NOVEMBER 1810

Sasha smiled at Iyana sitting across from her in the carriage. "You must be excited."

Iyana's eyes widened. "Beyond excited, my lady! Gail is too! She cannot wait to join us at our new home." She leaned forward and in a pinched voice said, "We have never been to Strait."

Sasha stole the window a glance. They had just left Belcourt for their new home.

"How does it feel, my lady?" Iyana asked.

She looked at Iyana with a frown. "What?"

"To be a hero!" Iyana exclaimed. "Who would have thought! I knew I should not have trusted him—" Her maid stopped, covering her mouth with her hands.

Sasha felt the pang in her chest again, a silent hum that reminded him of the things she gave up and the emptiness that came. "It is fine, Iyana."

"He should have been sent to the island."

Sasha turned to the window again, staring at the passing plantation. "Belcourt will give him the justice he deserves in due time."

"Well, at the very least he never hurt you." Her maid groaned. "Oh, I should not have trusted him! He seemed genuinely sincere—"

"He was, Iyana," she interjected. "He was sincere when it came to my safety. We just found a different purpose, that is all."

Iyana nodded, clearing her throat. And with a forced cheerful voice, the maid said, "Lady Aliya is in Strait, is she not?"

"Yes, she is."

"Then perhaps you can reunite with her! The two best Belles of Belcourt in one city! You have proven yourself, my lady! I am utterly proud!"

Sasha smiled. She would love to have Aliya around.

The plantation had ended, replaced by a field of wildflowers. Again, she felt the pain and longing.

Their journey was long, but it was never silent as Iyana filled her with stories and gossips. After a night at an inn, and more hours of travel, they finally reached Strait.

Like Iyana and Briana, it was her first time in the city.

She gazed at the exceptionally less busy streets and she realized that her feelings were far from the first one she experienced in Coulway. The dread was absent. She did not feel like she was being swallowed whole.

It felt like a new beginning.

"Your gentleman will be arriving on the morrow, my lady," she heard Iyana say and she could only care less.

Her eyes were being filled with a new sense of wonder because Strait was nothing like Coulway.

It was beautiful and picturesque. She wondered if she would have another neighbor like Mrs. Compton. And how was the old lady? Perhaps she should send her a letter soon.

"My lady?" Iyana asked.

"I heard you, Iyana. He will come by the morrow."

"Yes and we must prepare."

She turned to smile at her maid. "Yes, we must."

Her eyes veered back to the cobbled streets, at the quiet way people moved about, at the gentle sounds of hooves and carriage wheels.

Her eyes watered. She would have loved to be here with him. Sasha took a lungful of air to ease the humming pain in her chest.

If only they were not who they were.

"We must be careful with this new gentleman, of course. He could be as notorious and manipulating as the last one," Iyana was saying.

Sasha gently straightened in her seat.

This time, she would not be as foolish as before, she swore to herself.

She closed her eyes and saw her father's face.

His voice echoed around her...

Be a good girl...

Sasha waited.

Then he pulled the trigger.

*****

"Everyone ready to vote," West informed the gentlemen before him. "Those in favor of Willoghby's punishment of death, raise your hand."

Twenty-one hands rose in total.

West turned to Rider. "You know what to do."

The earl nodded.

"The Sutherland Post and The Grimes will need new owners and we shall race Belcourt into claiming it."

"I will have a handle on it," said one of the gentlemen.

"Thank you," West said, pausing to recollect his thoughts. He placed his hands into his pockets.

"I failed to stay in Belcourt, and I am free only because they want to see me make mistakes. I shall be incredibly careful from now on, of course." No one said a word. "I may not have gotten my sister, and I may no longer have access inside Belcourt, but my mission was not fruitless. We now know that Belcourt is more than what we imagined it to be."

Tanner cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, his expression telling West that he knew all along and no one listened.

Ignoring Tanner, West continued, "Belcourt is equipped with the best faculties and they are good at almost anything. They train their women to be the best, gentlemen. They can cripple the entire palace guards and I would not be surprised." He swept his gaze across the room of men both young and old. "We simply have to be better, gentlemen, most importantly because the coming months will prove to be very crucial." He lifted his hand and showed them a paper. "We received words from King Reginald. Prince Leo will come to us sooner than we expect."

West waited until the buzzing of whispers settled around the large room.

