Chapter 2
Shameless men have come forward with the claims of being the Masked Rogue without proof. We are offering a reward for whoever can reveal his face to society —The Londoner.
Natalie wanted him to feel the pain she had lived with for nine years. Certainly, it would be much more difficult to ruin a man’s reputation, and he was known in society as a perfect duke.
Her task would be tough, but she was willing to do what it took. If he had truly forgotten what he had done to her, then she would gladly remind him.
A knock came at her door as she finished writing on her list. She quickly wiped her tears with the pad of her fingers and put the list away, rising. “Yes?”
“May I come in?” Hannah asked.
Smoothing her hands down her blue muslin dress, she called for her cousin to enter. Hannah immediately frowned when she walked in and looked at Natalie.
“Is something the matter, Natalie?” she asked. “You were very quiet on our ride back. Did something happen?”
Natalie shook her head. “I am well, Hannah. You must not worry about me.”
Hannah still looked skeptical despite that answer, but she said. “You should rest before dinner.”
“Yes, I will do that.”
Her cousin regarded her as though she wished to say more, but she nodded and left.
Natalie allowed a deep sigh. A walk would calm her, but she was unwilling to leave the house at this time because her fears had been revived.
She felt as though a crowd would be waiting in front of the house to launch hurtful words at her.
She picked up a basket with her sewing and weaving items and sat like a monk on her bed. Ladies did not trade, but Natalie did in secret to help her family. She made bonnets and dresses and sold them to her friend Mary Lynch, who was a modiste with a shop on Bond Street.
Ladies loved Mary’s shop, so naturally, they believed some of the bonnets and dresses she displayed were of her making, which was convenient for Natalie.
She had no siblings, her mother died an hour after her birth, and her father passed away five years ago. Hannah and George were all she had, and poor George inherited her father’s debts, which Jasper caused. What she did helped, and it also gave her a sense of purpose in the world.
“Shall I read now?” Hannah asked, raising the sheet she had just finished writing on as they waited in the drawing room for dinner to be announced.
“Yes,” George replied, while Natalie straightened in her seat.
Hannah wrote anonymously for The Londoner, and her articles were solely about the Masked Rogue of London.
The money she earned from that was her contribution to the family, and she always read the pieces she wrote to George and Natalie before submitting them for publication.
She was two-and-twenty and seeking a husband. Until she found one, she too felt obligated to help George in any way she could.
Clearing her throat, Hannah began, “Lord Mansfield had the misfortune of losing a wager last night against the Masked Rogue. Now the exact sum is unknown because the Baron would not reveal it, but it is large enough that he might part with a property…”
“From whom do you hear what to report?” George asked.
“Oh, I cannot tell you that, Brother,” Hannah laughed. They had been asking her that question for a while and she refused to tell. Hannah was still far from finding the rogue's identity, but she had managed to become thoroughly informed about where he went and what he did.
Now, Natalie wondered how much fortune he had amassed over the years through his wagers—and he won nearly everyone he made. “Does he truly favor women with red hair?” she asked.
“Yes, he does. Nearly every woman in his company has red hair or is wearing a red wig.”
George turned to look at Natalie, consternation widening his green eyes. A blush crept up her cheeks. “I am not asking because I have red hair, George,” she mumbled. “I am merely as curious as the ton is about him.”
“Well…” he cleared his throat, “we do not know if he is a gentleman. He certainly has the comportment of one but any scoundrel could pretend to be a gentleman, especially one behind a mask.”
Natalie’s thoughts veered onto a path that made her blush even though she had never seen the Masked Rogue.
Blinking, she shifted in her seat and composed herself.
Should she try to find him with her cousin’s help?
She was no longer concerned about her reputation, and she could add a wish to her list. Find the Masked Rogue.
She was not sure what she would do if she found him but a kiss would be a good start. Yes, I should do this.
“I have yet to find where he lives,” Hannah complained, folding the sheet and sealing it.
“Why do you want to know where he lives?” Natalie asked, leaning slightly forward, which drew George’s attention and he cleared his throat. He had always been very protective of both Natalie and his sister.
“Why, I would be closer to finding his face once I have his address.”
The butler appeared in the doorway and George stood, saying, “I wish you luck, Sister.”
He offered Natalie his arm, and they moved to the dining room for dinner. As they began to eat, she noticed a change in George’s demeanor. “Is something the matter?”
