A Lady’s Guide to London (The Lucky Ladies of London #2)

One

London, 1842

“We need to hire more attractive staff.” Cordelia Danby made this suggestion from the safety of the offices of their gaming house, where there was no risk of any of their thoroughly average-looking staff overhearing her. The place was nearly deserted at this time of day. Their real work began in the evenings, when their rooms would be packed with women coming to gamble away their pin money.

The small but fashionably located building they’d rented on Piccadilly had once belonged to a chocolate house that went out of business when its owner passed. Taking the opportunity as serendipity—for what better start could there be for a gambling club modeled after White’s than a chocolate house?—they’d maintained the vocation, but converted the upstairs smoking and retiring rooms to card rooms. The sign out front read MRS. BISHOP’S CHOCOLATE EMPORIUM, and beneath, in slightly smaller print, LADIES ONLY. There was no Mrs. Bishop, of course. The name had been chosen in honor of Della’s friend and business partner, who had ceased to be a Bishop on her wedding day and was now Jane Williams.

“Pardon?” Jane looked up from the ledger in confusion. She hadn’t heard a word—a frequent occurrence of late. She had her infant daughter, Gloria, tucked in the crook of one arm and was rocking her gently while she used her only free hand to tally their accounts. Her eyes were bleary and her hair was askew.

“The dealers,” Della repeated. “The only good-looking one in the whole lot was Frederick. Now that he’s gone, there’s no one to entice our clientele.”

“Frederick was stealing money from the pot, you will recall.” Jane’s husband, Eli, set aside the bills he’d been organizing to join in their conversation. He, too, sported shadows beneath his eyes and a look of perpetual fatigue. It was hard to say whether the club or their baby was the cause. Both of them were needy little creatures, though rewarding in their own ways. “I should think that’s more important than his looks.”

“Maybe I didn’t express myself properly,” Della amended. Other people often needed a certain amount of coaxing before they appreciated the value of her ideas, even when those ideas seemed perfectly obvious to her. “What I meant to say is, there’s no one handsome enough to tempt the ladies into staying all night and spending more money than they ought. It’s not frivolous; it’s just good business.”

Not that I’d object to a little diversion. If she was going to spend nearly every evening supervising play now that Jane was busy with her newborn, she should really have someone to flirt with. It had been ages since she’d had time for a paramour.

“Anyway, I want to be the one to do the hiring next time.”

Eli shot a glance to Jane, who merely shrugged. “She’s right about our members staying longer at Frederick’s table.”

There we are. Once Jane had come round to her way of thinking, the matter was settled.

“We should do something about the decor, too,” Della added. She might as well press home her advantage while she had their attention. “A few more paintings would do wonders.”

The main gaming room was looking much brighter since they repapered it with something from this decade, but the walls were still so bare . They couldn’t attract a wealthy set if they looked shabby.

“This is starting to sound expensive.” Jane frowned. “You can hire one more dealer and an extra waiter. If we’re adding a roulette table like we talked about, we’ll need them anyway. But we don’t have a budget for any more than that, and we certainly can’t afford paintings.”

Jane worried too much. They were doing quite well, else Della wouldn’t have pushed for new expenses. Things had been shaky in their first few years of operation. What profit they made from the games had gone straight to fixing up the premises and hiring their first staff, little more than a skeleton crew. Della had loaned their establishment rent money more than once. But now that they’d amassed a steady base of members and a small nest egg, it was time to aim a little higher.

Of course, she understood why Jane and Eli were more cautious. The club’s income was their entire livelihood, whereas Della could go home and live comfortably on her parents’ largesse, should she choose not to aspire to any more in life than what was handed to her. That was certainly what everyone expected her to do.

No matter. With a little ingenuity, she could accomplish her goal without causing any financial stress, as she usually did.

“I could borrow a piece or two from my parents’ collection until we find a more permanent solution.” She cast a hopeful glance to the others. “Perhaps your families could loan us a few forgotten treasures of their own? If we pool our efforts, we’ll fill the walls without spending a shilling.”

