Chapter Eight
L issa waited in the wood, pleased that the weather had cooled considerably. Anthony’s distraction of Ellie’s coach had made it easy to slip out while the footmen were helping him get his coach back on the road. Now all she needed do was wait for Ellie’s coach to continue on and join Anthony.
She felt so much younger, like she had back in France when she and Anthony had planned to rob the next coach to come down the road. Sometimes they would go the whole night with nary a traveler. Other times, the coach would hold those with little wealth and Anthony would refuse to take anything. She would grow irritated with him, but he always brightened her mood.
At least this time, there was truly no life-and-death danger. How much danger could there be at a peer’s party, even if it was with mistresses? With such women about, she’d feel more comfortable, even if she’d never been a mistress. She had no doubt they would talk and she’d uncover much more to help Dory.
It was this anticipation she’d miss most once married. Or maybe it was the completion of the puzzle that was Leighhall that she would miss the most. Either way, marriage loomed just beyond the horizon, and she did not look forward to it. At least she could try to find someone in trade who traveled often, leaving her to her own whims.
She’d discarded the idea of marrying Anthony a sennight ago when she discovered he was a baron. A baron! She’d been so furious with him, especially as she couldn’t give him the force of her full wrath with the duchess present. But that abated when she realized she could use his confession to make him take her on this foray to Leighhall’s so she could help solve his mystery…if there was one. She truly hoped the lord held a dire secret, otherwise, there would be no way to dissuade him from his intent to ruin Dory’s reputation.
Being able to help her friend and disguise herself to find the clues made Lissa feel more alive than she had since stepping onto England’s shores. It was this experience that meant even more than Anthony’s societal status. This adventure would be the very last of her life.
Unless…
Even as Ellie’s coach moved on and Anthony stood about his, a new idea formed. Her grandmother wished a life of luxury, while for herself she wished only freedom. To her grandmother, the only course of action to a comfortable life was marriage to a peer. But what if she could amass a fortune another way, a way she had significant skill at?
She was about to enter a home that was sure to have much wealth under the guise of a mistress. What if there was a secret room and that room did hold precious jewels and gold? Even if no such room existed, she would be among strangers who were peers and would certainly travel with expensive items to show off among each other. As Anthony had said, high peers expected all to act honorably with them. Granted, she hadn’t stolen anything in over a year, but such skill did not simply vanish. It was a worthy solution, and one she needed to contemplate more fully.
“Lissa?”
At Anthony’s call, she moved out from behind the tall bushes where she’d stood. No sooner had she left their cover than Anthony whipped his head around, spotting her immediately. The man definitely had a keen sense of space.
“If we leave now, we should be one of the first to arrive.” He held his hand out to her, and she clasped it with her bare one, having eschewed the usual gloves for her more wanton role. She wasn’t sure if it was the role or the man, but a tingle of excitement raced up her arm.
He cleared his throat as he walked her to his coach, which now sported a coat of arms.
She pointed to the symbol of a lamb upon a mountain. “Is that yours?”
He glanced toward the convenience. “Not at all. I may be attending this house party under my real title, but I see no reason to be identifying myself in any other way. I chose a rather meek coat of arms, as my plan is to pretend to be in awe of Lord Leighhall. The man obviously lives for adoration.”
She allowed him to help her into the coach, then waited for him to settle in opposite her as the door closed behind him. “And I plan to learn as much as I can from the other mistresses and servants. I imagine some of the women will be ladies who were led astray in the past by a peer, or who had no choice due to their lack of wealth. Do you believe some may be from the middle class as well?”
“I do not know what backgrounds the women will have, but I do know the men will all be peers. I cannot say what to expect, as I have never been to a house party such as this.” He winked. “We will learn all about it together.”
Her heartbeat raced at the weekend to come. “While I’m interested in what such a house party is like, I have nothing to compare it to. Hopefully, I never will. However, I’m very excited to see what we can discover. I’m also looking forward to the challenge of acting the part of a mistress. I do hope the clothes I ordered are appropriate. I’ve never met one, so I had to rely on the seamstress’s expertise.”
Anthony chuckled. “So many of your packages arrived while I trailed after Leighhall last week that the Captain was certain I have a strong admirer. Though he was too much a gentlemen to ask, he did hint at it. I, of course, didn’t explain anything. Were they all clothes?”
“They were. From what I understand, a mistress wears much more than I expected. They dress much like ladies do. I did have the seamstress modify one of my own dresses, so I could arrive in appropriate attire. I do hope everything fits.”
He cocked his head as if mulling over something. “If anything doesn’t, you may have time to make adjustments. I know many a lady who embellishes a gown or two.”
