. Chapter Seven.

Ponces. The whole lot of them.Spike smirked at the sight of the gentlemen around him. They were all waiting for the Duke to give them their first test. Gentle, weak, all nancy boys who never had to work hard for anything in their lives. Spike's thoughts suddenly turned angry. Not at the men, but at the world. It wasn't fair at all. Why should some people get everything they wanted and yet others had to work a million times harder to get just the scraps? What made these men better than he? Sighing he made his way to the brandy that was nearby.

"Drinking already? You nervous?" Spike turned on his heel at the voice behind him. He couldn't remember the man's name at the moment but remembered that he was definitely the apple in Elizabeth's eyes during the dinner. She was making lovey dovey eyes at him the entire time. Spike couldn't see what was so amazing about the man. His hair seemed to stick up oddly and by the looks of it, he seemed like the type to brood alone in dark corners, thinking about…stuff.

"Not at all mate." Spike said cooly, pouring the brandy into a glass. "By the looks of it, doesn't look like much competition. No offense." He offered the man a drink and he took it with a nod of thanks.

The man smiled in good humor. "None taken, Lord-"

Spike smiled nervously just then. Bloody 'ell, what is my name again? Fish, Finer, Finn? Finn!"I am Lord Finn."

The man rolled the brandy around in the glass, smiling. "Finn? Huh. Riley Finn?"

"At your service." Spike replied, with an elegant half bow imitating what he had seen the other gentlemen do.

"Riley Finn. I've heard a lot about you. Traveler and a good Captain from what I hear. How long have you been abroad? I've heard so much about America."

Damn it Xander. Where are you when I need you? I didn't memorize all the information you gave me about this wanker."I just got back actually a couple months ago. Got this invitation and figured I could use a little fun while I was back in the mother country before I head back to America."

"Yes, this little competition does seem like it has potential for some fun doesn't it? God, I can't believe the Duke has hidden such a gem out here in the country. I heard some of the help praising the girl and they made a list of all the interesting talents she has." Spike cocked an eyebrow, the emphasis on talents didn't go unnoticed by him. His companion grinned and leaned closer, "Apparently, the girl refuses to ride her steeds like a proper young lass and instead rides them with a leg on each side of the beast. Can you imagine that beautiful blonde angel in the bed? She may be an innocent little girl, but I'm sure that she's a wild one in the sheets." He bellowed in amusement, his eyes twinkling, "I have every intention on personally finding out."

Spike tried very hard suddenly to get the image of a very naked Elizabeth out of his head. The idea of her riding him, wildly and untamed, was enough to get any normal man stand at attention. Spike was suddenly grateful that his coat was long enough to cover his hardening loins. "That is some quite amusing information. I'm sorry, what was your name sir?"

"You can call me Angelus. Nancy name I know. I blame my mother. My friends unfortunately have taken it upon themselves to nickname me Angel. You can call me either. It doesn't bother me anymore."

Spike smirked. Nancy name indeed. "Angelus then, I'd feel a little too nancy myself if I called you Angel." Angelus clapped him on the back and smiled. Spike rolled his eyes. He didn't come here to make friends, especially with those that call themselves Angel. But damn it, it did feel nice to be in a warm house, have good food, good brandy, and not have to steal any of it. Well, technically you are still stealing mate. This would never be offered to you if they knew who you were.Spike sighed and tried to focus on the conversation. This was going to be a very interesting stay.

"He tried to what?" Willow's face was almost as red as her hair. She could not believe what she was hearing from Buffy. That Lord Finn had tried to, almost had touched, had reached for… "Are you sure? Maybe there was something on your shoulder?" The red head blushed again.

Buffy turned around in her seat to face Willow who was seated on her bed. "Willow, why is it so hard to believe? Trust me, just because I live like a country pumpkin I'm not so naïve. Dawn here tells me everything I need to know. Isn't that right Dawnie?" Buffy turned back in her seat and smiled at Dawn in the mirror. Dawn smiled back and continued brushing Buffy's hair. "Besides, Finn doesn't strike me as being a first class gentleman. Let us not forget my first encounter with him?"

Dawn giggled. "But you have to admit Buffy. He is good looking."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "There has to be more to a man than just money and good looks. He has to be kind and honest and true…none of which, I'm sure belong to Lord Finn."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and Rupert's head popped in. "Elizabeth are you almost ready? We're meeting in the main drawing room. I'm to announce the first competition. Now, do you remember your part in this?"

Buffy sighed with displeasure. First there was a scandalous competition and now she had to actually participate in them herself? "Yes, father. I remember."

"So you'll be there shortly?" Buffy nodded obediently and her father beamed. He was so excited for the games. He was so sure that this was the most genius idea any being could come up with. "Thank you dearest." Rupert left just as quickly as he came, rushing excitedly downstairs.

