The Price of Innocence (The Legacy Series) (17 page)

“Hopefully, this shall be proof enough that I’ve deflowered you,” he said, laughing. He picked up his cravat from the nightstand and draped it around his neck leaving it untied at the end. With his waistcoat on his arm, he walked over to Suzette on the settee and bent down, ceremoniously messing up her hair with one hand and laughing the entire time.

The relief in Suzette’s soul spilled over, and she laughed along with him. Robert took his index finger, wiped the lipstick from her lips, and smudged a bit along his lip line.

“If anyone asks, Cheri,” he jested in a French accent, “I am the greatest lover you’ve ever known.” He paused as he corrected that thought. “Though some will think I do my deed far too quickly!” He turned to walk to the door, and Suzette stood up and ran to his side, grabbing his forearm.

“I’m very sorry if I’ve disappointed you.”

“No, you’ve not disappointed me, I assure you.” He gave her an endearing wink in an attempt to allay her fears. “On the contrary, I’m quite pleased.” A longing look entered his eyes, and he spoke in confidence what he hoped would be true. “I will be your first when you are ready, and it will be when you want me as much as I want you.” He took his finger and touched the tip of her nose. “Perhaps tomorrow night, eh?”

Hesitantly, Robert opened the door and stepped out, closing it quietly behind him, leaving behind a stunned, untouched virgin. He ran down the grand staircase trotting like a stud and burst into Madame Laurent’s office. She sat in her chair behind her desk, and he loudly announced his arrival. “I wish to speak with you!” He stood in front of her and peered intently into her surprised face.

Madame Laurent thought the worse and spoke in defense. “Did she not please you, Robert? I’m very sorry if that’s the case. I shall deal with it immediately.”

Robert corrected her misconception. “On the contrary, Madame. She is the most enjoyable creature I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.” He continued with a serious look upon his face and began to lay out his proposition. “I’ve come to thank you for the next two nights of ultimate bliss before my return to England. I want to make sure our deal stands, and you will not sell her to another before the end of the week.” He would not leave the premises until she assured him of their agreement.

“Yes, Robert, you have my word, and you’ve paid in advance.”

“Good. It’s agreed then. I will arrive tomorrow evening at seven sharp!” He turned toward the door, but made one last request before departure. “Don’t have her come to me until after I’ve arrived. I’ll wait for her in the room.”

“Very well.”

“Good! Au revoir
,
Madame.”

He left and walked back to the foyer to retrieve his hat and topcoat. Feeling quite pleased with himself, he hailed a cab, and climbed inside for the trip back to his townhouse. As the carriage lurched forward, the sound of the horses’ hooves on the cobblestone pavement echoed in his ears like the beat of his own heart. Something stirred deep within, as he struggled with a mixture of yearning and desire. Suzette was one of a kind, and he felt concern for the young woman’s wellbeing and safety. The only problem he faced was how to deal with the matter before leaving Paris and returning home in two days.

Chapter Thirteen

  Suzette watched Robert walk from the room and close the door behind him. Alone in the Louis XV Chambre, her heart released its apprehension with a loud sigh from her lungs. Her nerves had been on edge for so long that she felt dizzy. She made her away back to the settee and flopped.

She giggled like a schoolgirl. The mirrored room reflected her silliness back to her, but she couldn’t contain her joy that she was still a virgin. Suzette thanked God for sparing her from damnation for another night.

It was hard not to relive what had just transpired. She closed her eyes and pondered the moment Madame Laurent walked her to the door. When it opened and revealed a most agreeable man in appearance, she felt relieved. His shocking golden hair and deep, blue eyes beguile her so much, that she quickly hastened her gaze to the floor. He was handsome and different in manners from typical Frenchmen.

Lord Holland stood at least four inches taller than her own father did, and she felt weak when he looked down upon her shaking frame. When she finally lifted her eyes to look at him, they were level with his open linen shirt at the collar line. Just gazing at a portion of his bare skin brought a queasy feeling. Suzette had never seen a man’s exposed chest and taunt muscular physique. She found it shamefully fascinating and began to wonder if these were some of the pleasures that Nadine mentioned.

