The Shadows: Regency Romance (Ladies, Love, and Mysteries) Read online

  The Shadows

  Ladies, Love, and Mysteries

  Joyce Alec

  Contents

  Love Light Faith

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  Love Light Faith

  More Stories You’ll Love

  Thank You!

  The Shadows

  Text Copyright © 2019 by Joyce Alec

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First printing, 2019

  Publisher

  Love Light Faith, LLC

  400 NW 7th Avenue, Unit 825

  Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

  Love Light Faith

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  1

  It had been an enormous pleasure to see her friend, Lady Marion, step into the church to marry Lord Haddington, Julia reflected. She smiled to herself as the carriage continued to roll on toward Lord and Lady Haddington’s home, thinking about how different things had been last Season. She had not been able to concentrate solely on finding herself a husband, for she had become quite caught up in the mystery surrounding Lord Haddington and the strange illness that had struck him each time he drew near to Lady Marion. Thankfully, that had been solved without any lasting damage to Lord Haddington, and things had come to a very satisfactory end.

  And now you will have to do your very best to find yourself a husband, she reminded herself, a little grimly. Your brother will not have you running around London again this year.

  Her brother, Viscount Steele, having taken on the title only three years previous, was less than inclined toward going out into society and doing all that was required of him as regarded his sister. For her previous two Seasons, he had done his best to accompany Julia but had found himself much preferring to spend time with his own acquaintances and pursuing his own pleasures. Julia had found herself somewhat neglected, for whilst her brother was remiss in his duties, he was not unkind or cruel, just rather self-interested. Therefore, for this Season, he had found Julia a suitable companion in the form of a rather robust cousin of his, a Mrs. Law, who knew precisely what was expected and had assured Viscount Steele that she would help Julia to find a suitable match without delay. She was quite short and stumpy, with small, green eyes and greying brown hair that was always tied back into a very tight bun. Her manners were quite good and by her outward appearance alone, she appeared to be more than suitable.

  Unfortunately for Julia, Mrs. Law was also inclined toward ‘blue ruin’—gin—as well as sherry, should she be able to get her hands on it. They had only been in London for a week and Julia had already noticed just how much of a drunkard Mrs. Law was. She was tolerable enough during the day and always able to accompany Julia to wherever she needed to go, but thereafter, her intention to stand by Julia’s side and act as a proper companion began to fade. By the evening, Mrs. Law would be a trifle unsteady on her feet, her smile would be a little lopsided, and her eyes somewhat unfocused. Julia grimaced as she darted a look toward her companion. It was late afternoon and by the rosy color in Mrs. Law’s cheeks, she could tell that the lady had already imbibed a good deal. Not that she intended to tell her brother of such a thing, however, for that might mean that her brother, in his lack of interest in her, might send her back to his own estate until the following Season, rather than find her another more suitable companion—and Julia did not want to return home to her brother’s cold, quiet estate where she had very little to engage her. Besides which, this would be her third Season and Julia knew time was growing short for her to find a suitable match before she was placed on the shelf by society and considered nothing more than a spinster.

  Sighing to herself, Julia sat back against the squabs and let her eyes close for a moment as she rested her head back. This Season held a good deal of promise, regardless of how Mrs. Law behaved. Last Season had been Julia’s second time in London and it had been quite lovely—although there had been no one of note in her circle of friends and acquaintances. She had danced very often and conversed a good deal, but no gentleman had sought to court her, although one or two had called for afternoon tea on occasion. She herself had felt no urgings within her heart, no desire to be close to any one of her gentlemen callers. There had simply been no interest there, not even a flicker of attraction or regard for any of them. It was foolish, really, to long for such a thing, when she knew that she was not of particular note to anyone, but still, Julia could not help but hope. She wanted to feel that surge of happiness, feel the blush rise to her cheeks as she saw the one her heart longed for. She had seen that look on Lady Marion’s face whenever she had caught sight of Lord Haddington, and that had sent a desire to feel that very thing within her own heart.

  The carriage began to slow and Julia opened her eyes, sitting up hopefully as she saw Lady Haddington’s townhouse come into view. She could tell which one it was by the sight of the footman dressed in the household’s livery standing by the door, clearly ready to greet whichever of Lady Haddington’s friends appeared first. Her hands tightened in her lap in anticipation, looking across at Mrs. Law, whose eyes were closed and her mouth hanging a little ajar, and wondering if she ought to leave the lady to sleep.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Hawkins.”

  The carriage door was pulled open by the footman, who greeted her formally and then made sure the steps were put in place.

  “I thank you,” Julia murmured, accepting the footman’s hand as she climbed out of the carriage. “If you would, leave my companion to sleep.” Another glance over her shoulder confirmed that Mrs. Law was still in the depths of sleep, leaving Julia to grimace with distaste. “I do not think she will waken soon.”

