The Season Read Free Page A

by the French. It's apparently quite vexing for the men at the War Office. With Napoleon's escape from exile last month, they've obviously been preparing for a full -scale push to unseat him; they've considered a number of possible ways that their coded instructions to naval ships might be intercepted and decoded, but it seems there's only one conclusion. English spies."
    Alex had a choice and unladylike word for any Englishman who would sel state secrets in wartime. Ella already had her notebook out and was scribbling. Ignoring her friend's crude language, she spoke without looking up, "Fascinating. Who?"
    Vivi shook her head and waved a hand. "They don't have any idea at this point. It must be someone fairly high up in the War Office who has access to this kind of information. My father was recently placed on the case, along with William ." She made eye contact with Alex at the mention of her friend's eldest brother. "Between the two of them, I'm sure it will be cleared up soon enough. But I'm certain that if anyone can make it more interesting, it's you, Ella ."
    Ella was lost to them for a moment — focused entirely on the words in her journal. Chewing daintily on the end of her lead pencil, her mind was turning over the story she might weave around such a loose collection of information. Leaving her to her reverie, the conversation turned to Vivi and her own preparations for entering society.
    The three girls would attend Almack's for their official coming-out on Wednesday evening. Vivi, the only one without a mother to pester her, had the least amount of animosity for the event. It wasn't that she didn't feel the pressure of society's will as much as her friends. As the ravishing only daughter of a wealthy and decorated marquess, it was simply expected that she marry and marry well , considering that she couldn't inherit her father's title. She'd been hearing this from meddling aunts and the parents of her friends for years, but she had one thing in her favor — her father thought it was a terrible idea to marry for marriage's sake.
    While the ladies of the ton had spent years worrying about Vivi and her twin brother being raised by a widowed father and encouraged the marquess either to deposit his children with any number of female relatives or to quickly remarry, the marquess had flown in the face of convention and flatly refused to do any such thing. Vivi's parents' marriage had been a love match (something that would have been considered disgustingly common had the marquess not been just that — a marquess), and he had showered his daughter with the same caring and affection that he'd given her mother, encouraging her to marry for the same reason he had. Love.
    "You unbelievably lucky chit!" Alex spoke. "You have parental permission — nay, parental expectation! — to avoid all versions of limp-necked, pasty white, simpering dandies who might come calling for your hand in marriage. Are you sure your father wouldn't like to assume charge of me as well ?"
    "I'm not sure my father could handle you." Vivi laughed. "But, in all honesty, I'm not planning to avoid anyone's simpering wish for my hand. My plan is to gain as many proposals as possible. I need to hone my flirting skill s if I'm going to catch The One."
    The One. Vivi had always been the only girl in the threesome who believed in "The One." Ella speculated that it was the result of her being the product of a love match. Alex felt she knew better, however, and could never shake the idea that Vivi had already set her sights on the man she wanted. Vivi, ever mysterious, refused to respond to any prodding or cajoling for more information on the subject, leaving her friends with a simple: "Everybody has a One.
    We just aren't all will ing to wait for Him."
    Alex snorted indecorou sly. "I don't think it is unwill ingness to wait, Viv ... I'm more than will ing to wait. Years! Decades even!" Her eyes twinkled with laughter.
    Ella chimed in with, "Centuries! Mill