Chapter 1
Isabella kept her eyes fixed on the board in front of her. She could not allow anything to distract her, not the gentle twittering of the birds outside the library window nor the faint hubbub of noise from the kitchen down the corridor where the servants were preparing dinner.
She looked at each piece in turn, weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of each possible move. She glanced again at her knight, positioned almost in the middle of the board, and smiled.
Her friend Daphne, seated opposite, caught her eye and cocked her head curiously.
Isabella shook her head, the tiniest of movements, insufficient to make one of her golden-brown ringlets fall out of place. But she knew that Daphne would be able to interpret the movement perfectly. She would review all her options one more time before making a decision. Daphne would have to wait her turn, as always.
Finally, after another few more moments of thought, she reached out her hand and picked up the knight, enjoying the solid feeling of the piece in her hand. She moved it forward two squares and then one square to the right, then released the piece, letting out a small sigh of satisfaction.
Daphne let out a puff of air and stared down at the board, her pretty face creasing into a tiny frown.
Isabella watched as her opponent tried to work out the ramifications of the move she had just made. Daphne was a strong player – not quite as strong as Isabella, maybe, but she usually put up a good fight nonetheless – and she was sure that Daphne would not miss the significance of her knight’s new position.
Sure enough, Daphne sighed, and a few moments later, she moved her castle piece one square forward.
Immediately, Isabella pounced. She swiftly moved her knight to the square where Daphne’s undefended bishop was positioned, took the piece, and placed it on the table next to the board.
Daphne looked up at Isabella and pouted, then stared at the board again, clearly trying to figure out how to recoup her position, which had, in fact, been quite strong before Isabella’s clever move.
Isabella felt her thoughts beginning to wander as she waited for her friend to make her move. She looked up at her, and Daphne met her eye across the board, her brown eyes sparkling.
Isabella could tell from the look on her friend’s face that she would not object to her focus being broken by a little conversation at this point in the game. They often chatted as they played, but they knew instinctively when the right moment came to break focus. And this was it.
“The Duke of Harbridge is coming to the soiree in a few days,” she said softly. “Your parents’ famous Christmas party?” Daphne asked.
Isabella nodded. “Their grand party in the lead-up to Christmas is famous throughout theton, as you know. But this year, they have gone one step further and invited everyone to stay. We shall have a house party leading right up to Christmas!”
Daphne’s eyes shone. “My mother mentioned something about it a week or so ago. It sounds like the best way I can imagine to spend Christmas!”
“I am so glad you will be here with us,” Isabella said. “I was not sure how I felt about the idea of a house party, but knowing that you will be here makes the whole thing seem much better.”
“And the Duke of Harbridge?” Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow.
Isabella swallowed. “I am not sure if he will stay for the whole house party …” she said slowly.
“But would you like him to?”
Isabella rolled her eyes. Her friend could always be trusted to cut to the crux of the matter. They had been close since they were children, but since they had made their debut into society two years ago, they had become even closer, having shared so many important experiences. “I honestly do not know what I think about the Duke of Harbridge,” she replied. “But I think my parents have hopes for an alliance between us.”
“An alliance?” Daphne scoffed. “That does not sound very romantic!”
“Indeed,” Isabella responded with a slow shake of the head. “I must confess that I had hoped for something more than simply an advantageous match. But it has been two years, and no one has proposed to me. Perhaps my hopes for something more were mere girlish fantasies?”
“No!” Daphne insisted. “I will not let you give up hope. You are only twenty years old, for goodness’ sake. There is plenty of time for you to find a match that suits your heart as well as your head.”
Isabella sighed. “I hope you are right. I would be so much happier, I am sure, with a husband I could truly love.”
“And he would have to be handsome, of course,” Daphne added, flashing her friend a grin.
“Daphne!” Isabella exclaimed. “You must not say such things!” She paused for a moment and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Imagine, though, what it would be like to marry a man who you really did … you know, think about in that way …”
She giggled and put a hand over her mouth. Only in front of Daphne would she dare to say such things out loud; she knew that her friend would not judge her and that she saw things in much the same way herself. They both hoped to find love with handsome husbands rather than simply having to settle for sensible matches that their parents approved of.
Isabella was glancing back at the chessboard between them, trying to figure out what move Daphne was likely to play next, when the library door flew open, and her parents entered.
“Isabella!” Lady Evermere said, smiling broadly. “I thought we would find you in here.” She paused and looked at the chess set on the table between the two girls. “Oh, you have not finished your game. Are we disturbing you?”