His hesitation told her that it was about money. She disliked such discussions, and she should have grown accustomed to them by now, but she took a sip of her wine to prepare herself before asking, “What do you wish to talk about, George?”
“We need to further reduce our expenses,” he replied, looking dolefully from Natalie to Hannah.
“Lady Barton invited us to her autumn ball,” Hannah said, “but we do not have to attend, and if we must, then we will not have new dresses made. We shall wear one of our old ones.”
They were rarely invited to balls—even during the social season—and they were excited when they received an invitation last week.
They planned to have new dresses because most of the ones they had were out of fashion.
Natalie could make them new dresses, but they had wanted a proper modiste to do it so they could truly feel like they were part of the ton.
The illusion of privilege was sometimes a salve for their wounds.
“Yes, I agree with Hannah,” Natalie said. “I can alter our old dresses and no one will know.”
George sighed, suddenly looking older than his age of two-and-thirty.
He contemplated their suggestion for a moment before shaking his head.
“No. My sisters shall have new dresses. They might not be the same as what you are accustomed to but you will have something new, nevertheless. Besides, the price of a dress is not very significant.” He smiled to brighten the place, and although they returned the gesture, the air remained heavy with the burdens on the family.
Hannah made to object, but Natalie stopped her with a look.
“What else can we do?” It was evident that George was already feeling as though he had failed them.
The best they could do for him was to accept what he was giving them.
She silently promised to work harder to replace what they would spend on the new dresses.
“We have to dismiss some of the household. A maid or two should make a difference,” he suggested, “or we could reduce their wages.”
Natalie gently placed a hand on his arm. “It is better to dismiss them. We can give them good references that will enable them to find better situations.”
“Yes, you are correct. I would be lost without you two.” He gave them an appreciative smile. “Thank you.”
“What is the purpose of family if not to look after one another.” She took his hand, then frowned when she noticed, for the first time, how lean his fingers had become.
George's health suffered greatly for how much he exerted himself in his attempts to repay their debts and provide for them.
He hid it well from them, but it was at times like this that Natalie noticed.
Guilt clenched her gut as she recalled the cause of it all.
Oliver Bargrave had pronounced Jasper’s prank a scandal, and he came to her father and collected money from him for his silence.
Months later, Oliver forced her father to give him a large part of his coal mining business using the scandal as leverage.
Too afraid to have his daughter’s reputation ruined, her father agreed, and fell into debt trying to revive his remaining fortune.
The scandal remained hidden but the price was too much. As a result of their lost fortune, gentlemen avoided Natalie because she had no dowry, and when she reached the age of five-and-twenty, she was deemed a spinster.
George still owned a portion of the business but it was a very small one. Not once had Natalie's father or George ever blamed her for what had happened, nor had they shown their displeasure in any way. She was immensely grateful to them, but her gratitude did nothing to assuage her guilt.
After dinner, George went to his study, while Hannah moved to the library to read. Left alone, Natalie decided to retire early. Within the walls of her room, the day’s events rattled in her thoughts.
Jasper will surely pay for what he had done to her family, but before then, she had a task she could complete with him. Kiss a proper gentleman. He was a perfect man in society’s eyes, thus, he qualified.
She rose from her chair in front of the hearth and walked to her vanity, assessing her appearance. Her pale blue lace dress complimented her red hair and gave her hazel eyes a green hue. Yes, she will kiss a proper gentleman tonight before she lost the unexpected courage she had gained.
Removing a black cloak from a rack and throwing it over her shoulders, she picked up her gloves and reticule, and she slipped out of her bedchamber, moving as quietly as she could.
Her heart beat faster, and her eyes darted in every direction.
She had never snuck out of the house before, and if George found her, not only would he prevent her from leaving but he would worry.
He also would never understand her list, especially because he still hoped she would find a good gentleman and marry.
She descended the stairs and hurried toward the rear of the house where the servants’ entrance was located.
Natalie opened it as quietly as she could and stepped out, closing it behind her.
She took a deep breath and walked down the alley to the street where she hired a hack, giving the driver Jasper’s address, a few miles outside the city of Westminster.
As she settled in the carriage and flutters threatened to make her run back to the safety of Clifford House, she swallowed and took another steadying breath.
Tonight, the course of my life changes. I will not quail, she vowed.