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Chapter One

London England, 1816

As far as ideas went, Lady Tricia Riley knew this was a poor one Absolutely dreadful was likely the better way to describe what she was doing as she picked her way along the dank alley of London’s seedy underbelly known as the docklands

But it had been days since she’d seen her cousin, Lord Fenton Allstar, the Earl of Dryden, and her search was growing more desperate She’d visited all the more respectable establishments and had found her cousin at none

She’d finally taken to shadowing his old school chu first attempted it at Whites and then Almacks

They removed their toppers, scratched their heads, and declared they hadn’t seen him in days

Sto her foot, she’d demanded answers Her older sister, Tabbie, would be quite proud of her, actually Tabbie was usually farrules, but Tricia had done her sister proud

Lord Herly, one of Fenton’s closest friends, and an admirer of Tricia’s, had pulled her aside “Lady Tricia, you shouldn’t be out like this If someone sees you, your reputation—”

“I care not,” she had cut in

His brow had furrowed “Hoere you even able to leave your home at this hour?”

“No one is paying attention of late,” she waved her hand as if to disht

“I really must insist you return home at once”

“My cousin needs my help I won’t allow hinored the voice in her head that told her this mad search was less about Fenton and more about her father

Hero where he is and even if you could, there is nothing you could do He’s lost everything at the gain with, and noishes to end his life in the opium dens”

“Where can’t I go?” Her gloved hand had reached out to clutch Herman’s forear as he stared into her green eyes She refused to give up now, she was so close And Fenton was a young e, Tricia couldn’t bear the thought of two losses

“Tricia,” Heriven name as he stepped closer “You need to protect yourself It’s a precarious time for your family Let me help you As my wife, you’d be entitled to so many more liberties”

She knerong, it was dreadful the false hope she was about to give him But it couldn’t be helped “I’ll consider it if you’ll only tell me where he is”

He hesitated, a look of near pain crossing his features as he shifted from foot to foot “He’s beyond your reach No respectable woo to the docklands”

Of course that is exactly where she had gone She’d considered waiting for Tabbie But in the end, time was too precious and once Tabbie and Luke arrived back fro would have her hands full with Mother, and caring for Father, andthe estate

And so Tricia had gone on her own She’d told herself that Tabbie would have done it and so could she But now that she was here, she wasn’t so sure

It s she’d noticed It was dirtier in every way possible than any other part of London and the language coh she tried to hide it