Chapter Seven

"It was Lucas, I tell you, Mama! I know he recognized me. I saw the shock in his expression." Charlotte covered her face with her hands. "Oh, what are we going to do? I knew this was a mistake."

"Calm down, my love," Lady Rose said as the carriage rolled toward Mayfair. "You say he was inebriated, so he likely won't remember a thing in the morning."

"And what if he does remember? He will go straight to Papa. You know how much he's hated me ever since I turned down his proposal."

"Do you think your papa will listen to my cousin's horrid son over his wife and beloved daughter? Never! He'll no more entertain that little wretch than he would have allowed him to marry you."

"Papa will listen if Lucas tells him the man I was with was Hugh Warsham. And he wasn't the only witness. He had a friend with him, so it's not only his word against mine. And even if Papa dismisses Lucas for the drunk fool that he is, I'm afraid he will cause Papa more stress and further affect his health. The whole point of this plan was to bring peace, not create more strife." A tumult of emotions churned through her, each one more horrid and powerful than the last. This was going to kill her papa, in more ways than one. She'd never forgive herself. Charlotte buried her face in her hands as she recalled Juliet's famous lament: Oh, that I must love a loathed enemy! Her life really was turning into a Shakespearean tragedy.

"Now, don't you worry one minute more about Lucas Richmond. I'll see to it that he stays away from our house. Papa's not likely to go anywhere now that he has been banished from his club, and I will instruct the servants that he is not to be disturbed by anyone."

"But what do we do? I cannot go back to that gambling den and risk running into Lucas or someone else who might know me. The entire plan has failed."

Lady Rose sat back in her seat and sighed. "I'm unsure how to proceed. We must speak with Mrs. Dove-Lyon. If there's anyone who knows what to do, it is she."

The next day,both women sat in Mrs. Dove-Lyon's office and nervously awaited her advice after they'd explained Charlotte's predicament.

"Well, I think the pertinent question here is: why did you feel the need to remove your disguise, Miss Rose?"

Charlotte could feel Mrs. Dove-Lyon's eyes boring into her from behind her black veil. Should she reveal the truth—that she'd lifted her veil so that Mr. Warsham could touch her face, kiss her lips, ravish her neck? No. She'd prefer it if the room swallowed her whole rather than do so.

She shifted her position on her seat, straightening her back to appear a little more confident than she felt. "Well, I didn't want to deceive him any longer so I—"

"Not ‘deceive.'" Mrs. Dove-Lyon held up a gloved finger. "I never said ‘deceive.' You were in disguise—for the protection of your reputation and to create intrigue—to arouse the man's interest. That was the plan. You see, Miss Rose, men are adventurous by nature. They are attracted to the mysterious—the unknown. They are hunters. They will chase what is not readily available, not easily obtained."

Charlotte bit the inside of her lip as she remembered Hugh's hands exploring her face, desperate to know her features—and his mouth on hers, exploring first her lips and then her mouth with his tongue. She inadvertently touched the tender spot on her neck, now covered by a pale blue ribbon that matched her dress.

Then, to Charlotte's horror, Mrs. Dove-Lyon strode over to her, inserted a gloved finger between the satin band and her neck, and pulled back the fabric, peeking at what lay beneath.

"I see," she said, letting the band go and smiling at Charlotte. "Well done!"

Heat seared up Charlotte's neck, inflaming her cheeks, forehead, and scalp.

"What is it?" Lady Rose said. "What is she concealing under there?"

"Let's just say that if Charlotte and Mr. Warsham had been attendees at a ball in Mayfair, and not under the protection afforded by this establishment, she'd be engaged."

"Charlotte!" Lady Rose said.

"I'm sorry, Mama. It was just—he was so—"

"Did he force himself on you?" Lady Rose cried, half rising out of her seat.

"No, quite the opposite. I wanted him to…I enjoyed…"

"Stop!" Lady Rose sank back down. "I'll hear no more."

"You are the one who told me to open my heart, seek love, and embrace it. I know we've only met, but I feel a connection with Mr. Warsham, something I've never felt with the men who've asked Papa for my hand in marriage after a few minutes of inane conversation and two spins across the ballroom floor."

"She's right," Mrs. Dove-Lyon intercepted. "This is why you came to me in the first place, is it not? Moreover, I have heard talk about a certain young lady, five-and-twenty years ago, who indulged in a little dalliance herself with her esteemed husband before they were married. Correct me if I'm wrong, but was that young lady not you?"

Charlotte turned to stare at Mama, as shocked—probably—as her mother had been with her only moments before. A dalliance? Mama? With Papa? The idea intrigued, fascinated, and revolted her in turn. "Yes, yes. Thank you. You're right. But how do we know young Warsham will marry Charlotte once he discovers she is a Rose? And what of Lucas? He's a rotten seed who will no doubt do his best to ruin my daughter."

"Leave the marriage business to me. Now, as to your cousin. Do you think him stupid enough to gossip about what he saw—or thinks he saw—in my establishment?"

"I'm afraid so. He is an exceedingly foolish and dull-witted young man." Lady Rose shook her head.

"Well, I could send Theseus out to find him and force him to keep his mouth shut, but I don't think that is our best option."

"No, I don't believe it is. Rotten as he is, I wouldn't want harm coming to him."

"Oh, Theseus won't harm him, he'll only scare him a little. Lucas will learn there is a penalty for breaking the rules of my establishment. But I think it is in your best interest for us to delay that lesson for now." Mrs. Dove-Lyon returned to her seat and poured herself a cup of tea.

"I don't understand," Lady Rose said.

"I'll wager that Lucas Richmond won't breathe a word about what he saw last night because he will want to use that information to blackmail Charlotte into marrying him."

Charlotte gasped. "Never!"

"Tonight—" Mrs. Dove-Lyon held up a finger to silence Charlotte—"Lady Appelbaum will host the first ball of the season. Charlotte will attend as expected. Then when young Warsham comes here looking for her, as I am certain he will do, I will ensure he knows where to find her."

"What will you tell him?" The knot in Charlotte's stomach doubled in size.

"The truth, my dear. And if he is worth his salt, he will not hesitate to do what is right."