Rider could not reveal his involvement with the Royal Circus, nor could Gabrielle. They had to call the Royal Watchers, who then had to send a message to both Belcourt and the Circus.

No one was allowed to leave the villa until everyone was questioned. Although the ladies did not like it, they were left with no choice. They all waited until representatives from the Black Clover arrived.

"This is insane," Priya whined again, rushing to the window of the parlor where they were being held. "I can't stay here another day."

"Sit down, Priya," Andrea ordered from where she sat beside Mathilda.

Their male guests were scattered around the room, but when Priya jumped and said, "They're here!" they all hurried to her side. Gabrielle shared a look with Rider and remained still in her seat.

"Who is that man?" Priya asked.

"I don't have the faintest idea," answered Marcus. "Although he looks quite familiar."

"And the lady in the green cloak is a Soldier, yes?" asked Priya.

Claire sauntered to the window to join the group. "If I was ever a Belcourt girl, I'd be just like that woman," she said as her eyes followed whoever was outside. "These girls are interesting, aren't they? I'm quite jealous]. Their lives must be more fun than mine, especially the Belles."

"Why would you ever dream of being a Belcourt girl?" asked Andrea. "They're orphans."

"They're not bound by social status and men, darling," Claire replied. "They have what we can never have in the real world."

"I think I'd want to be a Belcourt girl, too," said Priya. "I'd love to wear one of those cloaks."

"I like the red one," Mathilda shyly said beside her gentleman.

"Of course you do, darling," Andrea said with a chuckle before turning to Gabrielle. "What about you, Gabrielle? Do you enjoy your life as a lady? Or would you rather be someone else?"

Gabrielle smiled. "I cannot say."

"Anything is possible, Gabrielle. You just have to will it," Priya said. "I would definitely wear a blue cloak. They're smart, aren't they? I heard they only work with the best inventors of Sutherland. They're currently working on a flying machine, they say."

"I'll be a Belle," said Mathilda.

"Andrea could most definitely be one as well," said Claire.

"I'd be wearing the purple, darling," said Andrea. "If I ever decide to be a Belcourt lady."

"I'll be a Soldier," Claire declared. "Hera would most definitely share the same court as Mathilda. Yvonne would have been—"

Whatever Claire had to say was left unspoken because the door suddenly flung open. Edward Worthington sashayed into the room, face blank. Beside him walked Delaney, clad in an emerald green cloak.

Delaney's gaze lingered on Gabrielle for a moment before it swept around the room. "Please forgive us for having kept you waiting," the woman said, her voice echoing around the room, clear and confident. "We know everyone wants to go home as soon as possible, thus we shall not waste time and begin interrogation immediately. Who would like to go first?"

Claire frowned. "Do we have to do this?"

Delaney turned to face the woman, face unreadable. "Yes. You were here on the night of the murder." She looked around before adding, "And anyone of you could be the murderer."

Everyone gasped, including the gentlemen. "But we can all vouch for each other," said Andrea. "I was with—"

"And anyone of you could be lying for each other," Delaney interrupted. "We are here to discern that."

"Who saw the body?" Edward Worthington asked.

"I—I did," Mathilda said, her face white as paper. She bit her trembling lips. "I did," she repeated, breaking into tears.

"Please come with me," said Worthington, turning away without another word. Mathilda looked around at her friends, perhaps to find comfort, and found none. When she exited the room, Delaney faced Andrea and said, "Please come with me."

"I don't think it's—"

"Do you have anything to hide?" asked Delaney.

Andrea said something in her native tongue before she shook her head and coldly looked at Delaney. "Of course not."

"Good. Then prove it. Follow me."

As soon as the door shut, Claire let out a long, shaky sigh and slumped in a chair. "I don't like her."

"Neither do I," said Priya, wrapping her arms around her lover.

The men looked at each other. "We tell them the truth. None of us were alone."

"And all of you never slept?" Gabrielle heard Rider ask.

The group fell silent, their confidence waning as his question sank in.

