“
I didn
’
t think you were Louise. I thought you were
—”
He rubbed his temples.
“
Who? Who did you think I was?
”
she asked.
“
Never mind.
”
“
I shan
’
t tell Louise.
”
“
You won
’
t be meeting her!
”
“
That
’
s good.
”
He looked up at the face hovering above him. Her eyes gleamed in the moonlight. He noticed how soft and full her cheeks were.
“
Why would you not want to meet Louise?
”
he asked.
“
I
’
m sure I should dislike her excessively. Your voice tightens when you mention her. If
you
’
re
afraid of her,
I
should be terrified.
”
“
Don
’
t be ridiculous! I
’
m not afraid of her.
”
Yet he did feel a
frisson
to think of her learning of this escapade with Samantha. It made his head ache.
“
I feel as if I
’
d been beaten with cudgels.
”
With a groan, he sat up and looked out the window. When his head stopped spinning, he said,
“
Where are we?
”
“
In your carriage, returning to Brighton.
”
His face assumed its customary scowl as he turned his thoughts to their situation.
“
What the devil were you doing there? Why didn
’
t you tell me? And to go with that jackanapes of a Sykes! Have you no notion of propriety?
”
“
I have a notion my brother
’
s in trouble!
”
she shot back.
“
What do I care what those people thought of me? I went alone with Mr. Sykes because I wanted to spare you,
”
she explained.
“
I knew it wasn
’
t the sort of place that would amuse you.
”
“
Nor you, I should hope!
”
“
On the contrary! I was delighted to see what a gaming hell is like. We don
’
t have them in Milford.
”
“
Thank God for that!
”
“
Oh, Edward!
”
she scolded.
“
Don
’
t you ever feel the urge to do something a little outr
é
? I own I
’
ve been half envying Darren his escapade with Wanda. Everyone should have one such incident in her life.
”
“
I certainly do not feel anything of the sort.
”
“
Well,
”
she said pensively,
“
you did when you were young. You
’
ve already had your Esmée. I haven
’
t had anything like that. I enjoyed tonight very much. I
’
m sorry you were hurt, but if you hadn
’
t gone lording it in there like a vengeful Jehovah, demanding I go with you
—”
He paused a moment over that thoughtless
“
when you were young.
”
She made him sound like Methuselah,
“
What was I to do?
”
he asked.
“
You refused to take my lead and pretend you were my wife.
”
“
As if anyone would believe that!
”
she scoffed.
“
Do you know what kind of a place that is? A house of prostitution, along with a gaming hell. To see that old wretch ogling you as if you were a plum cake!
”
“
Actually, Mr. Docker was very nice.
”
“
I hope you didn
’
t give him your name!
”
“
Of course I did. I told him I was Miss Jones, from London. It was his first time there. He
’
s a traveling merchant from Suffolk. He sells cutlery. He was just lonesome. One can understand how it happened
—
that he went there, I mean. When I told him I wasn
’
t available, he was actually quite relieved! He just wanted to talk.
”
Salverton shook his head in bewilderment.
“
I cannot comprehend how a well-raised young lady can be so foolish. Didn
’
t your mama teach you anything?
”
“
Yes, Edward. She taught me not to be judgmental.
”
“
Well, she shouldn
’
t have!
”
A gurgle of laughter was her answer to that.
“
You are too absurd. In your high state of indignation, you
’
ve lost track of why I went there in the first place.
”
“
You
’
ve already told me why you went. You wanted a taste of degradation.
”
“
Not at all! That was an added bonus. I went to meet Amy.
”
“
Amy who?
”
he demanded suspiciously.
“
Amy Bright
—
the chit who was rolling her eyes at you. She
’
s only fifteen, by the bye, so if you have designs
—”
“
Don
’
t be ridiculous! Who is she?
”
“
Oh, you don
’
t know. She
’
s Wanda Claridge
’
s daughter.
”
“
Good God! You mean Darren
’
s woman has a grown daughter! She must be old as the hills.
”
“
Well, I don
’
t think she is. When Amy
’
s thirty, she could have a daughter the age she is now. In any case, that
’
s why Jonathon took me there. He knew about Amy.
”
‘
Why didn
’
t he tell me? Why did he feel he had to take you along?
”
“
He said gents weren
’
t allowed in unaccompanied. That was a plumper, of course. Most of them came in alone. What he really wanted was to walk in with a lady on his arm, I think. He cherishes his amorous reputation. All the women there made a great fuss over him.
”
“
Peacock! He shouldn
’
t have taken you
—
and you shouldn
’
t have gone.
”
Samantha twinkled a smile at him.
“
I knew you would feel that way, which is why I didn
’
t tell you I was going. If I hadn
’
t gone, I wouldn
’
t have discovered where Darren and Wanda are. Amy told me.