Suzette’s emotions ran rampant from relief to worry. Her greatest concern was Madame Laurent and what she would do to her if she found out. Should she check the room, the evidence placed by Robert would hopefully convince her that he had accomplished the task. Suzette stood to her feet and walked over to the bed to examine the crimson stains that had dried on the sheet. It represented the loss of her virginity, but Suzette still kept her precious virtue intact.

There was nothing more to be done, except return to her room and lie about what transpired. She opened the door slowly and poked her head out into the hallway looking down the corridor both ways. All was quiet, so she quickly closed the door of the bed chamber behind her and tiptoed down the hall to her room. Another swift turn, and finally she was behind the closed door, safe and sound for the remainder of the night, or at least she hoped.

Overcome by relief, she felt the need to let it all out, so she ran to her bed, fell upon her pillow, and bawled like a baby. It felt good to sob and let the threads of her pillowcase catch her tears.

Before she finished the task of completely emptying her burdens, the door flung open, and Nadine walked into the room. Upon seeing her sobbing figure bobbing up and down, she came over to Suzette’s bedside and sat down.

“Good Lord, sweetie. Are you all right?” Her hand gently lay upon her shoulder. “I didn’t think your first time with Lord Holland would cause such a sorrowful reaction. He wasn’t mean or anything was he?”

Suzette blurted out through her blubbering tears. “No . . . no . . . he wasn’t mean.”

Nadine sighed with relief, but was shocked at Suzette’s behavior over her first night of work. She quickly pulled back her comforting hand and rose from the bedside. “Well, losing your virginity surely isn’t worth all those tears.” She walked over to her bed and sat down as Suzette continued to wail.

“If you’re hurting down there, it will go away soon. By tomorrow night, you’ll be good as ever, and each time you allow a man to have his way with you, it just gets easier. The pain leaves, and then you’ll learn about the pleasure.”

Suzette didn’t wish to lift her head and discuss the matter further, but Nadine seemed intent on finding out every little detail of her experience one way or the other.

“So, how was Lord Holland? Did you like any of it?”

“He was fine,” Suzette said reluctantly, finally raising her head and wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “I don’t wish to discuss the details.”

Nadine shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever, dearie. I’ve shared his bed a few times myself. I know what he’s all about down there. Nothing new to me.” Yawning, she stood up, undressed, and prepared for bed.

“I’m tired,” she said, stripping nude. She left her clothes in a heap on the floor and crawled under the covers. “Turn the light out, will you!”

Suzette was exhausted, as well, having spent every ounce of emotion from the evening, but she still needed to undress. “I will in a moment,” she said, standing up. “But I need your help with these buttons.”

“Damn, you’re such a pest!” Nadine flung the covers off and walked behind Suzette, undoing the buttons one by one. As she did, she wondered how the dress got back on her body so neatly again. “Don’t tell me Robert took this off and then buttoned you all back up!”

The act of redressing Suzette seemed a bit odd to Nadine. She knew Robert loved the sexual tease of undressing women. He was great at taking his time with her corset, slowly pulling the fabric cords through the multiple eyelets one by one with his long, slender fingers. He drove her crazy by his actions, and she often felt like ripping it off her body so they could get on with it.

“Yes,” Suzette muttered. “I asked him to button the dress for me.”

Accepting her answer, Nadine returned to her bed and slipped back under the covers. After placing the dress on a hanger and putting it in the closet, Suzette slipped into her nightgown and crawled into bed.

As she lay there in the dark, Lord Holland’s entrancing eyes teased her imagination, and a thousand questions about his life plagued her thoughts. He acted kindly toward her, but she knew she had not escaped the inevitable. He had paid a price to take her innocence, and no doubt, very soon he would collect what he was due.

* * *

The morning arrived, and Suzette woke to find Nadine gone. Her bottled-up fearful emotions had drained her the night before, and she had finally fallen into a deep sleep. She slipped from bed, donned her robe and headed downstairs for morning coffee.