"What are you trying to say, my lord?" Claire said through her teeth. "That one of us could have crept out in the middle of the night and killed Yvonne? We didn't even know she returned to the villa."

Rider shrugged. "I'm not implying anything."

Claire looked at him for a while, eyes cold. "It seems that you're implying one of us hated her enough to kill her."

"Claire, please!" Priya said, tugging at her fingers. "Just be quiet for one moment!"

"Why should I?" Claire asked, eyes sweeping the room. "You all know I didn't like her. We fought last night. If anyone in this room killed her, then it must have been me! Unless someone else who has entrance into this place did and—"

"Oh, God, I can't listen to this! Please stop!" Priya begged her friend. "This is not how we planned this! I never—" She stopped herself and covered her face with her hands as she cried. "Just stop, please. You're just making it worse."

Claire stood and rushed to the door and knocked. When she was ignored, she roared in frustration. Gabrielle and Rider had to endure more of such display for the next two hours. Everyone who left the room did not return. One by one, they left to be interrogated until there was none left.

When Gabrielle finally entered the room, Delaney smiled. "Did you find out what Ducruet had been up to on the night of the murder?" she asked the Soldier.

"He was in his villa here in Birth," Delaney provided, then looked her up and down, the smile still pasted on her lips. "You look like a Belle."

Gabrielle scoffed, sat on a chair. "What did you find out?"

"Your new friends are keeping a secret."

"I know. I was hoping you can shed some light."

"The Claire lady has a powerful personality, doesn't she? But she seems afraid of something."

"Any idea what that might be?"

"She's afraid she's next."

"Understandable. Yvonne was afraid of the same thing."

"They did something that caused Hera's death."

"Or they were the reason for it," Gabrielle said. "We need to know their life before they joined the club."

"Most of them were recommended by Hera. She joined the club first."

"They made it seem like they met in the club."

Delaney frowned. "Hm. Interesting. Andrea said she met Hera on the ship to Sutherland."

"And Claire and the others?"

"The same. They met and bonded during their two-month journey." Delaney's frown deepened. "I'm surprised you didn't know."

"They tell me lies, Delaney. I shouldn't have gone undercover."

"No. You are in the perfect place. If these ladies are being killed for something before they joined Artemis, you have to be there to stop the next one."

"There can't be another one."

Delaney nodded. "Best of luck, then."

"Are you not going to help?"

Delaney chuckled. "I only came because you can't interrogate them. I'm also dealing with my own complicated mission. I'll make a report and send it to your brother's villa." She smiled at Gabrielle's frustrated face. "You're not enjoying this."

"I don't enjoy the pretense."

"You should get used to it. Having been a Belle taught me a lot of things."

"Any advice?"

"Simply think everyone lies, then lie like them, but better."

Worthington and Delaney left as soon as the interrogations were over. When everyone was told they could go home, they all grabbed their already packed bags and left without much of goodbyes.

Rider waited until they were safely in the confines of the carriage before he relayed to Gabrielle his conversation with Worthington.

"They finally got hold of the ambassador for the Kingdom of Monaco. Shortly after their marriage, Ducruet and Hera traveled to Sutherland. Records on the ship reveal they were on the same ship as Claire, Priya, Andrea, and Yvonne."

"And Mathilda?"

"She came later than the rest." He allowed a small smile as she rested her head back and closed her eyes. "I will try to find out more from Monaco about Hera and Ducruet's relationship. How it started, and why they're here."

Gabrielle nodded. "Something must have happened on that ship."

***

The ladies did not go back to the club for days, and Gabrielle took the opportunity to do actual work, one she was confident in. She and Rider took turns following the women and found that all of them were quite busy despite their claims of mourning a dear friend. They frequently met with their lovers and called on other friends during the day for tea, and jumping from one party to the next at night.

Whenever they were out, Rider would follow them, while Gabrielle sneaked into their homes. Three days later, they met in her brother's villa.

