"Shall I walk you back to your suite?" Andrew asked, as we dismounted and handed the reins over to a pair of stablehands. I was still reeling from the shock of coming upon the entire contingent of debutantes, my outing with the prince suddenly far more public than I'd hoped.

"I'd like that," I said, forcing a smile. Andrew cocked his head as he reached for my hand.

"It was bound to happen, you know," he said, as we used the side entrance away from the prying eyes of the other debutantes. A few of them had been straining to see over the hedges towards the stables, their chatter floating towards us on the wind as they wandered through the rose garden.

"I know," I said, wishing my stomach would stop twisting into knots. Andrew's fingers gave mine a reassuring squeeze.

"I won't be able to see you tonight as we're to go to the embassy for dinner," he said as we walked, the servants bobbing curtseys and dipping bows as we passed, "But I'll come find you after breakfast tomorrow."

"Breakfast! But that's so far away!" I moaned. Andrew chuckled, squeezing my fingers again.

"I'd gladly trade your evening for mine. I'd take a room full of debutantes over a dinner with the Ardalonians any day," he said.

"That's because half the debutantes are in love with you," I said, nudging him with my shoulder. Andrew chuckled again, darting a look around the empty entrance hall before giving my hand a tug to pull me into his arms,

"But there's only one debutante I'm in love with," he said, burying his face into my hair for the briefest of moments before he let me go again. I could have stayed there forever, wrapped in his arms.

"Did Audra remember to give you my surprise?" he asked as we climbed the stairs towards the debutantes' wing.

"She did!" I exclaimed, "I'd gotten so worked up at the opera that I'd completely forgotten to open it!"

"I was wondering why you hadn't thanked me yet," he teased.

"I'll thank you if thanks are due," I replied with feigned haughtiness, sticking my tongue out at him as we reached my door.

"Oh you'll be thanking me, I'm sure of it," he grinned, the look in his green eyes sending my stomach into somersaults again, "Have a good evening, Libby."

I couldn't bear the thought of him leaving so I reached out and seized him by the lapels, pulling him in for a quick kiss goodbye.

"Don't go signing any marriage treaties," I whispered as I pulled away from him. He was grinning, his eyes dancing at my brazenness.

"How could I when I have someone like you waiting for me at the palace?" he said, resting his hand on my cheek, "Try to behave during dinner."

"I always do," I called after him as he turned to leave. He laughed as he threw a glance over his shoulder. I sighed as I leaned back against my doorway, dreamily watching my prince until he disappeared around the corner.

Curiosity got the better of me before long, so I entered my empty suite and crossed straight to my trunk where I'd buried the package from Audra. Laying it out on the bed, I chewed my lip as I cast about for something sharp enough to cut the string. My eyes landed on the letter opener, only to spot a sealed envelope sitting next to it. I snatched it up along with the dull silver blade.

Slicing through the string, I spilled the contents of the bag onto my bed. The little sun in my chest swelled anew as I held up the maid's uniform, the brown wig I'd worn at last Season's masquerade falling out from its folds. I couldn't keep from smiling as I crushed it to my chest, twisting around to collapse onto my bed in a fit of laughter. Only Andrew could know how much I missed that ratty old uniform dress and the freedom it had granted me to sneak around the service corridors. Now with the brown wig, I'd be almost unrecognizable.

"...for the ball tomorrow..."

I rolled off my bed, wadding up the uniform and shoving it back into my trunk, almost forgetting to toss the brown wig and burlap bag in after it as I slammed it closed right before Brenna and Elspeth emerged from the service door.

"My lady! Why are you in riding clothes?" Brenna exclaimed, her arms loaded with fresh bed linens.

"The prince invited me on a ride," I said, shooting a glance towards a very red Elspeth, "And if you're going to be cross with anyone, be cross with me. I asked Elspeth to keep it a secret."

Brenna harrumphed as she deposited the stack of sheets, her brows furrowed as she looked over at Elspeth.

"You have dinner with the other debutantes shortly!" Brenna scolded, taking in the dust and dirt on my clothes, "Elspeth, run a bath. We can't have Libby smelling like a horse, can we?"

I grinned at her, but she harrumphed again. While the two of them fussed around the room, I snatched up the envelope I'd so hastily discarded on the bed. I broke the seal and frowned at the message.

Who else would you like to have seated at our table tonight? You're about to become quite popular...

- Anne

I didn't like the sound of that.

***

It was fortunate that I'd needed the letter opener to open Andrew's gift, otherwise I might have missed Anne's note that turned out to be my saving grace. Thankfully, some turn of fate had given me enough time to send off a reply with Elspeth before Brenna dunked me into the bath and got to scrubbing my hair.

I'd made my way down to the dining room, purposefully late thanks to some strategic debating with Brenna over my dress. She'd been adamantly against the golden ball gown I'd pretended to favour, which I knew was an incredibly silly option for a simple dinner among debutantes. When I'd heard the sounds of the other girls in the hallway on their way to dinner, I finally relented and allowed Brenna to dress me in a much more suitable aubergine formal gown.

When I entered the dining room, however, I realized with a sinking feeling that Anne had indeed been right. I was no farther than two steps in when I was descended upon.

