"Gramp, what do you think of what the Trilbys did to the Everards?" Valerie asked.

Eddie raised his brows as he continued to stare at the sky above him. Their grandfather had always loved watching the stars.

"They did many things, horrible ones in fact," he slowly said, "that I feel I do not have the stomach to count them all."

"But were they truly evil as pictured in Gram's books?" Violet asked.

Their grandfather Eddie rolled his head to the side to look into his granddaughter's eyes. "Some of them were, yes."

"Amelia?"

They thought their saw their grandfather shiver. "The vilest, I tell you."

"Will you tell us more about them? How their plans turned out?"

The old man sighed. "It shall take us a very long time to discuss my family," he said. "But I am not the best person to do it, I tell you."

"Why?"

"Because I was not there to witness it all."

They all fell silent. The twins were not certain if they wanted to learn everything about the Trilbys at such a short period of time. Their grandfather was right.

"Tell us one thing though," Valerie said. "Was Amelia lying when she said that Fiona—err, gram, I mean—is not Noah's daughter?"

Eddie simply smiled. He grunted as he braced himself on the chair and stood up. "It is rather cold out here in the veranda," he said. "Would love to have a cup of tea."

"Gramp!" the girls cried.

Edmund Trilby paused and looked down at them. "Amelia Trilby may have been vile, but she rarely lied."

*****

"Felicitations to us both, brother," Nicholas said to Ralph, raising his glass of brandy. "We are two of the few men who regained membership in this damned place after a scandalous banishment."

Ralph rolled his eyes. "I would share the joy if you can convince your dear Tania and that Veronica chit to join us."

Nicholas frowned. "You bloody know why they are staring at us like two vultures waiting for a meal! I could imagine them picking our brains first and flying it out of a hole to eat aboveground!"

Ralph sighed and shook his head. "I am starting to believe I have nothing to find here. And I do not think their hunger will be satiated with your brain. You barely have one." He braced his head as Nicholas smacked his head.

Scowling, Nicholas added a kick under the table. "Brother dear, you simply have lost hope of the women here. You cannot urge one to take you to her chamber simply because you are a bloody guard. And you are correct. You cannot find anything here because your bloody profession is a hindrance. While I, your handsome and great brother, can very well do the job you cannot! Call me brainless all you want, but I am your only hope in this damned place."

"Overly confident, are we not?" Ralph dryly uttered. He looked up and his brows rose in surprise. "Bloody hell, Samuel, what are you doing here!"

Nicholas snapped his head around and found Samuel Theobald walking toward them with a defeated look on his face. Beside him was another young man dressed as boring as him.

"Whyever are you here, Samuel?" Nicholas repeated Ralph's question.

"Gentlemen," Samuel greeted dryly. He motioned at his dark-haired friend, the other boring lad, and said, "Hastings, Everard brothers. Everard brothers, Hastings."

The man let out an awkward smile before he offered his hand to Nicholas and Ralph. "Wynne Hastings."

"Hastings," Ralph said as he shook the man's hand. "The one near Cromwell?"

"And Theobald," Samuel added. "Wynne and I were tasked to make an article about Rock'oles. Apparently, more and more of the female species of the ton is in need of details of this place. And as someone who wish to divert their attention from my sister, I decided to take the assignment.."

Nicholas scoffed. "Speaking of your sister, why not ask her? She does know the details."

"Maxine?"

Nicholas cleared his throat and tugged at his cravat. "I might have told her a few things about Rock'oles while she was under my employ," he said, excluding the details of how his sister-in-law strode into this place to fetch her husband.

"And how is it coming along?" Ralph conversationally asked Hastings.

The man was merely slightly bigger than Samuel and his features a stark contrast. While Samuel was blonde with light grey eyes, Wynne Hastings had dark hair and dark eyes. His jaw square and nose slightly crooked, like a man who had his fair share of fights at Adam's. Nicholas would not be surprised if he got his injuries from the tyrants of the school for it was apparent he was not one who would readily engage into a physical bout. Like Samuel, Wynne Hastings was the kind of man who would rather fight with a pen than a sword.

"Not very well," Hastings replied with a helpless shrug.

"It took us more than a month to be a member for this place yet no woman is willing to talk to us. We fear they do not take a liking to men who look as if they lived their lives surrounded by books," Samuel complained as he grabbed Ralph's drink and emptied it in one gulp. "Anyhow, I shall be seeing more of you gentlemen soon."

Wynne Hastings nodded at them as farewell, but as he and Samuel were leaving, Ralph said, "I saw you dancing with Emma at the Seymour Ball, Samuel."

Samuel stiffened and let out a chuckle. "That was months ago, Ralph."

"No matter, it still does not deny the fact that you danced with her."

"'Twas merely to provoke her, Ralph."

Nicholas crossed his leg over his knee as he leaned back into his chair. "Then try very much to focus your provocations on someone else's sister, Samuel."

Samuel stiffly nodded and he turned to walk away. Wynne Hastings followed suit.

