Chapter 22 #4
Blanche’s brows rose. Nicholas said dryly, “Not quite all about it.” Eleanor looked startled. “Go on,” said Nicholas.
Beth looked between the two of them, wondering what was going on.
Hal said to the company as a whole, “She was fermenting all these strange ideas, so I thought she’d better come and get them off her chest. Anyway, she may be able to help us.”
Blanche flushed but faced Nicholas resolutely, “You were also there with Deveril.”
It was Beth’s turn to stare at Nicholas. A more unbelievable acquaintanceship was impossible to imagine.
“Not quite,” said Nicholas. “He was there with Thérèse as was I. I was definitely not with him.”
“Strange company all the same.”
“You were there, too.”
“A mistake. I left quickly.”
“And I stayed there all night.” There was something distinctly bleak in his voice but then he looked down at the baby and gently smoothed her fuzzy hair. “You think my past makes me unsuited to take this business in hand?” he queried, looking up again. “On the contrary.”
Blanche studied him thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded. “I see. Very well. How can I help?”
Beth hadn’t the faintest notion what that had all been about and after a glance at Lucien’s wooden face suspected she was never going to find out.
This time last year, however, Eleanor must have been pregnant with Arabel.
It seemed unbelievable that Nicholas Delaney had been consorting with a whore at that time, particularly one who counted Lord Deveril as an intimate.
Eleanor did not seem disturbed, and Nicholas picked up their planning. “Are you on stage tonight?” he asked Blanche.
“No.”
“You said you had lines to learn for tonight,” Lucien interrupted.
“I lied,” Blanche said, then turned back to Nicholas. “What can I do?”
He grinned. “Do you think you could play the part of a common whore?”
Blanche grinned back. “Difficult, but I am an actress, after all. What do I do?”
“Distract.”
She chuckled. “I think I can manage that.”
Beth took her courage in both hands. “I want to play a part, too,” she said. “Surely two whores will be better than one.”
“Over my dead body!” Lucien exploded.
“That can be arranged,” Beth retorted.
Lucien opened his mouth and took a deep breath. “It’s out of the question, Beth,” he said more moderately. “You’re not an actress.”
“I was always very competent in theatricals.”
“That is hardly the same thing.”
Beth fixed him with a cold eye. “Lucien de Vaux, either you are implying I am too delicate a creature to take part in this adventure, or you think that Blanche is too coarse to care about. Which?”
Random seating had placed him between Beth and Blanche, and he looked between them and sunk his head in his hands. “I don’t believe this is happening.”
There was a wave of laughter, but Beth could see some of the men were scandalized by her behavior. Nicholas, however, said, “If you want to come, Beth, you’re welcome. Eleanor?”
Eleanor’s eyes widened. “Will you think me very tame if I say no?”
“Of course not.” He looked at Blanche and Beth.
“If the will is not to be questioned there must be no hint of strange goings-on at Deveril’s house, but there may still be a couple of his men there.
If we’re lucky they’ll have taken his absence as a chance to go out and join the fun, but he was a hard master who paid well for obedience, so we can’t depend on it.
Deveril was in the habit of bringing in women for himself and his men.
You will turn up in that guise and keep them occupied.
It should only be for a matter of minutes. ”
“How do we get out without raising suspicion?” Blanche asked.
“Your protectors will turn up and drag you out. You see, you have arranged this little bit of business for yourself and deprived them of their cut.”
Lucien looked up sternly. “In that case, I am one of them.”
“Of course. And Miles.”
Beth raised a problem. “Won’t this little foray be seen as suspicious if the will is questioned?”
“Unlikely. The scenario’s not unlikely and with luck the men will be off as soon as Deveril’s death is discovered.
The beauty of your plan, Beth, is that no one has a pressing cause to investigate anything.
Besides, if questions are asked, the doxies will never have penetrated into the upper floors of the house.
All we’re trying to avoid here is bodies or an obvious break-in. ”
Nicholas looked at Francis and Hal. “You two have the boring job of hanging about in the street as your normal selves ready to help if need be.”
They didn’t look too happy at being cut out of the action but agreed.
Nicholas addressed Lucien and Miles. “We’re all dressing as the great unwashed. I’ll get the clothes. We’ll meet at Tom Holloway’s to change, but try to turn up there inconspicuously. You, in particular, Luce, tend to glitter.”
“How can you say that,” Lucien demanded, “when you think of my low tastes?” He cast a baleful look at both his mistress and his wife.
Beth giggled.
“What time?” Miles asked.
“We’ll meet at nine. It’ll be growing dark and the streets should be lively with impromptu celebrations.” He looked at Beth and Blanche. “Make sure you can’t be recognized. I don’t want to have to kill the men if I can help it.”
Beth was startled at how easily she believed him capable of killing when required. She was beginning to wish she’d not, volunteered, but it was too late now.
Blanche nodded. “I’ll get wigs from the theater and paint. Anything else we’re likely to need?”
Throughout the following discussion, Beth was aware of Lucien’s silence. If he was that angry, why had he not made a stronger objection? What would she have done if he had made a stronger objection?
Soon Beth and Lucien were walking back to Marlborough Square. He didn’t speak, and Beth didn’t try to make conversation. However, he followed her into her boudoir.
Beth looked at him nervously. He wasn’t in a rage but neither was he happy. He ran a hand through his hair. “I would like to be allowed to keep you safe,” he said.
Beth faced up to him. “I can’t live in a gilded cage, Lucien.”
“There is a lot of ground between a gilded cage and the gutter,” he said angrily, “and that is where you’re going tonight. You remember Deveril’s henchmen. What if something goes wrong? What if it takes time for us to intervene?”
Beth hadn’t really thought it through that far, and she swallowed even as she stuck to her guns. “It is not right that Blanche be asked to do things I am not asked to do.”
“For God’s sake, Blanche is a whore!” he exploded.
“She’s a gem and I love her—in a platonic way these days, of course—but she worked her way to London on her back and, bought her way into the theater the same way.
Now she depends on her acting for her livelihood, but she’s seen and done things you can’t even imagine! ”
“With you, no doubt,” Beth snapped.
“Yes, sometimes!”
“I’m sure I’m a very boring lover compared to her! I’m sure you’d rather go off tonight and adventure with her and leave me safe here at home to ply my needle!”
“Yes, I would!”
Beth decided she’d like to hit him and clenched her fists. “Well, I won’t.”
He glared at her. “Fine. Just remember I warned you!” With that he slammed out of the room with a reverberating crash.