Chapter Nine
Later that afternoon
Marylebone, London
While Hannah indulged in a bath then attended to some correspondence, Evan had presumably gone to his club to refresh himself. He’d left the townhouse and had been gone a few hours, and while she’d enjoyed the time to herself, she oddly missed being in his company.
Yes, he’d taken her by surprise with the unnecessary kidnapping and the even more unnecessary restraints, but it had lifted her from the doldrums and had banished the ennui that had bedeviled her for the past months.
It was almost as if he’d brought excitement back into her life and renewed her sense of wonder or expectation.
It’s like I’ve been set free in a way.
How truly bizarre. At her age, she shouldn’t feel such things, for at the core, even the best of men were only men at their best. No doubt he would still manage to disappointment her in the future.
Once he regained his title and showed society that he was, indeed, a duke, he would be forced to leave her behind.
Women like her with her past had no place in a duke’s life, regardless if she was his mistress.
Would he take another once he married? Quite possibly.
After all, society’s foundations were built on the assumption that every person one met—or used—gained one a higher foothold on whatever ladder they traveled.
It was all about connections and power. Since Buckthorne had been away from London for ten years, he’d not been able to position himself well.
That might mean he’d need to make up for lost time.
Usually, a mistress could help with that, yet she had the distinct feeling that Evan wasn’t the sort to run his life in such a way.
Yet men lied. It was a cornerstone she could wager upon every time, regardless of her history with the captain.
Once teatime arrived, she took the repast in the drawing room.
As of yet, Buckthorne hadn’t returned. He’d either been sidetracked with news of his brother or some of his clubmates had gotten wind of what he’d done last night.
Would they take him to task? It would prove interesting to know.
Or perhaps he had other business to attend and had forgotten he’d made her a promise to share tea.
In the end, it didn’t matter, for life had a rhythm and a routine. They all needed some form of that to keep the madness away.
She’d nearly finished her first cup when the butler arrived in the doorway.
“You have a visitor, Miss Ulrich.”
“Who is it, Mr. Franklin?” As far as she knew, she wasn’t expecting anyone today.
The butler’s thin lips turned downward in a frown. “A Mr. Littleford.”
“Drat.” Since the captain had come into her life, everything had been sent topsy turvy, and she hadn’t had time to clear her schedule or cancel meetings.
“I’d forgotten he had an appointment today.
” With a frown, she set her cup and saucer onto the low table in front of her.
Then she rose to her feet. “Send him in. However, he can’t stay.
In fact, through the end of the year, I need to cancel all clients on my schedule. Can you see to that for me?”
“Of course, Miss Ulrich. Are you well?”
“I am, but with the return of Captain Buckthorne, I am no longer available to continue to make my living as a courtesan.”
Surprise reflected in the older man’s eyes. “Oh? Will the captain remain close permanently?”
Yes, he was fishing for information, but she didn’t mind.
Her staff was extremely protective. “He will be in my life for the time being, and since he has just come into Town and doesn’t have a residence yet, he might be here more often than not.
Please see that one of the rooms upstairs is fitted out for him. ”
“I will, Miss Ulrich.” The butler gave her a nod, then he left the room.
Mr. Franklin might be many things, but he was discreet and he was professional.
Two reasons why she’d hired him to begin with all those years ago, and it took the pressure off her shoulders.
If something were to turn ugly, usually Mr. Franklin took care of it in a timely and discreet manner.
Still, her stomach churned and knots of worry formed.
As a whole, Mr. Littleton wasn’t a difficult client, but he had a tendency to be clingy or possessive in his own way.
It didn’t necessary frighten her—she’d seen too much bluster from men, and she knew how to handle them—but such attitudes put her off a bit.
Even from Buckthorne.
A couple of moments later, Mr. Littleton came into the room. She rarely entertained clients here, for that wasn’t the purpose of them being in her townhouse, but she didn’t have the wherewithal at the moment to receive him in the downstairs parlor.
“Ah, Lady Mirabelle, I feared something had happened to you when you didn’t keep our appointment.
” A man of indeterminate years, it was difficult to place his age.
