A Season for Honour

Chapter 25

On the night of the ball, Alex had first seen Octavia as close friends and family of the duke and duchess gathered together to have dinner at Holloway House. She looked magnificent in an exquisite dress made from a delicate green silk that was a match for the emerald necklace she wore around her neck. The vibrant colour suited her mahogany hair and deep brown eyes, and the material clung to every curve of her body.

Over the past two weeks, he had hardly seen her. His duties, as the duke's secretary, took up most of his time, but he had also been trying to gather as much information as he could, regarding her brother, Sir Fabian Stretton. It had not been easy to find out where he lived. Since the afternoon at the park, he seemed to have gone to ground and had not frequented any of his usual haunts. If it had not been for Rachel's help, he would still be looking for him.

One of her contacts had discovered that Sir Fabian had taken rooms in Clerkenwell, close to the bustling Spitalfields market. It would have been the last place to look for someone of Sir Fabian's reputation, as he had been famous for leading an extravagant lifestyle far beyond his means. Even though he was rarely invited to ton events, he usually took rooms close to the fashionable centre of London, just off St. James's Street. He liked to keep up appearances of wealth by having an extravagant lifestyle. Even though no respectable hostess would invite him across her threshold, he was still a baronet and welcome in the capital's gentleman's clubs. He must have chosen Clerkenwell, with its labyrinth of streets, because it was an excellent place to hide.

As soon as Sir Fabian's lodgings had been discovered, Alex had employed a colleague from his days in the army, Everard Devereux, to follow him. Sir Fabian must have thought that he would never be found in the darkened streets of Clerkenwell, and he had become careless. Devereux had warned Alex that it had been far too easy to follow him, and he suspected that Sir Fabian might have thought that he was being watched. The dwellings in the district were all interconnected, and it would be easy for Sir Fabian to slip out unnoticed, even by the most experienced observer.

That afternoon, Devereux had told him that Sir Fabian had been following Octavia's movements during the day. This information in itself would have made him feel uneasy, but Devereux had also told him something else that had troubled him more. He had said to him that following Sir Fabian had been easy, and this had made him suspect that he had done this on purpose. Alex now needed to find out why Sir Fabian was following his sister, and, more importantly, why he wanted his movements known. In the past, Sir Fabian had proved himself to be a cunning man and not to be underestimated. He had made it difficult, but not impossible to find where he lived, and he was now laying a false trail that anyone could follow. Alex was becoming increasingly concerned about Octavia's safety, and he would not rest easy until her brother's plans had been revealed.

But tonight, she was safe. She was surrounded by friends and within the protective walls of Holloway House. Her brother had not been invited to the ball, and if he dared to show his face, he would be evicted before he could cause any trouble.

Shortly after dinner, the first guests arrived at the ball. Octavia disappeared upstairs to visit her daughter while the duke and duchess formed the receiving line to welcome their guests. She returned to the ballroom in time to join Freddie for the first set of country dances. He had watched her dance, with a twinge of jealousy. However, as the evening progressed the jealousy soon vanished. Even though she was dancing with other men, she frequently caught his eye and smiled at him warmly, while the faintest of blushes coloured her cheeks.

When it was time for the supper dance, he scanned the room to see Octavia standing with her two friends, Lady Sommerville and the Duchess of Tyne. As he came closer, he could see that Lady Sommerville and the Duchess were grinning from ear to ear and Octavia was blushing. When he reached the three women, he bowed to them and exchanged a few pleasantries regarding the evening so far. In truth, he was paying little heed to what they were saying. He was looking appreciatively at the woman in front of him, who he was going to lead into a waltz.