”
“
Where are they?
”
he asked eagerly.
“
We
’
ve been led on a wild-goose chase, Cousin. They didn
’
t come to Brighton at all. I wager Wanda spoke of Brighton so much and had that bathing costume made up only to fool me. There
’
s no bathing at Tunbridge Wells, so far as I know. Amy says Sir Geoffrey has another love nest there. That
’
s where Wanda usually takes her young men, she said. Is it very far away?
”
“
Halfway between here and London.
”
“
Then perhaps we can stop tomorrow on our way back to London.
”
“
Unfortunately, it
’
s not
'
on our way.
’
It lies well to the east. And I must be in London tomorrow.
”
“
Oh.
”
She looked dejected for a moment, then brightened.
“
We can ask Mr. Sykes to take me.
”
Salverton gave a malevolent glare.
“
Not bloody likely!
”
Samantha stared in disbelief.
“
Gracious, Edward! I never thought I
’
d hear you say such a thing
—
and to a lady, too. I do believe you
’
re turning into a human being right before my very eyes.
”
She reached out and gave his chin a saucy squeeze.
“
Yes, your granite scowl is turning to real flesh and blood. You had best hasten back to Lady Louise, or she
’
ll never recognize you.
”
“
Oh, no, miss, you don
’
t get rid of me that easily. I see what you
’
re about. You want to go scampering off with Sykes to enjoy a further taste of the low life. You will return to London with me, and when I
’
ve accomplished my business, we shall go to Tunbridge Wells together. Without Sykes,
”
he added firmly.
“
Oh.
”
Her lips pouted in an enchanting moue
.
Salverton gazed, trying in vain to imagine Louise
’
s lips in such an enticing position.
“
I think we ought to ask him to come with us, Cousin,
”
she continued.
“
He
’
s been so very helpful. If it weren
’
t for Mr. Sykes, we wouldn
’
t have found Amy.
”
‘“
We know where Wanda and Darren are now. We can dispense with Sykes
’
s services,
”
Salverton insisted.
Sykes soon had them back at his rooming house. As they clambered out, he called down to Salverton,
“
About the blunt missing from your purse, melord, did Miss Oakleigh explain?
”
Salverton
’
s eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“
Miss Oakleigh forgot to mention that. We were having such a delightful conversation, it slipped her mind.
”
“
You had to pay for the damages, see.
”
Salverton drew out his purse and uttered a light howl of protest.
“
Ten pounds! Dammit, the only damage was a few broken bits of cheap crockery.
”
“
There was the spillage of wine to the carpets as well,
”
Sykes explained.
“
Cheap at the price.
”
“
The carpets weren
’
t worth a shilling.
”
Sykes laughed.
“
That depends on whether you
’
re buying or selling.
”
He cracked the whip and the carriage moved on.
“
Thief,
”
Salverton muttered, counting what remained of his money.
As they went into the house, Samantha asked how his head felt.
“
It aches like the deuce. I don
’
t suppose you have any headache powders?
”
“
I never get headaches,
”
she replied with an apologetic shrug.
“
I
’
m disgustingly healthy. Miss Donaldson gets them; she finds a nice cup of tea helps.
”
“
I doubt
‘
a nice cup of tea
’
will be available here.
”
“
It
’
s too late to rouse Mr. Sykes
’
s aunt, but if you don
’
t mind taking your tea a little cooled, there
’
s a pot in my room. Mr. Sykes brought it to me,
”
she added with a fond smile.
As Salverton could think of nothing cutting enough to satisfy his fury, he just held the door and glared as she entered.
The tea was at room temperature. The bread had hardened around the edges as well, but as Samantha poured the tea and urged some refreshment on him, Salverton felt his anger ebb.
No harm had come of the little excursion after all
—
barring that tap on the head and the loss of ten pounds
—
and they had gotten a new lead on Darren.
“
You wanted a taste of excitement. This will be something to remember when you return to Milford,
”
he said, smiling.
Strangely, now that he had accepted the situation, Samantha was frowning.
“
What do you think they
’
ll do to Darren, Edward?
”
she asked, and gazed at him with such a trusting look that he felt ten feet tall. It had been a long time since a pretty young lady had looked at him like that. He remembered her soft hands caressing his brow.
When he spoke, his voice was gentle.
“
I
’
ll take care of it, Samantha. Don
’
t worry.
”
Tears brimmed in her eyes. She brushed them away with the back of her hand. Salverton hadn
’
t quite overcome his aversion to inelegance. He drew out a pristine handkerchief and handed it to her.
“
You
’
re so kind,
”
she said, daubing at her tears.
“
I had no idea you would be so helpful. I didn
’
t want to appeal to you. Miss Donaldson made me. She said you would know what to do, and she was right. It must be difficult, being the one everyone turns to when he
’
s in the suds.
”