  The footman inclined his head. “But of course,” he answered. “If you please, Miss Hawkins.” He gestured to the front door. “Lady Haddington is waiting.”

  Stepping inside, Julia gave her bonnet and gloves to the waiting butler and then was shown directly into the drawing room, having no opportunity to look about the magnificently decorated hallway in admiration. Quickly following the butler, she was soon ushered into a large drawing room where, much to her delight, Lady Haddington and Miss Seymour already sat.

  “Ah, Miss Hawkins,” Lady Haddington rose to her feet at once, her hands outstretched and a bright smile on her face. Glad to see her friend again, Julia clasped Lady Haddington’s hands and returned her smile.

  “Thank you for the invitation to take tea, Lady Haddington,” she answered as her friend embraced her. “It is so wonderful to be back in London and to see you all again.”

  “Miss Hawkins,” Miss Seymour murmured, coming over to embrace Julia also. “I am very glad to see you again. It has been a very long year, h
as it not?”

  Julia laughed and nodded, knowing that Miss Seymour was also very fond of London and less delighted to go back to her father’s estate when it was required. “Indeed, it has felt very long indeed,” she answered as Lady Haddington directed her to sit down. “But I am happy to be back in London now.”

  Lady Haddington frowned suddenly, the lightness gone from her expression. “Is your maid here?” she asked, bringing a flush of embarrassment to Julia’s cheeks. “If so, she is welcome to go below stairs until—”

  “My companion, Mrs. Law, is waiting for me in the carriage,” Julia interrupted, and Lady Haddington’s expression changed to one of understanding. “Unfortunately,” she continued, having no desire to hide anything from her friends, “she is asleep. As she often is when she has imbibed a little too much.” Glancing from one to the other, she saw Lady Haddington frown whilst Miss Seymour clicked her tongue and shook her head.

  “That is most unfortunate,” Lady Haddington answered with an irritated look. “And how long have you had her?”

  “Only a sennight,” came Julia’s swift reply. “But I dare not say a word to my brother, for fear that he will bring my time in London to an end before it has even begun.”

  A short silence caught the room for a few moments, but it was a companionable one. One that spoke to Julia’s heart, and told her that her friends understood and did not judge her for her companion’s lack of sobriety.

  “Then we must make quite certain that you are not alone at any of the many occasions we will be attending this Season,” Lady Haddington said after a few moments. “I am sure there will be many gentlemen eager to seek you out this year, Miss Hawkins.” She smiled and opened her mouth to say more, only for the door to open and the butler to announce the arrival of Lady Catherine and Lady Ann. With a broad smile, Lady Haddington rose to greet them, as did Julia and Miss Seymour. There was a wonderful sense of companionship between them all as greetings were exchanged, smiles on each of their faces and a sense of growing happiness in Julia’s heart that she was sure was reflected in her friends’ faces.

  “Now,” Lady Haddington said quietly as tea and cakes were brought in and set down in front of them, “I have something that I want to discuss with you all.”

  “Oh?” Julia looked up, a little surprised to hear Lady Haddington speak with such decisiveness. “What is it?”

  “Well,” Lady Haddington smiled, her eyes bright as she looked around the room at her friends. “Last Season, if you will recall, you all helped me tremendously.”

  Lady Catherine laughed softly. “Indeed, we did,” she answered as Julia smiled back at her. “We helped your dear husband to recover from those maladies that struck him every time he drew near you.”

  “Indeed you did,” Lady Haddington answered with a gleam in her eye that spoke of an idea that had captured her mind. “And with that, I have come up with a suggestion that I would like to share with you all.”

  Intrigued, Julia accepted a cup of tea from her host and looked about the room at the others. Lady Catherine and Lady Ann were glancing at each other and Miss Seymour was staring fixedly at Lady Haddington. There was a slight tension rising within the room as they all waited for Lady Haddington to say more.

  “I think there is something that we might use to the benefit of others,” Lady Haddington continued with a small smile of awareness that they were all watching her intently. “There is a sharpness of mind that has been displayed already and I think we might offer such a service to others.”

  Julia began to frown but chose to say nothing, taking a small sip of her tea as she looked at Lady Haddington. She was not quite certain what it was her friend meant but was, she decided, eager to hear more.

  “What do you mean, Lady Haddington?” Lady Ann asked, leaning forward in her chair. “You want us to help others with similar difficulties?”

  Lady Haddington nodded fervently, becoming a little more animated. “Yes, that is precisely what I mean!” she exclaimed as a jolt of surprise ran down Julia’s spine. “My husband is already in agreement, of course, for we will need him to help.”