"Oh Libby! Come sit with us!" Emmeline Townsend said, bouncing over to me.

"I'd so love it if you sat next to me!" Sarah Thornbury said, coming up beside her.

"Nonsense, she's coming to sit with us!" Penelope Roxton said, she and her sister Gertie flanking me.

"Don't hog her ladies, you had all last Season so befriend her!" said Camilla Parkhurst, one of Mary Marquette's old ladies-in-waiting who'd been elevated to the status of debutante.

"Need I remind you that you were here last Season, ignoring her?" Penelope snapped. They descended into flinging petty insults and I looked between the group of them, blinking stupidly as I scoured my brain for some way to refuse them.

"Ladies, ladies, let's not get to name-calling," came an unmistakable drawl from behind me. As one, the debutantes gasped, turning hungry eyes towards the younger prince as they curtseyed. Thomas shot me a wink and I fought from rolling my eyes as he offered me his arm.

"Shouldn't you be at the embassy?" I muttered, allowing him to lead me away from the gaggle of disappointed debutantes.

"The invitation stipulated crown princes only," Thomas said, "So now you'll have to suffer through dinner with me."

"Lucky me," I replied. Thomas' rakish grin made a reappearance.

"I'm sure that any of those goggling beauties would kill to switch places with you," he said, pulling my chair out for me. As I sat, I realized with a start that Lord Amberly had risen from the seat across from me.

"Where's Ella?" I blurted out, casting a look around our table. James was seated between Anne and Georgina, Xavier next to her and to my right. Thomas took the seat to my left next to his sister.

"It's a debutantes only dinner," Anne said, blushing for some reason, "I'm sorry I couldn't accommodate your cousin, but the tables were all for six this evening."

I glanced over to where Annabelle was sitting down with Ashley and Mary, the three of them glaring daggers at our table.

"Such is life," I shrugged, hoping Annabelle would forgive me for the slight.

"How was your outing today? I heard the blacksmith's was quite entertaining," James asked, as the last of the debutantes took their seats and our first course was served. I looked at him over my soup, frowning before I realized that Andrew must have told him about my nail making. The two were best friends, so it was only normal he'd heard of it, but I was still struggling with being friendly after all he'd put me through last Season.

"It was wonderful," I replied, taking a spoonful of my soup so I wouldn't have to elaborate.

"Suddenly a woman of few words," Thomas said, "Sulking isn't attractive on you, you know." Next to me, Xavier stiffened.

"I'm not sulking," I fired back, wishing it wasn't so easy for Thomas to get a rise out of me.

"I think she's had a long day is all," Xavier put in, his hardened face the only thing betraying his emotion. Thomas glanced across me towards my brother, Xavier holding his gaze with his jaw set.

"Did you try the treacle tart in Boughton?" Anne asked, her eyes jumping around the table, clearly dismayed by all the tension.

"Not the treacle tart, no," I said, "Though all the fruit pies were delicious."

"Did that awful magistrate bluster and boast about how wonderful his town is?" Thomas drawled, "He's the most pompous appointed official I've ever had the displeasure of meeting."

"He did," I said, "And he was incredibly pushy about the treacle tart."

Anne, Thomas, and James chuckled while I felt as if I was being excluded from some inside joke.

"He thinks those treacle tarts are Boughton's only specialty," James explained to Xavier and Georgina, "While they are indeed delicious, they haven't changed their recipe in decades."

"I'd love to try one someday," Georgina said politely. I looked over towards her and my brother and I felt my stomach sink. The pair of them looked almost as miserable as I felt, clearly uneasy about being seated at the most prestigious table in the dining room. I hid a smile with a sip of soup as Xavier leaned down to whisper something to Georgina, earning him a shy smile in return. I'd have to speak with him after dinner to both push him towards Georgina and apologize for subjecting him to the scrutiny of sitting at the royal table.

"Perhaps we should all go to Boughton one day on a ride," Anne said, Thomas agreeing enthusiastically. After that, the conversation turned to outings and events, giving me some much needed respite from questions and curious glances.

When our soup course was cleared, I risked another look around the dining room. Annabelle seemed happy enough at her table, chattering away with Mary and a pair of inductees I didn't recognize. Ashley had a sour look on her face, her soup sitting untouched before her while Dorian leaned over to whisper something. At his words, she looked up at me, naked hatred in her eyes before she turned them away to look anywhere but at me. Beside her, Dorian was watching me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

"...tomorrow's ball, isn't that right Libby?" Thomas was saying, his knee nudging mine under the table. I looked around the table and my stomach sank when I realized everyone was looking at me again.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" I said, darting a glance towards the grandfather clock in the corner. The day's events had slowly crept up on me and all I wanted to do was curl up in my bed.

"We were discussing how full your dance card will be for tomorrow's ball," Thomas said, "After all, everyone will want a moment with the prince's new favourite."

I couldn't help but dart another glance over towards Ashley, who was now whispering intently with Dorian. As much as I'd been the one to ask Andrew to start courting me openly, suddenly I was wondering whether I was really prepared for everything that entailed.