Chapter 11

Simone sat in the library as she read a book. She was attempting to distract herself from the fact that her father's mistress was set to arrive at any time.

She wanted to be happy for her father, but she couldn't quite believe he had moved on so quickly. It may have been two years since her mother drowned, but to her, it felt like yesterday. The grief was unrelenting and tormented her thoughts and dreams.

But she did find great comfort in speaking to Caleb about her mother. His words were full of compassion, as if he truly understood her plight. She felt safe in sharing her feelings with him.

Felicity entered the library and met her gaze. "Miss Laurent has arrived," she informed Simone. "She is unpacking her trunks in your mother's… er…her bedchamber."

"Is she truly French?" Simone asked.

Felicity nodded. "Yes, she has a faint accent and she is rather pleasant," she said. "But if you want me to hate her, I will."

"No, I don't want you to hate her on my account."

"It would be easy to do so," Felicity said. "I would even be willing to throw fruit at her and spoil her fancy gown."

Simone giggled. "Thank you, but I do not think throwing fruit will solve this problem."

Felicity walked further into the room. "Why don't you go meet Miss Laurent and decide for yourself if you will like her?" she suggested.

"What if I do?" Simone asked. "I do not want to feel like I am betraying my mother by accepting my father's mistress."

With an understanding look, Felicity said, "Showing kindness to another is never an act of betrayal. Besides, no one will ever replace your mother, you must know that."

Simone sighed, knowing Felicity had spoken true. "All right. I will go meet with this Miss Laurent and I will try to have an open mind."

"Good," Felicity said. "My work here is done."

As Simone rose from her seat, she placed her book down on the table. "Why did my father have to take a French woman as a mistress?"

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not," Simone replied.

Felicity gestured towards the door. "I think you should stop procrastinating and go greet Miss Laurent yourself."

Simone gave her lady's maid a weak smile. "Was it so obvious?"

"It was, but only to me," Felicity said, returning her smile. "You never know. You might find a friend in Miss Laurent."

"I doubt that, but I will try not to hate her until I have given her a chance," Simone said. "Wish me luck."

"You don't need any luck," Felicity responded. "Just be kind."

Simone tipped her head before she departed from the library. Each step towards her mother's bedchamber felt like a burden, her feet weighed down as if made of lead. Doubt crept in and she wondered if she could truly face Miss Laurent with a smile while her emotions churned within.

Pausing outside the door, she drew in a deep breath. It was time to confront this. Since her mother's passing, she hadn't dared to enter the bedchamber. Now, however, it was time to remedy that.

Simone knocked.

"Enter," a French voice said.

As Simone opened the door, her eyes landed on the last person she expected to see.

Juliette.

Simone closed the door and asked, "What are you doing here?" Her voice was low, accusatory as she debated about reaching for her dagger.

Juliette smiled. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "I am moving into my new bedchamber. Although, I will have to redecorate at once."

"No, what are you truly doing here?" Simone repeated.

Juliette's smile grew as she approached Simone. "I can see that you have lots of questions for me, but I have no desire to answer any of them."

Simone remained vigilant as Juliette came to a stop in front of her. "Does my father know you are a spy?" she demanded.

Juliette tsked. "Does your father know how you occupy your time?" she asked. "I do not think he would approve of your clandestine outings, as well. When I saw you at the pub, I couldn't quite believe my eyes. You may not have known about me, but I have known about you for quite some time."

"Where is your brother?" Simone asked.

"He is unpacking in one of the guest bedchambers," Juliette replied. "Your father is being most generous in allowing my brother to live here."

Simone narrowed her eyes. "You will leave at once."

"Or what?" Juliette asked. "You will tell your father about my secret? Go ahead. He won't believe you. But if you did something so foolish, I would be forced to share your little secret, and Mr. Bolingbroke's."

Simone stiffened. "Leave Mr. Bolingbroke out of this."

"How can I?" Juliette asked. "Mr. Barnard warned us about Mr. Bolingbroke being a spy, which is why it wasn't hard to conclude you were one as well."

"I am not a spy."

Juliette gave her a disapproving look. "Do not insult me. I have been doing this for a long time, and I can spot a spy from a distance."

Simone crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love your father," Juliette replied in a lackluster response.

"I don't think you do."