Suzette quickly learned that the brothel was like any other home. There were routines. Each morning, the girls who boarded in the brothel congregated to talk about the night before, like one huge sisterhood sharing their secrets between the sheets. Between the hours of 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., the men owned their bodies. The remainder of the time, they did as they pleased. The opulent brothel was their home, and the camaraderie of the prostitutes passionate.

Madame Laurent maintained two housekeepers on staff, who arrived in the mornings, and a cook who took care of the meals. The girls helped by keeping their own rooms, changing their bedding, and cleaning their quarters. Madame Laurent supervised the housekeepers, who tended the various rooms. Each day, except Sunday when the brothel was closed, she ensured the thirty rooms were in tip-top shape for the patrons. Like a drill sergeant inspecting barracks in the Armée de Terre, she would personally stroll through the halls, examining the conditions of each fantasy suite.

Though she implicitly trusted her housekeepers, there were days minor mistakes occurred, such as a decanter of brandy on a side table left empty or clean crystal glasses missing from the tray. The bedding, above all else, was especially fussed over. Each pillow had to be fluffed to perfection, and satin bedspreads were to be smooth and straight across the bed.

Madame Laurent, an obvious perfectionist, made sure that all was in order before the doors opened. Cleanliness, excellent service, and comfortable surroundings would entice returning clients. Aristocrats demanded attention, and she knew exactly how to cater to the egos of the various men who walked through her doors seeking the pleasures of the flesh.

Bridgette paid careful attention to the health of her girls, making sure they were well fed, but maintained their figures. She spared no expense providing the best perfumes and lotions to keep their skin smooth and delicate.

After arriving in the kitchen, Suzette poured a cup of coffee and expected the mistress of the brothel to corner her at any minute to begin interrogation about the events with Lord Holland. It didn’t take long. After her first sip of coffee, she heard her voice.

“And how was your evening last night, Suzette?”

Nearly choking on her drink, she quickly swallowed and spun around, feeling a slight blush rush up her neck.

“Fine, Madame.”

“Come with me. We need to talk . . . now.”

Suzette’s body ran cold with fear, wondering if Lord Holland had discussed what happened. If he did, surely Madame Laurent would be furious. She set her coffee cup down on the counter and followed her to the office. As soon as they entered, Bridgette closed the door and instructed her to take a seat.

Suzette shifted uncomfortably over her stern facial expression, bracing herself for a lecture.

“Well, well, I must congratulate you, Suzette. Lord Holland was quite satisfied with your services last evening. As soon as he left your bed, he approached me in my office for a private discussion. At first, I was expecting, what I thought was the inevitable, but to my surprise, he told me he was quite pleased with your performance.”

“He did?” Suzette’s eyes widened. “He was?”

“You are his for the next two nights as well.”

“Yes, he mentioned he would return,” Suzette replied, relieved.

“He’s returning to London by the end of the week, so I granted him a three-night visit. Of course, he paid dearly, let me tell you.” She pondered his departure. “He’ll be bored, no doubt, when he returns to England. There’s not a brothel across the channel that compares to mine.”

Suzette was relieved her little secret was safe.

“I don’t usually make such bargains, but we came to an equitable price. So, my dear, you are his for the next two nights, and then you’ll be back on the block to the highest bidder who walks through our door.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Suzette replied, extending the lie.

“Whatever you did with him last evening, do it again. That’s all that matters. The next few days, you are to focus on his pleasure only in the Louis XV Chambre. Be dressed and ready for his arrival promptly at seven o’clock each evening. You can use the same dress. However, do not ascend the stairs until I tell you to do so. Stay in the parlor and consort with the other gentlemen until I summon you to go directly to the room. Do you understand?”

Suzette acknowledged her understanding of the instructions. “Yes, Madame.”

“That’s all. You may go.”

She left Madame Laurent’s office, closing the door behind her. A devious smile spread across her face over the dangerous little game she played with the mistress of the house. Perhaps tonight she would be safe once again.

* * *

The remainder of the day, Suzette pondered the strange man who had refused to take her virginity the night before, even though he had paid for the privilege. His motives and apparent kindness were confusing, and she tried to understand what he could possibly gain by waiting until she willingly gave her virtue.