Page 33 of Only Pleasure Will Do

Chapter 15

Within the hour, the drawing room had become the battle command center. The first to arrive had been Lord Manning, the marchioness’s brother, and his wife, a woman who bore a passing resemblance to Lady Dalbury with bright auburn hair and pale skin, though her manner was much more subdued than their hostess’s. That might’ve been because Lord Manning, after a startled greeting, had apparently informed his wife, sotto voce, about Amorina’s identity. Lady Manning, though too well-bred to stare, had surreptitiously glanced in Amorina’s direction several times while conversing with Lady Dalbury. Amorina hadn’t had much occasion to deal with ladies of society unless they’d come to her seeking employment, and never more than one at a time. She would have to keep reminding herself that Pearl’s life, and Reginald’s, might hinge on the help these women and their husbands could render her in the next few hours.

Lord Dalbury took his brother-in-law off to a sideboard and dispensed drinks for them both while Lady Dalbury poured tea for the ladies. Amorina wished she could’ve joined the gentlemen in a much-needed cognac, but obediently sat, cup and saucer in hand, listening to the marchioness, painfully aware of how swiftly the shadows outside were lengthening. Had Reginald regained consciousness yet? Were he and Pearl safe? Had they already been killed? She repressed a sob at the unthinkable idea. She had to believe that Redmond would keep them alive at least until word came to him of the deaths of the Dalburys, else she would truly go mad. Taking a sip of the well-sugared tea, she returned her attention to Lady Dalbury.

“I’ve been wracking my brain, Alethea, to devise a way to rescue both Reginald and Madam Vestry’s daughter, although short of marching in with an armed guard and taking the estate by force, I do not see how that can be accomplished.” Seated on one of the Queen Anne sofas, Lady Dalbury stirred her tea vigorously, her eyes snapping with excitement. Quite likely the woman, who was as bold as any man, would enjoy such a forthright action.

“The tale is fantastical, my dear, no doubt about it.” Lady Manning continued to glance at Amorina, shifting uncomfortably in her seat bedside Lady Dalbury.

Amorina could just imagine the thoughts running around the lady’s head. In her limited brushes with ladies of the nobility, she’d learned not to take offense at the shocked or embarrassed looks, or the frank stares of the bolder ladies who likely wondered if their husbands had ever visited Amorina’s house. She now wondered if Lady Manning knew of Lord Manning’s several visits this past winter. Perhaps she did and that was the cause of her unease.

“But the situation is real and dangerous nonetheless.” Setting her cup on a side table, Lady Dalbury glanced toward her husband. “Duncan plans to consult with Jack and Amiable and Tris about how best to proceed, but I thought we women might have ideas about how to affect a rescue as well.”

With a sharp laugh, Lady Manning adjusted her napkin in her lap. “I fear you give us too much credit, my dear. Or else you judge us by your own copious experience in matters such as rescues or duels.” She shuddered at that. “I, for one, am happy to leave the tactics to the gentlemen.”

“You might be surprised how proficiently women can strategize, Alethea. I daresay you have formulated plans, even if only to persuade a particular gentleman to dance with you, so you cannot say you have never done so. We women simply don’t think to apply such methods to other, more serious situations. Don’t you agree, Madam Vestry?”

Caught off guard by Lady Dalbury’s ploy to include her in the conversation, Amorina tensed, but found herself nodding in agreement with her hostess. “I believe women too often underestimate themselves and their abilities, Lady Dalbury. If presented with dire consequences and only one or two options, they are quite capable of quickly assessing the situation and making a decision on how to act just as well as men do.”

Lady Dalbury beamed at her, although Lady Manning still looked skeptical. The latter woman was certainly not as bold as her sister-in-law. Amorina hoped Lord Manning would not eventually be dismayed in his choice of a bride, although men were often drawn to women much different than themselves. Perhaps Lord Manning was one such.

Before Lady Dalbury could follow up Amorina’s words, the door opened and an excitable blond woman, Lady Juliet Morley, rushed in, followed more soberly by her husband, Mr. Amiable Morley.

“Mr. Morley and Lady Juliet Morley,” Grayson intoned, somewhat tardily, then left.

Amorina had met the couple last autumn when their lives had been full of confusion, pending an investigation into the validity of their marriage, and when the scoundrel who’d claimed to be Juliet’s husband tried to abduct her, Amorina had provided Lady Juliet sanctuary at the House of Pleasure, where not even the scoundrel had thought to look for her.