She wrinkled her nose at the prospect. “Truly? You think the mistresses embroider and do mending? If so, then this portends a poor adventure. I do not wish to spend my time the same way I would while visiting the Blackmores.”
“Then let us hope it is vastly different.” He crossed one ankle over his knee and relaxed back into the thick cushion. “Now, we must determine our plan. First, who are we?”
She’d already thought about who she would be, since they had often done this when engaging in activities that were not quite legal. “I will go by Lizzie, Lizzie Laurent. My grand-maman calls me Lizzie, so I will be sure to react. I am a French courtesan, new to this country.” She waggled her eyebrows. “You met me while serving in the war and took comfort in my arms. When you left France, you couldn’t bear to leave me behind.” She fluttered her lashes and clasped her hands together.
He stared at her wide-eyed before his lips twitched. “Lizzie? No, that is too close to your real name. Best to have something entirely different in case we leave on poor terms. There is the chance we could be caught somewhere we shouldn’t be.”
“You do make a good point.” She went through the names she’d used before, but they were far too mundane. Then she grinned as the solution came to her. “I shall be Daguette.”
“Little dagger?” His brow furrowed, but then he nodded. “Yes, that will do. No one but your classmates know you by Dague. Yes, that will be perfect. But we are simply lovers, not in love .”
She waved off his comment, having far too much fun. “Nonsense. What do you think mistresses are for, but to love physically and emotionally? That way you aristocrats can marry some stiff Society miss who will accept you into her bed for the sole purpose of having heirs, no emotion involved.”
“And my brother wonders why I don’t wish to marry.” He shook his head. “Very well—I couldn’t bear to leave you in France, but I hide you from my family.”
“Agreed. I am the secret mistress. I like that. And what about you?”
He sat straighter. “I’m the younger son who wishes adventure, but I’m being pressured to marry, as I’m sure my brother mentioned in his letter to Leighhall. I have heard rumors of Leighhall’s prowess in bed and wish to learn how he is able to stave off his own family while enjoying his life.”
She could see Anthony sought to keep things as close to the truth as possible. “Does Leighhall have family?”
“He does. From what I understand, there is a married sister, a mother, and an aunt.”
“We know our story, so what are our primary and secondary goals?” She hoped his were in concert with hers, or most of hers.
He pondered her question, his gaze moving to the window where the tree-lined road had just given way to rolling fields. “Our primary goal must be to discover anything that may help Lord Harewood keep Leighhall away from Lady Harewood’s reputation. But to achieve that, we need to focus on those mysterious weapons, his secret room, if there is one, and the connection between the women he tups.”
She bit down on her smile. “Tups?” Having lived in Town all of last Season, she’d been exposed to the more common vernacular, but to hear it come from Anthony while he was dressed so smartly made it impossible not to tease him.
He sat back, stretching his long legs out in front of him. He seemed particularly interested in his boots. “It’s another term for ‘to bed.’”
She laughed, unable to hold it back. “Yes, I know, but it would behoove you not to use such language while at Leighhall’s, as it shows you are not the proper young baron you are pretending to be.”
His head lifted and he smiled at her. “But I am not there yet. I am here, with you, Lissa. I did not think I needed to watch my tongue.”
“True. I just thought to point it out.” Pleased with their old camaraderie, she also stretched her legs out next to his and crossed them at the ankle, though he couldn’t see her feet beneath her blue traveling dress. “I have not seen you in almost a fortnight. Have you discovered anything else about our profligate viscount?”
Anthony sighed as he crossed his arms. “More of the same. He spent a few nights each with Lady Bowmont, the actress Sarah Low, and a Mrs. Perry. I can find no connection between them. Lady Bowmont is a married countess who is known for her exquisite taste in décor. Sarah Low is unmarried and appeared in The Cobler of Preston on Drury Lane, though she is rumored to be the secret mistress of Lord Fitzlen. Mrs. Perry, also married, is known for her charity work with orphans.”
Lissa contemplated the women along with those he’d mentioned before. “So they are all of different classes and both married and unmarried. Is this true of all his assignations?”
“It is. I’m beginning to believe that he simply has nympholepsy.”
“That would be rather embarrassing. Is that not a feminine disease?”
He grimaced. “No, that is nymphomania, and those women with it are usually locked away. Nympholepsy is more of a frenzied passion for something, and in Leighhall’s case, it would be women.”
She didn’t actually see the difference, but it could be simply that the English interpreted words differently. “And would such a label be enough to bring the vigorous viscount under control?”
