“It’s not that bad.” Julia’s voice was muffled by the sheets over Amelia’s head. She had flung off her disguise and buried herself under the covers as soon as she’d come in and had not moved all night.

A corner of the sheet lifted and Amelia winced at the bright light. Julia poked her head underneath the cover. “At least you got the letters.”

“What if he recognized me? Oh goodness, how am I ever going to face him again?” Amelia wailed, pressing her face onto the pillow and snatching the sheet from Julia so she could hide herself away.

Initially, the whole sneaking into his house disguised as a delivery boy thing had been exciting. Slipping through the shadows and hiding from servants had brought a thrill she’d only felt...well...once when kissing Nicholas and once when escaping drowning.

She did not know whether to curse or thank those letters. At least she could go to her grave knowing what Nicholas’ lips tasted like.

But, still, if he had recognized her at all, she could never face him again.

“What’s going on?”

Amelia lifted the corner to see Catherine walk into the room. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, no doubt having been up half of the night watching the stars. “Did it work?” Catherine asked.

“Yes.” Julia nodded. “And she got the letters. But she thinks he might have recognized her.”

“Oh lord,” Amelia wailed again. It was all too humiliating to think about. She buried herself back under the sheet. Her cheeks heated simply remembering it. What would he think of her?

“You made a good delivery boy,” Catherine said. The bed dipped beside Amelia and a hand patted her head through the sheet. She assumed it was Catherine. “I doubt he recognized you. And now you have the letters, so all is well. Unless of course you’re upset that you have no reason to go back.”

“Mmmph,” Amelia said against the pillow.

The sheet whipped off her suddenly, pulled away by Emma. Amelia rolled and glared at her before throwing an arm across her face. Sneaking in, in disguise, had been her sisters’ idea and they’d even helped her find some clothes and tuck up her hair in a cap. Why she had listened to them, she did not know. When had the three of them ever had a sensible idea between them?

Emma came around the other side of the bed and sat so that she was pinned between her and Catherine. She pressed Amelia’s hair away from her face and smiled. “Come on, Amelia. You got your letters and all is well. Get up and then you can hear my latest song. I wrote it myself.” The pride shining from her sister’s face made her wince. Emma’s singing had not improved in the last few days and she doubted her song-writing ability was any better.

Beside her, Catherine snorted. Amelia shot her a look. She might not appreciate Emma’s voice but she did not want her to be hurt.

Julia stood at the end of the bed, hands to her hips. “Emma is right.”

“Not about the singing, surely?” Catherine asked. “That’s not an incentive to get up.”

Emma scowled. “You do not appreciate fine music.” She glanced at the mantle clock. “Should you not be back in bed. I heard you creeping up the stairs at three in the morning. If you don’t nap, you will be grumpy.” She paused. “I think you already are.”

“Well, I was planning to remain in bed but you two were banging around in Amelia’s room and I could not sleep.” Catherine poked out her tongue.

“That’s enough.” Amelia sat and thrust out a hand in front of both of them. “I am up, see? Now will you all leave me to my humiliation.”

Emma’s expression softened. “Oh, Amelia, you’re not humiliated. You need to stop worrying so much about what everyone thinks of us. You are a talented writer and if people want to look down their nose at you because of what you write, that is their problem.”

“Exactly. Dry old sticks that they are,” Catherine agreed.

Amelia didn’t remind them that what she did reflected on all of them. But she supposed in some ways it was too late to save them, even with the letters back in her possession. They would be forever marked as unusual and far too clever. A sin indeed in the world of the ton.

“Amelia!” Their mother’s voice echoed up the stairs.

“Heavens, what is she doing awake already?” Julia muttered.

“Amelia,” came Mama’s voice again.

With a sigh, Amelia swung her legs over the bed and felt the cold touch of the floorboards against her feet. “I suppose I should go down.“

Julia flung a robe her way and Amelia stood and knotted it about her waist. She thrust a hand through her knotted hair, having not bothered to braid it when she’d returned home. “I had better see what she wants or we will not have a moment’s peace.”

“Then you can come and listen to my song,” said Emma brightly.

Catherine groaned. “I think I’m going to go back to bed.”

