It Takes a Spy...: A Secrets and Seduction book
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Authors: Sheridan Jeane
It Takes a
Spy…
A novel by
Sheridan Jeane
Other Books by Sheridan Jeane
Gambling on a Scoundrel
Books in the Secrets and Seduction Series
It Takes a Spy (this book)
Lady Catherine’s Secret
Once Upon a Spy
My Lady, My Spy (2016)
A Flowers and Fullerton Book / published by arrangement with the author
Copyright 2014 by Sheridan Edmondson
Cover Design by Earthly Charms
ISBN:978-1-63303-003-9
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance it bears to reality is entirely coincidental.
Produced by Sheridan Jeane
at Flowers and Fullerton, LLC
Cleveland, OH
To my wonderful family.
I owe my success to your unwavering support.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to thank my husband and our children for their help, their support, and their understanding. I couldn't have done this without you.
In addition, I want to thank Christy Carlson, Sheila Larkin, and the members of the Sunshine Critique Group for everything they did to help make this book a reality and Amanda Sumner for her careful copyediting.
I want to thank Ann Marie Stone and Audrey Iacone for their awesome proofreading skills.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge my dear friend Anya Creaser.
If not for her help in researching Cannes in 1850, I would have made a monumental error in writing this novel.
CHAPTER ONE
Mivart’s Hotel, London, September 1851
A sister who liked to spy on people could be unbearably irksome.
Cecilia Paring glanced up from fastening her leather dancing boots and caught her fifteen-year-old sister, Evangeline, peering at her.
Evangeline quickly glanced away, hiding her face, but Cecilia caught her pinched expression. Had she been examining Cecilia for for flaws? The thought was both irritating and unsettling.
“Can’t you content yourself with spying on the guests instead of me? Mivart’s Hotel has plenty of spots where you can conceal yourself and watch the evening unfold.” As soon as the words were out of Cecilia’s mouth, she regretted them. After all, she knew exactly what it was like to be excluded from a ball. She’d been in the same position only a year ago.
Evangeline rolled her eyes in a way only an adolescent would. “Do be sensible. What makes you think you’re worth spying on? Besides, this is my room, too.” She stewed for a moment.
Cecilia instinctively knew Evangeline had something more to say. Three, two, one…
“And I feel compelled to point out,” Evangeline continued, “that accusing me of being a spy is like the pot calling the kettle black. You’re the one who first showed me how to sneak around our house undetected.”
Cecilia remembered crouching on the balcony above the entryway next to her sister as they watched Mother and Father’s guests arrive for one of the many events that used to take place in their elegant London mansion. She’d loved seeing each gown revealed as the women shed their cloaks. Unfortunately, both the mansion and the country estate had been entailed and upon their father’s eventual demise it would pass to a distant male cousin. For want of a son, their home would be lost.
“You’ve far surpassed me as a spy,” Cecilia said. “I plan to try to catch you out tonight. After all, ‘it takes a thief to catch a thief,’ or in our case, it takes a spy to know a spy. But I doubt I’ll spot you. You’re one of the best spies I’ve ever seen.”
Evangeline cocked an eyebrow in disdain. “Well, if you
saw
them, then they weren’t very good, were they?”
Cecilia chuckled. “Good point.” She sat down to face the mirror above the dressing table so she could return to preparing for the evening’s ball.
She needed to do something with her hair. Mother’s lady’s maid would have been extremely helpful just now, but Mother needed her at the moment. Cecilia could manage.
“I can help you with that.” Evangeline was still watching her.
“I’m sure I can do it.” Cecilia brushed and pinned her hair, but after a few minutes, she sighed at her reflection. Her hair was a disaster, and the glittering necklace she wore of square-cut rubies rimmed with diamonds made it look laughable in contrast. Her head looked lopsided, and she could tell that as soon as she stepped onto the dance floor, the entire mess would come tumbling down.
“Will you let me help you now?” Evangeline asked. “I can hardly do worse.”
Cecilia grimaced. Evangeline was right. “Go ahead. It has to be an improvement over this fright.”
As Evangeline crossed the room to the dressing table, she paused to open the doors leading out to the tiny balcony. A cool breeze swept into the room and caused Evangeline’s pale-green hoopskirts to sway. She looked quite fetching tonight, and she’d managed to arrange her own light-brown hair in a simple style. Cecilia knew Evangeline thought her nose was too long, but Cecilia had always believed it made her sister look elegant. She’d been a pretty child, but at fifteen, it was obvious that she would become a lovely woman. Much to both sisters’ irritation, Mother had the habit of describing Evangeline as being a paler, younger version of Cecilia.
Evangeline stepped behind her and then deftly plucked the hairpins from Cecilia’s tresses, placing them all on the dressing table. She gently brushed out Cecilia’s mass of medium-brown hair.
“Your hair is much thicker than mine,” Evangeline murmured. Her features wore a look of intense concentration. She pulled a lock of hair from Cecilia’s eyes and tucked it behind her ear. “That’s probably why those hairpins looked as if they were about to fall out.”