Lady Juliet ran immediately to Lady Dalbury, who’d risen at her entrance, and threw her arms around her sister-in-law. “Kat, how lovely to see you again. We only just arrived in Town yesterday. It seems an age since we were at Merrywell together. So much has happened. How is Tye? He must be getting as big as Honesty if he has anything like her appetite.” The lady stood back, a charmingly enthusiastic smile on her face. “What adventure have you called us to? Amiable refused to tell me a thing on the way here.”

“Hello, Juliet.” Grinning at the lady’s exuberance, Lady Dalbury bussed Lady Juliet’s cheeks. “It’s very good to see you too. Tye is—”

“Alethea! My goodness, I didn’t know you were to be here also.” Lady Juliet embraced Lady Manning, who good-naturedly returned the hug.

“We’ve been in the city since we left Merrywell.” She smiled, somewhat reserved, it seemed, in contrast to Lady Juliet’s high spirits. “It’s been an exciting month, to tell the truth.”

“Oh, yes, my dear. Amiable told me about the duel.” She glanced over at the sideboard where the men had naturally gathered. “I see Jack has mended well, though you must’ve been out of your mind with worry when he was shot.”

Her words jolted Amorina. With everything else that had happened, she’d forgotten Reginald’s startling revelation that Lord Manning had killed Sir Peter. She glanced over at the earl, chatting animatedly with the other gentlemen. She must find a moment to thank him for the service he’d done her.

“Madam Vestry!”

Lady Juliet’s cry brought her attention back to the circle of women and the tall blond woman who now stood before her, smiling still. Amorina rose and dipped a curtsy. “Lady Juliet.”

“How delightful to see you again. I had no idea you were to be part of whatever scheme has brought us together.” She cut her eyes over to the gentlemen, a rueful pucker to her lips. “I will have to chastise him for keeping secrets. But, Kat,” she turned to her sister-in-law, “what has happened? Why are we here?”

“In good time, Juliet. We must wait for Tris and Violet to arrive or else I shall have to explain everything a third time, which is hardly efficient. Meanwhile, do have a seat and let me pour you some tea.”

Lady Juliet obediently perched on the flowered chair opposite Amorina. “I wanted to thank you again for your assistance at Christmas, Madam Vestry. Thank you, Kat.” She accepted the tea and took a quick sip from the china cup. “That is very good. You always manage to devise the best blend of tea, my dear. But,” she turned back to Amorina, “I have to wonder how you are involved, Madam Vestry. Does it have something to do with my stay at your, er, establishment?”

“No, my lady. The situation at hand has nothing to do with that. I hope you’ve had no further interference from Lord St. Cyr?” Amorina hadn’t met the Frenchman who’d abducted Juliet in December under the guise of being her legal husband, but she’d heard enough about him to know he would be a dangerous adversary if he came back into the lady’s sphere.

“Oh, no, thank goodness.” Lady Juliet wrinkled her nose and took a white frosted cake from the plate Lady Dalbury offered her. “We learned that his father managed to get him released from jail and has taken him off to France. Where I hope he will have the good sense to stay. Because if he ever shows himself in London again, I fear Amiable will have to ‘do something’ about it. And I think we’ve had enough of duels recently to last us a lifetime.”

“Well, I certainly agree with that sentiment, Juliet.” Lady Manning set her cup into its saucer and put both down on a nearby end table. “And I’ve told Lord Manning as much. If he must engage in such dangerous pursuits, I pray it will be no more hazardous than a fencing lesson at Angelo’s.”

Lady Dalbury leaned forward, her excitement hardly contained. “Speaking of fencing lessons, my husband and I had a wager as to whether our first child would be a boy or a girl, Madam Vestry. Because I won the wager, we are now set to depart for Italy in two weeks’ time so I may take fencing lessons with Signore Fucile in Pauda. Duncan insists we take a ship only to Bruges, which means a very long overland journey. I keep telling him that despite the seasickness, I can survive the trip on the ocean, and we would be in Italy months earlier than the other route.”

The woman’s enthusiasm for the masculine pastime made Amorina want to shake her head in bewilderment. She’d never wish to pursue such an activity. And Duncan apparently approved wholeheartedly of his wife’s interest. Amorina couldn’t believe many men would indulge their wives in such an unladylike pursuit, so perhaps theirs was the perfect match.