Levi paced around his bedchamber, one of the twenty-five in the Everard House; his hands on his hips, his head bent.

A list.

How the bloody hell could he come up with a list of gentlemen for Tori?

He could hear Standbury calling him home.

But he couldn't, not when his sister and her friend were determined to make a fool of themselves that would most definitely lead to detrimental consequences.

A groan that almost sounded like a growl escaped his throat as he rushed out the door.

He found Margaret reading a letter in her small study that was connected to her bedchamber. Only Levi and the other brothers knew why she needed one. As a member of the League of Founders, it was paramount that she had her own space to write secret missives to secret individuals. Their mother and the twins might think she was spending most of her time locked in the study knitting or sewing flowers on cloths, but they were wrong. If they only knew what Margaret was up to.

And even though they knew what she was part of, Levi and his brothers had very little knowledge of what she was truly involved in. When she joined the League three years ago, they respected her decision warily because of many reasons. For one, she did not ask for their permission.

The League was involved in many dangerous missions, and most of them involved matters the government of the Town could not—or refused—to handle themselves. But apparently, his sister was not too busy because she was taking an entirely different mission, one that involved husband hunting for a friend.

"Can you not ask Nick or Max to do it instead?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

Margaret gently folded the paper in her hands, slowly relaxing her serious mien. A smile crept up her face. "No, 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 sighed. "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."

He blinked in surprise. He understood why his brothers refused, but for them to have not considered helping at all was quite unbelievable. "They did not even offer a suggestion?"

"Of course, they did," Margaret said, looking at him. "You."

He gritted his teeth.

"They said it is about time you take on responsibilities after escaping most of them for three years. And I agree. For one, you left the twins to Ralph, of all people, and I have to step in to help him if you must know."

Levi rubbed his hands on his face. Then an idea came to him. "The twins! They have matched many couples from servants up. Should I remind you of their recent project in the names of our very own Ben and Agatha?"

Margaret shook her head, strays of black hair swaying at both sides of her face as she did so. "The twins are too romantic and idealistic. Tori does not need romance. She needs a husband."

"And when are marriage and romance a separate matter? Was I too far gone from society to have missed it?"

"You know very well most marriages do not have romance, and you know very much about romance not leading to marriages." He stiffened because he saw a flash of something cross his sister's eyes.

"I do not see why I have to do this. I have been away from Wickhurst for too long. For God's sake, Maggie, I have been rumored to have gone insane and banished by you all three years ago!"

Margaret's smile did not waver. That was a foolish rumor and the family simply laughed it off three Christmas dinners ago. "But you still have your charm. You do still have your friends and those friends have other friends." Margaret waved her hand. "Do make the list, will you?"

"I am not even certain whether the people I once associated with are now married, deceased, or became criminals!"

"I will chaperone the twins to a ball two nights from now with Ralph. You should come with us," his sister said, dismissing his statement with a slight roll of her eyes.

"I thought you only needed a list?"

"You might as well go. You are not leaving Wickhurst today or on the morrow, are you?"

"No, but I intend to leave within the week. The moment I deem it safe to escape mother."

"Then there you have it. You should come with us. And you said so yourself, you need to talk to the twins. You might as well see if they heed your orders at this ball. And while there, meet your friends. Get reacquainted. Be a charmer. And get us names."

He scoffed.

"And it might also help her a little if you dance with her."

"Dance with Tori?"

"Have you forgotten to dance?"

"Why would I dance with Tori?"

"Because you will want people to notice her. Levi Everard is at the Wickhurst Season, and the first thing he does is dance with Victoria Ashdown," Margaret said, waving a hand in the air. "Women would gossip about it, the men would hear it and they would all turn their heads and look for Tori, and then at Tori." Margaret's eyes glinted as she continued to explain. "Now, do you know why it is necessary?"

Levi pursed his lips.

"She is my best friend, Levi. And she is your friend as well. It is our duty to help her. If her stepmother wins, it will be on our conscience. She is alone, Levi. She has no one else."

Alone.

He had been alone for three bloody years and he knew what it felt like. No, perhaps not. He had been alone because he chose it, and all along he had a family to go back to. The twins' weekly letters to Standbury were enough proof of that.

"You are indebted to me, Margaret," he finally conceded.