“Not likely. It would be deemed an envious prowess that he could satisfy so many women. But the odd, ancient weapons may be a clue.”
Though he had a point, that reasoning for the weapons could go the same way as the lord’s penchant for bedding women. “Or it could be that he simply enjoys collecting them.”
Anthony remained quiet for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head. “I would agree if it weren’t for the secretive way he obtains them.”
She pondered that. “If it’s a secret, would that be enough?” Though she hoped it wasn’t, or Anthony might turn the coach around.
“No. We need to discover why he collects them in secret. It is the obtainment of them which could tell us that they may be stolen.”
She jumped in, immediately understanding what he was thinking. “Or is it his ownership of them? If he has them on display at his estate, it means how he obtains them is his biggest worry. But if they are nowhere to be seen, then he either is displaying them somewhere else or simply having them in his possession is a danger to him as well.”
“Exactly.” He pulled his legs in and sat forward. “But I know he doesn’t have them displayed in his townhouse in Town, and with no other estates than the one we are traveling to, they would need to be there.”
Mimicking him, she pulled her own legs in and sat forward as well, getting a whiff of his pleasant clove scent. She held her hand out in question. “And how do you know they are not displayed in his townhouse?” She could guess, but loved hearing how Anthony went about his investigations.
He took her hand in his and pulled it toward him. “Why, my charming Mademoiselle Daguette, I entered his humble abode as a footman when he was not in residence. I charmed a lovely maid into showing me the home, as I was considering applying. There wasn’t a weapon to be seen anywhere, and I assure you, I was quite thorough.” He lowered his head and kissed the back of her bare hand.
She shivered at the shock of desire his light touch sent through her.
It must have surprised him as well, as he dropped her hand immediately and sat back against the seat cushions.
Swallowing down the titillating feeling, she remained where she was. “Then we may have one answer once we get to Woburn Manor.”
Anthony didn’t respond. Instead, he turned his head and kept his gaze on the scenery.
Was he afraid of the desire he felt for her? She’d never known him to be afraid of anything, yet he seemed uncomfortable with this new attraction. She didn’t mind it in the least. Though Etienne had been her only lover, the book she found in the library at Silver Meadows with the inside title of The Illustrated Pleasures of Seduction had taught her there was even more to experience. Who better to enjoy such pleasure with than an old friend?
It must be that Anthony still insisted on looking at her as a lady, even though he knew her to be “ruined,” in English terms. Maybe if she took him into her confidence and told him she was thinking about not marrying after all, he would not be so averse to their mutual desire. It was something to contemplate.
As the coach slowed upon entering a village, he finally turned back to her. “We’ll be stopping at the inn here for refreshments. We are halfway there, and I thought you may wish to walk about a bit.”
She smiled at his gentlemanly ways. “That sounds lovely, Baron Bellamore.”
He blinked for a moment at her address, but finally nodded. “Yes, we should definitely practice our roles.”
The coach came to a halt in the yard of the Bell and Pheasant Inn. The place was a bustle of people coming and going, horses being changed out for those traveling far, and a few dogs hoping for a chance morsel to fall from the clothing of a patron.
Anthony helped her down and walked her inside. In short order they were led to a private room. She walked into the small area that sported a table and a cushioned seat much like the one she’d just left in the coach. Unclasping her cloak, she looked over her shoulder to find Anthony whispering to the waiter before turning toward her.
“Would you help me with my pelisse? It is far too warm in here to keep it on.” Already the fur-lined garment that had kept her warm in the coach felt stifling inside the inn.
“Indeed it is.” He stepped behind her and lifted the woolen fabric from her shoulders.
She turned to thank him, but his back was to her as he set the cloak on a hook.
He then doffed his hat and added it to their outwear. When he turned back, he stilled, his gaze raking over her as if he touched her.
She could feel her body heat with anticipation. “Do I look the role of a mistress?”
His gaze flew up to meet hers and he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple moving not once but twice. He opened his mouth, closed it, then appeared to find his words. “You look ready to be ravished. Are you quite certain this attire is what is expected?”
The appreciation in his gaze had her belly tightening. “ Oui , the seamstress I used said she makes clothing for the mistresses of three lords, and one of them is a duke.”
When she’d donned the carriage dress that morning and looked in her mirror, she almost didn’t recognize herself. The bright-blue color, one she never wore, made her skin look lighter and contrasted greatly with her black hair. But it wasn’t that as much as the high collar in the back which disappeared as the neckline plunged in a wide V that actually showed much of her modest bosom, since she wore stays but no shift. The seamstress had told her to leave off the shift if she wished to capture her benefactor’s heart, and had lined the stays with satin for comfort. However, instead of covering half her breasts, the stays fell beneath them, pushing them upward. Her nipples were barely held in by the muslin material and the ribbon that decorated the very edge of the neckline.