"They can't find anything in their homes," she said in frustration. "No letters from people they may know from their native lands, no portraits of any kind. It's as if they deliberately make sure their lives before Sutherland are forever gone. Except Mathilda. Hers is the only home that looks like someone actually lives there."

"Perhaps it's time to talk to someone who has one," Rider said. "Mathilda joined the Artemis on her own without recommendations from anyone. She only joined their group because of Hera."

"I'll try to corner her," she said.

Days later, Gabrielle returned to the club alone. She socialized with other ladies and accepted their condolences. Yvonne was such a character, they said. She was not the friendliest, but she made their time at the club interesting.

It was from the same prying ladies she learned Hera used to paint in Hestia. Revisiting the room one afternoon when the ladies were out for tea in Demeter, she looked into the cabinets and found a wooden box with Hera's name on it. At first glance, there was nothing inside save for tubes of paint and brushes. Then Gabrielle noticed a smaller box. It contained crumpled notes from her husband, demanding her to go home. As she closed the lid, Gabrielle noticed a tiny hole. Picking a pin from her hair, she used it to pry the cover out. When it gave, she found Sutherland Post clippings, some from the gossip section and a few others about recent robberies.

Gabrielle frowned. Why would she keep these?

"What are you doing?" a cold voice demanded from the door. Gabrielle whirled around and found Mathilda scowling at her. "That's Hera's box. What are you doing with it?"

"I'm sorry," she said, closing the lid. "I was just looking around when I found this. I shouldn't have touched it. I'm sorry."

Mathilda's face was tight as she stalked toward Gabrielle and grabbed the box from her. She returned it to the cabinet. "She treasured that box," she said. "I'm still thinking of what to do with it."

"I'm sorry."

Mathilda sighed, and her face softened. "It's alright. Please, forgive me. You were merely curious." She looked around the room. "I met her here. She disliked the reading sessions, but she enjoyed painting."

"That's how you became friends."

"Yes. I think she was her truest self when she was painting."

"She was the one who invited you to join the others, yes?"

Mathilda nodded. "She invited me to Athena. She said that as women, we have to learn how to defend ourselves." She shook her head. "But I'm beginning to question that now after Yvonne. That woman was good with knives and she didn't even have a chance. The same with Hera."

Gabrielle offered her a small smile of comfort. "You must miss her terribly. Hera, I mean."

"I do," said Mathilda, eyes brimming with tears. "She shared her troubles with me in this room, things she could not share with the others."

Gabrielle let the quiet linger for a while before she asked, "Mathilda, do you know who might have killed her?"

Mathilda shook her head. "No, I don't—"

"But it seems that you do," Gabrielle said.

"No, I don't. Why do you insist that I do?"

"Because you look afraid. I don't know you all well enough, but I'm not stupid. I can sense there's something going on. You're all afraid of something." Mathilda shook her head, but Gabrielle grabbed her hand. "Mathilda, I think you're Hera's one true friend here. If you know anything about her murder, you should start talking. Before someone else gets killed."

Mathilda stepped away from her. "Why are you suddenly talking about this? What do you know?"

"I don't. I'm merely an observer. I fret for you. Maybe they're right. Maybe someone is targeting your group and I don't want you to get hurt. I consider you a friend and I wish nothing to happen to you. If you know something, I can help."

"How?" Mathilda incredulously asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Hera must have told you secrets. Maybe those secrets can help solve her murder."

At her words, Mathilda's face turned blank. "No. She told me her secrets in confidence. Whatever they are, they didn't cause her death."

Gabrielle sighed. "Very well. I hope you understand. I only wish we can all be safe in this club. But if you ever change your mind and you wish to talk, I know people who can help." She reached for Mathilda's hand again. "I'm sorry if I pushed you."

Mathilda turned away. "I wish to paint in peace."

"I'll leave you." At the door, Gabrielle stole Mathilda one last look. The woman continued taking paints out of her box, ignoring her. With a sigh, she silently left and closed the door behind her.

