The Price of Innocence (The Legacy Series) (19 page)

Finally, he released his lips from hers, and Suzette looked at him. She was greeted with adoration, rather than lust, which confused her.

“Why are you doing this? Why do you wait and not take what you have paid for?”

Robert merely chuckled in return. He reached out to the lily that lay in Suzette’s lap and picked it up. His hand twirled it around between his fingers, while he looked thoughtfully at the flower.

“You are like this lily, Suzette—perfect, beautiful, fragrant, but innocent. Like any flower, one must not pull its petals off too quickly or the flower will lose its beauty.” He set it back in her lap. “I don’t wish to do that to you.”

Robert stood and walked over to his chair, where his outer jacket lay resting on the back of the seat. He grabbed it and slipped it on.

“I will leave you once again tonight. It’s still not time.” He glanced over at the bed and reminded her, “Don’t forget to mess the bed up and make it look like there was a rousing time between the sheets.” He laughed at his words, but winked as he saw a faint, silly smile curl across her face.

“I shall see you tomorrow night, which I’m afraid, shall be my last.”

The door closed behind him, and Suzette sat stupefied, holding the lily in her hand. The worrisome weight she carried on her heart lifted. For one more night, she had kept her virginity.

She set the lily on the settee and walked over to the bed. A quick pull of the coverlet revealed the pristine white sheets, smooth and untouched. As she looked at where she should have been naked with Robert at her side, a strange physical frustration teased her inwardly. Furious, Suzette flung her body into the middle of the bed, grabbed a nearby pillow, and thrust her face into the feathers and screamed. As her body heaved, she wished he were only a few feet away, so she could toss the pillow at the good-looking English aristocrat to express her frustration.

When she was through releasing her irritation, she sat on the edge of the bed. Suzette messed up her long locks with her fingers and afterwards stared at her reflection in the mirrored wall. For two nights, she mentally prepared herself for the biggest event of her life, only to be toyed with by a man. She decided she despised him. A moment later, she adored him. Tomorrow would be the last night, and she would make sure he’d do the deed one way or the other.

* * *

Walking out the door, Robert closed it quietly behind him and headed down the hallway. He felt pressured for time. In two days, he was scheduled to catch a coach to Calais, where he would board a ship and return to England. Precious days and nights were passing by, and he still agonized over what to do about Suzette. If he didn’t play the gentleman and gently take her as Madame Laurent wished, she’d be left with God-knows-who-else to do the deed. He shuddered at the thought.

Angry, he descended the staircase, grabbed his hat and coat, and left without speaking to the mistress of the house or anyone else. His visit was short, and he hoped Madame Laurent wouldn’t think Suzette hadn’t satisfied his needs, but he was in no mood to speak with the woman. Something was not right, and he began to wonder if Suzette had been pressured into prostitution. It was obvious the girl didn’t belong there.

I don’t have time to get involved,
he told himself, as he climbed into his waiting carriage. Robert snapped at the driver to take him home. He felt slightly remorseful for his irritation afterward, but recognized the source. Suzette Rousseau was touching his heart in places he did not wish to be bothered.

Tomorrow night would arrive, and that would be the last time he would see the girl. He would do the deed and be done with it, no matter how sorry he felt for her plight. Afterward, he would wipe her out of his mind and return to England. Even though it was the only rational course of action, Robert felt wretched over the entire matter.

Chapter Fourteen

  “Wake up, sleepy head!” Suzette felt Nadine’s hand push roughly against her shoulder, and she moaned in response.

“Too tired, eh, after another romp in the sack with the English rogue?”

She opened her eyelids and gave her roommate a disgusted look before rolling back over.

“What’s the hurry? Can’t I have a morning to sleep in?”

“Not today, sweetie. The physician is due here in the hour to take a look at your . . . well, you know.”

Startled, Suzette shot up out of bed with a frightful look. “What do you mean the physician? I just got examined the other day!”

“Don’t matter. He comes every fifteen days, and today it’s been fifteen days. You still get to have the lucky look right along with the rest of us.” Nadine gave her advice. “Best to wash up first so you smell decent.”