“I see.” He remained exactly where he was, but his gaze returned to her chest.
The thrill his focus sent through her had her anticipating the weekend for a completely different reason. “Do you think you’ll be able to keep your eyes upon me when faced with a room full of women similarly dressed?”
He didn’t immediately respond, but as if drawn against his will, he took a step closer. As the room was small, there were barely two steps between them. Eventually, he raised his gaze to study her face. “You are far more beautiful than even I knew. I will be hard pressed to remember our purpose. No other woman could possibly compare.”
His words, as unexpected as they were, made her heart race. “Your words are kind and do me great honor.”
As if her choice of words recalled him to their purpose, he backed up and held his arm out toward the table. “Shall we sit?”
Though she would prefer they did something else, they were in a public place and they couldn’t lose sight of their goals. However, she added another goal to her list, that of enjoying her very handsome friend to the fullest. She gave a ladylike nod, though she felt more wanton then lady, and slid behind the table.
Anthony did not immediately join her. “I almost forgot to tell you what else I discovered last week.” He didn’t look at her, but instead faced the wall to her left, which was a bit odd.
“You mean our quarry did more than tup?”
He grimaced as his gaze moved toward her. “Yes. He obtained another weapon.”
Not a little put out that he hadn’t conferred with her on it, she gave him what she hoped was a proper mistress pout. “And only now you tell me?” She crossed her arms, effectively hiding her bosom.
At her movement, he walked to the side of the table where he would sit. “I did not seek you out earlier because I recognized this particular weapon. It’s a chakram, an ancient weapon of India in existence at the time of Alexander the Great.”
“Yes, I know of it. It is a disc-like shape that is very sharp, and when thrown can be deadly.”
“Yes.” He slid in beside her. “It’s not valuable for its brass and has no use today.”
That Leighhall had obtained another obscure weapon did not surprise her. Many people were predictable, participating in the same activities, buying the same items, enjoying the company of the same type of people. “How did he obtain this one?”
“He dug it up.”
Now that was different. “Peers don’t dig in the soil.”
He grinned, back to himself once again. “Our viscount does when he knows there will be a chakram wrapped in leather next to an old Roman road marker.”
Her mind spun with the possibilities. “Was the ground disturbed as if recently dug?”
“It was impossible to tell. There was much mud in the area, as it had rained in the evenings the three days prior to his traveling there.”
“And was it on a person’s property or along a road?”
“It was along a road between the Countess Bowmont’s estate and Mrs. Perry’s cottage.”
Obviously, the spot had been prearranged, but by whom? “Do you think one of the women sent him to that spot?”
He’d opened his mouth to answer when the waiter came in. The man set down the tea service then exited, allowing another to place a tray of sweets on the table. After they left, she uncrossed her arms and poured a cup for Anthony. “Do you still drink it black?”
When he didn’t immediately answer, she looked up to find his gaze on her chest once again. She twitched her nose. “Anthony?”
He blinked before looking at her. “Yes.”
“Yes, you take it black?”
He looked to the cup she held aloft but inches from the table. “Yes, black.”
She set the cup before him then reached past it to lift what looked to be a berry tart of some kind. As she did, she felt her nipple slip past her dress. “Oh.” She pulled her hand back, setting the dress aright again with her movement. “I forgot my manners. Would you pass me a berry tart?”
He took a plate and filled it with not only the tart but a scone and a piece of pound cake, which she quite liked. Then he set the plate before her. “These are your favorites, are they not?”
That he remembered what she enjoyed touched her. “Indeed they are. Merci .” Not to be outdone by his thoughtfulness, she pointed to the Shrewsbury cakes. “Be sure to fill your plate. I will not have room in my belly for any.”
“If you insist.” Though he said it seriously, she noticed the quirking of his lips.
He really did have very nice lips, and when he’d kissed her, they were firm and commanding. She did like that in a lover.
As they ate, she contemplated Anthony, who continued to keep his gaze anywhere but on her. She’d always known he was handsome, especially now with a trim beard about his jawline that was far darker than his gold-tipped hair. It was her new awareness of his body that intrigued her. She’d always known him to be fit, based upon their many escapades back in France, but for the first time, she wondered how he would look sans clothing. The patch of chest she’d seen while they were dressed as servants was barely a glimpse, and she found her curiosity growing.
