Victorian Vigilantes 01 - Saving Grace (11 page)

“Until later then,” Isaac contented himself with saying.

She paused in the open doorway. “You appear very confident and I dare say you have achieved success in this field many times before.” A knowing smile played about her lips, almost as though she already understood the power she wielded over him. “However, I am equally confident that you will fail with me. In fact I am so confident that I would suggest a small wager, just to make matters more interesting. Unfortunately, unlike the rest of my family, I do not enter into wagers unless I can afford to lose.”

Isaac flexed a brow. “But you are absolutely confident you won’t lose.”

“Show me a gamester who isn’t.”

“Very true.” He paused. “Very well, a wager we shall have. I am prepared to bet fifty guineas that I can make your orgasm.”

“Fifty guineas!” She cast him a look of total astonishment. “You
are
very sure of yourself, my lord.”

“I have a point to prove, my lady.”

She shook her head. “I can’t afford to lose fifty guineas.”

“I am not asking you to match my stake.”

She looked confused. “But I have nothing else to offer in return.”

Isaac’s chuckle sounded positively wicked, even to his own ears. “Madam, all I ask in return is one kiss.”

“One kiss? What madness is this?” She wrinkled her brow in angry denial. “Are you making sport of me?”

“No,” he said softly, moving closer until almost no space separated them, tracing the line of her cheek with a feather light touch. “One of your kisses would be worth a very great deal more to me than a mere fifty guineas.”

They gazes clashed and held. Her eyes smouldered with elusive warmth, as though she had learned something else about herself that gave her confidence. Then she lowered her eyes and the spell was broken.

“I hope you can afford to lose.”

“You underestimate my abilities, madam.”

“And you fail to make allowance for a woman’s knowledge of her own body.” She walked through the door, an elusive smile lighting up her features. “Until later, sir.”

***

Jake’s carriage rattled along cobbled streets made slick with rain. Its occupant, in deep contemplation about the developments of the day, barely spared the deterioration in the weather a glance. He had succeeded in drawing Lady Eva in, only for Isaac to scupper his plans. Now that he understood the full particulars of her marriage to Woodstock, Jake wasn’t hard-hearted enough to force her to return to her husband’s establishment. Even so, Isaac’s determination to champion Lady Eva’s cause had presented him with new challenges.

Accustomed to adapting his plans as he went, Jake hoped the person he was about to call upon would be willing to help him out of this latest difficulty. He managed a brief smile, wondering what difficulties Lady Eva would be prepared to help Isaac overcome. In spite of his warning, Jake suspected Isaac’s interest in their houseguest was more than a transitory affair. Neither of them normally looked at a married lady with anything other than a brief, mutually satisfactory dalliance in mind. Jake sensed it was different with Isaac this time, for which he could hardly blame him. Lady Eva’s combination of beauty and vulnerability had stirred his protective instincts too. Even so, this unexpected complication left him with new problems and little time to resolve them in.

The carriage stopped outside a small establishment in Chelsea and Jake alighted.

“Call back for me in an hour,” he told his coachman.

“Very good, m’lord.”

The carriage had disappeared around the corner by the time Jake’s knock was answered by a maid.

“Good evening, my lord,” she said, opening the door and admitting him to the house.

Jake handed his hat and gloves to the maid. “Is your mistress at home?”

“I’ll enquire, sir, if you would be kind enough to wait in here.”

A short time later Jake was asked to step into the drawing room. Entering the modestly-sized yet comfortably furnished room, he found his fencing opponent of that morning, Olivia Grantley, reclined on a couch.

“Good evening, Jake.” She offered him her hand but remained where she was, as only a lady in the presence of a man she considered a friend could get away with doing.

“I trust I am not disturbing you, Olivia,” he replied, kissing the back of her hand.

“On the contrary. You are saving me from the tedium of my own company. Being notorious sometimes has its drawbacks.”

Jack chuckled. “You know as well as I do that you were invited to at least half a dozen soirees this evening. You simply could not find the energy to attend.”

