.”

“And as clever. Yet she gets no chance to be herself, to shine as herself.”

“That is true,” Lawrence agreed. “Everything was for Papa or for us. She can be quite intimidating, though.”

“So can Julius. And Roderick.”

“Less expected in a woman.”

“Hmm. Perhaps. It’s her protection, though, in case people look down their noses at her for being illegitimate.”

“No one looks down their noses at us .”

“They will,” Leona said ruefully. “So far, we put it off by telling everyone about us first. Nobody regards us as grown up. Delilah is, and she deserves respect and appreciation with her happiness.”

“Then maybe she will find all of those at the ball. Or at least open the way to finding them. It will be an excellent beginning for the family.”

“Agreed,” said Leona. She grinned. “And it will be more fun for us.”