"But Mason-" Cousin Felicity protested, disregarding his order and taking a roll. "I didn't purchase any
of this."
"Then who is responsible for these extravagances?" he asked.
"Let me guess," a voice behind him said.
He turned to find Riley standing just behind him, and alongside her, Hashim. She nodded slightly and then
continued into the room as if she were the lady of the house.
Hashim followed, taking his place behind her chair.
He didn't have to wonder long how much she'd heard of his cousin and nieces' discussion as to his
habits as if he were some dithering dowager, for she motioned for him to take his place and said, "Please, Lord Ashlin, have breakfast. I would hate to be the cause of your schedule becoming undermined."
Her appearance this morning was a far cry from her tousled gown and missing stockings of last night. In place of his warrior queen walked a modest, demure lady, her hair simply dressed, and wearing a quaint muslin gown that one would expect on a visiting country cousin. Albeit one with a Saracen bodyguard trailing after her.
After Hashim poured her coffee, Riley turned to her partner. "Aggie, whatever are you doing here? My note said rehearsals were not to begin until eleven."
"Wait until then to see that you were settled in? I think not! Besides, I had an epiphany regarding the second act around midnight, so I had to come see you straightaway-though I got a bit sidetracked on my way here."
Riley groaned. "How much did you lose?"
Mason shot her a sideways glance.
"How much, Aggie?" Riley repeated.
"I am insulted, my love," the man replied. "I won. Quite handily. And since it is altogether rude to arrive empty handed when one is flush, I thought to repay our esteemed patron for his kindness in extending to you his protection. A poor fare, this," he said, waving his hand over the laden table, "but well fought and won by the turn of a card." He glanced over at Mason, who still stood in the doorway. "Do you gamble, my lord?"
"No," Mason told him.
Aggie shook his head. "Are you sure you are an Ashlin?"
"Aggie!" Riley said.
Mr. Pettibone turned his disbelieving features back to Riley. "Can we be sure?"
At this Riley groaned. "Yes, I'm quite positive."
He shot her an aggrieved look. "I ask only because the man confesses a displeasure for cards, and that, my lord, is a keen loss, for you have the look of a worthy opponent."
"I prefer not to gamble with a fortune I do not possess," Mason told him. Not with some measure of reluctance, he finally took his seat at the breakfast table. He nodded to Aggie. "I, uh, thank you for sharing your own winnings with my family."
Aggie rose and made an elegant bow. "At your service always, my lord." He passed Mason the plate of almond rolls. "How could I doubt your parentage, sir? For now I see the elegant cast of the Ashlin brow and the sharp wit of your intellect. I would have known you were Freddie's brother anywhere. If I'd seen you in the bazaars of Baghdad or the far reaches of that dark continent, Africa, I would have known you, sir, to be an Ashlin."
That, Mason knew, was laying it on more than a little thick, but before he could respond, Cousin Felicity said, "Mr. Pettibone-"
"-Agamemnon, my dear Miss Felicity. Please call me Agamemnon."
"Agamemnon," she tittered. "Have you been to those places?"
He settled back into the chair beside her. "What places?"
"Baghdad or Africa?" Cousin Felicity's eyes shone with excitement.
"Baghdad and Africa," he sighed. "Such places of wonder! Excitement and danger at every turn."
Riley choked on her chocolate, and when all eyes turned on her, she raised her napkin to her lips and
coughed.
"So you have been there?" Cousin Felicity persisted.
"Well, been there? Actually, no," the man said. "But the stories I can tell you, the stories I have heard,
would lead you to believe that I have been there."
The lady sighed with delight. "And I have never even been to Kent."
"No!" Aggie said. "Why, I'd have sworn with your continental flair and sense of style I'd seen you
gracing the courts of Louis or Charles or Catherine."
"Oh, Agamemnon," Cousin Felicity said. "Really? Truly?"
"You would be their glittering star. Why, the courts of Europe-" the man began to say, looking as if he
was about to tell the largest tale ever cast up in the Ashlin dining room.
And Mason knew for a fact that Freddie had spun some large ones.
"Aggie," Riley interrupted, "you said something about the second act?"
Effectively diverted, the man stopped his unlikely dissertation and went on to another subject close to his
heart. "Ah yes! The second act. I was borne away on pure inspiration."
"The second act?" Mason interrupted, feeling quite the stranger at his own table. "What did you change?"
"That terrible scene with the woodcutter and Geoffroi. My inspiration came while I was playing piquet-
"Riley cringed. "You weren't playing piquet?"Mason didn't miss the accusation in her voice, and wondered if perhaps the Queen's Gate's financial woes weren't a problem of covering her partner's gambling losses, rather than the mysterious accidents
she'd claimed.
It certainly made more sense, he reasoned, and resolved to look into it immediately.
"Riley, such an unpardonable use of brows. You'll be wrinkled as Hortense before the year is out if you continue in that manner." Aggie turned back to Cousin Felicity. "Now, where was I?"
