Chapter 27
twenty-seven
The evening arrived too soon for Effie as she started to get ready in her bedroom.
The news that Papa’s finances were safe triggered a fresh flurry of activities in the house with Lowe going up and down the corridor, carrying stacks of papers, Doyle busy showing people into Papa’s study, and more letters arriving every other minute.
In the midst of the chaos, a message for her from Tristan had been delivered to her without raising questions. He informed her he’d taken every precaution to protect her identity and keep her presence in his house a secret. She hadn’t even thought about that.
Kettle had vanished again, annoyed by the commotion. Instead, Pepper had been so excited he’d dropped exhausted in her bed and slept soundly. She didn’t even have the loving support of her pets as she got ready to see Tristan.
Her maid helped her don a fine Oxford blue gown with a silk overskirt and velvet rims. Her hair was styled in luscious curls, tied with silk ribbons matching her gown.
She wanted to make an impression, as silly as it sounded. Why she was putting so much effort into getting dressed, she had no idea. He would remove every item of her clothing five minutes after she arrived. The thought shouldn’t be thrilling, but it was.
When Jane arrived to accompany her, she was as ready as her anxiety allowed, officially to go to the opera with her friend. Jane would leave her alone in Tristan’s house, and then a cab would drive her home later. Simple plan, with lots of complications.
In the carriage driving her to Tristan’s house, Jane stared at her from the opposite seat with disapproval. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“No. But I’m not going to be his mistress. This deal is different. It’s something more civil.” If she kept repeating that, she would believe it.
“Since I’m your accomplice, I want to make sure nothing terrible is going to happen to you.”
“Tristan would never hurt me.” That much she knew.
Jane took her hand. “I promised to help you, and I will. But think about your reputation.”
“Not again.”
“It doesn’t matter how kind Montcrest is to you. Your chances of finding a good match will be gone the moment people gossip about you and him. Or worse, you’ll become a spinster and not even a respected one.”
A choking sensation got caught in her throat. If that future was the price for saving her Papa, then so be it.
“Nothing will happen if nobody knows what I’m doing. We have an arrangement to make my visits completely secret. He will have the back door left open for me, and no servants will be around. I’ll enter without anyone knowing it.”
Jane huffed. “Do you trust him? Even if he doesn’t talk, one of his servants might.”
Surprisingly, she trusted Tristan. He might be ruthless but was an honest man. “I do. I can’t let him ruin my family.”
“He will ruin you.”
She pushed that horrible possibility out of her mind.
“I’m not simply talking about your reputation,” Jane insisted. “You aren’t the type of lady who doesn’t care about an occasional tumble. You care deeply. I’m worried about how you will feel afterwards. You’ll believe you’re in love with him.”
For some reason, Jane’s words bothered her. A tumble wasn’t enough to fall in love. If anything, his vulnerable side—the one he kept hidden—was a better reason to fall in love.
The carriage came to a stop in front of Tristan’s house.
She inhaled deeply, smelling her cinnamon perfume mingled with London smell of burnt coal. “I need to go.”
“Send for me if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you my foot.” Jane rested her chin on her fist. “Anything can happen to you when you are alone with him.”
She blew out a breath. “You’re exaggerating. But I appreciate your concern.”
“If you get hurt because of him, he’ll get hurt because of me.”
Tristan wouldn’t hurt her. She was sure of that. But her pulse raced faster when she left the safety of the carriage.
“Do not worry. I’m perfectly safe.”
“You’re my best friend,” Jane whispered. “The only person who never judges me or talks behind my back. I’ve never told you how much I care about you.”
Effie hugged her. “Thank you for your support.”
Jane patted her back. “You should carry a knife, just in case.”
With those last reassuring words, Effie entered Tristan’s house.