Margaret's smile widened. "Gladly. Now, off you go. If mother looks for me, do tell her I am painting."

He stared at his sister dryly. "You do not paint."

Margaret had unfolded the letter in her hands. "Oh, but I do. In secret, of course."

"Of course," Levi muttered, turning to leave.

"And the list, Levi!" she called after him.

***

"Have we heard it correctly that you are going to help Tori find a husband?" Ysabella asked Levi as they stood in one corner of the ballroom.

"Will you, Levi?" Emma added.

He stared at the twins dryly. Good God, they looked so much alike they could be real twins. Like the rest of their siblings, Ysabella and Emma had black hair and emerald green eyes. And at the moment, they glimmered with wickedness. As though they were thinking of something dangerous that he was not privy to.

"And you have been pressing your ears on doors again," he said. "Have we not had our talk, ladies?"

Ignoring his words, the twins continued prying. "Why can you not marry her instead?" Emma asked. "You ought to be married by now, and she ought to have married many years ago. You know her well and the family knows her well. She is practically family!"

"Precisely the point, sisters," he gritted out. "She is family. The very thought of me marrying Tori is almost disgusting. It is close to both of you suggesting I marry Margaret. Now, stop with your evil thoughts and focus on the ball. Do you not have dances? And where is Ralph?"

"In the gaming rooms, of course. Now that you are here, he is quite happy to be free of us," said Ysabella, lifting her hand as he reached for the dance card around her wrist. "I do have three dances."

Levi frowned down at the list. "You are not dancing with the Matill boy, Ysa," he ordered.

"Why not? He seems nice."

"Because I do not like the sound of his name. Feign an ankle injury the very moment he claims his dance."

"But he is to be my third dance!" Ysabella insisted, stomping her foot.

"Then two will simply do," Levi said before he turned to Emma. "Let me look at your list." He pulled at Emma's hand and found the card empty. "Good."

"Thank you," Emma said with a smile.

"You are worse than Ben," Ysabella whined. "Or Ralph, really."

"Thank you. To be considered your new greatest enemy is an honor." He nodded at his sister's dance card. "You can dance with the other two on the list save for the Matill bloke."

Ysabella raised her chin. "You are no fun, Levi. You have been once, but not anymore."

Yes, he was fun once. He was the charming, golden Everard boy. His mother had always thought so. He smiled at Ysabella. "People change."

"Does that mean you may change your mind about Tori?" Emma hopefully asked.

"No. And I know that look," he sternly said. "Do not make me one of your victims, you little devils. I will have none of it."

The twins shrugged and turned to face the crowd in the middle of the ballroom.

The dancing was about to start.

Ysabella looked eager to join the fray. Emma, on the other hand, seemed to only be in attendance because it was interesting.

Levi looked around for any sign of his other brothers.

Where in the bloody hell had the other Everards gone to?

***

She saw him approach, and she did not move. Not even to acknowledge his presence when he stood beside her, clearing his throat.

Tori continued to ignore him.

He cleared his throat again.

"I thought you said you are going home to Standbury, my lord," she said, eyes on the dancing couples.

"I was, but mother demanded I stay the week."

"Good. I'd hate to think it is because of me."

He was growing uncomfortable and she bit off a smile. Tori was glad that he was still the same in that regard. Not that she enjoyed seeing him in such state, of course. She was glad because she could still see signs of the old Levi she was familiar with. The thought was comforting. "I am sorry for how I said things the last we met, Tori. I did not mean to hurt you."

"I am at the phase of my life where things rarely hurt, Levi," she said, eyes jumping from one dancing pair to the next. "You did not hurt my feelings, so rest easy, my lord."

He tore his eyes from Ysabella who was dancing with a young gentleman. He was now looking at Emma who stood a few yards away with their fifth brother, Ralph, obviously bickering over something trivial.

From the corner of Tori's eye, she could see Margaret approach.

"Did Margaret tell you to ask me for a dance? You need not. We should leave your poor feet in painful peace," she murmured under her breath, breaking the awkward silence between them.

It was always that way since they were children. Whenever they fought, someone would attempt to erase the tension. And they would both pretend nothing had happened until they forgot about the squabble.

But before Levi could utter a reply, Margaret reached them and hastily whispered, "It is time to take Tori for a dance."