"Oddest pair to grace Rock'oles," Ralph said with a shake of his head. "If he is not my friend, I would have laughed at him. He ought to know better than wear that bloody stiff suit!"

"And I must say we must pay close attention to that friend of yours, brother," Nicholas said. "He fancies our sister."

Ralph scoffed. "Emma is too busy with her books and conspiracy theories to bother with any man," Ralph continued. "Add the fact that Mrs. Beagle has gone missing again and I feel utterly confident that she has no time for romance. As a matter of fact, I do pity Samuel. She will never have him even if we allow it."

Nicholas merely shrugged. From everything he had thus far witnessed, he could no longer say the same thing.

He looked around the gaming hall and sighed. He would have to wait for the crowd to disperse before he could execute his plans.

"Brandy?" he asked Ralph who nodded.

Nicholas raised his arm to call the server.

This would be a bloody long night.

*****

They had spent a long time talking about Mrs. Beagle and her mysterious adventures every month. But they ran out of theories of where the feline might be with each disappearance.

Thinking it was time to ask the question, Maxine turned to her side to stare at her husband as he lay on his back.

"Why have we spared your mother and the twins of the details about Osegod?" Maxine asked as she lay in bed with her husband.

"Perhaps because we wish to maintain their innocence," he said, clasping her hand over his chest, rubbing her forefinger with a thumb.

"You mean they would not have approved of your actions, or of Margaret's."

"Perhaps, yes."

Maxine swallowed as she battled against herself. It had always bothered her and she had spent countless hours wondering how it would have been if the Town was different and less cruel. "I have no idea, Max, but I do feel for her."

"Who?"

"Aurora Randolph."

"Because of her child?"

"No. I feel for her because she is a mother. But I also understand Margaret as she is also one."

Maxwell let go of her hand and rolled to his side to meet her eyes.

Maxine read his silent question. "I can merely imagine what it would have been like for her, Aurora, I mean." She smiled and tears started to fill her eyes. Emotions had been controlling her most days recently. "I am a bastard, Max, and I have lived all my life in fear for I know how cruel the Town is to people who are different. I was kept safe in a large estate. I had my family to protect me and I still do and it is growing in number. I wonder how it was for her. You may not like to hear this from me because I know that she did your family wrong, especially Ysabella, but the Town is a very difficult place for a woman to be alone. That is why I dared not disguise as a servant girl when I came to Wickhurst for the world is less cruel to your kind. And you are aware of that, are you not? You see the worst of things, cynic that you are." He squeezed her shoulder in affirmation. "It is either we work for a decent post which we all must agree cannot sufficiently sustain a family, or we find a man to provide to protect us—whoring or otherwise. Even a governess or a simple housekeeper ought not to have a tainted reputation, leaving those who are to resort to whoring or tending crops or cleaning excrements. We do not have the full rights you gentlemen enjoy." She sighed and wiped her tears. "Even now, as a Theobald, the law dictates that all of my inheritance be transferred to my husband upon my father's death unless otherwise specified which is a very uncommon occurrence. I am simply amongst the lucky few to enjoy a monthly allowance from you. Yet strip me of these privileges and I am as poor as the service people who serve me."

Maxwell sighed and wiped the tears from Maxine's face.

"Forgive me if I sympathize with her, Maxwell," she sniffed. "But we can only fathom what she had gone through as she escaped Osegod while trying to provide for her child. My birth mother was killed by her own family simply because she bore a bastard. I cannot imagine the extent of fear Aurora Randolph must feel in every waking hour simply because she bore a cretin. I feel for her for she chose to do what my birth mother dared not do. She chose her child, Max. She could have not. She could have left her somewhere and kept on with her life. But she did not. She chose her and although some would consider what she had done to your family as vile, I cannot see it as anything but sacrifice. She sacrificed her virtue and innocence all to preserve her child's." She sniffed and laughed. "Oh, bloody hell. I feel too silly mourning for a woman I do not even know!"

Maxwell pulled her closer against him. "There are many things in the Town that I despise, love, and the things you said are amongst them. Society creates who we are and it judges us for the same thing. I am not proud of what our family did to Aurora and the child, but we must all come to terms with how things are and pray for a change in this wicked world."

"You have always been a cynic it is a wonder to hear the words from you."

"I am not a cynic on rare occasions. There are also things that render me speechless and with wonder."

Maxine chuckled despite her tears. "Me?"

He smoothed her hair. It had grown longer. "And your hair."

His hand travelled down to her shoulder, at the side of her breast and at the curve of her waist. It slid flat over her abdomen where it stayed, warming her and the treasure behind it.

"If it is a boy, we ought to call him Max."

"Please, not Maximilian or Maximus."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "No, plain Max shall suffice."

Maxine sighed and wound her arm around him. "And if it is a she?"

He leaned away and stared into her eyes. "It is quite random, love, but the name has always been in my head before we even met."

Her eyes narrowed with amusement. "Truly? Humor me then."

He grinned. "Emerald."

"Emerald Everard is oddly tricky to the tongue and ears."

