On the way back, he stopped at the inn he’d planned to take Mrs. Ward to. Noth’in fancy. He couldn’t afford that, but it was clean and the ale was good.

Dobbins had just sat down to dinner when another man took the chair across from him. “I ain’t seen you in a long time.”

He smiled at his childhood friend and waved to the barkeep for another ale. “Mitchell, it’s good to see you.”

“You look like you got somethin’ sour on your mind.”

The pint of ale arrived, and Dobbins told his friend about the trouble he’d had with the Ward woman, leaving out how he helped her dead husband to his grave. “Just when ye think yer going to get what ye want, someone comes along and ruins it.”

“Damn grandlings.” Mitchell scowled. “Think they own the world. I’d stay around and help put a scare in her, but I got ta get back ta Lundun.”

“Lundun?” Dobbins stared at his friend. “Is that where you’re liv’in now?”

Mitchell puffed out his chest. “Fer the past two years. Got a good job there.”

“That’s where Lady Eleanor’s go’in to be.”

“Well, now.” He took a long drink of ale. “It looks like I can help ye after all. Been in Lundun for a few years now and got no love for those aristocrats. We ought to have us our own revolution. Like the Frenchies did.”

It was too much of a risk to do real damage to the woman, but . . . “Scare her real good. So she’s always looking around her.”

“Easy enough to do. It’s a busy city. Anythin’ can happen.” His friend grinned. “It’ll be a real pleasure helpin’ ye get back at her.”

Early morning, Hyde Park, London

Lady Eleanor Carpenter rode to the left of her sister, Madeline, with Alice on the right. Six years ago, Madeline’s brother, the Earl of Worthington, married Eleanor and Alice’s eldest sister, Lady Grace Carpenter, thus combining all eleven of the brothers and sisters into one family. Early on, all of them had decided they would refer to each other as brothers and sisters without regard to last names or blood ties. Without any discussion needed, Eleanor and Alice had decided they and Madeline would be triplets and included her in everything they did. Still, Eleanor’s bond with her twin never lessened. Shortly thereafter, Charlotte, Dotty, her closest friend, and Louisa, Madeline’s eldest sister, wed.

Breathing in the early spring air, Eleanor spotted bulbs sprouting from the edges of the Park. The forsythias had already bloomed, showing off their bright yellow flowers. “I cannot believe we are finally here.”