“Ah well, you have me there.” She pouted. “You might at least pretend not to know me so well and allow me to retain an air of mystery.”

Jake offered her a slight bow. “I am entirely at your service.”

Instead of holding his gaze, Olivia looked toward her maid. “Whisky for Lord Torbay please, Molly, then you may leave us.”

The whisky was delivered and the maid withdrew. Olivia finally stirred, giving Jake the opportunity to admire her décolletage, attractively displayed by the tight, low-cut bodice of her silk evening gown. Evidently Olivia wasn’t so stricken by her notoriety that she felt it necessary to moderate her bodices.

Jake’s eyes lingered and, as always, the spark of desire he experienced whenever in her company ignited. It had been thus between them ever since he had rescued her from the gallows, recruiting her as one of his spies in the process. What it was about her Jake couldn’t have said and he had long since given up looking for an explanation. Some indefinable something existed between them. Olivia must be aware of it but never tried to exploit it, which was perhaps why his interest in her endured.

“With your permission?”

She nodded. Jake swished the tails of his coat aside with a practised flip of his wrist and seated himself beside her sofa. He was careful to leave enough space between it and the chair he occupied for it not to be easily breached. Jake was not always master of his own actions when in close proximity to Olivia.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked. “Are you so intent upon keeping society at arm’s length too that you are reduced to seeking my company?”

Jake smiled. “Asked to choose between you and society, you will find me camping out on your doorstep.”

She returned his smile, moistening her lower lip with the tip of her tongue as she did so. “How very gallant of you.”

“I need to talk to you about my current assignment.”

“Ah, so it wasn’t my company that drew you here.” She set aside the cup of whatever she had been drinking and gave him her full attention. “Very well, I am perfectly ready to listen.”

Jake spoke for ten minutes, telling her everything about the onerous task assigned to him.

“Ah, I vaguely recall Lady Eva. We came out at the same time.” Olivia’s expression was complimentary. “A rare beauty, if memory serves. No one could quite understand why she married that ogre. Now it starts to make sense.” She sighed. “The sacrifices us women are expected to make for our families.”

Jack nodded, aware she spoke from bitter experience. “Your memory does not play tricks on you. Isaac is totally enamoured.”

Olivia fixed him with a sardonic look. “And you are not?”

“I have responsibilities.”

“Ah, always thinking of Queen and country. How noble.”

“You have no idea how taxing my sense of duty can sometimes be.”

“On the contrary, I understand better than you think.”

Jake wondered if that was true. Did she realise if it weren’t for his occupation, he would most likely have propositioned Olivia long before now. He used his duty as an excuse not to muddy the waters, but that was all it was—an excuse. Could it be he sensed Olivia would be more than just a passing fancy and that once he’d had a taste of her sweetness, a dalliance would never be enough for him? She traded on her notoriety but Jake was fairly sure she didn’t take lovers. He was equally sure she would take him. The sexual magnetism that flowed between them was too intense and sometimes, when she let her guard down, he saw something in her expression that hinted at desperate longing.

“How disappointing to be such an open book.”

“Tell me how I can help you to save this ostentatious diamond.”

Olivia leaned toward him, giving Jake another clear view of her cleavage, but whether by accident or design he could not have said. Not that he was complaining precisely. He found the view entirely to his liking and was aware of his cock stirring. It was becoming increasingly difficult to resist Olivia’s charms.

“I received a report from Franklin just before I left home this evening. Woodstock knows his wife was living in Whitechapel and, by now, will know she doesn’t intend to return there. He’s desperate to get her back and has told her daughter’s nursemaid to start taking the child to the park again from tomorrow—”

“In the hope Lady Eva will hear of the arrangement and attempt to see her daughter?”

“Precisely. Naturally I won’t allow her anywhere near her little girl.”

“But you would like me to befriend the nursemaid?”

Jake offered her one of his most charming smiles. “As always, you have anticipated me.”

“I shall be happy to oblige you. My notoriety will work in my favour and anyone watching will recognise me immediately.” She wrinkled her brow. “But how will that help? You already have Franklin inside the house, giving you reports.”

