Allegra's look was distinctly interested. "How, Papa?" she asked her father.

"By marrying him, my dear. While I trust Quinton Hunter to keep his word to me regarding his behavior toward you, I know that it chafes him that he must take a wife to save his estates. Worse, that bride is not, he believes, his equal socially. That is your not so subtle revenge upon this man. Whatever he may believe, you are most certainly his equal, for his bloodline and your wealth balance each other out. You know it. He may never accept it, and that, my dear daughter, will give you an advantage over this man. But one day when you know each other better, you will, I suspect, soothe his pride so that he believes he has at long last won the battle between you."

The realization of Lord Morgan's words sank into her conscience. Suddenly Allegra smiled. "Ohh, Papa, how clever you are! I have been so angry I have not been thinking straight."

"The duke will meet us tonight at Almack's Rooms," Lord Morgan told his daughter. "I thought we would announce your engagement the night of your ball."

"When will we be married'?" Allegra asked her father.

"Not until the autumn. Your new home needs a great deal of renovation. I shall arrange to hire an architect and send him down to Hunter's Lair with a party of workmen next week. I think you will have to spend part of your summer overseeing the work and choosing your decorations. Where would you like to go on a honeymoon trip?"

"I must think about it, Papa. Just getting used to the idea of marrying the Duke of Sedgwick is enough for me now." She arose from her chair and kissed his cheek. "Forgive my earlier outburst," she said. "May I tell Sirena?"

"Not quite yet, my dear. Let your cousin have her moment in the sun. Hers is the more unusual of the two matches for she and young Pickford are genuinely in love. They are most fortunate."

"Am I not fortunate also, Papa?" Allegra asked him. "After all, I am to be a duchess, the wife of the man with the bluest blood in all of England."

"You are fortunate, Allegra," Lord Morgan assured his daughter. "Quinton Hunter has no stain upon his reputation. He will be a good husband to you, my dear. See that you are as good a wife."

"I will be, Papa. After I get used to the idea of it," she amended her promise.

"Wear one of your prettiest dresses tonight," Lord Morgan advised her. "And, I shall see that both you and Sirena have beautiful wedding gowns and trousseaux. You have both done very well for your families and I am proud of my pair of girls."

"Ohh, Papa, what will you do without me?" Allegra wondered. Then she brightened. "Why, Papa, you must marry Aunt Olympia!"

Lord Morgan flushed beet red. "God's mercy, Allegra, whatever made you say a thing like that?"

Allegra looked hard at her father whose features bore a distinctly guilty look of sorts. "Perhaps," she said, "I say it because I realize that you and my aunt suit. She is a respectable widow, and you the injured party in a divorce settled years ago. Do you really want her to go back to that tiny dower house at Rowley? Would she not grace your table once I am gone, Papa? Be a most amenable companion?"

"You are too clever by far, you minx," he replied. "I will admit to you that I have considered marrying again. Do you not think, Allegra, that if I choose your aunt there might be gossip?"

"If I have learned one thing this season, Papa, it is that there will always be gossip, even of the most innocent situation. You and my aunt are perfect for one another. I shall, of course, say nothing of our conversation, Papa, but I should not be unhappy if you wed Aunt Olympia one day."

"It pleases me that I have your blessing," he replied dryly.

Allegra laughed. "I had best decide what to wear to Almack's this evening," she said, kissing his brow. Then she hurried from the room and ran upstairs to her aunt's rooms where she knew Sirena and Ocky would now be. "Are you pleased, Aunt?" she asked as she entered Lady Abbott's apartment. "Sirena has bagged herself a lovely viscount."

"Allegra!" her aunt cried, flushing, for that was exactly what she had been thinking. She could barely wait to tell Augustus.

"Do you really think I'm lovely?" Viscount Pickford asked, chuckling. "I don't think I've ever been called lovely before."

"Definitely lovely," Allegra responded. "I think my cousin most fortunate, as are you, Ocky. May you have many happy years."

Sirena burst into tears. "Ohh, if only you would find the same happiness that 1 have found," she sobbed.