***

It was nearly a week before the ladies returned to Artemis. Claire was first, and she did so with no signs that she was in mourning. Nor did she pretend she was sorry Yvonne was gone. Priya, however, seemed a little on edge. She would jump at any sudden noise, and once, she started shaking during their fencing lesson with Ellise Dior.

Andrea did not return to any lesson in Athena. In fact, she found new friends, much to the group's astonishment. However, once or twice, Gabrielle would catch Andrea talking to Claire and Priya. And twice, she saw them entering the same party outside Artemis. Mathilda remained as she was—silent and almost nonexistent. None talked about Birth, nor did anyone talk about another party next month. It looked like things were being put on hold.

Perhaps it was the change in their friendship that urged Mathilda to visit Gabrielle in her brother's villa one afternoon. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding," she said when Gabrielle welcomed her in the parlor. "I just..." She shook her head, a tear falling from her eye. "I just don't know where to go anymore. Everything's changed now. Yvonne is gone. Hera is gone. And they're all keeping a secret."

Gabrielle nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll figure this out, Mathilda," she said. "I'll take you to a trusted friend. You can tell him everything."

"No. I don't trust anyone."

"But we have to—"

"I don't even know what to tell them. I only know what Hera told me."

"And what is that, Mathilda?" Gabrielle asked, sitting down beside the woman. "You can tell me."

Mathilda let out a shaky cry. "She was afraid of him."

"Hera?"

"Yes. She was afraid of her husband. He was controlling. She may act brave, but no. She always had to go home at specific times of the day. And they..." Mathilda's voice faltered for a moment. "I'm never certain of this, but I think Hera was also afraid of them." When Gabrielle stared at her in confusion, Mathilda said, "Her friends. They... I always felt like they had a hold over her. I think they did something and Hera knew about it. And knowing her, she might have used it against them."

"And have you any idea what it might be?"

"No. It's all just my speculation. I never asked Hera. She told me things, but she also kept secrets from me. And I always thought it's because of them. Something must have happened during their journey to Sutherland. You know they traveled on the same ship, yes? That's how they became friends. Although they would never admit to it. I only found out because Hera told me, and she asked me to keep it a secret."

"But why do you still linger around them?"

"Because Hera was my friend. And I think they think I know."

"About their secret?"

"Yes. Yvonne, before her death, had been talking to the others in secret. I never found out what it was about. I had been afraid it was about me."

"But what about her fight with Claire in Birth?"

"I don't know. I think Yvonne wanted to do something and Claire was against it. Even I'm at a loss, Gabrielle, and it's scaring me. Whatever they're into, I don't want to be a part of it. I never asked for this. I only wanted friends."

***

Rider stayed in his carriage, waiting for Gabrielle. He watched with interest when her parents, Philip and Christina Shaw, Marquess and Marchioness of Dunard, entered the villa. It was not much later when Gabrielle rushed outside in a blue dress and white coat, and climbed inside the carriage.

"What?" she asked when he continued to look at her with interest.

"Your parents just arrived. I could have waited."

"I have nothing to discuss with them," she dismissively said.

He knocked on the roof of the carriage and ordered the coachman to drive them to Artemis. "What did she tell you?"

Gabrielle relayed everything to him. "Their secret, whatever it may be, is the reason for this murder. Have you talked with Ducruet?"

"The man is very well aware of his rights, but we're done waiting. We've already sent more questions to Monaco and hope to receive answers."

"It might be too late before we get any."

"That's why I'm going to the port and meet with representatives of The Priest Lines."

"It was one of their ships they traveled in?"

"Yes."

Gabrielle nodded and stayed silent.

"Have you ever considered it?" he asked, making her turn to him. "Leaving Belcourt?"

"No," she answered before he even finished.

"Playing the part of a lady doesn't make you reconsider it at all? Belcourt is different now and you can leave whenever you wish. You can meet someone and have children. Have a family of your own."

