The Fighter and the Fallen Woman (19 page)

As she turned toward the street, she looked for a hansom, but there were none around. She checked the other end of the street again and felt her fear grow sharp claws in the lining of her belly as Jonathan stepped out of the shadows.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Well, well, well.” Jonathan walked toward her with his hands in his pockets and a big smile on his face. “Look who I ran into scurry-scurrying out of King’s. It’s my good friend Lady.”

Bile rose from her stomach to the back of her throat. If she screamed for King, gambling he was around front and could hear her, Shade would know and somebody would be dead by morning. But Jonathan liked to play more than anything else, so as she calmed herself, she decided to play along.

“Why, Jonathan. How lovely to see you,” she said as cordially as she could manage. She tucked her shaking hands inside her cloak. “We simply must catch up tomorrow night, but I’m afraid I’m late for a little appointment right now.” She winked at him and started to walk toward the most populated area she knew of. If she could peel him off in a group of people, wonderful. If she could get a hansom cab, even better. If she could do both, she’d light a candle or ask a religious person what one was supposed to do to give thanks for divine intervention.

“Well, let me walk you.” He fell into step beside her.

“Really, you don’t—”

“Holy dooley, of course I do. Leave a lady alone on the street at this time of night? Somebody might get the wrong impression and touch you inappropriately or something.” He grinned and put his arm around her waist, letting it droop enough so it was touching her inappropriately.

Lady stopped and took a step to the side, facing him head-on. She put on her best
let’s not make trouble
smile that was one part indulgence and two parts steel. “Jonathan, I appreciate your escort, but I’m sure you understand Mr. Adams likes to keep his personal property just that. Personal.”

He swept a low bow from one hundred years ago. “Apologies. Let me walk you home, then. I’d feel better and it’d give me the chance to make up for the insult I just paid you, but I know my dear boss, Mr. Collins, would want me to make sure you got home all well.”

Lady sighed, when what she wanted to do was blow out a big gust of air and scream. She didn’t have time to banter with this disturbing Aussie.

“Jonathan, I need to get home immediately. As I mentioned, my appointment is waiting.” She smiled her smile again but it turned into a frown of confusion when Jonathan suddenly walked away from her. If that was all it took to rid herself—

A shrill whistle split the air and Lady jumped. She looked at Jonathan. He had his hand in the air and...merciful heavens, a hansom was heading their way. It stopped near Jonathan. He placed one hand on door of the cab and indicated with the other that she should get in. Lady stepped in and gave her address, feeling some small relief that she was on her way. The other part of her was still nervous about the wiry man who jumped up next to her, looking as pleased as a young buck who’d just set up his first mistress.

“So, Lady. How fares our King? Is he...relaxed?”

“Excuse me?” She changed her look to three parts steel and cocked her head at him.

“You know, for the tournament.”

She looked past the horses to the street beyond. “He is well, ready and able to fight. As for his state of relaxation, I wouldn’t know. I simply make sure he’s healthy as can be.”

“Yes, that’s right. His shoulder.” He clicked his tongue. “I hope that doesn’t make him too vulnerable for his fight tomorrow, or, praise be, his fight against me.”

“You seem awfully sure of yourself.”

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t?”

He looked relaxed, composed, pleased even. Any other person would say this was a bland, pleasant man, but Lady would argue that. This version of Jonathan sitting beside her was more dangerous than the cricket of a moment before. She needed to keep him, and his boss, as close to her pocket as she could. “Given how handily you’ve won your fights, I suppose not. Perhaps I’ll have to bet some of my hard-earned coins on you tomorrow night.”

Jonathan grinned, and in a wonder of timing, they pulled up to Lady’s house. He jumped down and helped her out of the cab, but didn’t try any forbidden touches, even though Lady was without gloves. As she reached into her pocket for the coin to pay the driver with, Jonathan gently touched her arm, stilling her. “Save your money for the title fight.” He flipped the driver a coin and the cab left. As Jonathan started to walk away, he winked at her, his grin practically infectious, and said, “You’ll get a better return.”

Lady watched him leave, completely baffled. The only thing she knew was not to trust or believe anything he said. She was so befuddled over this interaction with him that it was a few seconds before she remembered why she’d taken the cab home. In the fraction of a heartbeat it took her to realize King and Shade would be here soon, Lady started running around back, pulling her key out of her pocket as she did.

