Chapter 6 #2
She nodded and seemed to gather herself.
Her voice was strong as she continued, “He came to London hellbent on harming Arabella, who he blamed for his fall from grace. He kidnapped her. He wanted to kill her. But in his madness, he turned the gun on himself instead. It was a suicide. Silas’s brothers were kind enough to cover it up with the authorities. ”
He shook his head and squeezed her hands gently. “Oh, Evelina. That’s terrible. What you three have been through.”
“He knew.”
He blinked in confusion. “He? He who?”
“Harry,” she whispered. “Harry was with me that night when we discovered Arabella had been taken. Silas was mad with fear and I begged Harry to go with us to search. To help me save my sister and he—he refused.” She let loose a humorless laugh.
“He told me he wouldn’t involve himself in something that could cause such a scandal to his name. ”
Vaughn stared at her, a blind rage lifting in his chest. “That bastard. Fucking hell, that arse.”
She blinked and he realized there were tears in her eyes.
“It changed things between us. Obviously it was only a few months ago, I know now that he was already with Lady Blackburn, but it was never the same. I don’t know if that was part of why he decided he would throw me over and put all his energy into her, but if it was then—”
He realized where she was going with that sentence and shook his head. “If you apologize for the actions of that prick, I will lose my senses. He owed you more. Full stop. And this information only makes me despise him all the more.”
She looked a little confused at that statement.
“Oh. Well, thank you. Thank you, Blackburn. At any rate, it isn’t very likely that the truth will come out, but it is ammunition that I suppose Harry could use against me and us, if we’re pretending a relationship.
So I thought you should know about it to protect you from any scandal that might follow. ”
He found himself laughing, and for the first time in a long time it was real.
“Along the scale of scandals currently happening in my life, this would rate very low, I assure you. I would only care he did it because it would hurt you. But I’m guessing he wouldn’t want to tangle with Silas, who seems the kind of man who might rip a man’s arms off if his wife was harmed. ”
Evelina’s smile seemed brighter at those words. “He is that. He is the best of men and I’m so happy to have him as my brother-in-law. At least one of sisters is happy and for that I’m grateful.”
There was a light knock at the parlor door and the butler returned. “Supper is served.”
“Thank you, Parsons,” Evelina said, and stood. Vaughn held out his arm and she didn’t hesitate before she took it. The feel of her fingers folding along the inside of his elbow was warm and gentle and he let out a long breath as they started out of the room.
“Thank you again for telling me,” he said. “And now I look forward to the negotiation of terms, Miss Comerford. For I have a guess that you’ll bring a nerve of steel to such things.”
He was happy that she laughed as a response, something musical that lightened the mood between them. And after the last few months, having anything lightened was something miraculous, indeed.
* * *
Evelina observed Blackburn carefully as their food was served. He was an interesting man, of which she had always been aware in their occasional interactions, but it went deeper than she had suspected. Oh, she’d seen him as intelligent and witty. And no one could deny he was handsome.
But there was so much more below that surface.
He was kind. Kind to her servants, kind to her.
This drive for vengeance seemed to not be in his normal character, but borne from deep pain, betrayal and grief.
She understood those things. She’d experienced them not only in the situation with Harry, but in the life she’d led under her father’s thumb.
Somehow she was glad Blackburn knew a little about that now. They understood each other better, so they would be less likely to cause each other pain.
“And now that you’ve been lured in with fine brandy and a fricassee that I promise you is to die for, I think it’s time we discussed those terms,” she teased.
He laughed as he took a bite of said fricassee and then jerked his gaze toward her. “Oh, you are right. That’s delicious. You don’t play fair, Evelina.”
“I’m a courtesan. We seduce the senses,” she said, and then heard the tone of her words. “Oh, obviously I don’t mean seduce as in erotic seduction. Not with us.”
He hesitated, she wasn’t exactly certain of why, but then inclined his head. “Yes, I think we have both agreed to that term already. This is not meant to be a true affair. I won’t have an expectation of being in your bed.”