Rider expected anger, even insult, but he didn't expect silence. He did not press because he could sense he had gone too far.

"This party may last until the wee hours," she told him later as the carriage rolled to a stop outside Artemis. "I'd like to know what you find out in this meeting."

"I'll meet you in your brother's villa."

She stared at him for a moment, her green eyes studying him in silence before she nodded and climbed off the carriage.

Rider watched as Gabrielle walked up the steps of the club and disappeared inside. She may never want to leave Belcourt. Why would she? In her mind, her own family never wanted her. And for her to go back meant losing her pride. Gabrielle Shaw was never one to beg to be wanted.

With a sigh, he ordered his coachman to drive him to the offices of The Priest Lines.

***

Gabrielle did not expect drama so early in the party. Music floated along the corridors of the club, and members flew by in cheers and laughter, all dressed extra fancy for the party. However, when Gabrielle entered Athena, she found Mathilda crying in front of the others. Priya saw her first and immediately turned around to leave the room in fury.

Claire followed, shaking her head as she rushed to the door. "It's the quiet ones you can never trust," she said to Gabrielle as she left.

Andrea walked over to the crying Mathilda and patted her shoulder. "Stop crying, Mathilda. You know how they can be."

"What happened?" Gabrielle asked.

"Nothing," said Andrea with a roll of her eyes and a wave of her hand. "Claire found out Mathilda talked with the authorities."

"But I didn't!" Mathilda insisted, wiping her face.

"Of course, dear. I believe you," said Andrea, who turned to Gabrielle and asked, "Has anyone else approached you after Birth?"

"No," Gabrielle said. "Why would they?"

"The authorities should stop focusing on us," Andrea said, not answering her question. "Hera was also known to other members of this club. She even had enemies outside this club." She turned to face Mathilda again. "Stop crying, Mathilda. Dry your tears and enjoy the party."

When Andrea left, Gabrielle rushed to Mathilda's side. "What happened?"

"They know. They know I talked to someone," Mathilda said, shoulders shaking. "I shouldn't have and now I might be in trouble."

With that, she, too, left the room. Gabrielle later found Andrea drinking wine alone in the corridor. "Well? What happened?"

"She wanted to be alone," she provided.

Andrea emptied her glass and shook her head. "Do you know what's funny?" she asked. "The women think that Hera and Yvonne are haunting this bloody place." She scoffed. "Incredulous, of course, because they're dead. The dead remain dead. They don't turn into ghosts. Do you believe in ghosts, Gabrielle?"

"No."

"Good. I always knew you're smart." She fell silent when Mathilda walked out of Demeter, eyes red, and turned toward Hestia. "The poor girl thinks she's next. But really, it could be any of us."

"You truly think so?"

"Oh, I believe so. And I'll be ready if that happens. I have a knife strapped around my ankle as we speak. And I only drink from a fresh bottle. No one can ever poison me here." Andrea pushed away from the wall when Claire and Priya appeared at the end of the corridor. "Enjoy the party, Gabrielle," she said before she turned in the opposite direction and walked away.

***

Hours later, Gabrielle wished she could leave. She was tired, and the women seemed to show no signs of going home. Andrea was with other friends. Mathilda, after failing to enjoy the party, told Gabrielle she was going home. Claire and Priya stayed together, both of them laughing with other members of the club until they, too, separated, going from one room to the other.

Just as she was thinking of leaving, a servant approached her with a note. She looked around. Priya was with two other women. Claire, she knew, was in Aphrodite playing cards. Andrea, she last saw going out into the garden to smoke with other ladies. Without a word, Gabrielle left the corridor where the servant found her and walked out of the front doors of the club. Outside, Rider was waiting for her, his face etched with impatience.

"What is it?" she asked as she approached.

"Hera Serena Ducruet did not have auburn hair."

Gabrielle blinked. "What do you mean?"

"She was blond. Her passport described her as blond. She was short, and she had a distinctive birthmark on her right forearm." As Gabrielle blinked at him in disbelief, Rider added, "The Hera Ducruet we know is not who she claimed she was."