"Now?" He sounded wary that Tori wanted to melt in embarrassment, but she maintained her calm by squaring her shoulders.

"Yes, now. I see Emma and Ralph about to tear each other's head off." Without another word, Margaret sashayed toward their younger siblings, leaving them alone with Tori.

"We do not have to dance," Tori hastily said. "However, if it does not hurt your feet, we may go around the room so you can introduce me to your acquaintances."

But to her surprise, his hand appeared before her, palm up.

She frowned at it.

"Would you like to dance, Tori?" his voice, now filled with amusement, asked. She looked up at him to find that the same amusement was painted over his face. A smiling Levi Everard would always be radiant. However, Tori could not help but wonder if the smile was real. "I am certain my feet can manage," he added, brows arched in a way that was familiar to her. He was trying to make peace, but he was embarrassed about it, so he laced his words with a teasing tone.

With a sigh, she took his hand and allowed him to guide her near the dancing. Ysabella and her partner passed them. "One dance for each gentleman, Ysa, nothing more," she heard Levi say to his sister, ignoring Ysabella's scowl as her partner whirled her away.

"Smile, Tori, or people would think you were forced to do this," He whispered to her as they waited for the current dance to finish.

She forced a smile, aware of the curious gazes around them.

But this was the Wickhurst Season, Tori corrected in her mind. People were not just curious.

***

Levi did not find it hard to believe he would be dancing with Victoria Ashdown. He had done so many times in the past, but they were exclusively inside the Everard House parlor where he used to practice with her and Margaret before their debut.

This dance, however, was different. One, it had not even started yet. Two, it already felt different. Three, it was a good sort of different. Her body was too close he could feel her warmth seep through his clothes. And good Lord, he was just holding her hand, waiting for their dance.

To distract himself, he glanced around the room. Ysabella was smiling at her dance partner as the dance ended. The young man looked like he was maintaining the proper distance. Emma was standing in one corner, hiding behind Ralph who was trying to appear intimidating in front of a gentleman who may be trying to ask their sister for a dance. Margaret was standing close by, done with her duty to maintain order between Emma and Ralph, her eyes flickering around the room like it always did, observing, watching—spying.

As the music ended and another was starting, everyone was in a rush, most of them men out to claim their dances. Levi guided Tori to the middle of the floor and gathered her in his arms among other dancers.

Then he looked down at her. And frowned. "You ought to work on your smile. It makes one think you are dancing with someone with swords for arms," he said, looking over her dark blond hair to inspect the room.

As Margaret had correctly guessed, people were noticing him and Tori. He could see a few women turning their heads to their direction with bewilderment and... excitement? Whatever it was, it was more than just curiosity.

Levi Everard dancing must mean he was willing to dance more tonight, the ladies must think.

But he was not interested in the women. He was more concerned about the men. And surely, there were quite a few who looked on with interest, some of them he vaguely knew.

"What are you doing?" Tori whispered, her warm breath brushing against his neck. Was he holding her too close?

"Eyeing prospective bachelors. I cannot find anyone I'm familiar with," he said, taking a step to the side, absently following the rhythm of the music. "Are we not dancing to a waltz?" he asked, confused when he realized three more couples to form a tiny circle.

"We are dancing the quadrille, you oaf," Tori groaned. "Never mind about your acquaintances. I will only need a good list. Margaret and I can take care of the rest."

"Tell me again why you cannot marry your stepmother's nephew?" The music began. "Where are you going?" he asked when Tori left his side to dance with the other four ladies. Ah, drat it. The bloody quadrille!

"Do not remind me of that man. He is the worst," she said as she returned to his side. She pushed him toward the middle of the circle to dance with the four gentlemen.

"He would not be if you had only chosen one from your previous suitors many years ago," he hastily said as he took her hand to pull her toward him.

"How did you know about them?" she asked, and he sensed her eyes were on him.

Levi made a mistake of looking down at those blue-gray eyes.

"Levi, how did you know about my suitors?"

He blinked, forcing his mind to remember the answer. "The letters," he nearly snapped in answer, twirling her around. When she frowned, obviously confused, he explained, "The twins sent weekly letters to Standbury, and they were all filled with stories. I thought I had escaped the Herald, but they made certain I did not. They still do, in fact."

Understanding cleared her eyes. "Ah, so you must have also heard that they all went away—my suitors."