"The richest girl in England must settle, dearest coz, for a splendid title, and I will. True love is most rare as we all know, Sirena. You and Ocky are among the more fortunate." Then Allegra turned to Viscount Pickford. "Ocky, will you allow Rupert Tanner to stay with you? Papa feels gossip might ensue if he remained here, especially as Papa turned down Lord Ackerly's proposal for my hand. He's a very nice fellow as I am certain you have already ascertained."

"Of course he may stay with us," Viscount Pickford replied.

"Thank you, Lovely," Allegra responded mischievously. "I must go and choose a gown for Almack's tonight. Lord, for all their pretensions it is a dreary place. The rooms are quite unattractive, and the dance floor dreadful. As for the supper, we shall not even mention it, but then one does not go to Almack's to eat, but to be seen." Blowing them all a kiss she departed her aunt's chamber.

"She can be so outrageous," Lady Abbott said weakly. "I don't know what you must think of her, Octavian."

"I think she is charming, madame," the viscount responded. "And as Sirena loves her so dearly, that is good enough for me."


***

The subject of their conversation hurried to her own rooms where her maid, Honor, was sitting, sewing the hem on a gown that had been torn. "What shall we wear tonight?" Allegra said as she entered.

"Is it important?" Honor asked her mistress.

"Yes," Allegra said, "I believe it is."

"Ohh, miss, tell me, do!" Honor begged.

"Not yet," Allegra said, "but soon, Honor."

Putting her sewing aside, the maid arose. "There is a lovely gown you haven't yet worn." She ran to the wardrobe, and drew a garment out. "Here it is!" She held it out for Allegra's perusal.

Allegra nodded her approval. The high-waisted gown was striped with broad bands of pink and cream watered silk. The elbow-length sleeves dripped lace. The rounded neckline was fashionably low.

"We can pick some of them beautiful pink roses from the garden for your hair, miss," Honor said. "And you can wear that sweet pink cameo on the gold chain your pa just bought you, and pearl earbobs."

"I will want a bath," Allegra replied.

"Is it true Lady Sirena is marrying that handsome viscount she's been keeping company with all season?" Honor hung the gown out.

"How do you servants learn all the gossip so quickly?" Allegra laughed. "That has always fascinated me."

"Damaris was there when Lady Sirena and her beau come up to her mother's rooms," Honor said. "She came to tell me right away. To brag was more likely," Honor told her mistress a trifle sourly. "She sometimes gets above herself, does Damaris."

"I'll make you proud soon enough," Allegra promised her maid.


***

They left for Almack's Assembly Rooms in King Street just before ten o'clock that evening. As Allegra had noted earlier the rooms were not particularly distinguished, but Almack's was considered the place to be and be seen in London society. Founded in 1765 by Mr. McCall, exclusivity was its trademark. Balls were held each Wednesday during the season. Low-level gambling was allowed.

One did not simply go to Almack's. Its patronesses issued vouchers to the chosen, and that voucher allowed one to purchase a ticket into the social heaven. Rank and wealth were important, but not a guarantee of acceptance by the patronesses, of whom Lady Bellingham was currently one.

It was at the Bellingham ball that the season's crop of young ladies were observed by the patronesses. They then met to decide who would be allowed into Almack's that season and who would not. It was a near thing for Allegra despite her father's wealth, for the patronesses had noted she danced only one dance. The last dance. Gaining their sworn agreement that they would not tell the tale, Lady Bellingham explained that the Duke of Sedgwick had been the first to ask Allegra for a dance, and shy, she had said her card was full, when indeed it was not. The duke, however, had seen the empty card, and played a wicked trick on poor Miss Morgan, for he had taken umbrage at her refusal.

"Poor child," Lady Markham, one of the other patronesses said sympathetically. "Sedgwick is as handsome as the devil himself, but overproud. Of course an inexperienced girl would have been terrified."

The other ladies murmured in agreement as Lady Bellingham continued her story. And when she had finished they all assented that dear Miss Morgan must certainly be issued a voucher, along with her pretty little cousin, Lady Sirena Abbott. Olympia Abbott knew that it was thanks to her friend that both her daughter and her niece were admitted to the sacred circle that Almack's was acknowledged to be. She was quite deeply in Lady Bellingham's debt now.