Juliette turned towards her trunks that were opened on the ground. "Regardless, your father has invited me to live with you for the time being."

"Did you even need us to secure you an invitation to Lord Pendley's ball?"

"No, our plans have changed," Juliette replied. "Although, I will admit that it was a brilliant way to distract you and your handsome Mr. Bolingbroke."

"Mr. Bolingbroke is not mine," Simone argued.

Juliette shifted her gaze to meet hers. "He should be," she said. "He is quite handsome, don't you agree?"

"I do not have an opinion on the matter."

"Pity," Juliette said. "Perhaps I should make a go at him."

Simone gave her a look of disbelief. "I thought you were my father's mistress?"

"There is nothing wrong with a little indiscretion here and there," Juliette replied. "It keeps things interesting."

"You are unbelievable."

Juliette removed a gown from one of the trunks. "You are upset, I see," she said. "That will not do."

"I want you to leave."

"That isn't going to happen," Juliette responded, walking the gown over to the bed. "We are going to be one happy family soon."

Simone dropped her arms to her sides. "We are not a family, and we will never be," she asserted. "How did you trick my father? At least, I am assuming that is what you did."

"That was the easiest part. Your father was lonely, and I was more than happy to fill that void. Men are so predictable, so weak," Juliette said.

"You are tricking him, then?" Simone asked. "Pretending to be someone you are not."

Juliette's eyes held amusement. "You are much smarter than I gave you credit for," she said. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a lot to unpack."

"I wouldn't get too comfortable," Simone stated.

A smug smile came to Juliette's lips. "You would be wise to stay out of my way," she warned. "I hold all the power here."

"Not from where I am standing."

"Then you would be wrong," Juliette said. "Whether you like it or not, I am a part of your life for now."

"I won't accept that," Simone remarked.

Juliette closed the distance between them. "Then do it for Mr. Bolingbroke. After all, I wonder what the ton would say if it was discovered that he was working as a spy. It is a rather dishonorable position for a man of his standing, is it not?"

"You are threatening me now?"

"I am, and I know you will do the right thing," Juliette said. "After all, I can see the way you look at Mr. Bolingbroke. You care for him."

"Yes, I do, but not in the way you are referring."

"Then you are lying to yourself."

Simone held Juliette's gaze. "You won't get away with this."

Juliette held her hands out wide. "I already have," she declared. "And no one can stop me, or my brother."

"I will stop you."

Juliette's eyes grew hard. "Don't make promises that you can't keep. Just stay out of my way and no one will get hurt." She walked over to the door and opened it. "Good day. I shall see you at dinner where I will expect you to behave."

Simone was fuming but she knew that nothing could be done about this, at least right now. After she walked out of the door, with her head held high, Juliette closed the door behind her.

She needed to see Caleb and she didn't dare to meet with him here. They needed to be able to speak freely.

Once she entered her bedchamber, she saw Felicity organizing the dressing table.

Felicity looked up and asked, "How did it go?"

"Miss Laurent is one of the French spies I was tracking, as is her brother," Simone revealed.

Felicity's eyes grew wide. "Oh, what are they doing here then?"

"Apparently, Miss Laurent is deceiving my father into believing she is something that she is not." Simone walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out her men's clothing from a drawer. "I need to speak to Caleb at once."

"You are going out dressed as a gentleman?" Felicity asked.

"I can't very well call upon him," Simone replied. "This is the only way I can speak to him without causing a scandal."

"It would be a scandal if you were caught in men's clothing," Felicity pointed out.

"That is why I won't get caught," Simone responded.

Felicity approached her and started to help her get undressed. "I think this plan is foolhardy. You should think on it some more."

"I don't have time," Simone stated. "And I can't wait around and do nothing."

"We could send a footman with an urgent message to his townhouse," Felicity suggested. "That would be less scandalous than what you are attempting to do."

Simone shook her head. "Even if Caleb got the message, it isn't as if we could speak freely here. Two French spies are residing under our roof and they know about me and Caleb."

"What do they know?" Felicity asked.

"That we are spies," Simone replied.

Felicity's hand stilled on the buttons. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Simone said. "But I'm hoping Caleb will have an idea or two." Which was the truth. She needed Caleb, now more than ever. Which was an odd thing to admit to herself because she had never needed anyone before.