Cecilia watched her sister’s movements in the mirror. Evangeline deftly made a neat bun at the back of Cecilia’s neck and then pulled a few curls free to frame her heart-shaped face.
Evangeline firmly secured the hairpins in place and said, “You know, if you place a second hairpin over the first one to form an ‘x,’ they’ll stay locked in place.” She patted the bun with a satisfied nod. “There. That should stay put.”
A tight-chested sigh escaped from Cecilia. “Thank you.” She’d need to remember how to do that hairpin trick with the ‘x.’
“Cece, what’s wrong?” Evangeline asked, using a pet-name she hadn’t trotted out in months. “I can tell when something’s bothering you.”
Cecilia let out a surprised snort as she turned to face her sister. “What’s wrong? Let’s see…” She tapped her finger against her lower lip as she made a show of intense concentration. “Tonight I’m attending a ball where I’m supposed to help convince everyone that our family isn’t
really
low on funds and that we’re quite
happy
with all the changes we’re about to make to our lives. Then tomorrow I’m obliged to attend an auction where we’ll be selling off all Mother’s jewelry to the highest bidder.” She touched the necklace she wore. It would soon be gone. “Father made certain that everyone knows the proceeds will be used to fund our dowries. He isn’t mentioning that he also plans to use the money to pay for all that property he purchased in Cannes. It galls me that he intends to use us to play on people’s sympathies. It’s humiliating.”
“You must admit, it will probably work.”
“Not you, too! How could you approve of that sort of behavior?”
“Because it will fund
my
dowry as well. I’m only being practical.”
“Turncoat. Maybe it’s good that you’re all moving to the south of France as soon as I’m married. You can deal with Father’s wild schemes and finally leave me out of it. I can’t wait to be alone.” She covered her mouth with her hand, wishing he could take back the words. Only when she listed her problems had she realized it was the last one that troubled her most. Losing her family. “You know I didn’t mean that. I’ll miss you.”
“You won’t be alone. You’ll have Devin.” Evangeline shot her a reproachful look in the mirror. “How could you forget about him? Haven’t you dreamed of marrying him for years?” Sometimes Evangeline sounded more like Cecilia’s older sister than her younger one. It could be quite irritating.
Cecilia’s hands, primly folded in her lap, clenched. “Nothing seems to take the romance out of a romance the way planning a wedding does.” She bit at her bottom lip and then met her sister’s gaze in the mirror. “Honestly, I was much happier pining away for Devin and dreaming about him while he was gone. Now that he’s about to become my husband, I’m petrified.”
“Don’t be foolish.”
“Haven’t you noticed how much he’s changed?” She glanced out the window at the darkening sky. She’d need to go down to the ball soon. “Being away at university did something to him. I’m shocked that he still wants to marry me.” She shifted uncomfortably on her stool. “I think he regrets making the offer.”
“Of course he still wants to marry you.” Evangeline stared at her in astonishment. “Why wouldn’t he?”
“Now you’re the one being foolish. Don’t you realize I’m not the right kind of wife for him? He’s self-contained and orderly, where I’m disorganized and spontaneous.” She waved her arm toward the dresses piled on one of the beds. “Just look at the mess in here. How can I expect him to tolerate such chaos?”
“Now really, Cecilia. That’s going too far. If Mother’s lady’s maid hadn’t been needed elsewhere, the room wouldn’t be in such a state.” Still, Evangeline frowned at the mess. “Our financial situation will improve tremendously once the auction is over. Mother’s jewels are worth a fortune. We’ll be able to afford a second lady’s maid again. Even an entire army of lady’s maids.” She let out a deep sigh. “I suppose Devin will adapt to your rather careless manner. After all, I did.”
“Will he?” Cecilia stood up, plucked one of her discarded dresses off the bed, and hung it in one of the wardrobes, shoving her other dresses aside haphazardly. “He isn’t the type of man to lower his standards. He expects me to raise mine and conform to what society expects a barrister’s wife to be. And I’m trying. Truly I am. Did I tell you he wants me to take comportment lessons?”
“What?” At Evangeline’s look of outrage, Cecilia’s self-doubt ebbed. “But I thought he loved you…why would he want to change you?” Evangeline looked genuinely worried.
“Why indeed?”
“I know he’s always been a bit stiff-necked. It’s just his way. As I recall, his parents are exactly the same, aren’t they?”
“They’re even worse. Maybe I’ll be lucky and tomorrow’s auction will be a failure and Devin will break our engagement.”
“Don’t even say such a thing,” Evangeline scolded. “You’ll bring us bad luck.” Then she pulled at her bottom lip with her thumb and forefinger as she lowered her brows. “Do you really think Devin would do something so low as to throw you over?”
“No, of course not,” Cecilia said, brushing the question away with a casual wave of her hand. “It was just a bit of wishful thinking. He can’t back out. That would be breach of promise. He can’t afford to have a black mark like that against his name. Just think of the damage it could do to his career. He wants to become a judge. Did I tell you that?”