"Before you could say yes?" he asked.

She shrugged, and he guided her toward another couple to take the hand of another young lady who was gaping at him. He offered an awkward smile.

"M-my lord, good evening!" the lady stammered.

"Good evening," he said.

It took a few more painful steps to finally have Tori for himself again.

"Or did you send them away?" he asked her.

Her eyes would not meet his. "They just disappeared."

His brows cocked high. "And why is that?" Now that he was not looking at her eyes, he was studying the rest of her face and he wondered why he never noticed the small pinpoint mark at the end of her left eyebrow before.

Again, the dance steps interrupted his study.

"I do not know as well, but I have my suspicions," she said when they met again.

"Your stepmother."

"Yes, Clarice."

"And what could she have done to scare your suitors away?"

"I cannot tell. She can come up with anything, really. She told some of them about my father's debts."

"Who told you this?"

"The servants, of course."

"Servants pick up gossips all the time, Tori, and most often than not they are incorrect."

"But I have known my maid for many years. She would not give me false gossips."

"They are gossips for a reason."

Annoyance crossed Tori's features as she snapped, "Then you are saying the suitors disappeared because of me."

"No, of course not," he immediately said. Another round of changing partners and Levi found himself eagerly waiting to get her back.

Her gray eyes—no, blue... no, they were definitely gray—met his green ones. "If you refuse to believe my stepmother to be the cause of my absent suitors, surely you're thinking that the problem must be me."

"I did not mean to say—" he stopped, frustrated at himself. He took a deep breath and let the dance distract them for a moment. They exchanged partners again, and Levi used the opportunity to formulate a good response. When Tori was returned to him, her gloved hand connected with his and as they both turned to the sound of music, he carefully said, "I mean to say that you may have merely been a victim of someone's lies—ow!" He failed to finish his statement because her foot stepped on his.

"My apologies," she murmured. Then she added, "But they were not lies. My father left a significant amount of debt," before she had to walk back to dance with the other three ladies.

"—but it does not mean to say that it was your stepmother's doing. Surely she would not want your family's debt to be public knowledge," he continued before taking his turn in the center.

"And who else would benefit from it?" She twirled around and was taken by another dancer. Levi almost groaned. They should have chosen the other dance.

"Well, how would I know?"

"Precisely, my lord, because you know very little about my life." He opened his mouth but Tori took a deep breath and added, "I no longer wish to discuss this. I should be grateful you are doing this for me. That should be enough. So thank you, Levi."

"Ow!" was his reply. "My foot is not the bloody floor, Tori!" he hissed.

She winced. "Sorry," she said.

He sighed, quite bothered because he did not know everything. "We should focus on dancing before you kill my foot," he said instead. "Also, I see quite a few gentlemen looking at you."

"They are?" she made a move to turn her head, stepping on his foot again. "Apologies, apologies!" she repeatedly said as he scowled at her with a hiss.

When she made another attempt to look around, he stopped her, saying, "Do not stare, you fool. Pretend as though you do not care. Men will take it as a challenge."

She danced with the other ladies. He danced with the other men, one foot seriously sore.

It was getting devastatingly frustrating, Levi thought, before they were reunited once more.

"I do not wish for them to feel there is a challenge. If possible, I want it to be easy," she said when he took her hand.

Levi shook his head. "Then they will easily lose interest. Trust me on this, Tori. Simply pretend you are having a great night dancing and killing the foot of a good, charming friend who has chosen to dance with you because you are worth his time."

Tori gave a quick snort before a proper smile crossed her lips. "You truly are a charmer, Levi. I wonder why you even disappeared for too long. You could have saved me many years ago by breaking many maiden's hearts. Do you not agree, Lady Mabil?" she asked the middle-aged woman they had been dancing with.

"What was that again, dear?" asked the woman.

"Ah, never mind. The music is delightful, is it not?" Tori replied.

"What was that, dear?" Lady Mabil shouted as her partner led her back toward him.

Tori pursed her lips to hide a grin.

Levi laughed, this time a genuine one. From the corner of the room, he saw a familiar figure staring at them with amusement, eyes focused on Tori.

Bloody tarnation.

The ballroom was not spared of his old friends, after all. In fact, he just spotted the most dangerous one.

William Wakefield.