Nadine put on her robe and then headed into the bath chamber. Suzette in the meantime thought she would die. Once the doctor looked, he would know! Madame Laurent would know! Panicked, Suzette started to pace the room, her body shook uncontrollably. Nadine came back and stood in the doorway wondering what in the world she was doing.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she squawked, dumbfounded over Suzette’s actions.

Swinging around wide-eyed, she blurted out, “He didn’t do anything!”

A puzzled look crossed Nadine’s face. “Who didn’t do anything?”

“Lord Holland, that’s who!”

“You mean he hasn’t—?”

“My God, Nadine!” she interrupted with a scream. “What am I to do? Madame Laurent will find out, and she’ll kill me.”

Laughter was the inappropriate response, but Nadine found it hard to suppress. She roared out loud and then burst out her question. “What have you two been doing the past two nights?”

Suzette stood motionless, thinking of how absurd her next words were going to sound.

“Talking.”

“Talking?”

“Well, he did kiss me.”

Completely flabbergasted at the announcement, Nadine walked over and flopped on the edge of her bed. “I don’t believe it. I just don’t believe it!”

Suzette raced to her side, grabbed her hands, and knelt in front of her. “What am I to do? If the doctor tells Madame Laurent, she’ll dismiss me. I just know it! I’ll be back on the streets again.”

“Well, I guess you could ask the doctor not to tell.” Nadine looked at Suzette and understood the problem. It was quite clear. “He likes you, Suzette. You’ve caught the interest of Lord Holland, and he likes you!”

“I don’t think that’s it,” Suzette said, dismissing the possibility. “I think he plans to do it tonight. In fact, I know he will or else I’ll make him!”

“Well, all I can say is you better convince Madame Laurent of that. Otherwise, I’m afraid you will be out the door on your derrière.”

Suzette felt sick.

* * *

The physician assigned by the Bureau to make rounds at the Chabanais, arrived at ten o’clock to examine the girls. Afterward, he would submit a report to the Bureau des Mouers for their records.

Adhering strictly to the law, he inspected each girl’s genitals for a total of three minutes, which included the physical exam and paperwork.

After he had concluded examining all thirty employees, the doctor took his findings back to Madame Laurent for her perusal. He handed over the paperwork, and she took it from his hand hoping there would be no more bad news. Already, she had lost one girl to venereal disease and wasn’t in the mood to lose another.

“Have a seat, doctor,” she said, pointing to the nearby chair. “Anything out of the ordinary? Hopefully I don’t have to send another one off to Saint Lazare Hospital.”

“No, Madame. I’m happy to report all are clean and disease-free. Your clientele, no doubt, does keep the rate of infection low.”

“Oui, oui. Nobility unfastens their trousers only in the best of places.” While laughing and perusing the papers, suddenly her countenance changed, and a grim look replaced her gregariousness. “My God, man! Is this right?”

The physician grimaced knowing exactly why Madame Laurent had just screamed loud enough to wake the dead.

“Suzette Rousseau is still a virgin?”

“Yes, Madame. I was about to ask you about the strangeness of the situation. The young lady begged me not to tell. Of course, I had to refuse the request. I could lose my job or even my license for falsifying records.”

“Well, frankly, I do not understand. She’s been a private purchase for one of our best patrons the past two nights.”

Bridgette stood to her feet and threw the papers down on her desk. She was angry as hell and paced back and forth musing over what to do next. She needed time to clear her head, so she dismissed the physician.

“I’m sorry, doctor. Thank you for visiting today. I shall see you again in fifteen days for your next scheduled appointment.”

She bid him goodbye and quickly closed the door behind him, so that she could consider her next course of action. Bridgette needed to deal with Suzette’s treachery. It was not only the young woman’s betrayal; it was Lord Holland’s unexplainable actions she found hard to believe. Had he taken a personal liking to her?

Madame Laurent seethed with anger. She had purposely gone out of her way to find Suzette a kind patron—yet she remained a virgin. The man hadn’t even taken what he paid for, and it made absolutely no sense whatsoever. She couldn’t phantom what in the world had transpired between the two the last few nights behind closed doors. The only conclusion she could come to was that Robert had taught her to satisfy him by other means.