“I suppose.” Eli seemed to consider this a moment. “My mother and Hannah are coming up from Devon to visit next week. I can write to ask if they’ll bring a few decorations with them, but we won’t have much say over their choice.”

“Thank you!” Della nearly squealed with glee. “You’ll be happy once you see how nice it looks.”

“I’ll be happy if it really brings in more members,” Jane muttered.

“I have another suggestion for that,” Della began. “And it won’t cost a thing. Wait until I tell you.”

Jane didn’t always approve of Della’s plans, but this one was sure to impress. It involved very little effort and would bring in new clients for years to come. She’d outdone herself.

But alas, Gloria chose that moment to turn her tiny face from side to side, fitful mewls escaping her mouth.

“Not again.” Jane looked as though she might join her daughter in tears soon. “She only slept twenty minutes. How can she be awake already?”

“Let me take her,” Eli offered. “I’ll walk her around the hall so you can finish what you need to, and then let’s go home so you can get some rest.”

Jane looked at her husband regretfully. “I think she’s hungry. Turn around so I can feed her first.”

“ I should turn around?” He laughed, with a look toward Della.

“It’s different at home. And anyway, I want to hear Della’s idea.” Eli shook his head, but turned away as he’d been bid. As soon as her husband’s back was to them, Jane unlaced the front of her gown and began nursing the infant, who quieted immediately. She turned her attention back to Della. “I’m sorry. She never seems happy unless I’m holding her or feeding her. Maybe I should just hire a wet nurse so that I could finally get these accounts up to date, but it seems such a needless expense. What were you going to tell me?”

“Have you heard of this book?” Della lifted a small, leather-bound volume from the desk, holding it up so that Jane could see without having to reach. The Discerning Gentleman’s Guide to London , read the gold-leaf lettering across the front.

“No.”

“It would really be better if Eli could see it.” He was far more likely to fall within the book’s readership. “Can’t he look for just a moment?”

“I promise it won’t shock me,” Eli piped in.

“Very well,” Jane relented, a note of fatigue in her voice.

Eli turned back around and Della passed him the book.

“Oh, yes. My brother has a copy.” He thumbed through the pages for a moment before setting it back down on the desk.

“Mine does too. Many men use it to decide where to spend their time and money, particularly those who only come to town for the season.” Della turned her attention back to Jane. “It has all sorts of recommendations. Public houses, baths, theaters, and gentleman’s clubs.”

Jane frowned at the little book. “What does that have to do with us?”

“Well, if White’s is in there, why shouldn’t we be? Just think how many people would read it and come here.”

Della folded her hands on her lap and awaited the praise she so richly deserved. Unfortunately, Jane proved stingy with her compliments this morning.

“At the risk of stating the obvious, we run a ladies’ club. This is a guide for gentlemen.”

“Gentlemen have wives and sisters, don’t they?” Della motioned vaguely at Eli, but instead of coming to her aid, he chose this moment to turn his back again and let the two friends sort it out. So much for any support there. “It’s only addressed to gentlemen because they can go anywhere they please, but plenty of the attractions are for both sexes. I’m sure I’m not the only woman who consults it.”

“I suppose…” Jane’s reluctance was merely a step away from approval. Reluctance was her natural state.

She’ll thank me when we’re rich.

“I wrote to the publisher to ask how we might go about making a suggestion to the author for a future inclusion, and they told me he’s working on a second edition right now .” Della clapped her hands, startling Gloria, who began to wail. “Oops! Sorry… All we have to do is persuade him to include us and we’ll have free publicity for years to come. I’m going to meet with him tomorrow.”

“Meet with him?” Jane echoed. Though she’d been distracted trying to get the baby settled again, this shocked her back to attention, and she raised her voice to carry over the cries. “Have you been introduced to this man? Where will you find him?”

“His publisher forwarded him my letter and we’ve been corresponding. I used my initials, so he’s going to be surprised to see that I’m a woman, but there you are.”

