The Season (Season Series #1)

Chapter 12: Midnight in the Library

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I remained in the service corridor for a few more minutes, catching my breath and silently congratulating myself on a successful sabotage. Through the thick walls, I could hear the clock striking ten and I grinned. The ball wouldn't end for another few hours, which gave me ample time to do as I wished now that I had a proper maid's disguise.

I descended the stairs, pausing near each of the ground floor doors to poke them open and peek through. The first let out into the entrance hall, which I hastily closed since Harriet Smith and Martin Pendleton were walking by not a few feet from me. I continued along the hallway, peeking in to each room only to find a collection of sitting rooms. One had a piano and seating for a small band, while another had a number of gaming tables. I turned a corner in the service corridor to reach the third room, only to give a little squeak of delight.

Behind the third door was the little library that Princess Anne had shown me on my second day at court. Thankfully, the full moon was spilling through the tall windows onto a small reading desk nestled into a corner of the room. I entered the library, careful to prop the service door open with the edge of one of the wall hangings before starting my perusal of the darkened shelves.

Without a candle, it was nearly impossible to see the writing on the book spines, but I made my way towards where I'd noticed a set of travel encyclopaedias. Their thick leather bound volumes were easy enough to find by touch and I lugged down the first, setting it onto the reading desk.

A Compendium of World Travels - The Far East

I rubbed my hands together eagerly, kicking off my shoes as I pulled open the cover of the book. Thankfully the moonlight was bright enough to read by, but only barely. I had just tucked my stockinged feet under me when the library door swung open, flooding the front part of the room with light, and a giggling girl swept in, her skirts swaying around her.

"Tell me!" she whispered, pulling someone in after her. I was frozen in place, my eyes searching for someplace to hide myself, but the desk below me was simply four legs and a table top. The closest curtains were a good two strides away.

"Close the door, please,"

My eyes flicked back to the couple at the door, and my jaw fell open as I watched the girl - Mary Marquette, easily the silliest, most flirtatious of the elite debutantes - pull the door closed behind her, her wide blue eyes batting long lashes at the prince. But his posture, like his tone, was uncomfortable. I sank a little in my chair as he turned to face her.

"I'm afraid I must ask you to stop this unseemly behaviour," he said. The bounce in her step disappeared as she backed away from him towards the door, dropping his hand.

"Unseemly behaviour?" she repeated, all the effervescence gone from her voice.

"Lady Marquette, to be a part of this season requires a standard of manners and poise," Prince Andrew continued, clearly ill at ease delivering this news, "If you wish to stay, this simpering possessiveness must end now,"

The silence hung heavy in the room and I didn't dare breathe. My eyes flicked to the back of Mary's head, waiting eagerly to see how poorly she'd take this. I didn't much like her anyway, especially thanks to the barbed comments she liked to toss my way at breakfast.

"Andrew," she pleaded, snatching up his hand, "You and I have known each other our entire lives, unlike those other debutantes. You know as well as I do that we're meant to be together!" she pleaded, snatching up his hand. The ice in his eyes as he pulled his hand away was enough to lift my eyebrows.