Angered at his inability or refusal to complete the task, Madame Laurent was intent on taking matters into her own hands. She had gone out of her way to be kind to the little wench by arranging the sale of her body to kind Robert. She could have very well been a cruel bitch and broken her in with an unkind patron. Suzette had just played her for a fool and sealed her fate over her ungratefulness. It was time to put an end to their little game.

After formulating her revenge, she justified her decision easily. The Chabanais belonged to her, and so did every girl under its roof. Her desire to deflower Suzette and keep her indebted at the brothel would require action on her part. It would be risky but worth the satisfaction in the end.

She sat down at her desk and penned a note for delivery to a certain male, suggesting that he arrive early using the side door off the alley. Even though she was confident he wouldn’t refuse the invitation, she asked for confirmation of his pending arrival beforehand.

Satisfied with her correspondence, she left her office and found her housekeeper. “See to it immediately that this letter is delivered to the addressee. Instruct the courier to wait for a reply, and have it delivered back to me as soon as possible.”

She left her side and then went to take care of the remaining business by giving Suzette instructions for the evening ahead. Bridgette strode up the stairs stomping the entire way to the betrayer’s room. Upon reaching it, she spared no courtesy and flung open the door to the bedchamber. Suzette was alone, sitting in front of her vanity mirror brushing her hair.

“I need a word with you, please.”

Suzette lifted her frightened eyes over the intrusion. Madame Laurent said nothing, and simply walked to the wardrobe. Thrusting aside each hanger in anger, she found an extremely attractive black gown, outrageously low-cut, see-through, and highly seductive. Approaching Suzette with the garment, she gave her orders.

“Stand, please.”

Suzette rose to her feet with trepidation written across her face, and Bridgette held the garment next to her body. She gave an approving gaze, and then shoved it at her so hard that Suzette flinched in response.

“I expect you to be ready and waiting in the room by 6:30 p.m. Do you understand?

“Yes, Madame, but—”

Madame Laurent interrupted her protests. She smirked and continued with her instructions. “Lord Holland will be arriving early this evening. He’s anxious to spend his last night with you before leaving for England, and I granted him the luxury of an additional half hour as a parting gift.”

“Yes, but—”

“Do as I say!”

She turned quickly around, causing her satin skirt to swoosh through the air as she flung her body toward the doorway. After slamming the door behind her, she walked down the hallway past the Louis XV Chambre on the way to the staircase. An unwelcomed surprise would be waiting for the girl at six thirty, and one sorry little deceiver would lose her virginity at the hand of another.

* * *

Suzette pondered the entire afternoon over Madame Laurent’s behavior and instructions, while fighting a sickening feeling inside her gut that told her something was terribly wrong. As the hour approached, Suzette did as instructed. She put on the black gown and combed her hair, allowing it to cascade down around her chest and back. The lace covered her breasts, but this gown was terribly revealing. Suzette felt ashamed as she gazed at herself in the mirror. The reflection was not one of a beautiful woman that had greeted her the day before. Instead, a prostitute stood before her eyes—a whore. Suzette shuddered as her nipples turned hard and were visible through the dress.

Nadine sat like a purring cat on her bed, watching Suzette preen for the night ahead.

“So, Laurent told you to wear that?”

“Yes. She’s mad. I can tell. The doctor must have told her.”

“Probably did. He meets with her afterwards to give his reports before he leaves the brothel.” As she looked at Suzette in the seductive dress, she saw its purpose. “She’s making you into an irresistible woman so he’ll take you tonight. That’s the only thing I can think.”

“Well, she’s doing a good job. I feel like a whore, not a queen.”

Resigned to the fact that her mistress was onto her secret, she knew in her heart that tonight would be the end. Robert would take her virginity for the price he paid and leave. Her initiation into the world of prostitution would be complete, and there would be no turning back. From that point forward, her body would belong to the lechers downstairs.

Suzette didn’t know whether to be angry or mourn. She felt empty inside and void of life.