Julia nodded. “I’m going out for the morning.”

Her sister’s departed and the tinkle of the piano rang through the house moments later. Amelia found her mother in the breakfast room. What had once been fair hair was now almost white but was perfectly curled and tucked under a cap. A shawl hung about her shoulders. Despite her age and having raised five daughters, her mother was still an elegant woman and everyone knew she had been quite the beauty in her time. That her beauty had not been passed onto four of her daughters was something she constantly lamented.

Her mother’s brow arched when she saw her disheveled state. “Have you only just risen? Please do not tell me you are turning into another Catherine.”

Amelia sat opposite and poured a cup of coffee. “Of course not, Mama. I did not sleep well, that is all.”

“I did not catch you before you went to bed last night.” Her mother buttered a slice of toast and took a bite.

“I, um, wanted to get any early night.”

“And yet you did not sleep. Was something bothering you?”

She could hardly tell her mother she went to bed early to disguise herself as a boy then sneak out so she simply shrugged.

“Anyway,” her mother motioned at her with the toast, “I was visiting with Mrs. Elsworth...you remember her daughter. An ugly little thing. Married a lieutenant I think.” Mama frowned. “Or was it a colonel? No, it could not have been. She was far too plain for a colonel.”

“I think it was a colonel,” Amelia said softly.

Her mother’s frown deepened. “Surely not. No, it must have been a lieutenant.”

Amelia opted not to correct her mother. Miss Elsworth had definitely married a colonel even if her mother thought her plain.

“Anyway, do you remember that Harburgh House has been empty for some time?”

Amelia nodded. The house sat on a good twenty-five acres and had been empty since the gentleman who owned it had lost much of his fortune to gambling and could no longer afford to look after it. No tenants could be found so the rumor was he would have to sell it.

“Is there going to be new tenants?”

“Not, tenants. A new owner.” Her mother’s eyes glimmered with excitement. “And not just any owner. A duke.”

Inwardly, Amelia grimaced. Mama would not be considering the duke for any of them. She considered all her daughters too red and freckly and bluestockingy to be marriage material for a duke. But Mama would certainly not object to being connected to the duke. She would certainly encourage their father to make his acquaintance in the hopes they would be invited to whatever parties and balls the man held.

She smiled at the idea this poor duke had little idea what he was getting himself in for.

“So why did you need to talk to me about this duke, Mama?”

Amelia reached for the teapot and poured a cup of coffee. The fragrant bitterness teased her and she inhaled the scent deeply. After last night, she felt as though she needed to follow Catherine’s lead and take a nap but her mind was still racing after what she had done.

Her mother paused and cocked her head as Emma’s voice peeled through the house. “I should like to go to London next spring.”

“I thought you had decided not to for a while.”

Mama licked a spot of butter from her thumb. “Mrs. Jasper intends to go to town with her daughter. It will be Miss Jasper’s first season. I think we should go to show some support.”

Miss Jasper was a sweet girl but not at all ready for the marriage mart. She would need all the support she could get. Mrs. Jasper and their mother had been friends since they were young ladies so she was not surprised Mama wanted to see Miss Jasper’s debut.

“I think that would be a nice thing to do, Mama, but I don’t know if Catherine or Julia will be bothered.” She took a sip of coffee and felt the warmth simmer through her veins. “But what does this have to do with the duke?”

Mama pressed her fingers to her forehead while Emma’s voice grew in volume. “We have not had many successful seasons. With Lavinia married, we have little to recommend us. Particularly after what that wretched Cousin Bess did. Silly girl.” Her mother sighed. “You must ensure the girls are on their best behavior, especially when this duke arrives. If we can make a good impression, we shall have an excellent connection, and it shall make our time in London run that much more smoothly.”

“Ah.”

“It should be simple enough. Keep Julia from getting dirty all the time, make sure Catherine does not say anything scandalous, and ensure Emma…” Her mother closed her eyes and opened them again. “Ensure Emma does not sing in public.”

As tempted as she was to declare it impossible, Amelia simply nodded.

“Oh, and your little writing thing. Make sure it remains your little secret. We cannot have that getting out now, can we?”

“No, Mama, we cannot.”