“Good.” She said it but had an odd sensation of brief disappointment. “Good. Then the terms are more about duration and expectation outside of what a normal protector and courtesan would do together.”
“As well as agreeing to what I’ll provide,” he added.
She blinked. “What you’ll provide?”
“I’m keeping you from the courtesan market,” he said. “And asking you to pretend to be mine. I don’t expect that will come without some financial cost. Your sister owns this house, yes? Does she charge you rent?”
“No, of course not,” Evelina said.
“Then I’ll deposit what a place like this would let for into your accounts as compensation, along with a small amount of pin money. What do you say to a hundred and fifty pounds for each month?”
“I say that’s far too much money!” she gasped. “I doubt Arabella would let this place for more than thirty a month and another ten or twenty at most for pin money would be more than generous. Fifty pounds when I’m not even bedding you is the maximum.”
He folded his arms. “I’m not sure you understand what negotiating means, Miss Comerford. You’re supposed to be getting the maximum for your effort.”
“No, that’s not accurate. A fair price is what a negotiation should be. Fair to both parties.”
He tilted his head and for a moment he seemed confused by that notion.
“Very well. Then let us meet in the middle. A hundred pounds, paid up front, for each month we will spend pretending to be lovers.” She opened and shut her mouth, because it was still far too high a sum, but he held up a hand.
“I will brook no refusals. A hundred pounds is my final offer and not a ha’penny less. ”
“Blackburn—” she began.
“Evelina,” he interrupted.
She bent her head with a laugh at the playfully stern expression on his face. “Well, when we end this arrangement and people ask me about you, I will say generous to a fault and it won’t be a lie. A hundred pounds a month is very kind. And since you seem hellbent on the sum, I won’t refuse you.”
“Very good, our first accord,” he said with a playful wink. “And now to the next item to be determined. I believe you mentioned duration.”
“Yes. I’m not sure how long a person needs to enact revenge by pretending to be attached to someone new. What are your thoughts?”
He pondered for a moment, stroking his hand over his chin.
“A good question. Not too short or else it will only cause more scandal. But not too long for I don’t want to keep you from finding a true protector who will provide more fully for your future.
Why don’t we agree to discuss the topic each month before I make my next payment to your accounts?
And we assume that we will do this no more than… three months?”
“It would get us both through the end of the Season,” she said. “And will your divorce be finished by then?”
His frown pulled down. “I hope so. We’re in the final negotiations, trying to get the permissions from church and sovereign.”
“Then the timing will be right. I agree to those terms.”
“We’re very good at this. What else should the terms include?”
“What to expect. If not sex, then how would we work out the pretended affair so that others know it’s happening? I have some thoughts on that.”
He sipped his wine. “I long to hear them.”
“I propose we attend one public event together each week and share a suggestively long supper once a week, as well.”
“So people think we’re doing the thing we aren’t doing,” he said.
She nodded. “Exactly. And if we decide we want to do more or less, then we can agree to that on a case-by-case basis.”
“You mean if we go to the opera but then there is some art showing I think you’d like the same week,” he said, and leaned closer. “Do you enjoy an art showing, Evelina?”
“I think it would be a poor mind that didn’t enjoy a good art showing,” she teased back. “Though it does depend on the artist.”
“I think we might be agreeing to be friends,” he said after a moment’s consideration. “Is that what we’re agreeing on?”
She leaned back. “Friends. Goodness, I’ve never been friends with a man before. What a concept. But I suppose we are. We have a very sad thing in common, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy each other’s company even as we…well, I suppose act in bad faith.”
“Lightly in bad faith,” he corrected.
She laughed. “Are we agreed then?”
“We seem to be,” he said, “And now I’d like to eat this fine food and talk about something that isn’t my wretched wife or your wretched former lover. It will be our first suggestively long supper, after all.”
She smiled and after she’d taken a bite of her food, the first bite that had tasted of anything at all for months, she asked, “Have you read any good books lately, then?”
His gaze lit up. “Oh yes! I’m reading the most fascinating biography about Cook’s time in the Pacific.” He frowned. “Is that too dry?”