Caleb sat in White's as he sipped his drink. He was listening to Roswell and Fredrick converse about something that was utterly boring. Now that they both were happy, they were rather obnoxious, thinking that everyone should fall prey to the parson's mousetrap.

He had his reasons as to why he would never marry, but his resolve was starting to wane the more time he spent with Simone. She was unlike any of the other young women of his acquaintance. And it wasn't just because she was a spy. No. It was more than that. She was fiercely strong, on the inside and out, but she also had a kind heart.

Roswell's voice interrupted his reverie. "Are you even listening to us?"

"No," Caleb admitted. "I stopped a long time ago. I grew tired of your drivel."

"It isn't drivel," Roswell defended. "We were just discussing our plans after the Season ends. I thought we would all return to our country estate."

"Exactly, drivel," Caleb said.

Fredrick chuckled. "Is there something in particular that you would like to discuss?"

"With you, no," Caleb replied. "I am doing just fine on my own."

Roswell reached for his glass as he asked, "How is your assignment going?"

"Not well," Caleb admitted. "The agents that were assigned to watch over the two French spies lost them. So now they are in the wind."

"That is not good," Roswell said.

"No, it isn't," Caleb agreed, "but they will make contact soon enough. They wanted us to secure invitations to Lord Pendley's ball, which I did."

Fredrick grew solemn. "Did you discover why they want to go to the ball?"

A resonant voice came from behind them. "They don't."

Caleb turned his head and could scarcely believe what he was seeing. It was Simone, and she was dressed in gentlemen's clothing. She even had a thick black mustache above her upper lip and a top hat with tufts of hair peeking out.

In a hushed voice, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to speak to you," Simone said, dropping the act with her voice.

Caleb gestured towards a chair. "Take a seat before anyone notices you." He glanced around the room to see if anyone was paying them heed. "What were you thinking?"

Simone sat down and shared, "Your butler said you were here."

"And you thought you could just stroll right into a gentlemen's club undetected?" Caleb asked in disbelief.

"It worked, did it not?" she replied, smugly.

Simone turned her attention towards Roswell and Fredrick. "Gentlemen," she greeted. "I am glad that you two are here. You need to hear what I am going to tell Caleb."

Fredrick gave her a curious look. "How is that mustache staying on?"

Simone reached up and gently rubbed the mustache above her top lip. "My cook made a concoction that keeps the mustache on if I am very careful. But it doesn't last long so I don't have much time." She held her hand up to the top hat. "And the wig is attached to the top hat. It is all very clever, if you ask me."

Caleb lifted his brow. "What is so important that you are risking your reputation, and mine?"

"You will never guess who my father's mistress is." She paused before adding, "It is Juliette."

"Juliette?" he repeated in disbelief. "That is your father's mistress?"

"That is what I said, wasn't it?" Simone asked.

Fredrick interjected, "Who is Juliette?"

"That is one of the French spies that we have been tracking," Simone explained.

Turning in his seat to face Simone, Caleb asked, "Where is her brother?"

"In one of the guest bedchambers," Simone replied.

A server approached the table and directed his attention at Simone. "May I get you a drink, sir?"

Simone opened her mouth to respond, but Caleb decided it was best if he spoke for her. "He would just like a cup of tea."

As the server walked away, Simone said, "I can speak for myself."

"Not here you can't," Caleb responded. "One good look at you and your ruse is exposed. You are far too beautiful to be a man."

Simone visibly tensed. "I will have you know that I have done this ruse many times and I have never been caught."

"I don't know how," Caleb remarked. "They must have been idiots to not be able to see what was right in front of them."

"Regardless, I have come for your help," Simone said, her voice tripping on the last word.

Caleb knew that admission must have cost Simone a great deal so he wasn't about to tease her about it. Instead, he leaned closer and asked, "Did Juliette say what she wanted?"

"No, but she knows that we are spies, and she has threatened to reveal our secret if we do not go along with her charade," Simone shared. "Apparently, Mr. Barnard told her about you and it didn't take much of an assumption on her part to realize I was a spy as well."

"So I was right. My cover has been compromised," Caleb said. "This does complicate things greatly."

"Should we notify Kendrick and have them arrested?" Simone asked.

Caleb shook his head. "We still don't know what their assignment is or how your father plays into all of this."

"I don't think my father is a part of anything nefarious," Simone said. "He lives and breathes for the Crown."