“He isn’t privy to everything that occurs.”

“You wish me to take my son to the park, I suppose. He would be useful cover since he is about the same age as Lady Eva’s daughter. The children will play and I will fall into conversation with the nursemaid. What do you wish me to tell her?”

“Absolutely nothing about Lady Eva. Woodstock will want to know what you spoke about. Your connection to me isn’t known—”

“How could it be?” She spoke so softly he almost didn’t hear her but was fairly sure there was a note of mild censure in her tone.

“If Woodstock’s connection within the government is as high up as I imagine, he will know I have been set to catch Woodstock and will have warned him about me. If anyone connected to me is seen speaking to his servants, he will know where to look for his wife.”

“Yes, presumably so.”

“I need you to gain the nursemaid’s trust and see what she tells you. There is more going on in that household than Franklin is privy to. Let’s see what the female employees have to say.”

“I shall do my humble best.”

Jake smiled and stood up. “We both know there is absolutely nothing humble about you, Olivia. Come to the house in the morning, before your excursion to the park, and meet Lady Eva. I believe you will like her.”

“Very well.”

Olivia stood as well and held out her hand. Jake took it and kissed the back of it, ignoring the sparks that flew between them at the simple contact.

“Until tomorrow then.”

***

Eva managed to find her way back to her room without getting lost. Betsy was waiting for her but if she noticed Eva’s heightened colour following her final exchange with Lord Isaac she was well trained enough to give no sign. Eva was grateful, at least for that. Now that she was no longer being subjected to his assertiveness she was already filled with doubt. Was she insane, agreeing to this ridiculous challenge? No good could possibly come of it. Lord Isaac seemed to imagine she had no idea what she was
supposed
to feel, but he was quite wrong about that. She knew what she had endured at her husband’s hands and also knew what other women claimed to feel, thanks to the extensive amount of reading she had done on the subject.

Not that she had read up on it, hoping to benefit personally. It was just that she had an inquisitive nature, which was both a blessing and a curse. Even before her marriage, she had raided her father’s library and devoured some of the more salacious novels she wasn’t supposed to know were housed there. She’d found them mildly titillating, nothing more. Encouraged by
Fanny Hill’s
example, she’d even tried touching herself, and felt nothing other than guilt.

Eva smiled to herself as Betsy helped her out of her gown. She would enjoy proving her elegant protagonist wrong, especially since she doubted whether many people got the better of him. And as for missing the pleasures of the bedchamber…she shrugged. It was impossible to grieve over what one had never experienced.

“There we are, my lady.” Betsy helped Eva into her nightgown. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No thank you, Betsy.” Eva picked up a book at random from the selection she found on a side table. “I shall read in bed for a while and I won’t need you again tonight.”

“Very good, my lady.”

Betsy bobbed a curtsey and left. It seemed very quiet without her cheerful chatter and Eva almost called her back on some pretext. Reading was impossible; thinking out of the question. If she allowed her mind to dwell upon what she had agreed to do, she would most likely have a change of heart. She breathed deeply, voiding her mind, striving for composure as she wondered how long she would be required to wait.

“Do not think to unsettle me by making me wait, Lord Isaac,” she said aloud. “I have your measure and anticipation certainly won’t affect me.”

Liar!

There was a tap at the door very soon after she spoke and Lord Isaac’s curly head appeared around it.

“Are you ready?” he asked politely, making it sound like a social invitation.

Lord Isaac’s matter of fact tone and impeccable manners calmed Eva’s tangled nerves. With a confidence she had no idea she possessed she pushed the covers back, swung her legs out of bed and reached for her robe.

“You won’t need that.” Lord Isaac removed it from her hand. “We only have to go a short distance from here and all the servants are in bed. No one will see you.”

“You will.”

He sent her a probing look. “That is rather the point unless, of course, you have had a change of heart.”

“No, I have not changed my mind. But I would be interested to know why we need to leave this room?”

“Because I say we must.” He fixed her with a challenging smile. “You did agree to do everything I asked of you, did you not?”