It surprised Rosalyn to find Clara still in bed. The usual occurrence was that Clara would be up and bustling about, sometimes even dressed, before Rosalyn got up. She gently shook Clara's shoulder.

"Mistress?"

She did not stir.

"Mistress!" Clara stirred, and Rosalyn breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you not well?"

"I am not," Clara admitted. She slept very little and her entire body ached, but she knew it had more to do with her emotional state than any physical ailment.

"Should I fetch a doctor?"

"No, it is nothing some rest cannot cure," Clara reassured her.

"What do you wish me to tell, Mr. Brummell? He will most likely insist."

"That is why he mustn't know. Tell him I have heard from my brother and I wish to prepare for his visit. I shall meet him for dinner, if he wishes, otherwise at the same time tomorrow, for certain. Also, I need for you to fetch my new hat and gloves from the milliner today."

"You wish me to leave you? I don't think that wise with you unwell."

"I'm fine, Rosalyn. I did not sleep well. Must have been the excitement of seeing Mr. McAllister at the Opera. My mind did not wish the evening to end."

Rosalyn was hesitant. "If that is your wish."

"That is my wish." Clara wrote the name of the shop she was sending Rosalyn to on some scratch paper.

"There. Now let me sleep." Clara settled back in under her covers and turned away from her servant. Rosalyn tucked the note away. Mr. Brummell will not like this. However, when the carriage arrived, she conveyed the message as she was told.

"Her brother?" Mr. Brummell asked. "I guess my involvement is coming to an end then? When is he due to visit?"

"I am not sure. I... did not think to ask?"

"No worries. I'm sure I will discover all soon enough. Well, it looks like it is just you and I then, shall we?"

Rosalyn smiled and took Mr. Brummell's arm as he led her to the carriage.

"Perhaps I should escort you to the milliners, today?"

"That is quite unnecessary. The footmen you hired will be with me."

"Alright then," Mr. Brummell agreed. "I will check in on Clara at dinner."

"I will inform her, Mr. Brummell."

Mr. Brummell nodded and left the carriage, and it had made its trip to Whites. As expected, Benjamin was already waiting. His cheerful countenance changed the moment he did not see Clara peeking out from the carriage to wave. He watched as Brummell did not even bother to turn around, cluing him into the thought that the carriage must be empty. But where was Clara, and why was she not with him?

__________

Clara sprung from the bed the moment Rosalyn left the room. From her bedroom window, she watched Mr. Brummell's carriage come and go. She was now free to do as she wished. The first item on her agenda, to scour Lord Fitton's notes.

Everything was there, she read with a heavy heart the medicinal uses of this wildflower. Little is known exactly how the plant worked, but for those that it had an effect, the results were undeniable. In his notes, he mentioned Hippocrates was the first to make a note of it being used this way. So, its properties must be well known by now.

That was it then, her next order of business, the Covent Flower Market. Clara dressed, then had the concierge call her a carriage, and off she went. It took her some time to find someone who knew about this flower. They rarely use such a common weed it in floral arrangements.

However, the flower merchants were very knowledgeable and were happy to oblige her with the information once she made a purchase. What Clara found out was very little, however, as most did not know of any tea or herbal shops that would carry it for sale. This meant Benjamin must've used a secret source, but it had to be local, as he seemed to have an endless supply.

She ventured to a nearby tea shop that one flower merchant thought may carry such an item, as they were known for more exotic teas. Yet as she browsed the shelves, she could find nothing. The owner of the shop said he'd never deal in such an item besides it being a common weed it could be easily mistaken for hemlock, which was poisonous, and it wouldn't do him any good to be killing off his customers. He did, however, direct her to a herbal shop that may carry the seeds.

Clara was feeling quite exhausted when she reached the herbal shop. Between all the walking, talking, and stress of the day, she sincerely hoped Beau would not need her for dinner, as she desperately needed the rest.

"Good Afternoon, dear!" The shop owner greeted her upon entering.

Afternoon? Clara checked her pocket watch. It was true. No wonder she felt so tired. She hadn't even eaten yet today.

"You look dead on her feet? What brings you in? Are you under the weather? I'm certain I have something that could fix you right up."

Clara smiled at the woman. "I have been feeling a bit out of sorts lately. What do you recommend?"

The woman was a fountain of knowledge about what to use to set her right. "Herbs are wonderful plants, are they not? I don't believe there is an ill in this world that the good Lord has not provided a cure for in these beauties," she said, spritzing some greenery near the shop's counter.

Clara took some of the woman's suggestions and continued to look about the room. She did not see what she was looking for. "If someone wished to place an order for something special, is that something you could handle?

"I'm sure I could manage. Of course, some come at a pretty penny if they of the rarer variety. What are you interested in, Miss?"

"I am looking for some Daucus Carota."

The woman smiled a knowing smile. "A woman that knows her plants to use such a fancy name, most just call it wild carrot or bird's nest around here."

"So, this is something you can procure for me?"

The woman nodded and disappeared into her back room and came out with a small burlap pouch of seeds. "Is this what you be needing, Miss?"

Clara confirmed the contents were indeed what she needed, knowing what the seeds looked like from Lord Fitton's notes. "If I were to make it into a tea, what would I need to do?"

The woman gave her explicit instructions on brewing the tea.

"Do many shops carry this seed?"

"I'm not sure, Miss. I'm sure any herbalist worth their salt could get a hold of it easy enough. Although I would caution you to always check and make certain it is Daucus Carota as most of its relatives are poisonous, best to grow your own if you have a regular need of it."

"Thank you," Clara said, and wondered did they have such a plant in her garden in the country. Such a common plant, Clara had to admit, if they did, she would not have taken notice of it.

By the time Clara reached the hotel, it was quite late, and she came into her rooms to find Rosalyn in quite a state of panic.

"There you are, Miss! I was so scared when I found you were not in the room when I returned. I was afraid you had taken a turn for the worse and had to search for a doctor on your own. The man downstairs said you ordered a carriage but did not know, to where."

Clara shrugged off her shawl. "I was at the Flower Market. I thought some flowers might brighten up the room." She handed over her purchases to the young woman. "Could you find something to put these in for me and ring for a bath? I would love a good soak."

"Of course." Rosalyn left the room in the search of a vase or a pot to put the flowers in and to get her Mistress a bath.

Minutes later a tub, some fragrant salts, and hot water were brought to her room. Clara filled the bath, but before she soaked herself into its depths - she used some of the hot water to brew the tea. Within minutes, she could tell by the fragrance that it was the same. She placed it to her lips, to just barely wet them, and the taste confirmed it. This was the same tea Benjamin served her, the same tea he had sent to her room.

Clara threw the affronting liquid into the fireplace, causing the flame to sputter but not be doused. She sank into the tub and pondered now that she was certain of the truth: What did she plan to do with this knowledge?

Rosalyn returned with the flowers. "Mr. Brummell said he would pick you up at six for dinner." She informed her as she set the flowers by the bedside. Clara simply nodded, with her eyes closed. "Oh, and the post has arrived."

Clara's eyes opened. "Anything of note?"

Rosalyn smiled. "Just this," and she held up a letter with the royal seal.

The ball. The invitation. It would look like she would soon get her chance to challenge Benjamin, after all.