"What?"

"I went to Ducruet to question him, but he's not in residence. No one can tell me where he is. He left an hour ago."

Gabrielle scoffed. "Who is our first victim? Where is the real Hera Ducruet?"

"I think she never left that ship," Rider said. "I think someone else took her place."

"But how? How did she do it?"

"That's what I intend to find out," he said, walking past her and up the steps. "Are you coming or not?"

The women in the great hall stopped dead when they found Rider striding into the club. But the moment he announced he was here for official Black Clover business, they all scurried to one corner in fear as he ordered the servants to close the doors, keeping everyone locked inside.

"What is this about?" Angela Stark demanded when she met them in her office. "Why are my ladies being held against their will?"

"We need to talk to all foreign ladies," Rider said.

Angela did not look so pleased, but she did as Rider requested. Moments later, Priya stumbled into the room, looking horrified. "What is this about?" the woman asked, gaze on Rider and then Gabrielle.

"Sit down, Priya," Gabrielle ordered. Turning to the servant, she asked, "The others?"

"We're still searching, my lady."

"What is this about, Gabrielle?" demanded Priya once again.

"What happened on that ship, Priya?" The woman's face paled at Gabrielle's question.

"W-Who are you?" she asked, looking at Gabrielle with horror.

"Answer my question. What happened on that ship?"

"I don't know what you mean—"

"We know that the wife Pierre Ducruet married in Monaco was not the same woman who stepped on Sutherland soil," Gabrielle said. "What did you do to the real Hera Ducruet, Priya? And who is the one who was murdered in this club?"

"I don't know. This is preposterous! Hera had always been Hera. What are you even suggesting—"

"Stop lying to us," Gabrielle said, stepping closer and bending low until their faces were mere inches apart. "Who was the Hera Ducruet who arrived in Sutherland?"

Priya lips trembled and for a moment, Gabrielle thought she would give in. But then the woman's face tightened, and she lifted her chin with a small smile at the corner of her lips. "I don't know what you're talking about."

At that moment, the door opened, and another servant came in. "Miss Claire left the party almost an hour ago. She was with Miss Andrea."

Gabrielle turned to Priya, who was clearly stricken by the news. "Tell us where they are, Priya."

She shook her head, tears falling from her fearful eyes. "I d-don't know."

"Tell us now or one of you is going to die again!"

"I don't know! I swear I don't know!"

"Who is doing the killing, Priya?"

The woman bent over, crying. "I don't know." She mumbled something. "We don't know."

"You must know. You're all in on this. You all met on that ship and you all murdered a woman. Tell us who is going to lose more if your secret is out."

"I d-don't. I don't know. I swear I don't. I told them... I told Marina it was insane. It told them all!" Then she stilled and lifted her face. "Oh, God. Pierre. He's... He's going to take the fall if Monaco finds out what happened. He still has her money. He used it to save his failing business."

Rider whirled around to rush to the door. "We have to find Ducruet."

Gabrielle turned to Angela Stark. "Don't let her leave," she said, pointing at Priya.

"I can't just hold my members prisoner here, Soldier."

"She's not your member," Gabrielle said, eyes on Priya. "They're not all who they claimed to be."

Priya cried harder and tried to stand, but Angela Stark held her down by saying, "Please never leave that chair, woman, until the Watchers arrive to take you away."

Gabrielle joined Rider outside the club and ran to the carriage. "Where could he be now?"

"I don't know. But we can check his villa in Picadilly."

Gabrielle shook her head before jumping into the carriage. "I don't think they'll be there."

"What do you mean?" he asked, closing the carriage door.

"If he killed his wife for money and conjured the help of these women, he wants them to keep their silence."

"I know. That's why he's been killing them."

"But they're being silent. That's the problem. He should have no reason to kill them."

He blinked. "Mathilda."

She nodded. "She's not a part of their secret, but now they think she knows."