Calan Haverston's missive arrived before Margaret departed for the weekend Theobald Ball with her mother and Levi.

M,

This is in response to your last message.

We found a gold brooch that held the Devitt family crest in the scene of the crime, which is the bedchamber. It places Devitt in the very room where the murder was committed.

Again, to answer your question about an interrogation, we cannot do so at the moment. We believe he is working with a group of people. He shall be at the Theobald Ball this weekend as we have guessed. I hope you could provide me with a good report as to his activities during the party the soonest you arrive back in Wickhurst. Be very wary for the party itself could very well be a good chance to concoct a plan if he is indeed working with someone. Meanwhile, I and others are working on other angles, as well as looking into other possible suspects.

-CH

Her mentor's words never allowed her mind a moment of rest as they traveled out of Wickhurst to attend one of the season's famous and scandalous parties.

Why would Cole do it? If it were true, what could be the reason behind it?

Was he working with people to destabilize the parliament?

Or were they both involved in something and things went awry?

Margaret let out a heavy sigh. She ought to think critically and without prejudice. Evidence would never lie.

And one was found that linked him to the murder.

"You look weary, Margaret," her mother said from across the carriage.

"Of course, she is. She takes on the problems of not only her best friend, but of the household as well." Levi said wryly beside her. "Among other things," her brother added meaningfully.

She shot him a sharp look before she turned her attention to Alice Everard. "It is merely the journey. I never liked carriages."

"She prefers horseback if you must have forgotten," Levi reminded their mother.

"Mother does so as well," she snapped.

"Quite true," their mother said with a smile. "I would still choose it over this boring carriage if my back would allow it."

Margaret stared at her brother. "You may have given Tori the list of eligible bachelors, but you know very well we have much to do still. You are to introduce her to Lord Chattoway while I distract her stepmother."

Levi shook his head and grumbled under his breath.

She saw her mother's blue eyes assess her with concern. She knew it was not about them meddling into Tori's affairs that concerned the woman. No, it was something else entirely that caused such look of worry.

Margaret smiled at her, taking in her mother's aging beauty. All of them inherited their mother's black hair, but acquired their emerald green eyes from their late father. Alice Everard was the sole living Everard who had blue eyes.

"I am well, Mother, do not fret," she reassured. When the woman remained unconvinced, she chuckled and said, "Truly, I am!"

Lady Alice opened her mouth, about to say something, but thought better of it and closed it once more. Her mother was witness to her suffering after Cole Devitt left. And Alice Everard, who was dear friends with the Theobalds, was never ignorant of who would be gracing this year's Theobald Ball.

Cole Devitt was indeed a great cause of concern for Alice Everard. He, after all, nearly ruined not only her eldest son, but a daughter as well.

***

"It was gracious of you to accompany me this year, son," Lady Ida Devitt said as they neared the Theobald mansion. The holes above the estate showed them a good, sunny day aboveground, a contrast to the dimness of their world below. No matter how many lamps the Town put up every year to mimic the light of the world above them, the fact remained still that they were deprived of many things. Yet they were things they had all been accustomed to and dealt with all their lives.

Cole smiled at his mother, offering no words. If Cole had his way, he would rather go alone, but his mother had never missed a single Theobald Ball, despite the fact that the Theobalds were amongst the closest friends of the Everards. Every year, she would leave Tiny Town where she resided with her sister, and find her way here.

His mother's brown hair had streaks of white which she masterfully carried with pride. There was no one alive he knew that could muster such pride than Ida Devitt, a trait that had made their lives challenging, especially for his late sister, Leah. His mother had been difficult on them both, but she loved them dearly. Leah's death destroyed his mother the most. Or so he thought until he found Leah's old letters.

"The Everards will also be in attendance." His mother's calm voice turned cold. Cole followed her gaze out the window of their carriage. A group was climbing out of a large carriage that preceded them. Levi Everard was first. He helped his mother down the carriage and eventually his sister, Margaret. Cole checked himself and made certain his mother could not read his face.

"Good thing their beast of a brother did not come along," Ida Devitt added, eyes following the three Everards as they climbed the steps to the grand entrance of the manor.

Cole followed Margaret's hand with his eyes as it rose to brush her hair off her face, a fascinating habit not many refined women of society would dare do, her head tilted toward her brother who was trying to say something. And the same hand swiftly moved to smack Levi Everard's upper arm and her expression had turned to one of mock horror. Levi laughed and walked ahead to avoid another attack from Margaret while Lady Alice walked on, ignoring her grown children. He had once been witnessed to the same picture he witnessed just now.

They are still the same Everards, he thought.

His lips quirked but he caught himself and held them tight, finally forcing his eyes off Margaret.