"Then she ought to find a suitable man to change it," he murmured, closing his eyes as he buried his face in the pillow beside her head. "We can always call her Em like her aunt. Or Emmy."

"Emerald Maxine Everard," she sleepily whispered. "Do not complain, Maxwell, Maxine is a tradition."

"I adore it," he whispered beside her.

"I was thinking," he murmured, "what do you wish to do on the morrow?"

"Hmm," Maxine smiled, eyes closed in sleep. "I was planning to design a necklace for my mother."

"Hmm.."

"Can I borrow your chair this time?" she teased, wrapping her hand around him to snuggle closer.

"No."

"Truly?"

"Yes. Sleep, wife."

"Very well."

He scoffed. "Having the last word, are we not?"

"Yes," she giggled, burying her face in his chest. "Yield, my lord."

"Never."

"Max, I am sleepy and this game shall have to end."

"And I shall have the last word."

Maxine sighed and unwound her arm from his waist and pushed away. "Not tonight," she said with a laugh and before she could climb out of bed, she yelped as her husband silently reached for her, pulling her back against his chest and trapped her with his arm around her.

His eyes were still closed, his lips tight with a hint of a smile.

She let out a triumphant scoff and yawned.

*****

Nicholas escaped the gaming halls of Rock'oles and slipped into the corridor that led to the maze of chambers.

In his years of frequenting the place, he had not seen anyone loitering in the corridors. The gentlemen would always want to be inside the chambers or in the gaming halls.

He walked down the narrow passageway, imagining how the men who carved them must have felt while doing their work. However they did it, they did a tremendous job for no one else anywhere in the Town had done the same.

He turned to the right and then left. It was a path he knew too well. He had spent months locating it and when he did, he barely scratched the surface of the mystery.

He looked over his shoulder. The corridor was empty. He stopped outside the wooden door, leaning against the wall beside it. He knocked once and then twice.

It was no great surprise that no answer came.

"You must be surprise to be hearing from me again," he said in a chiding voice. "Forgive me if I have caused you to wonder or fret over why the handsome young man abruptly ceased being such a nuisance. See, it is my sister-in-law's fault." When the room behind the door remained quiet, as it always was, Nicholas smiled. "Ah, but you must have already heard it from one of the ladies. That is, if you speak to them at all. Or if you even bother to step out of your chamber. I was banned after my sister-in-law's scandalous incident in the gaming halls, see? But I am back, fret not."

He craned his neck to press his ear closer to the door. He heard a rustle and he jumped to slam his palms on the door, causing to rattle and the sound to echo down the corridor. A surprised gasp came from behind it and he grinned with triumph.

There was a woman behind this door after all! He could now expunge the possibility that he had been talking to no one for months like a bloody idiot. Because someone was truly there! And it was definitely a woman!

"Aha!" he said, keeping himself from crying out in victory. He backed away and pointed at the door as if he was facing the woman herself. "You are inside. I know it! Now, please, come out, I beg you!"

But the silence ensued. As it always did.

Nicholas could not keep the grin off his face as he sighed. "Very well, I shall have to be patient. I will give you peace—for now, of course. I will be back by the morrow, darling!" he added with an exaggerated bow.

Nicholas whistled a happy tune as he turned and walked away. If anyone knew the secrets of Rock'oles, that secret girl back there did. And she was his only chance, of course, in helping Ralph with his case, one that could potentially help them indict Osegod. Tania had refused his invites and she must have poisoned the minds of the other ladies as well for none of them would dare come near him now after Maxwell's angry outburst months ago.

That woman behind the door was his only chance.

But no matter how he tried to request an audience with her, he was always refused as Rock'oles would claim that she was always indisposed.

No matter, he had heard her gasp. It meant one thing: she had been listening to him, even pressed against the door to hear his words.

She was as interested.

He simply had to be patient.

*****

She stared through the tiny peephole of her door at the retreating form of the handsome lord.

Her heart was still hammering against her chest at his surprise attack, and so was the smile on her lips, one she could not seem to erase every time he came by for a visit.

That lord talked too much, she had always thought as she narrowed her eyes further until she gave up and sighed.

She looked around her large chamber, blinking her eyes twice, then twice some more.

"I wish I can see him more clearly. His shape suggests he is quite fetching," she uttered to herself as she blindly reached out her hand to focus on the blurry vision of the room before her.

She blinked some more for a chance of a clearer vision, but lo and behold it was still the same. She scoffed at her silly habit and settled on the chaise. She looked down and found a white form move beside her leg and she bent down to pat its head.

The dog gently purred at her touch and she smiled. Another sound emerged and a smaller black form jumped unto her lap.

She chuckled as she petted the cat. "Where have you been to, you fat, sneaking cat?" she asked.

The cat simply meowed.

As the quiet of her chamber enveloped her once more, her thoughts went back on the lord who introduced himself as Nick many months ago and had been a nuisance outside her door since then.

Sophia leaned against her chaise and sighed. "Perhaps one day," she whispered to herself.