"Yet, he willingly let two French spies into his home?" Caleb questioned.

"I don't think he knows that they are spies, at least that is what Juliette implied," Simone said. "I think she is just using him."

Caleb pushed his drink away from him. "Either way, this is not good. Lord Hungerton is privy to confidential information as a member of the peerage."

"My father wouldn't betray his country," Simone argued.

"You don't know what men are capable of when backed into a corner," Caleb remarked. "Regardless, he must have some inclination that they are up to no good."

Roswell cleared his throat. "I must agree with Caleb on this. If your father is involved somehow, it will not end well for him."

Simone's shoulders slumped. "That is what I was afraid you would say."

Caleb leaned closer to her. "Keep your shoulders back and your head up," he advised. "A gentleman does not display his emotions in public."

Simone squared her shoulders and the strength returned to her eyes. "I need to find a way to stop Juliette and her brother before they reveal our secrets."

"No, we need to find a way to stop them," Caleb corrected. "We will go to Mr. Frickle's office as planned this evening. Perhaps he will have something in his files that will help us discover if Lord Hungerton is involved with Juliette and her brother."

"I hope so because I am out of ideas. I don't like the idea of Juliette and her brother having the upper hand," Simone said.

"Neither do I, but that won't be for long," Caleb stated.

Fredrick's eyes perused Simone and asked, "Dare I ask where you got those clothes?"

"I had my dressmaker make them for me," Simone replied. "She didn't even bat an eye at my request."

"Those clothes are rather fine and could trick the casual bystander, but not anyone that truly takes a moment to look at you," Fredrick said.

In a deep voice, Simone said, "That is why I alter my voice."

Fredrick chuckled. "That was awful," he responded. "That is not what any respectable gentleman sounds like."

"It is good enough," Simone remarked. "But I am not here for critiques on my disguise. I need to know how to navigate living with French spies."

Caleb had an idea. "I will join you for dinner."

Simone smiled, brightening the whole room with that simple gesture. "That is a grand idea," she said.

"You are smiling too big," Caleb whispered.

Her smile dimmed. "How is that possible?"

"Just trust me on this," Caleb replied.

The server returned and placed the cup of tea in front of Simone. "Will there be anything else?" he asked.

Simone lowered her gaze to the cup as Caleb responded, "Not at this time."

Once the server walked off, Simone reached for the teacup and took a small sip. "This is awful," she said, lowering the cup. "How can anyone drink this tea?"

Fredrick held his teacup up. "You get used to it."

"Gentlemen don't usually request tea, unless you are Fredrick," Roswell explained. "He gets terrible headaches when he drinks alcohol."

Simone pushed the cup of tea away from her. "I would rather not drink another sip of that tea. It is an abomination."

"A true gentleman wouldn't care, or notice, the taste of the tea," Caleb remarked. "They would just drink it without complaint."

"It would have been best if you had ordered me a glass of brandy," Simone said.

Caleb huffed. "I think not."

Simone rose from her seat. "I should be going before my absence is noticed." She shifted her gaze towards Caleb. "I shall see you tonight for supper."

"I will be there," Caleb assured her.

Simone reached up and smoothed down her mustache. "If you will excuse me, gentlemen," she said in the same deep voice that she had first started with.

As she walked off, Caleb sighed. "I shouldn't be surprised by Simone's antics by now, but I never thought I would see her in White's, dressed as a man."

Fredrick grinned. "I find her utterly fascinating, but only because she has managed not to get herself caught."

"She is good. I will give her that," Roswell said. "Perhaps a little too brazen, though."

"Simone does things her own way, and in her own time," Caleb remarked. "But I am beginning to see cracks in the mask she wears."

"I wish you luck with that." Fredrick gave him a pointed look. "Aren't you going after her to ensure she arrives home safely?"

Caleb put his hand up. "If I did, she would chide me on my impertinence, and I do not think I need another lecture from her."

"Then don't get caught," Fredrick advised.

Rising, Caleb knew that Fredrick was right. He needed to know that she was all right, even if she didn't want him to. He would do anything to keep her safe.

Fredrick gave him an approving nod. "If you need anything, you know where I am."

"Me, too," Roswell added.

Caleb acknowledged their words with a tip of his head before he headed after Simone. With any luck, she wouldn't notice him, and she would return home without incident.