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It was a large, rectangular town garden, planted with seoravel path led from the meall to the back of the house, where no doubt there would be separate servant and arden

Saot to his feet and raveled walk for fear of the sound As he approached the house, he saw that the servant’s entrance was partly belowground; there was a ith steps leading down to the door Above was a kind of balcony or terrace with a low, ornaht flickered behind the French doors Salass doors The man within had not bothered to draw the curtains, and he was as well lit as if he stood on a stage

Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, half sat, half lay on a great red velvet wing chair One long leg draped over the chair’s arreat book on his lap A large buckle shoe lay overturned beside the chair; the foot on the swinging leg was clad only in a stocking

Sa the fact that thewatched froht Company of the 28th Where the other fored in the six years since he’d seen the and thin, with deep lines bracketing a wide e nose He wasn’t a handsome man, and yet his face was impossible to dislike The eyes drooped at the corners, rather like a hunting dog’s, appearing always slightly sad, even when he was in good cheer The rest of Vale looked like he’d never outgrown the lankiness of adolescence His are as if he still waited for his lie as Sam As Sae in his book; then he picked up a crystal glass with ruby liquid and sipped froood officer, though not as co as Reynaud He’d been too relaxed to bother instilling respect in the one to with their probleuments Vale was as likely to dice with the common soldiers as dine with the officers He’d always been in a good mood, always ready to tell a joke or play a prank on his fellow officers It’d made him a favorite of the troops He wasn’t the type of iment

And yet if Sam’s infor the paper within Someone had alerted the French and their Wyandot Indian allies, told them exactly where the 28th would be Soiment of his fellow soldiers at Spinner’s Falls That possibility had driven Saland He had to find the truth Find if there was a reason for so o And when he found the man responsible, maybe then he could reclaim his soul, reclaim the life he’d lost at Spinner’s Falls

Was Vale the right man? The viscount had been in debt to Clemht bravely, gallantly, at Spinner’s Falls Could such a brave officer et rid of one man? Wouldn’t he be marked? Wouldn’t he bear the scars of his depravity on his face? Or would he, six years later, be sitting contentedly in his library reading a book?

Saht he’d known six years ago would never have done such a thing But he’d only been with the 28th for a little over a month Maybe he’d never really known Vale His instinct was to confront Vale, here and now, but he would get no answers that way Better to approach hiht the services of Lady E his way back through the dark garden What would Lady E for her help? She still grieved for her brother, but would she want to upset her social standing to accuse a peer? He griain

Soht that Lady Emeline would not be happy with the course he’d set

"No! No! No!" E

Rebecca froze, her foot half lifted, her expression terrified They were in E to teach the Airl a few of the newer dance steps Tante Cristelle assisted at the harpsichord, which had been especially carried into the room by two burly footleam, and mirrors lined one entire wall Rebecca, with her raised foot and terrified expression, was reflected countlessly in the mirrors Emeline took a deep breath and tried toon a smile

Rebecca didn’t look reassured

Ehed "You must move easily Gracefully Not like aa" She searched for a phrase that would not involve the word elephant

"Drunken sailor" Samuel Hartley’s voice echoed in her ballroom He sounded amused

Rebecca lowered her foot with a thulared at her brother "Thank you very ed and strolled into the room He was neatly turned out in brown and black, but the bruise on his chin was turning yellowy-green, and he had dark circles beneath his eyes

E the colonial fro you needed, Mr Hartley?"

"Indeed," he replied "I find I have an urgent need to co lesson"

Rebecca harrumphed at his words, but a shy smile crept over her lips She was obviously pleased at her brother’s attention

Emeline was not Merely the presence of the man in her ballroom disrupted her concentration "We are very busy here, Mr Hartley There are only two days re before Rebecca’s first ball"

"Ah" He boith ironic precision "I understand the gravity of the situation"

"Do you?"

"Ahe noise Both Emeline and Mr Hartley turned to stare at her "The child and I need a short rest froarden, perhaps? Coant conversations when strolling in so boring a garden" She held out her hand to Rebecca

"Oh, thank you, ma’am," Rebecca replied weakly as she followed the older lady

E, as her aunt and Rebecca walked to the door and exited the room; then she whirled on Mr Hartley "You’ve interrupted thishere?"

He raised his eyebrows and stepped so close, his breath brushed her cheek "Why do you care?"

"Care?" She opened her ain "It isn’t that I care; it’s simply--"