Aloysius Grabiner pulled the bell at the front door of Lord Carleton's estate, having Teleported himself to the front step. He knew the house well enough to have Teleported himself inside, but the proper forms must be followed.

He could understand taking a holiday, but Christmas was over and he had business to discuss with his political rival. Their politics did differ, but they were both professional enough to come to terms in dealing with their private businesses. He had tried to catch Carleton at his office at the bank, but his secretary had informed him that Lord Carleton was entertaining guests and did not expect to be back until the day after tomorrow. So, he had simply waited until Carleton would have sufficient time for supper before calling on him.

The butler answered the door, let him inside, and took his cloak and hat. "Whom are you calling on tonight, my lord?"

Grabiner blinked, thinking that only Carleton resided here, and then remembered that guests were being entertained. For the butler to suppose that he wanted to see one of the guests, they must be either persons of distinction or have some personal connection with himself.

He then noticed a pretty young woman sitting in a nearby chair in profile. She wore a blue gown, white flowers around a dark red bun, and a cursory glance at her left hand, which rested on the armrest, told him she was either engaged or married. She resembled Carleton's late wife so much that he assumed that this was one of Carleton's elusive grandchildren. He knew little about them, save that there were five and the youngest granddaughter was causing something of a stir in the Colonies. He would gladly learn more of them, if he could. After all, knowledge was power…or at least, it could be as long as someone powerful was willing to barter for it. But Viscount Carleton was too powerful to offend needlessly. There was a difference between the professional and the personal. Still, he wanted to satisfy his own innate curiosity.

"I came to see the Viscount, but if you would introduce me to the lovely young woman over there before fetching him..?" Grabiner requested.

The butler looked faintly confused for a moment before gathering himself, and Aloysius wondered why. Should he know her from somewhere? It was a matter of concern when someone thought that he should know something that he did not. It did not happen often. "Very well my lord," the servant answered.

The young woman put down the book she had been reading and stood, and he was able to get a better look at here. It was myrtle blossoms that she wore in her hair, instead of something common like rosebuds. Obviously her lover was a man of refinement and subtleties, which may explain why Carleton had let the paramour near his granddaughter. He remembered his own son tending the very same flowers, saying that he intended to give them to the Wildseed girl with the engagement ring. That was when he had decided that controlling his son was hopeless, and said he would not argue as long as the wedding was not until after they graduated. It had been directly before the girl's untimely death.

The butler's voice interrupted his thoughts. "My Lady," the butler started, "please allow me to introduce the Lord Aloysius Grabiner, the 16th Viscount Montague, the Shade of Shetlock." The young woman's eyes went as big as teacups, and dark red lips parted for a moment before she snapped her mouth shut again. "My Lord, please allow me to introduce you to Lord Carleton's eldest grandchild, Lady Alice Grabiner."

The pair stared at each other for a long minute, not even noticing the butler excuse himself to fetch his employer. This was his son's wife?! What machinations had led to his only son's single-year contract marriage to his rival's heir?! This was obviously Carleton's work. The man had probably been laughing up his sleeve when he had 'informed' him of his son's wedding last February. Hieronymous had probably agreed to whatever scheme it was to get at him, but judging by the flowers, he had gone and fallen in love with his 'wife.' He wondered what it was that Carleton would try to get out of him, with the result of his capitulation being a quiet divorce rather than a spectacle that would presumably be blamed on him. After all, Carleton was considered much more 'personable' than he himself was, and the public would probably assume the couple had married without his foreknowledge and he had thrown a fit and threated to disinherit his son or some such.

He was not surprised that his rival was ruthless enough to pull something like this using his granddaughter; he had always supposed Carleton was less moral than he presented himself as. Nor was he shocked that his son would treat his own father in such a matter. He knew that his son resented him. What actually made this situation bad was that Hieronymous had decided that he loved the young woman! It was not just the flowers. He had called on Headmistress Potsdam not a few days before to see if he could find anything about the relationship his son and daughter-in-law had—at the time he had been mainly concerned with if he should expect a grandchild soon. The woman had smiled, but merely told him that although she doubted that a baby would be arriving anytime soon, his son appeared to be head-over-heals in love with his bride.

After what had happened to his son's previous love, he had considered it something of a miracle that Hieronymous would form the same attachment to another young woman. He had never understood such attachments himself, but was aware that they were a force to be reckoned with in the lives of others. Whether he liked it or not, Carleton's granddaughter was the best—and perhaps only—chance he had for an heir. Not knowing what Carleton's plans were, he had to find a way to ensure the couple remained together himself if he wanted his family line to continue or the House of Grabiner would die with his son.

He was so lost in his own thoughts, that he did not really hear her speak. "Excuse me my dear, would you repeat that?"

"I said, if it helps, I did ask Hieronymous to tell you," she said softly.

He was about to ask precisely what she had wanted his son to say when he heard footsteps coming from behind him, and he turned to see Carleton walking briskly towards them. The man wore his coattails, so obviously when taken with the gown his granddaughter was in, they were planning to go somewhere.

"Good evening Lord Grabiner," Carleton said. "I see you two have been introduced. To what pleasure do I owe your visit tonight? We were planning to go to the opera, but if there is an emergency…?"

Grabiner put on what he hoped was a magnanimous smile. "Simply a matter of business, since you have been making yourself scares at the office lately. However, it does not seem nearly so pressing as it did ten minutes ago."

"I can see where you might decide that," Carleton remarked, glancing toward his granddaughter.

He made up his mind about what he had to do, the potential costs be damned. Any sort of survival for his house was better than none. "If it is not too much of an imposition, is there room in your box for one more? You understand that I have not had the chance to spend much time with my son lately."

Carleton nodded slowly. "If you wish, I will have them set up a place for you. Will you be coming as yourself, or someone else?"

"Someone else, I should think," he replied. It would draw attention if he was sitting in Carleton's box as himself. They were known to spend time together for strictly business or political purposes, but not their leisure time. With what he was planning, the very last thing he wanted to do was draw additional attention. Some amount of luck would be required as it was. "If you will excuse me, I will go get my coattails and another face on and be back shortly."

He teleported back to his home, shouting for his butler to get his tuxedo ready and find his opera glasses while running to his study to get a little something he had had made for just in case of such an emergency. After all, only a fool did not prepare for such contingencies.