Page 17 of Whiskers and Wiles

If Kat had kept her conversation to the ladies she seemed so suspiciously interested in, that would have been one thing. But the harridan had been vociferously overjoyed to find herself seated next to the snake, Headland, as soon as they’d all found their places around the supper table.

“Do you not find balls to be one of the most enjoyable forms of entertainment, Lord Headland?” Kat asked, though her gaze was directed across the table, at Mrs. Bowman, not at him, Waldorf noted, as she spoke.

“I adore a ball,” Headland replied, seemingly delighted that Kat was offering him so much attention.

Their interactions had set Waldorf’s teeth on edge from the moment they’d all taken their seats. He did not trust Headlandas far as he could see the man. He’d learned too much about his questionable business dealings and had discovered things he rather wished he did not know about the way the bastard treated prostitutes down by the docks. And that was without considering the role the man had played in his break with Kat.

“Balls are the liveliest of entertainments,” Mrs. Bowman agreed. “Provided one attends the right balls.”

“You are quite right, Mrs. Bowman,” Kat said with an openness in her smile that was not like Kat at all. It was a clear sign to Waldorf that she had some sort of ulterior motive in engaging in the conversation to begin with.

“Which balls this season are you most looking forward to, Lady Vivien?” Kat went on, monopolizing the conversation to a degree that Waldorf did not like one bit.

“I—” Lady Vivien was caught off-guard by the question. She’d been too busy grinning at Lady Beata across the table, as if the two of them were not yet out of the nursery instead of being newly out in society. “I had not thought about it,” she answered after a pause. “They all seem so wonderful. Which are you looking forward to, Lord Headland?”

Waldorf frowned. Lady Vivien was seated on Lord Headland’s other side, no doubt in Lady Thistlewhite’s mind as another potential bride.

“I should not care a whit about balls at my stage of life,” Headland said, smiling condescendingly at the young woman. “I am a man still in mourning, after all.” Lady Vivien looked disappointed for a moment, but Headland made her smile again as he asked Kat, “Which balls do you plan to attend, Lady Katherine?”

Waldorf watched with narrowed eyes as a dozen emotions passed through Kat’s expression. She was torn about something, he could see. He knew Kat far too well to miss when she was in the throes of an emotional dilemma.

More than that, Kat fiddled with her fork for a moment, inching slightly away from Headland, and turning to Lady Thistlewhite at the end of the table. “I am particularly looking forward to Lady Ryman’s ball on Friday,” she said, smiling with her mouth but looking pained all the same.

Waldorf stroked his whiskers in thought with one hand, attempting to see through Kat’s veil of behavior to guess what covert mission she must be undertaking.

He was surprised to suddenly notice Lord Pollock matching his gesture farther down the table by rubbing his own overly long sideburns. Not only that, Lord Pollock stared directly at Waldorf as he made the gesture.

Waldorf nearly coughed in surprise. Clearly, Lord Pollock was another operative of the Badger Society. He wished he’d known another Badger would be at the supper before attending, but that was the price of belonging to a secretive organization. Even more, by the way Lord Pollock continued to scratch at his chin, Waldorf was certain the man had something he wished to relate to him.

His attention had been so taken by Lord Pollock that Waldorf had missed some of the conversation that had continued between Kat and Lady Thistlewhite. His attention returned to the conversation just as Lady Thistlewhite said, “Yes, but it is the principle of the thing. One cannot be seen to patronize a woman who has advocated for the independence of our colonies in America.”

“The Independence of the American colonies is a given,” Mr. Bowman said.

Lord Thistlewhite appeared shocked. “I’d no idea you held such views, sir.”

Mr. Bowman shrugged. “An independent America would serve the financial interests of Britannia far more effectively than keeping them on as an adjacent responsibility,” he said.“Their kingdoms are at such odds with each other that the kingdoms of the New Heptarchy could negotiate extremely favorable trading terms as the two major American kingdoms compete against each other for our business.”

“I have never considered that,” Lady Pollock said.

Kat looked alarmed, as though the conversation were slipping away from her. Waldorf knew the look of an operative being forcibly steered away from their mission when he saw it. He gathered that, for whatever reason, Kat had been charged with convincing Lady Thistlewhite to attend Lady Ryman’s ball. Why else would she speak so incessantly about something he knew she cared so little about?

The damnable thing was, it was in his best interest as well to convince certain members of the supper party to attend the ball, but for his own reasons.

It pained him greatly to support Kat when she had been nothing but snappish with him so far that evening, but he swallowed his pride and said, “I believe there will be two American ambassadors, one from the Kingdom of Virginia and one from the Kingdom of Plymouth, in attendance at Lady Ryman’s ball on Friday.”

The effect of those words was immediate.

“Will there be?” Mr. Bowman asked, his eyes practically turning gold. “Are they part of the trade delegation?”

“Perhaps someone could show them the benefits of continuing to belong under the umbrella of Britannia,” Lord Thistlewhite said.

“Perhaps that could be you, my lady,” Kat said to Lady Thistlewhite with an encouraging smile. She darted a pointed look at Waldorf as she did.

Waldorf couldn’t tell if it was a look of censure or one of thanks. Either way, it didn’t matter, Lady Thistlewhite’scountenance had changed from stony to considering. “Perhaps it would be wise to attend after all.”

Kat’s jaw went tight for a moment before she smiled at Lady Thistlewhite and said, “I, for one, should be very happy if you would attend. I would so like to see everyone at this table enjoying themselves at a ball on Friday night.” She glanced to Mrs. Bowman as she finished.

Kat’s eyes darted quickly to Waldorf. She was clearly frustrated with him for some reason, the daft woman. That only put Waldorf’s back up. He’d been helping her, dammit, but all evening so far, the woman had behaved with inexplicable rashness.

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