Page 2 of Keeper of Secrets

His lip curled into a sneer.Aunt Mildred would be filled with all sorts of thoughts on the matter.Love her, treat her like your own.You’re too much like your father, Ryker.Don’t you want to be different from him?

He could hear Aunt Mildred already and she hadn’t even arrived with the girl.Inwardly he bristled at her imagined words, words she’d actually said often enough.He was different from his father.Aunt Mildred was wrong.

He ticked off the mental list of ways he was different.He wouldn’t neglect a wife or a child.And he didn’t make promises he had no intention of keeping.

Despite being the new Duke of Helmsworth, Ryker had vowed not to marry.In that way, he’d never repeat his father’s mistakes.Wasn’t that different enough?

Shifting in his seat, he turned to more fully face the Emperor.“Who is going to be on this subcommittee?”

“Messages will be sent to the chosen men,” the Emperor rumbled.“In the meantime, I will turn the meeting over to our Master of Sins.Since our meeting three days ago was interrupted, we’ve yet to receive our next challenge.”

The energy shifted in the room, but for the first time in years, Ryker was not all that interested.Be it a sexual conquest or a physical challenge, Ryker only listened with half an ear as the Master stood.“This month’s activity will be lighter than usual since we’ve suffered a loss and everyone is in preparation for the upcoming season…”

Ryker looked at his folded hands, studying the pale skin where his signet ring usually sat.He took it off for the meetings to help hide his identity, but he wished he hadn’t.Even the challenge reminded him that his aunt would be coming to stay for the foreseeable future.As events for London’s season would begin in just a few weeks, she’d likely spend the remainder of the winter and most of the spring in his home.

“With that in mind,” the Master continued, “you are to collect, at minimum, a kiss from a perspective debutante.She must have never experienced a season.”

Ryker’s head snapped up.A kiss?That was it?Normally the challenges were much more… risqué.

“Remember, you’re not to get caught and neither is she.If you do, these are the most innocent of ladies and marriage will be the consequence.Along with your removal from the club, of course.With all that said, you’ll need proof.There is a public masquerade this Friday.I’d recommend partnering with another member to attend anonymously.And as a reminder, any man who does not obtain evidence will be on duty at Esmerelda’s.”

Esmerelda’s was the nearby gentleman’s club where ladies of the evening entertained men of their class.Being on duty was not as glamorous as it sounded.Depending on how handily a man lost, he might be washing the beds of the whores.

Cleaning up another man’s spunk was never appreciated and an excellent motivator to complete the task.

“Who chooses to participate?”

Men were allowed to skip one challenge a year but no more.Choosing which one was important.Last year, Ryker had saved his pass until nearly the very end when the challenge had been to… well… challenge a man to a duel.

While most members didn’t choose to leave, some were forced.The year prior, an earl had been caught debauching a lady and had been forced into marriage.

But in the case of the duel challenge, two members had died.

Two ways in which seats sometimes opened.

So as much as Ryker had little interest in stealing some paltry kiss and even less in investigating a murder, he threw in his coin to signal his participation.

Perhaps the kiss would be fun.

Perhaps the Emperor hadn’t chosen him to be part of the subcommittee.

But as the meeting wrapped up, and the men began to leave, making their way to their unmarked carriages, a large finger tapped Ryker’s shoulder.

He turned back to stare in the dark, humorless eyes of the Summoner.

Well.Fuck.

CHAPTERONE

Miss Chloe Fairchildsnapped her mouth closed, so as not to gawk.She peered out the window, the burning lanterns of London dancing in her eyes.The big city.

She’d wished to visit since she’d been a small girl.Compared with the tiny northern village she’d grown up in, London was so busy.

Carriages, horses, and people milled everywhere, even in the dark of night.Lanterns lit the streets and hung from the passing vehicles, filling the night with life.

Nothing of note happened where she was from.Unless one counted death.Which sadly, seemed to affect a person no matter where they lived.

But traveling to London had been a dream of hers and this trip was the small consolation of losing her beloved father so unexpectedly.

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