Willow stood up from the bed and walked over to the large window overlooking the gardens. "What was that all about?"

Buffy shrugged, "The first competition. Apparently he is going to ask a question and the first man to find the answer will win the prize. However, whoever figures out the question will then be led to another location where I am to meet the victor and congratulate him with one of the smaller prizes."

Willow laughed, "A small prize? Gracious, how rich are you? A small prize for each game, and then a rather bounteous one for the overall winner, it really is rather shocking." Willow smiled gently and glanced at Buffy, "It is rather all exciting at the same time though. Imagine, everyone will be talking about this for years. So what is the answer anyway?"

Dawn took a step back admiring her work. She had softly braided Buffy's hair and her golden hair lay gently on her left, exposing the top part of Buffy's smooth sun kissed skin. Turning her glance from Buffy to Willow she replied quickly to Willow's question. "The answer is two of Elizabeth's favorite subjects to read. Shakespeare and history." Dawn placed her hands on Buffy's shoulders, "Shakespeare I can understand, it is after all exciting, but history is absolutely dull and boring."

The girls giggled as they made their way to the secret location, happily making their guesses of who was going to come out the victor.

Noon was quickly approaching and Rupert called for everyone's attention. The guests of the estate were scattered around the room, all lost in their own gossip. The ladies of the ton were all flirting shamelessly much to their chaperone's dismay, it was in their heads that since there was only going to be one victor, all the other men were up for grabs. It would be such a shame to waste this opportunity to find a husband.

"Today marks day one of the competitions. Our first test is a test of intelligence. My daughter, has to my greatest pride, taken a great interest in books and has made it one of her favorite pastimes to learn everything humanly possible."

Angelus smirked at the comment and nudged Spike as he softly whispered, "I'll be glad to teach her everything humanly possible in the bedroom." Cordelia who was nearby heard the comment and rolled her eyes, opening her fan swiftly and began fanning herself. She was irritated all morning with Angel. He kept talking about Elizabeth and it made Cordelia's skin crawl with disgust. She was ten times more striking than that measly little girl. Tuning Elizabeth out of her mind she tried to focus on the Duke's instructions.

"As a father who loves his daughter dearly, I will be rock solid in a coffin, six feet under dirt before I allow my daughter to marry someone with nothing but air in his head. My daughter, as well as my vast fortunes and estates are going to need a man who can understand the books to take care of my property, as well as being quite literate to entertain my daughter's love of books." Rupert smiled then at the thought of his daughter, "But don't give her any books on mathematics, she'll absolutely despise you." The room shifted excitedly as Rupert turned towards the desk, grabbing a handful of small bits of paper. "On each of these sheets lies a clue that will lead you to a secret location where my daughter is waiting to congratulate the winner. The winner for today will win the first waltz of the evening with my daughter, as well as a bag of jewels for your victory. Now, if the beautiful Lady Kendall would oblige me and help to pass out the pieces of paper to the gentlemen?"

A blonde woman seated next to Cordelia smiled graciously and elegantly stood up, bowing her head in acceptance. She made her way to the left side of the room where Spike was standing, Cordelia rolled her eyes at her airhead friend. It would have been easier for her to just go to the Duke from the right side of the room but Harmony had deliberately taken the long route. What the hell is she doing?Cordelia asked herself irritably. The Duke is that way not-oh. That's why.

Harmony was making her way to the Duke albeit the long way just so that she could, "Oh excuse me." Harmony whispered as seductively as she could make herself sound. She batted her eyelashes at Spike, her breasts barely brushing against his chest as she squeezed past him and one of the tables nearby. Spike smiled back amused, and just as quietly, only for her ears to hear, he replied, "You don't have to be pet." Spike winked and he knew for sure that sealed the deal. The girl's eyes sparkled and her face lit up. Quickly she continued her route to the Duke and he handed her the papers to pass out.

A few minutes later Spike and Angelus were reading the riddle aloud. Angelus' face was full of confusion, his eyes glaring stupidly at the paper. "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.
One six seven six, fires burn and ruin lays. What the hell does that mean?" Angelus repeated the riddle over and over. "Damn it. I don't want to talk to the girl about literature and history and nonsense like that. I just want to fuck her." Angelus poured himself another brandy, his back towards Spike he didn't see the smile creeping slowly onto Spike's face.