Mason doubted Mr. Pettibone would approve of the face Riley was currently making.
"The crowned heads of Europe," the lady urged him.
"No, I think you were saying something about the second act," Mason interrupted. "You had a moment
of inspiration after a game of piquet."
"Ah, yes, my excellent round of piquet. I was playing with the dullest of company, one man especially. Lord Childs? No, that isn't it." Mr. Pettibone scratched his chin. "Lord Chelden? Such a tiresome old fool. 'Tis any wonder I remember that much of the fellow's name. Not that he is in the least important, other than the fact that his purse supported this fine repast. Better to fill our stomachs, I say, than collecting moths in his tight pockets." He tipped his cup in mock salute to their unnamed benefactor. "As I was saying, this Chipper bloke was blithering on, and I suddenly realized that the second act needs a bit of comedy, something to break the strain of having to listen to that tiresome Geoffroi lament at great length about his lost Aveline."
Riley had finished her breakfast and was carefully folding her napkin. "Aggie, I don't think this is the time to discuss changes to the script. Besides, I think the second act is fine the way it is."
"But Riley, my love," he said between bites, "I tell you, the second act needs some comedy."
She shook her head.
Mason recalled what he'd read of that part of the play and weighed in with his opinion. "I think Mr. Pettibone is correct. The scene with Geoffroi is overly long. Did you have something in mind?" he asked Aggie.
Riley shot him a scathing look. "How would you know? You haven't even read it."
Now it was Mason's turn to have the upper hand. "That is where you are wrong. After you left me in the library last night, I discovered your copy and read it."
All eyes turned on the pair, and Mason realized that perhaps he shouldn't have been so quick to let everyone know about their meeting in the library. "We were discussing the content and breadth of Madame Fontaine's lessons, if you must know."
Beatrice snorted.
"That seems nothing out of the ordinary," Cousin Felicity rushed to add. "But I do wish you hadn't left so early last night, Mason. Miss Pindar was in quite a state over your disappearance. She wanted to send for the watch, for she thought something might have happened to you." Cousin Felicity turned to Riley. "I fear the girl is quite smitten."
Smitten with the idea of being a countess, and leaving her cit origins far behind, Mason thought.
"You must be more considerate of Miss Pindar," Cousin Felicity scolded.
"Miss Pindar, eh?" Del inquired from the doorway. "You certainly didn't waste any time on that one."
Without an invitation, Del strolled into the room and settled comfortably into the open seat next to Bea, which also happened to be directly across from Riley. He held out a bouquet of violets and offered them to her. "Of course, with your cousin otherwise occupied with Miss Pindar, that would leave you unescorted and in need of a protector, oh fairest flower of my heart."
Riley accepted the flowers, but only nodded her appreciation.
Mason couldn't say that he was surprised to see his friend arrive so early in the morning-but for now, he had to get him out of the house before someone slipped up. "Nice to see you, Del, but don't you have business at Tattersall's this morning?"
Del shook his head. "Sent my agent after that fine bit of cattle." He turned to Bea. "A real handful. The kind of beast you'd appreciate. I'll let you take him for a turn in the park next week, if you'd like."
"Perhaps we should ride down there and take a look," Mason offered, hoping the bait of a ride would induce Del to leave. "In case the animal isn't what it seemed the other day."
Mason's efforts were lost on Cousin Felicity.
"Why, Mason, you never go riding on Thursdays and you haven't had a bite to eat," she admonished. "And after Mr. Pettibone went to all the trouble of playing piquet last night so you could have almond rolls this morning. The least you could do is show some appreciation." She then turned to Del. "Oh, where are my manners, Lord Delander? You must share in our good fortune, so kindly provided by our good friend, Mr. Pettibone."
Del happily took the plate Cousin Felicity proceeded to heap with food for him. "Piquet, eh, Mr. Pettibone? I've been known to play a hand or two. Perhaps we could find a game later."
"No!" Riley said, startling nearly everyone at the table with her outburst. She took a deep breath and then offered Lord Delander a small smile. "I mean, not today, my lord. Mr. Pettibone has pressing matters which won't allow any time for idleness."
"Some other day, then," Del offered. Between bites, he kept glancing over at Mr. Pettibone. "You look vaguely familiar, sir. Have we met?"
"Well, since you asked," Mr. Pettibone began, "I am known in many circles, but most recently-"
"-He's been in the country," Riley interjected.
"The country?" Mr. Pettibone shook his head most decisively. "Riley, that is most unkind of you. I haven' t played the country since I was a green lad cast-"
"-Casting around the Continent on your Grand Tour," Mason said, struggling to save the conversation, let alone the entire morning.
"Ah, yes, my tour of Europe. All the great houses welcomed me." Mr. Pettibone sat back, his hands crossing over his chest. "I remember once in Vienna, I had the lead in-"