"Leah would have loved attending this party," his mother said. "She would have had a full life with fancy gowns in fancy balls." Her face was stern when she veered her eyes back to Cole. "You ought to know, son, that I pray to God every night, giving Him praises for enlightening your mind those years ago. It would have destroyed me if you married that girl. They took Leah away from us."

His jaw tightened and he drew a deep breath to numb something inside his chest before it even began to creep in. Always, since that day he left, he wished his mother would spare him the aching reminder of everything he had lost. He had not merely lost Leah, but he also lost a best friend and the greatest love of his life. But he always reminded himself that his mother lost a child as well. And he would keep silent and allow her to the luxury of hating and blaming.

But it had changed now. Everything he allowed his mother to say against the Everards out of respect for her grief was not just bringing back the hurt, but they were now starting to feed a growing hatred he never thought he would ever feel toward his own mother. It was one reason why he so carefully, without hurting her feelings, urged her to leave Ashmore two years ago after his father's death. He paid for the villa she shared with her sister, and he would continue to do so until her death. But she could no longer stay in Ashmore. Not after what Cole discovered.

Leah's letters echoed at the back of his head, every word and cry for help clenched at his heart. The guilt he felt for leaving his sister alone, for blaming Benedict Everard for her death, constantly consumed him.

Did you know? He wanted to ask his mother as she blabbered on about the Everards and the unfair privileges they enjoyed in society. Of course, you did. And you let it all happen. You pretend to know nothing and blame everyone else.

"Cole?" Ida Devitt's voice slowly emerged through his own cloud of thoughts. "Did you hear me?"

He blinked away, couldn't look her in the eye. "Yes," he lied.

"Good. And do try to keep away from the gaming halls. You should go and enjoy the company of young, respectable females."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," he murmured.

"My friends would very much like to introduce—"

"No," he sternly interjected. When her eyes widened in surprise at his tone, he forced a smile, hating himself for not having the heart to show her how much he despised her. He had already concluded that it would always be a complicated kind of love, the one he felt toward Ida Devitt. "No," he repeated, this time in a gentle manner. "No matchmaking, Mother."

Their carriage drew to a stop and he fixed his coat, ready to climb out and free himself of his mother's presence. She was good company only when she was with friends, with whom she could continue the pretense of a grieving mother and widow. And she must feel the same with him because she was instantly distracted by other things the moment she stepped out of the carriage.

The Everards had long disappeared into the mansion and he hoped never to encounter them in the duration of the party. The Theobalds held the biggest annual weekend balls, attended by affluent gentries from all over the Town, and it would not be at all curious if one would fail to meet most acquaintances throughout the weekend.

He came not to accompany his mother. He had no wish to spend the entire weekend with her. He was here not because Ida Devitt demanded it. Someone else made him come.

***

She had called herself names since she froze in his presence and she vowed never to have it repeated. Having arrived at the large Theobald mansion, Margaret left the bedchamber she shared with her mother. Since Tori was not yet due to arrive, Margaret wandered around the large estate.

She went to every gaming hall she knew, or those that she was privy to in the years she spent in Theobald parties, and finally gave up after an hour. He might come later or on the morrow as some of the other guests preferred to do.

Very few would arrive late for the weekend party. Most would want to get the best chambers or demand for those reserved for others if they failed to arrive on time. Those who arrived late would simply have to content themselves with the smaller unwanted chambers.

Having decided to search for Levi instead, for her brother needed a little reminder of his task at hand, Margaret retraced her steps. She was crossing the great hallway leading to the grand staircase when she heard a familiar voice that made her heart stop.

She paused and slowly turned around.

And there he was, standing and talking to a man younger than Ralph, both of them deep in conversation to notice anything or anyone.

He not too far for her to not notice the gold brooch pinned on the collar of his black coat. She had seen it too many times in the past and she knew he had a dozen of it at the very least. Even from where she was standing, Margaret knew what that brooch looked like. It would have an image of a bird with its wings spread wide, its claws on top of a letter 'A', which stood for Ashmore, the title attached to the Devitt name, one he inherited after his father's passing.

And along with the memory of the brooch was the bitter picture of the one she designed for him ten years past, a simple round brooch with an amethyst stone in the middle. Thinking of it now, she could not help but scoff as she thought of how naïve she had been to have wasted many hours and nights on that little project.

What have become of it now? Did he throw it away? She wondered for a moment as she stood to watch him and his young friend. Mayhap she ought to demand that he return it, she thought for a brief second. It was still an Everard piece after all, she added in her head. It could be worth a fortune now, considering it was an only piece.

Shaking her head at the absurdity of her thoughts, Margaret focused on her task at hand. She looked around and realized the hallway was almost empty, save for a few guests who had just arrived. As she began to think of postponing her plan on spying on Cole and his oddly young friend, she made the mistake of angling her eyes back toward him and found him staring right back at her.