Chapter One #2
The bespectacled man’s brow lifted as he glanced at Louisa. Obviously, whoever this Mr. Titan was knew what it meant to cross Mrs. Dove-Lyon and while his face remained unreadable, Louisa sensed his pity for her.
Dear Lord, this was the stupidest thing she had ever decided to do.
Snug escorted her through the front doors of the gambling club, despite that the women were supposed to enter at a different door.
Louisa was curious about that, but since she only intended to return the brooch and leave at once, she doubted she’d even be noticed.
Perhaps she would have had better luck throwing the blasted thing into the Thames—
Oh.
The massive room Louisa entered was the grandest, and certainly most lavish she had ever seen.
Louisa’s head tipped back as her gaze lifted, instantly drawn to the three massive chandeliers that hung above a sea of men in black tuxedos.
Every few yards a woman dressed in a jewel-toned gown and bare shoulders could be seen, laughing, whispering, or hanging on a gentleman’s arm.
The music was lively and exciting, the confusing scent of flowers, perfume, roasted vegetables, meats, pastries, liquor, and sweat mingled together in the air like an ungodly warning. This was not the sort of place a young lady of gentle breeding should ever find herself in, lest it was dire.
But to Louisa, ending up miserable because of a curse for the rest of her life was dire enough.
“This way, miss,” Snug said loudly, snapping Louisa from her thoughts.
“Oh, yes.”
She followed him around the edge of the large room, carefully avoiding guests, though some of the gentlemen on the floor gave her curious, if not confused glances.
“The clients of the Lyon’s Den pay an exorbitant amount of money for the privilege of having a place their wives, mistresses, and daughters are not permitted to,” Snug stated, as if reading Louisa’s mind.
“You coming in here dressed as though you’re going to church is confusing to say the least. That’s why they’re staring. ”
“Oh,” Louisa answered. Unwittingly, her left hand came up to her chest to grasp the hems of her cloak tightly together as they reached a large, curved staircase that was lined with maroon carpet.
Her gaze moved up the stairs, along the iron railing that curved to the right and continued all around the mezzanine above.
Louisa followed Snug as they reached the landing and continued down the open hallway until they reached a set of double doors.
He rapped his knuckles against the solid wood three times before opening the door, allowing a string of words to carry out from the room.
“There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t…” a feminine voice was saying, but Louisa was focused solely by the extravagant décor of this room.
As they entered, Louisa gaped at the rich royal-blue wallpaper that lined the large square room.
Grand furniture with black lacquer and gold cushions gave the room an air of mystery.
Massive bouquets of flowers were positioned on nearly every available table space except for a grand wooden desk that sat in front of a large circular window that must have overlooked the street below.
The soft, speckled orange glow of the London skyline shone through the window, like dozens of flames dancing in the dark.
Behind the desk was an elegantly dressed woman in a black velvet gown with a veil covering her face.
And standing opposite to her was a man, whose hair was longer than was currently fashionable, curly and dark.
His profile was striking, with a sharp jaw and high cheekbones, but when he turned to see who had interrupted what was likely a private conversation, Louisa bit the inside of her cheek and avoided eye contact.
“Madam?” Snug said. “A visitor is here for you.”
The woman, who had not looked up from her desk, spoke.
“I’m not receiving visitors tonight, Snug. You know that.”
“Yes, but Titan was insistent that I bring the young lady up here.”
That caught the woman’s attention. Glancing up from her paperwork, she appeared to stare directly at Louisa.
“Snug, you know I take my meetings with potential prospects at the end of the week—”
“I beg your pardon, ma’am, but I’m not a, a prospect,” Louisa spoke, unsure exactly what a prospect was. “I only came to return this.”
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the black velvet bag and went to approach the desk, only for the handsome man to step in front of her.
Louisa stared up at him, shocked not only by his height but by the intensity of his dark stare.
Her lips parted ever so slightly, and his eyes dropped to her mouth.
“Be a good girl and hand Carlyle whatever it is you wish to return, my dear,” the woman spoke.
Louisa held out the bag, but the man didn’t take it. Confused, she pushed it towards him, until it almost touched his chest. He lifted his hand and took it from her, before turning and delivering it to Mrs. Dove-Lyon.
Louisa held her breath as the woman took it and opened it. Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s gazed inside the bag and, holding up her other hand, she flipped the velvet pouch until the cursed brooch fell into her hand.
