The following morning, I found myself in the large drawing room of the Harrington Estate, the place where the female members of my family spent most of their free time. Emily was reading in the opposite corner, as far as she could get from Madison and I as we sat working on our embroidery upon the beautifully upholstered loveseat by the window. Our mother was off with the servants, ensuring that the Duke was sufficiently satisfied with his accommodations but she would not be gone long. She had been present in the parlor with us all morning and she would undoubtedly return as soon as matters with her guests were settled. Madison and I would not have much time to speak freely so I decided to take advantage of the relative privacy while I had it. Despite the fact that Emily would be undoubtedly listening in the corner and I could do nothing to keep her from telling our mother anything she might overhear. I could only hope she found none of it interesting enough to report.

"I fear I may have quite embarrassed myself with your friend yesterday," I said. Madison glanced up from her needlework but only momentarily.

"I highly doubt that," she answered, happily. "Besides, he isn't my friend. He is Benthem's."

"Why did he come with you?"

"He and Benthem have become fast friends in Northumberland and you know how Benthem adores boasting about his home. I imagined the Duke heard we were coming for a visit and thought to see the place for himself."

"I imagine he will be sorely disappointed."

Madison chuckled at that and held out the embroidery she had been working on.

"Do you like it?" she asked. "I've been working on straightening out my stitches."

I leaned in to examine the work and cast a smile at my dearest friend before paying her the compliment she sought, "Exquisite."

Madison smiled and settled back into her work.

"How is Benthem?" I asked. "You've been married some months now. Has the novelty worn off?"

Madison kept still but smirked up at me, "Love is not a novelty, Ella. And no, it has not worn off."

"But the honeymoon is over."

"As a matter of speaking," Madison answered and I glanced up to see the playful glint in my companion's eye.

"And what does that mean?"

"Technically speaking, the period of time which society considers to be our honeymoon has elapsed but Benthem has not lost any of his, well, passion," Madison answered, her cheeks tinging pink at the omission. My jaw dropped as Madison fell to giggles. I chuckled along with her after a moment of shock.

"Are we to expect an heir to the Benthem estate within the year, then?" I inquired and Madison only laughed harder at that.

"Would you mind?" Emily snapped suddenly from the other side of the room. Madison gained control over herself as I cast a glance to my ubiquitous sister who was turning the page of her book rather violently.

"Emily-" I started but got no further. There was a knock on the door at that moment and the footman stepped inside. Unfortunately, with him came our mother who pushed past the man into the drawing room as he made his announcement.

"Countess Helena, Lady Emily, Lady Ella, Lady Madison," the footman greeted properly. "A gentleman caller is here-"

Mother squealed with delight, rushing to Emily and pushing her to her feet, poufing her dress as she did. The footman's eyes trailed, rather uncomfortably however, to me.

"For Lady Ella," he finished.

I watched as my mother's shoulders fell and her smile turned to a frown. Then Madison and I slowly rose to our feet to greet the gentleman as the footman moved aside to admit him. I recognized Sir Thomas Abney the moment he entered. I'd spent the previous season avoiding his stares and various attempts at conversation during the balls that I had been forced to attend for my sister's benefit. Now, it seemed, he was not to be ignored.

"Sir Abney!" my mother beamed as the gentleman entered. "I'm afraid it seems the footman has made a mistake. You are here to see Emily, yes?"

Sir Thomas hesitated, holding a bouquet of roses in his hand. His mouth opened and closed as he searched for the words to say. His eyes flicked to me before returning to my mother who still smiled deceitfully back at him. There was nothing which my mother excelled at more than civil trickery.

"Well, actually I-" he tried but he was no match for Countess Helena Harrington.

"I know you wouldn't come to call upon a younger daughter while the elder is yet unwed. Therefore you must be here for our dear Emily," the Countess cooed politely, grabbing her eldest daughter by the shoulders and giving her a nudge forward.

"Ah, er, well, yes," Sir Thomas finally answered, giving one last pained look my way. "Yes, I am."

"Excellent!" the Countess clapped her hands together and turned to us. "Ella, Madison, might you take your needlework to your rooms this afternoon? Sir Thomas, Emily, and I have much to talk about."

As we were bid, Madison and I gathered our things and gave Sir Thomas Abney a curtsey before filing out of the drawing room. Sir Thomas watched me go, a longing expression in his gaze, as I shut the door behind me.

"Well," Madison said when we were safely secured on the other side. "That was uncomfortable. Shall we go and finish then?"

"I quite tire of needlework," I told her. "But you go ahead. I think I'll go and find Elijah."

Madison nodded, taking the materials from my hand and turning to ascend the stairs to the residences above.

I found my brother at the stables, caring for his beloved horse, brushing out her mane. We had stableboys for such tasks but Elijah had always preferred to see to Mercy's needs himself. I approached and lifted myself onto the fence across from him, dangling a leg down from my perch in a very unladylike way.

"What are you doing out here?" Elijah asked after a moment, glancing up at me only briefly before returning to his work.

"A gentleman caller came," I told him.

"Ah."

"For me."

He paused and looked up from what he was doing. When our eyes met, he raised a brow. I only stared back to ensure that he had, in fact, heard me correctly. After a moment, he began brushing the mare again, although much slower this time.

"I see," he replied. "Then I suppose we should both remain out here for as long as we can."

"Do you think the stables might be a good enough place to spend a night?" I joked and he smiled up at me.

"Only if you like hay in your hair and the smell of manure."

"Over mother blaming me for Emily's lack of prospects?"

He chuckled. I smiled back.

"Where is Benthem?" I inquired, realizing just then that I had expected to see him out here with Elijah.

"In town with the Duke," Elijah answered. "His presence has been requested for introduction at the home of nearly every nobleman in town."

"And Benthem had to go with him?" I asked, sourly. "I've hardly seen him at all since he's arrived."

"You have Madison," Elijah reminded me with a smile. "And besides, it's the lifestyle of an eligible Duke. The man cannot go anywhere without women throwing themselves at his feet and men trying to get something out of him. As his friend and his subject, it is Benthem's duty to escort and protect him to the best of his ability."

"Protect him from swooning women?" I asked, raising a brow.

"And selfish men. Besides, you aren't thinking of how this affects you."

"Me?"

"He is our guest, Ella. He's quickly become the most eligible bachelor of the season and he's staying within our own home. That means the responsibility of his presentation will fall to mother and that means-"

"Another ball," I finished with a roll of my eyes as understanding dawned upon me. Elijah smiled.

"Yes, another ball. Here, most likely. Mother has been receiving correspondences practically demanding it all morning ."

I gave a disheartened sigh and slid dramatically from the fence to a heap of satin on the grass below. As Elijah chuckled at my theatrics, I thought of one thing. At least there will be more chocolates.