“The biography of an explorer?” she said with a laugh. “Not at all. I’m fascinated by such things. Please, tell me all about it.”
He did, making her laugh and gasp in equal measure as he told her adventurous tales of the explorer. And the supper was long, probably suggestively if anyone was watching but seemed to fly by. After their dessert plates were cleared away, he leaned back and smiled at her.
“That’s the longest conversation I’ve had in an age about anything that wasn’t my divorce.”
There was such a lightness when he said that, a flash of the man she’d vaguely known during her time as Southwater’s mistress.
The one who had been fun to be around. There he was and he was very attractive.
The kind of man some high society lady would forgive for his tortured past once time and gossip had moved on.
He could be happy again. She hoped he would be.
“I’d be happy to be practice for such conversations,” she said. “And get you ready to return to good company at some point.”
She was teasing but their eyes met and suddenly there was a little thickness to the air. Like they’d hit upon something real in the midst of all the games and lies and schemes.
“Good company,” he repeated with a shake of his head. “That sounds dreadful.”
“Oh, you’ll like it again someday, I just know you will.” She sat back, as if a little added distance could lessen the unexpected weight that talking to him had. “Speaking of which, should we plan our first public outing?”
He shifted. “I suppose we should. What about the opera?”
She considered it. “It’s a good idea. People expect to see men at the opera with their mistresses. But I think we need to do something a little less obvious to begin. Are you a member of Lady Lena’s Salon?”
He nodded. “Yes. I was invited a few years ago. I don’t go as often as I once did, but I always enjoyed it.”
She worried her lip. “Is it a place you went with your wife? I’m sorry to be so direct, but I want to make sure that anything I suggest doesn’t cause you further pain.”
His expression softened a little at that statement.
He cleared his throat. “Florence had little use for intellectual salons. Not because she isn’t clever, she very much is, but because they didn’t have the kind of social standing she liked to cultivate.
She never attended with me, so there is no association with her for me in that place. ”
“Good, that will be perfect then,” she said. “Two nights from now there is a gathering there. I believe there will be a discussion about astronomy led by Miss Herschel. I think she’ll talk about all of her comets.”
“Fascinating,” he breathed. “I’ve always wished to hear her speak. What a coup for Lena Bright and Harriet Smith. Do you know them well?”
“The owners of the establishment? Very little. I like them both a great deal,” she said. “They’re brilliant. I always enjoy my time there. And it’s a good place for us to be seen without making it as obvious.”
He nodded slowly. “Very intelligent, not that I expected anything else. What time shall I fetch you?”
“You won’t,” she said. “I think it would be better to be a bit coy about it. We both attend and then be seen talking, deciding to sit together, perhaps being a little too wrapped up in each other’s company.
Let the world see what they think is the beginning of something new and have it be reported back to Southwater and Lady Blackburn. ”
“But he thinks he knows that we’re already engaged in some kind of affair,” he said.
“And he’ll think that his discovery of us together is the reason why we decided to start to be public. Let him stew. Let him seethe.” She couldn’t help a little smile. “Gracious, I sound so Machiavellian.”
“Very wicked, indeed. I find I quite like it in my partner in…well, it’s not exactly crime.
I like this idea. The salon usually begins at eight, I will be there a few moments before and make sure there is a place for us to sit together.
When you arrive…fashionably late, one must assume, we will begin. ”
She nodded and got to her feet. He followed, just as a gentleman should and glanced at the door. She tilted her head. “Are you thinking it’s time to make your escape?”
“I’ve enjoyed our time together very much, truly, Evelina. But I’ve a great deal to think about.”
She motioned to the door. “Let me see you out.”
They moved together to the foyer and chatted about nothing at all while his carriage was brought. He took her hand before he left her, squeezing it gently as he said his goodbyes and rode off in his fine carriage. She sighed as she closed the front door and leaned back on it.
She liked this man insofar as she had gotten to know him. Truly liked him. Which was a dangerous thing, indeed. And one she’d have to be very careful of as they navigated the waters of deceit.