Page 3 of A Season for Christmas

“Samuel. Good to see you again.” He gestured to the younger man beside him. “You’ve met Captain Anthony Browne?”

“The brave soul who married Evie? Yes, we met at your wedding.” Samuel smiled as he strode forward, shaking the man’s hand in greeting. Evie was Oliver’s niece, and a more independent, strong-minded young woman Oliver had never met.

“I’ll let Mrs. Browne know that Mr. North has arrived,” Stims said from behind him.

Samuel started to turn before he caught himself and looked at Oliver and Captain Browne, raising one questioning eyebrow. Oliver smiled, though it looked more like a grimace on the older man’s face.

“Anthony and Evie have taken over for me with my duties to the Crown,” Oliver explained. “And we have a favor to ask of you.”

Samuel blinked in surprise. Though he had known Oliver was the spymaster to the Crown—he’d done his duty by the Crown on his own travels at times, under Oliver’s direction—he had not known the reins had been passed. He certainly hadn’t expected them to be passed to the man’s niece. Her husband, perhaps, but quite frankly, he’d expected Oliver’s eldest son Elijah to take up the mantle.

“Though not before Evie joins us,” Captain Brown said cheerfully. Unlike Oliver, he seemed unperturbed by the idea of his wife helping to run their country’s intelligence organization.

“Right.” Samuel tilted his head down at the map they’d been looking at. It only took him a moment to note where the eight black markers had been laid down—Clarence, Hereford, St. Albans, Bolton, Montagu, Ormonde, Grafton, Northumberland… “The dead dukes.”

“Yes.” Oliver sighed, looking down at the map as well. He didn’t get a chance to say anything more before the door behind them opened again. Samuel lifted his head, turning to meet Mrs. Browne’s green gaze as she entered the room. She looked every inch the lady in a dark red damask gown and her hair pulled up and out of her way.

“Mrs. Browne,” Samuel said, nodding his greeting, which was returned.

“Mr. North. Thank you for coming.” Her brisk tone belied her delicate appearance as she moved to the table.

“Well, I cannot say I’m glad to be here until I know exactly why I’m here,” he said with an easy smile, turning the statement into a jest.

Her lips curved in return.

“You’re here because we need you to be a spy, of course.”

2

Samuel

The bald statement from Mrs. Browne made Samuel raise his eyebrows again. Oliver had always been much more genteel when he’d recruited Samuel’s services, asking for a favor or a package to be passed on. Occasionally, he would ask Samuel to keep an ear out for specific information or to deliver a message. He certainly would never make such a bold statement.

He glanced at Oliver, who appeared amused by his niece’s opening. Beside her, her husband was studying the map again.

“You have been invited to spend Christmas with the Duke of Clarence, have you not?” Mrs. Browne asked, pushing forward into the silence.

“I have.” Though he wondered at how they’d come by the information. He had not exactly bandied it about. On the other hand, he had not kept it a secret either. “I leave in three days for his estate.”

He and Gregory had met and became friends at Oxford. Good friends. They’d managed to keep in touch duringSamuel’s long travels, maintaining the connection even as others were lost. Upon his return to England this summer, Gregory had been thrilled to renew the friendship in person and had insisted Samuel join him and his family for the holiday when he’d discovered Samuel had no plans to celebrate.

Considering the man had just lost his father, Samuel had not felt able to say no. He was used to spending his holidays alone, as his parents had both passed when he was young, and the grandmother who’d raised him had also said her final farewell just before he’d decided to leave London. Losing Catherine to Lord Cross had been the original impetus for him to take his leave of his home, but he would have returned to visit more often, if not for the loss of his grandmother as well.

“I know you and Clarence are friends, but…” Oliver started to speak, then hesitated.

His niece had no such compunction.

“We need to know if he had anything to do with his father’s death.” Her statement landed like lead in the room, and beside her, Captain Browne put his hand on her shoulder.

Samuel looked at them all.

“You… you can’t possibly think…” His voice trailed off because, obviously, they did think. It was true Gregory could be rash and that he was a bit of a ne’er-do-well. He was a rake, a bit of a gambler, and admittedly irresponsible in many aspects of his life. But patricide? Not only that, but multiple deaths on his head? “I thought it was an accident.”

The other three exchanged another glance.

“It’s possible, but we have recently uncovered some information that makes us think otherwise. We are not accusing the Duke of Clarence, you understand.” CaptainBrowne tapped on the map where the duke’s lands were. “We are looking to see if there is any motive that he might have to… hasten his inheritance.”

Closing his eyes, Samuel pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to fend off the headache that was now threatening. He wanted to say that no, of course, Gregory could never do such a thing, but…

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