He might have some reservations at first, but once they were face-to-face, Della knew she could convince him. She had a knack for this sort of thing. And it was perfect—a mention in his book would grant them the stamp of approval they’d been after for years. Recognition that they weren’t a passing fancy, but an established fixture of London.

Then Jane might finally be able to stop fretting over money, and it would be all thanks to her. Everyone would finally see that Della wasn’t just a pampered socialite who’d joined her friend’s endeavor on a whim; she was a proper businesswoman with valuable ideas to contribute.

But Jane only frowned, oblivious to her genius. “Della, really, this is a bit much. Will you talk some sense into her?”

“I’m sure I can’t,” Eli replied. Good man. He and Della had grown to know each other well enough over the past three years that he could see when he was outmatched. He came over to her side to look at the book once more. “Lyman E. Price, Viscount Ashton,” he read. “The name sounds familiar, but I don’t believe I know him. Shall I take Gloria now?”

“Yes, please. I’m certain I just heard her say ‘papa’; she must be calling you.”

“At only three months! What a remarkable baby.”

They both chuckled at the joke, which seemed to mean something more to them than Della understood. There had once been a time when she knew all of Jane’s secrets, but lately they seemed to be out of step.

You missed some things during her confinement, that’s all. It will be better now that she’s coming back to the club again.

Eli leaned down to gingerly lift his daughter into his arms. Though she still fussed, the noise subsided as he began pacing the room with her, bouncing lightly on each step.

“Why should a viscount want to publish a guidebook of popular attractions, anyway?” Jane asked, her attention back on Della.

“Perhaps it makes him feel fashionable.”

Lord Ashton certainly wouldn’t be the only aristocrat with a vanity project. At least his guide was something useful. Della had never understood why most members of her class should be content to pass their time without any challenge to occupy them, as if life was just one long afternoon tea. She couldn’t stand to be at loose ends. Maybe the viscount would share her outlook on life, and they would become fast friends. He seemed very gentlemanlike in his letters.

“It’s reckless to meet a strange man in public.” Jane clucked her tongue. “But I know you’ll do it anyway, so good luck. I suppose it’s no worse than the time you snuck into Mrs. Berry’s autumn harvest party without a chaperone. Will you still be done in time to supervise here afterward? I really can’t get away. Gloria gets colicky at night.”

“Of course. Don’t think of it.”

Jane had put in her share of long hours before her confinement and delivery. And she’d scarcely had time to recover before she resumed her practice of handling the bookkeeping every morning, while Eli still returned most evenings to help supervise and deal at the main table. Della couldn’t ask for more. They deserved to have what little rest she could give them.

“Oh!” Jane exclaimed. “And if Mrs. Muller comes in, you have to tell her we’re cutting off her credit and canceling her membership unless she settles her debts.” With a wince, she added, “Sorry. I know it’s not very pleasant, but please don’t forget.”

“I won’t,” Della assured her, blushing. She wished she had Jane’s ability to store every detail in her head, but she’d been known to misplace a page from the betting books or forget to place their champagne order on time. When things got busy and the noise of the crowd overpowered her, it sometimes felt like she was trying to juggle more balls than she had hands to catch with.

No matter. If Jane could do it, so could she.

Her friend slid the leather-bound ledger across the table. “I bookmarked the page with her account for you.”

Della tried not to let her reluctance show as she flipped it open and glanced at the tally. A hundred and twenty pounds. Cold as it might seem to turn Mrs. Muller out, it had to be done. They had a strict policy on such matters. Warnings given if the debt reached a hundred pounds, and swift action if one failed to settle up promptly. Better to cut off the ladies who didn’t know when to stop than to let them ruin their households.

They differed from White’s in that respect.

“I’ll be fine,” Della assured her. She would have to be. Jane couldn’t handle everything herself, and they were partners, weren’t they? Partners shared things. “Go home and get some sleep. I’ll take care of everything here while you’re gone, from intemperate gamblers to handsome dealers to gentleman authors.”

“Thank you.” Jane’s sigh of relief was gratifying. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I want the next one named after me.”