She jammed it in the lock but it wouldn’t turn. Swearing, she took it out and tried again, but the door remained locked. She pulled the key out and looked at it. This wasn’t her key. It was King’s. Swearing again, she ran her hands through her pockets and came up with her key.

She unlocked the door and entered the kitchen, dropping both keys on a counter and her cloak over a chair back, all in the same movement. She ran upstairs as quietly as she could, pulling pins out of her hair and unbuttoning her dress. Her shoes came off easily and she shrugged her dress off, leaving it where it dropped on the floor. She slipped on feathered slippers and her silk robe and gathered her hair into a loose tail. Trying to calm her breathing, she powdered her face to take away the flush dappling her skin.

A loud knock sounded and Lady could feel her skin heat up again, bringing more blotchiness. She took two deep breaths, knowing if she had been home, it would have taken her that long to get up and put on a robe.

The knock came again, louder and longer, and Lady started downstairs in a languorous walk. She made sure her slippers struck each stair loud enough to carry and figured by the time she answered the door any strained breathing or flushed skin could be explained by the unexpected visit.

“Who is it?” she called through the door, her voice a husky tune.

“Open up,” Shade said, and a second later she heard King. “It’s Shade and King, Lady. We’re here to make sure you’re well.”

She turned the lock and opened the door just enough to frame her body. “Goodness, aren’t I the lucky lady. What’s the occasion, boys?”

“Mr. Adams wanted us to check on you,” Shade said and pushed his way in. Lady sputtered a bit, but stepped back and let him enter. Shade was enough of his master’s beast that she didn’t want to get on any side of him, good, bad or otherwise.

“Our apologies, Lady,” King said and followed Shade. “We’ll check the house and then we’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

“I was resting,” she said in a sharp tone. That’s how she would have reacted normally. “Which I am not anymore and will have difficulty doing so after you leave.”

“I’ll look up, you check the back.” Shade headed up the stairs without a second glance at Lady.

“Watch the back bedroom. Mrs. Nesbitt’s sleeping,” she called after him. King looked in the parlor, then headed to the kitchen. Lady followed him.

“What’s going on?” she whispered once they got away from the stairs.

He took her in his arms and Lady felt a little piece of her heart grow back. She laid her head on his shoulder, her fear making the motion jerky and a little awkward, but as soon as she felt the warmth on her cheek, his heartbeat against her chest, her body relaxed.

“I don’t know.” He stroked the back of her head with one hand. “He didn’t say anything on the way over here other than Mr. Adams wanted us to check on you. I got the feeling it was a sudden request, but that’s it.”

“You don’t think he knows, does he?”

“No, or else he wouldn’t go through this act. He would have had Shade get me when I answered the door, then come after you.”

“But what if he—”

“Shh.” King grabbed her shoulders and held her so he could look her in the eye. “He doesn’t know and he isn’t going to, so stop worrying.”

A small creak indicated Shade’s return, and Lady and King looked that direction. They broke apart, King heading into the parlor and Lady leaning against a kitchen cupboard with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Are you quite happy?” she asked when Shade entered the room. “Would you like to go through my closet or perhaps my drawers?”

“I already did,” he said, and Lady could tell he wasn’t joking.

“Why, the nerve.” She was truly furious now. She stepped up to Shade and stuck her finger in his face. “I’m going to tell Mr. Adams what you did and when he hears about it—”

“He told me to do it.”

Lady started to hear a buzzing in her ears and was pulling her arm back to slap Shade when King stepped between them, grabbing Lady’s wrist and holding it in place.

“Lady, you can take this up with Mr. Adams tomorrow.” He released her and turned to the other man. “Shade, the house is clear. We need to go now.”

Shade gave one last contemptuous look at Lady then left without looking back. Lady grabbed a teapot and lifted it over her head, but King took it and set it on the table out of her reach. He pointed one finger at her in a silent command of
Behave
and left with Shade.

As soon as the door closed, Lady raced to the front of the house and locked the front door, then looked up the stairs. The sound of Nessie’s snores drifted down. The brandy was still working and, for that, Lady was immensely grateful.

The events of the night washed over her and Lady’s legs started to shake so violently she sank to the floor or risked falling. As she collapsed, her mouth started trembling and tears poured down her face.