Although neither Snug nor Mr. Carlyle seemed to understand the importance of the object, Louisa saw a series of emotions play over the woman’s face.
“Snug, leave us.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“And have Carlyle wait outside.”
“Ah, yes, ma’am,” Snug said.
Louisa turned as she watched Snug pull out his pocket watch and tap it three times while Mr. Carlyle watched. Then, both men left without another word.
What a bizarre interaction.
“What did you say your name was, my dear?” Mrs. Dove-Lyon asked as she stood up from her desk and walked around it.
“My name is Miss Louisa May Babcock, my lady.” She curtsied.
That stole a laugh from the older woman.
“My dear, there’s no need for that, but I do appreciate it.” She leaned back against the front of her desk. “Tell me, what are you doing with this object and how have you come to me with it?”
Louisa took a deep breath.
“I don’t know much about it, my lady, except the story that has been told to me since I was born.
You see, I was told that some fifty years ago there was a ball in London.
My grandmother was there. It was her second season, and she was very much in love with a gentleman who had made his intentions clear.
Well, at this ball, the gentleman proposed, only not to my grandmother.
He proposed to a different woman, a woman who had been something of a rival, I suppose, to my grandmother.
This rival always wore that brooch.” Louisa nodded at the jewelry in the woman’s hand.
“According to my grandmother, the brooch must have come loose or something and she found it lying on the edge of the dance floor. She picked it up and had every intention of returning it but didn’t.
Instead, she put it in her pocket and watched the love of her life dance with this other woman, his fiancée.
My grandmother was so heartbroken that she said in a bout of madness, she stole the brooch and went to leave the ball when a gentleman, Lord Winthrop to be precise, asked if he could call on her the following morning.
She believed the brooch was a lucky charm and kept it as a sort of parting gift, I suppose.
I’m not very sure.” Louisa shook her head.
“Anyway, she married my grandfather, but it was not a happy marriage. They were only able to conceive a girl, my mother. When my mother came of age, she was gifted the brooch.”
“And how did her luck turn out?”
“Not good at all. She too had claimed to love someone deeply, but the same thing happened to her as it did my grandmother. Instead, she married my father, but he was affected by the drink most severely so that he was bedridden the last year of his life. I was quite young when he passed. And while we’ve lived a modest life, one I’ve always been content with, my mother’s constant misery over her poor luck has affected me.
When she passed away, a number of her pieces were sold to pay her debts, but I wouldn’t part with this piece.
I know she hoped that I might have better luck with it, but I’m quite afraid of it, you see. ”
“Afraid?” the woman repeated. “Surely you do not believe in such a silly thing as curses?”
“I do indeed, and I will not wear it, let alone touch it.” Louisa shook her head.
“No, after talking with my sister, we both decided that the best thing to do was to return the brooch to its rightful owner. Well, I decided to. My sister is still very anxious to not have a token to remember our mother. And while I cannot personally return it to your mother, I was able to learn about you and well, track you down. So please, take it back, along with my and my sister’s greatest apologies. ”
The elegant woman stared from beneath her black veil at Louisa for what felt like an eternity before she folded her arms across her chest and exhaled loudly.
“What a moral thing for someone to do. I must confess that I’ve not had many kind people enter my life, but my mother was certainly one of the gentlest people I ever knew. I thank you very much for returning it.”
Louisa smiled and bobbed her head, relieved.
“Thank you for accepting it. I’ll just be on my way then.”
“Oh no, no, no. Not so fast. I feel like I must give you something. Some sort of reward for its return.”
“Believe me, ma’am, you taking it back is all the thanks I require.”
“Nonsense, my dear. Tell me,” she said swooping around the room. “You’ve obviously returned this brooch because you do not wish to suffer the same fates as your mother and grandmother, which tells me that you may have a beau. Are you engaged?”
“No,” Louisa said, her cheeks warming. “I am not attached to anyone, nor is my sister. She may not believe in it, but I shouldn’t want to be attached to anyone while in possession of that brooch, should the curse fall to me next.”
The woman laughed. “My, I’m stunned that such an inconsequential thing as this brooch has caused such a tremendous amount of worry for you and your sister. You must let me reward you for returning it. Please? It’s the least I can do.”
“Oh well, that’s really not necessary.”
“I insist. Tell me, Miss Babcock, do you like games?”