  “Help?” Julia found herself repeating, looking from Lady Haddington to Miss Seymour and back again. “Might you explain a little more, Lady Haddington? Just so I can be certain what it is you mean.”

  Lady Haddington nodded, sighed, and picked up her tea, stirring it absently with a teaspoon. “There was a great mystery surrounding Lord Haddington last Season,” she said as Julia nodded. “You all helped that mystery to be brought to an end. We discovered everything, did we not?”

  “We did,” Lady Catherine agreed, glancing at her sister, who was also nodding. “And thereafter, everything was brought to a very satisfactory conclusion.”

  “Then why do we not offer to help others?” Lady Haddington asked, leaning forward in her chair and looking at them all eagerly. “What if there are others within London who are struggling with such troubles and we then offer to help them?”

  There was a short silence for a moment or two as each of the young ladies considered what Lady Haddington had said. Julia chewed it over in her mind, feeling a small thrill of excitement running through her and realizing that this was something that she quite liked the sound of.

  “I would like to help, I think,” she said quietly, although her brows knotted together. “I must not neglect what is expected of me this Season, however.”

  “No, of course not,” Lady Haddington said, setting down her teacup on the table, her eyes bright. “But I know that there is a desire in all of our hearts to do more and be more than just simple debutantes seeking out a husband for themselves.” She smiled at each of her friends. “There is an eagerness to be more than what is expected. I have seen that in myself and I see it in each of you—which is mayhap why we are all such good friends.”

  This brought a small burst of laughter from the other young ladies, although Julia knew that they all agreed wholeheartedly with what Lady Haddington said. They had spent two Seasons together as friends thus far and there was something within them that was very similar to what Lady Haddington had described. Julia did not want to simply find a husband, marry, and settle into a new life. She wanted to become something more, to be something more.

  “I—I think I should like to do something like that.”

  Julia turned her head to see Miss Seymour speaking quietly, her hands tight in her lap and her knuckles white. There was a tenseness about her that Julia did not quite understand, and her smile faded as she looked at her friend.

  “I found last Season to be quite wonderful,” Miss Seymour continued as everyone else watched her closely. “I would like to continue with such a thing, if we could.”

  Lady Haddington nodded, although there was a flicker of concern in her eyes that Julia, too, felt within her own heart.

  “And what say you, Lady Catherine, Lady Ann?” Lady Haddington asked as the two sisters nodded together. “You are in agreement?”

  Lady Ann began to smile, her cheeks a little flushed. “If you will forgive me for saying it, Lady Haddington, I found last Season to be quite exciting,” she said honestly. “It was more than a little out of the ordinary and whilst I did not want Lord Haddington to continue being ill, I did enjoy trying to work out the truth.”

  “As did I,” Lady Catherine agreed without any hesitation. “Do you really think people might seek us out in order to obtain our advice?”

  Julia shook her head, her brows lowering. “I do not think they will, no,” she said, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. “We are only five young ladies, with no evidence of our supposed abilities. Whilst I like the thought of being able to do such a thing, Lady Haddington, what can we do to convince people that we will be able to help them?”

  Seconds ticked by before Lady Haddington answered, her voice low and quiet and filled with a new sense of seriousness.

  “You are quite correct there, Miss Hawkins,” she conceded. “I have spoken to Lord Haddington and h
e agrees. The ton will be less inclined to speak to young ladies about certain difficulties—but the more we do, then perhaps the more the beau monde will be willing to ask for our help.”

  “But how do we do such a thing in the first place?” Miss Seymour asked, spreading her hands. “If they will not come to us in the first place, then—”

  Lady Haddington held up one hand, a small smile catching one side of her mouth. “That is where my darling husband comes in,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “Lord Haddington wants very much to help us and so has suggested that he might use his story to bring others to us.”

  Julia blinked, trying to work out what it was Lady Haddington meant. “He would tell his acquaintances that we helped him solve the mystery surrounding him?”

  “Precisely,” Lady Haddington answered. “He might stretch the truth here and there but he is confident that he will be able to bring us more than a few little mysteries or puzzles to solve.”

  “And the more we set to rights, the more those in the ton might trust us,” Lady Ann said, clearly understanding what Lady Haddington meant.

  Lady Haddington nodded approvingly. “Yes, that is the hope,” she answered as Julia took in a long breath, feeling a little more excitement than before now that Lady Haddington had explained everything. “So what do you each say? I will state that I do not think we should go ahead without everyone’s agreement.”

  “I agree,” Julia said without hesitation. “I would be glad to do all we can to help others in difficult situations.” She tilted her head and shrugged, a grin catching her mouth. “Besides which, with my less than proper companion, I fear that I will need to spend a good deal of time with my friends this Season.”