She had slept with King, and for the first time, sex had meant something to her.

Dear God, what had she done?

* * *

After a mildly disgusting breakfast, Sebastian got into the carriage Jonathan flagged down, supremely glad for a moment of sun in this accursed town. Ever since the tournament started it had been nothing but rain and gloom. Usually, such weather worked in his favor as it made for better cover for Jonathan, but today, the day of the fights determining the championship bout, the sun cheered Sebastian. God was smiling down at him.

“It’s a good day, Jonathan.” He was unable to contain a cheerful smile.

“It’s going to get better.” Jonathan was smiling too, Sebastian noticed. This smile wasn’t happiness, but was more of the kitty who’d snared a goldfish from the bowl and didn’t get caught.

“Oh? You mean I get more than lovely weather and the prospect of a prosperous and delightful evening tonight?”

Jonathan nodded and Sebastian almost giggled like a schoolgirl. He did love surprises. “Well, tell me quick before we get to Mr. Adams’s house. I’d hate to miss the finale because the carriage went too fast.”

“Last night I was watching Lady’s house—”

Sebastian frowned and gave the younger man a stern look. “Now, Jonathan, I didn’t tell you to, did I?”

“But you’ll—”

“Did I?” Sebastian stressed. As much as he respected Jonathan’s ability to not only win these fights, but also to do what needed to be done, there was a part of him that wasn’t going to miss his talent for mischief. Any other day and he would have laid most of his money on the bet that Jonathan had split Lady with his knife, but there was something about her that kept the Aussie’s darker side at bay. Fascinating, yet there it was.

“No, you didn’t tell me to watch Ladybird’s house.”

Sebastian let the carriage go for another minute or so, letting his scolding sink in, but also enjoying the brief flashes of color on the street until he was in a better mind-set to deal with Jonathan’s adventure.

“So what happened at Lady’s?”

Jonathan jumped forward on his seat, the excitement back in his eyes. “Mr. Adams came over for a period of time, then left.” Sebastian made a hurry-up gesture with his hand. A man visiting his mistress and leaving after an hour was not worth anything. “Not more than two minutes after he left, King left where he was hiding across the street and went to the front door.”

“Really?”

Jonathan nodded. “He went around back, and about an hour later, Ladybird came out on her terrace and our Mr. King joined her, but with the fog, I couldn’t see what happened. It was quiet for the most part and after a few ticks, they headed in long enough to grab her cloak and leave together.”

“Where’d they go?” Sebastian leaned forward, all pretense of ennui gone. This tale was too juicy not to wring every last drop out of.

“King’s.”

“No,” Sebastian said, drawing it out and dropping it in pitch. “Then what happened?”

“After a few hours, Lady comes scurrying out the back, locking the door behind her. I stepped out so she could see me and that shook her mighty bad.”

Sebastian chuckled. “I’ll wager it did.”

“She was in a hurry to get home, said she had an appointment she was late for. We shared a hansom back to her place, where Shade and King arrived a few minutes later. They were there for just a trice, then left. It was all quiet after that.”

“The appointment she mentioned—you don’t know who it was with?”

Jonathan shook his head. “She didn’t say. When I asked her about King’s health, she got all prick-prick-prickly, said it was for her to know his state on behalf of Mr. Adams.”

“Well, well, well. It sounds like there are some secrets going around, and secrets are a close second to money in my book.” Sebastian had a little time to roll some of the possible implications around on his tongue before the carriage slowed to a stop. He looked outside at the modest home they pulled up to and saw Shade waiting at the top of the stairs. Sebastian smiled hugely and waved at the guard. Shade looked away.

“I want you to go back to the pub and rest, get a good dinner. Shade is going to be a formidable opponent tonight, even for you, and you had best be on your game.” Sebastian looked across the carriage at his fighter and got angry at the disinterest the other man was showing. He reached across and grabbed Jonathan in a tight grip by his shirtfront, twisting the fabric into a knot at his throat. “Don’t fuck this up, Jonathan. I’ve got a lot of money and business riding on this tournament, so don’t get cocky now. I’m sure there’s a hundred more like you back in Australia.” He raised his eyebrow in a silent question and Jonathan struggled to nod. Sebastian released him, then exited the carriage.