Would he be an attentive lover? Her instinct answered in the positive. Would he be an energetic lover? He certainly was capable. Would he be a creative lover? Now that was a question that could only be answered by experiencing him. Still, her imagination conjured up a scene involving a balustrade and steps like the grand staircase at Silver Meadows. Even as the scene took hold, her body heated.
“Daguette? Lissa?”
She snapped her head around to look at him. “ Oui? ”
“I asked if you would like me to order more sweets.”
She gave him a seductive smile. “No, I have all I need right here.”
His brow furrowed, but he didn’t ask her to explain. “Then I suggest we continue our journey. I would like us to be among the first to arrive, so I might make an impression on the viscount and perhaps have a chance to explore the house.”
At the reminder of their mission, she forced herself to refocus. “Then let us leave posthaste.” Rising, she stepped from behind the table.
He rose at her movement, and she wondered if gentlemen did that with their mistresses. It was something she would watch for. He immediately lifted her pelisse and helped her don it, though he left the buttoning to her. She would have been perfectly happy if he had wished to do that for her.
“Wait here while I make sure all is ready.”
Before she could answer, he slipped out. It was just as well, as she wanted to form a plan. She only had three days with which to accomplish all her goals, in addition to learning how mistresses acted. That was a lot to do in so short a time, but even if she couldn’t manage to slip enough valuables from the Leighhall home into her hidden pockets, she was quite sure she could manage a few that would constitute a substantial start on her freedom. But she wouldn’t forget Anthony’s investigation. She hoped that she could find the secret room. If it contained gold, she could satisfy two of her goals at once.
The door opened and Anthony held out his arm. “The coach awaits.”
She gave him a regal nod, practicing in case she was expected to act the lady despite her role as mistress, and placed her bare hand on his arm. When they arrived at the coach and he helped her in, she found a package on her seat. “What is this?”
He settled back against the opposite cushions. “Just a few sweets for the rest of the journey. After all, I am to be not only smitten but your benefactor as well.”
She gave him a sly smile. “I didn’t know being a mistress would entitle me to such lovely treatment.”
“But there is far more than that.” He reached into his waistcoat pocket and pulled out a necklace with a large oval sapphire and handed it to her.
“This is quite costly. I do hope I don’t lose it.”
He waved her comment away. “Don’t worry on my account. It is yours to keep for your help with this. I could not embark on this next step in my investigation without you, and I am grateful.”
She didn’t know what to say to that, her throat closing over the wealth of the gift.
“And you’ll want to wear this as well.” He held out a large ruby ring with a small diamond on either side. “This makes it clear that you’re mine.”
His words made her shiver, as she wished to belong to no one, but she understood his reasoning. “You believe it will keep me safe from the other peers?”
“I do.” He pointed to the ring in his hand. “Read the inscription.”
She laid the necklace on her lap and lifted the ring from his palm. It was warm from his touch as she angled to read the inside. “ Le mien . My own.” She frowned and looked at him. “I don’t understand.”
He grinned as he cocked his head to the side. “I thought it fitting, since we don’t wish anyone else to think you are available. Since you suggested I’m besotted, I’ll ask Leighhall if he has advice on how much time I must spend on a future wife because I cannot bear to be away from you.”
Relief washed through her and she promptly slipped the ring on her finger. “So you had a similar idea as to your role as I did.”
“Of course. It makes the most sense.” Still grinning, he motioned to the necklace. “I even took the liberty of having a small miniature of me done. I will give that to you once we settle in.”
He’d thought of almost everything. “But what do you have of me?”
“I need nothing, as I have all of you.” His grin transformed into pure possession and lust.
Not expecting such a look from him, she felt her pulse race. To give in to such a craving was very tempting, but a part of her couldn’t imagine being at the whim of a man. The idea made her new goal to avoid marriage settle in as a survival plan. “That may be, but perhaps a lock of my hair would be appropriate. I will be sure to make one available to you soon after we arrive.”
He didn’t move for a moment, as if he couldn’t, but finally his face relaxed and he shrugged, leaning back into the cushions once again. “That will be fine. I suppose if I am lovesick, then I should have something from you.”
She took a moment to steady her breathing now that he no longer gazed at her. Gathering up the necklace, she slipped it into her hidden pocket. At least now she had some valuables that she could sell when the time came. Yet even at the thought, she stiffened.
It was one thing to sell a piece that was stolen and quite another to sell a gift. Berating herself for such sentimental ideals, which had no place in surviving, she surreptitiously studied Anthony. Then again, if she did manage to bed him, she could consider the jewels what they were pretending to be—payment for services, services she wasn’t only more comfortable with, but actually anticipating.