Sleeping Engagement

I. The Murder of Osmond

The affluent town of Wickhurst was baffled by one certain article in the gossip section of the Town Herald.

It was no ordinary gossip for it involved a death of the Prime Minister. It might as well be that the news had been misplaced, but the theory behind the death deserved its spot in the section for it involved a very mysterious, if not scandalous, murder. A passionate love affair gone wrong was the favorite theory thus far.

Margaret Everard was shaking her head at the absurdity of it all as she folded the paper and set it aside. The Prime Minister's death did not deserve such thing, she thought. How obsessed were the Townspeople with gossip that even the Town Herald would place Osmond Trilby's death in this section?

Her gaze landed on a letter that arrived for her that morning. The plain red was bore no seal.

Calan Haverston, Lord of Easton.

Her mentor.

In her small study that was connected to her own bedchamber, Margaret allowed herself a moment before she read the letter in private, almost certain what it was about.

As one of the few female members of the League of Founders, a group of people whose identities remained anonymous to many due to the nature of their work, it was paramount that she had this room to write secret missives to secret individuals.

Her mother and two youngest sisters might think she was spending most of her time locked in the study knitting or sewing flowers on cloths like women her age pretended to enjoy doing, but Margaret Everard was never good at those things. Only her five brothers knew why she needed this very study. It was understandably obvious that they did not approve of her being part of the League, but they had collectively decided to respect Margaret's decision four years ago. They also made it their mission to make certain that their mother never knew of her daughter's involvement in the group.

It was not only the fact that the League was involved in numerous dangerous missions, but they were also rumored to be connected to many conspiracies all over the Town. "This might just be the news that would end Mother," as one of her brothers, Maxwell, had put it. "She may take pride in it, or she may loathe it. Either way, she is better off not knowing."

She opened the letter, but before she could start reading, the door to her study burst open and brother number two, Levi, stormed in. "Can you not ask Nick or Max to do it instead?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

Margaret folded the letter as a smile crept up her face. Her mind refocused to another mission that had nothing to do with the League of Founders: finding a husband for her best friend as soon as they could.

Victoria Ashdown was desperate to find a husband and Margaret promised to help. With Levi's help. One might say that demanding a list of eligible bachelors from Levi was rather immature, but Tori was fearful that her stepmother might succeed in stealing her inheritance from her deceased mother, and also the dowry her father had set for her before he passed. "No, brother," she replied to her brother.

"Why me? I did not decide to go back to Wickhurst for this. We just had a lovely, chaotic dinner. My estate is waiting for me. I need to go home. Nick and Max can help you."

Margaret may be younger, but there were moments when she had to act as though she was older than most of her brothers. She sighed with patience. "Max makes many people uncomfortable with his cynical air. And should he ever allow himself be bothered, he would grab the first man he sees without consideration just to get the task done. And Nick will merely spend most of his time chasing skirts. Those two are useless. And do not think we never tried to ask them."

"You did?"

"Of course!"

"And they refused?"

"Adamantly."