Of average height and build, his chestnut-hued hair had been styled the same as so many other men in London, and his clothing, though smartly tailored, only seemed to cover his frame, not enhance or detract from it.
Truth be told, if she’d seen him on the street and didn’t already know him, she would immediately skip her gaze over him and then just as summarily forget him. “Is all well?”
“It is.” Her nerves crawled, for she didn’t know how he would react to this next bit of news. “Thank you for meeting with me here.”
He nodded as he glanced about the well-appointed space, decorated with things and paintings that had brought her joy over the years.
“Shall we begin? It’s a bit different than our other times together, but I don’t mind.
A change of venue means you trust me and are letting me into your inner sanctum. ”
Oh, dear.
“No, it means that I have other business to still attend and didn’t feel the need to change rooms just now.
” There were times when her clients made too much out of their relationship and thought they had access to every level of her life.
That spooked her, but one did what one must to pay the bills and keep up a lifestyle…
or merely survive this existence. “Also, we will not have our customary meeting today or for the next few months.”
“What?” Shock went through Mr. Littleton’s features. “Why?”
“Circumstance have changed for me, I’m afraid, and that means I have decided to take a hiatus from being a courtesan.” At no point did she try to move closer to him, and in fact, she kept a few pieces of furniture between them.
“What does that mean, Lady Mirabelle?”
Was he daft? “It means that I am no longer seeing clients. You will need to leave this house.”
“What should I do?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Perhaps find a different courtesan or even a mistress.” It didn’t matter, for she wouldn’t ever see him again.
“I don’t want anyone else; you are the best.” Mr. Littleton grew more and more agitated. “How could you do this to me? I have been seeing you for six months. We have a connection, and I enjoy talking to you.”
This was not going well. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I’m sorry, but I need to make decisions that are the best for my life. Because of that, you must find someone else to take care of your needs.”
“I can’t allow you to do that.” One of his hands curled into a fist, and when she glanced at it, he relaxed the fingers.
“It doesn’t matter what you think you’ll allow or not. I am my own person, and I do not take orders from you.” She gestured to the door. “Please leave.”
“I won’t. Not until I can convince you to keep me on. We needn’t tell any of your others.”
A trace of annoyance twisted down her spine. “I said no, Mr. Littleton. So please leave.”
The man took a few steps toward her. “What can I do that will convince you to keep me on? Is it your fee? I can pay more.”
“I believe the lady told you to leave, Mr. Littleton.”
At the sound of Evan’s voice, her gaze leapt to the door, and when she saw him, relief cycled through her. “Captain Buckthorne, if you could escort Mr. Littleton out? I believe he’s forgotten the way.”
“I’m not leaving,” Mr. Littleton asserted with a shake of his head. “Lady Mirabelle and I aren’t finished with this discussion.”
The captain grunted. He bounced his gaze between her and the other man. “She asked nicely, so please go, and if you don’t, I promise I will toss you into the gutter.”
“If I go, you will have to as well. She’s not a courtesan any longer,” he said with a frown, but at least he edged toward the door.
“So I heard, but she is my mistress, and I have exclusive rights to her.” He rested his hands on his hips and glared. “Do you require further motivation to leave?”
Mr. Littleton glanced between them. Slowly, his face purpled. “I hope he pays you well, Lady Mirabelle, for he won’t prove a good replacement for any of us.” When he exited the room, Evan went into the corridor and stood in the doorway until the other man presumably went on his way.
Hannah crossed her arms over her breasts and frowned at him when he joined her again in the drawing room.
“Once word of this is out, my business will have been destroyed.” The unknown of it all terrified her, but there was nothing for it.
She’d made this decision. Would it send her down a path of regret or heartbreak like the last time? God only knew.
When he swaggered across the room toward her, she admitted he was far too easy on the eyes, and his skill in the carnal arts was better than what she’d been treated to with clients. “You were made to be more than a courtesan, Anna. When will you realize that?”
A tiny jolt of something went down her spine and her heart squeezed from the words. “Yet you’re using my body.”
He shrugged. “As you are using mine, so it’s an even exchange, don’t you think?”
There was that. Feeling much like a cornered rabbit as he prowled toward her, she shook her head. “You are late for tea.”