"We also have word from Lord Darcy. The Marquess of Rothsker is back and has gained entry into Belcourt. We need to get to him first, gentlemen. Rothsker is not certainly the only man who got accepted. There are others and we will need to look into them one by one." He looked at each man, knowing they were capable of covert missions for their skills had been tested for years. "Most Belles have left Coulway and had been back to their homes all over Sutherland since parliament adjourned. As most of you are to do the same within the week, you must be vigilant as we all now know that these women have assignments. Be wary all the time for their missions are not always their gentlemen, but anyone within proximity. It could be a neighbor, a friend, or a family of a gentleman." He paused before he continued, "My former Belle has traveled to the south and we must have men available. She has become Belcourt's hero and she will surely get one of the most important missions."

He picked up another piece of paper from the table. "We now have the names of most gentlemen who have access to Belcourt and recruitment for the Circus can proceed. Belcourt infiltrates the most powerful identities in Sutherland and we also do the same as we have for many years."

His light blue eyes landed on the young man sitting in the middle of the room. "I am glad that you have decided to join us. Your father speaks highly of you, Chalbarth."

Trent Durham smiled and bowed with his head. "It is a great honor to be serving the true king of this kingdom."

"Your father has informed me that you are betrothed. I hope this will not be a hindrance to your mission."

"The kingdom will always come first."

"And how is Jade?"

Trent grinned. "Still very much in love."

"And what of our friend Aaron?"

"Ah, the ignorant bastard and his family are the most loyal to the current monarch. I would not suggest him to be recruited."

West nodded and turned to Ross. "I do hope that you can trust us more this time, Ross."

Ross's jaw tightened. "My sister is not—"

"Your sister was a victim of Belcourt, as all of these women were, but they are currently an enemy. Your sister is also a source of great information."

"She has not gone out to see me since she returned inside."

"It is because she is taking caution now that she's aware we discovered your existence. Unless, of course, you told her of your good relationship with the Circus?"

"She would kill me if she—"

"Then that is good enough," he interrupted. "If she comes to you, you tell us. We can no longer trust you, but you have been given a second chance to prove your loyalty."

Ross sighed, slowly shaking his head. West and the entire Circus understood his reasons, and the same reasons were enough to make them decide to keep the man. Yet the fact remained that he intentionally kept information that could have changed the course of the game.

"And will you not be asking me questions, Eaton?" asked St. Vincent. "Perhaps ask how I feel about my bloody hospital being used as the new home for the Circus?"

"Thank you for kindly offering your prestigious hospital, St. Vincent. Passing through the chamber of corpses to get to this room is the grand entrance we all appreciate."

"A very fine idea, eh?"

West did not reply and instead said, "I heard your application into Belcourt was declined for the third time."

St. Vincent rolled his eyes. "The rumor spreads fast."

"I suppose you have a different plan?"

St. Vincent's eyes turned serious. "Of course. Unlike you, I already know who I am looking for and where I can find her."

"But she is amongst the most prized Belles. It will be a challenge to get even close," West challenged.

"What I have been saying since the beginning," Tanner said under his breath.

St. Vincent turned to Tanner. "You do not know the charms behind this beard and brain, my friend." Turning to face West again, he said, "Who can guess? Perhaps Aliya is looking for someone like me?"

A few gentlemen chuckled.

Tanner groaned with a few others. "Oh, good Lord. Your confidence astounds me, St. Vincent."

St. Vincent threw up his arms in the air. "Thank you, Leighton. Confidence is one of my strongest charms."

"No, your stench is."

"I shall transform myself, Leighton, of course. And I would like to see your eyes jump out of their sockets when you see me."

"A challenge I accept." He looked around the room and at the other men. "Should we all wager?" Hands instantly flew to the air and Tanner grinned. "The wager is on, St. Vincent."

St. Vincent rubbed his palms together. "My rodents will love your eyeballs, Leighton."

"I wonder why you chose Aliya, really. You might have a chance with other Belles, St. Vincent."

St. Vincent's eyes turned dark and his face hardened as he said, "I did not choose her. Circumstances did."

*****

Rider joined West at the window after the other Royals had left, ready to leave Sinclair and its stench of death. The two of them looked out into the busy streets below. "What do you intend to do now, West?"

West's jaw tightened and then forced a smile crept up his lips. "Continue with the plan, what else?"

"I meant Sasha," Rider corrected. "She is no longer within your reach."

West took a lungful of air and let out a long sigh, the gnawing, familiar pain persistent with each breath. "Sasha and I have always loved playing games. I think I will enjoy this one as much as she would."

"She has gone to the south," said Tanner from the liquor cabinet. "Most probably to join another gentleman."

His face grew dim. "And we will be there to know her every move."

He stared at the scene outside.

Fall was starting.

She would have loved autumn.