Spike had to compose himself. He admitted that he was extremely nervous this morning, after all, he didn't have the privilege of going to school like the men here did. He did however teach himself throughout the years, and if there was a subject he knew well, it was poetry. "Uh, I'm going to walk around the place for a bit. Maybe try to figure this damned thing out. There's way too much people here for my tastes anyway. Can't think, y'know mate?" Angelus agreed and much to Spike's dismay followed him out the room. Spike tried to think of a way to cast off his new acquaintance without coming off to brash. He didn't come here to make friends, but he didn't come here to make enemies either. He and Xander had to be careful if they wanted everything to stay in place. "So, where you going to think mate? I think I'm gonna head to my room…or something." Angelus stopped suddenly and curiously looked at him. It seemed like days before Angelus surprisingly started laughing.

"Finn, my new friend. Of course. We can be friends but outside of the tests rights? This is after all a competition. I can tell when I'm getting the brush off. Well, let the better man win." Angelus offered his hand and Spike shook it heartily. Still laughing Angelus walked off, and as soon as he was out of sight Spike made a dash for the library.

"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below." Spike couldn't help but smile as he recited the line. This was easy as pie. Smirking, he quietly opened the door to the Duke's grand library. Books were shelved from floor to ceiling, it was a room guaranteed to make even the greatest off all scholars beam with pride. Spike closed the door softly, not wanting to alert anyone to the first clue. Quickly he scanned the titles on the spines of the books. On his hunt for the one particular book, his thoughts drifted off to a certain blonde girl. Not the bold and most definitely blessed busom blonde, but the fiery innocent blonde that he encountered the night before. Spike couldn't help himself last night. Her face was that of angels, soft, gentle, innocent…and yet in her eyes burned a passion waiting to be awoken…and Spike wanted to be the one to make it stir. Shaking his head he tried to gain composure of himself once again, finding that he will most definitely be having to do that quite often on his stay here at the estate.

It seemed like forever before Spike suddenly beamed at the sight of what he was so eagerly searching for. Grabbing the book off the shelf quickly he traced the title with a smile. Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Without wasting any more time, Spike opened the book, flipping the pages. He stopped and watched as a small red paper slowly floated to the ground. Bending down he picked it up, opening the folded paper anxiously he read the one word that was written inside aloud, "Rose." Spike sighed. Well, that was the first clue to the secret location. He was one step ahead of everyone else but not by too long. Holding the paper in his hand he sat down on the velvet seat next to him, thinking about the next clue.

"One six seven six, fires burn and ruins lay. What the bleedin' hell does that mean?" Closing his eyes he tried to think. If it was a history question, there was no way he would be able to guess it. Poetry he knew, history? Not so much. Break it down Spike. Break it down. One, six, seven, six. One, six, seven, six.Spike repeated the numbers over and over in his head but to no luck. Letting out a loud frustrated sigh he threw the book across the room. "Damn it!" He was never going to get through this competition. Maybe Xander was right. This is too much for them to handle. Pretending to be a Lord? A gentleman? Who was he kidding? Spike was born in the streets, his mother a mere prostitute. He sat back down defeated.

Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching, thinking swiftly he ran up from his seat and hid behind the large curtains by the windows. Spike listened as the door opened softly and shut just as quickly. He daringly peaked around the curtain. Angelus! Spike silently cursed and watched as Angelus skimmed through the book titles. Although he was distanced between the other man, Spike could still hear him swear when he noticed that the book he was looking for was missing. Spike continued to watch as Angelus paced the floor of the room, muttering to himself. "Okay, so the book is missing, which means someone already knows the first clue. Think man, think. Maybe if I can get the second clue I can just guess where the location is from there. Alright. One, six, seven, six. It has to be a date, the Duke said his daughter loves history, so…1676!" Angelus slammed his hand in excitement on the large wooden desk at his discovery. "Okay. Think Angel, what the hell happened in 1676 that had to deal with fire and ruins?" Spike watched suddenly as Angel rushed to the other side of the desk, where a map of England, France, Rome, and…America lay. The next clue has to be on that map. Spike watched as Angelus slammed his fists in frustrations. "Damn. The Duke has a million of those blasted things on this property. Which one is it? With any luck I'll run and check them all. Hopefully I get there before someone else." Spike watched with excitement as Angelus hurriedly left the room. He had the first clue, and now thanks to Angelus, he had the second. Rummaging himself out of the curtains he practically ran to the desk. He looked at the map closely, and there written in cursive writing just as the first clue, written under a city called Jamestown, he read the word: garden.

Spike felt hope that maybe he could win this after all and that the dark gods were on his side. "Miss Elizabeth, I do feel we have a meeting together in the rose garden." Growling with anticipation Spike made a run for it.

A/N: Wow. Has it been like 3 years since I started this? I am really sorry. Well, I am going to finish this story, I have it pretty much outlined, and now that I have time to write again, I intend to make the most of it. Reviews appreciated (: Thank you!