Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane #3)(96)

“Dear God.” Michael had rushed to save them and in doing so had walked into a trap. She swallowed and stared at the bread on a pretty china plate. The sight made her stomach roil.

“You must leave as soon as possible,” Temperance said from the doorway. She was out of breath as if she’d run from wherever in the town house that she’d heard the news. “If the Vicar has Mickey O’Connor, he’ll come after you next. I’ve ordered the carriage made ready. We can have you out of London before dark.”

“No!” Silence stood. “I’m not leaving London.”

Harry looked uneasy. “The Vicar’ll still be lookin’ for ye and the babe, ma’am.”

“I realize that,” Silence said. “And I’ll take all possible precautions, but I’ll not leave while Michael is in prison.”

“But dearest,” Temperance protested, her sherry-brown eyes wide and distressed.

“No. You can’t ask it of me.” Silence looked at her sister and drew a quavering breath. “You know full well what the likely outcome of a trial will be.”

Temperance closed her eyes, but didn’t reply. She didn’t have to.

The punishment for piracy was hanging.

“TO THE COMPLETION of the brand-new Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children!” Lady Hero raised her small glass of sherry high.

“Here! Here!” Around the cramped meeting room the members of the Ladies’ Syndicate for the Benefit of the Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children obediently raised their wineglasses in toast.

Isabel Beckinhall smiled and sipped her wine. Who’d have thought over a month ago when she’d attended her first meeting that the Ladies’ Syndicate would turn out to be so much fun?

She selected a scone from the tray Mary Whitsun was carefully holding and looked at Lady Hero. “When are the children due to move into the new home?”

“Next week, we hope,” Lady Hero said, still flushing prettily from the triumph of her toast. “Lady Caire and I examined the new home just yesterday, before she left town, but I think Mr. Makepeace will have to do a final inspection as well with one of us.”

“Can’t you go, my lady?” Lady Penelope asked, her pretty face creased into a confused frown.

“I’m leaving tomorrow with Lord Griffin,” Lady Hero said. The color which had begun to recede from her face rushed back. “He’s to show me the ruins at his country estates to the north.”

Lady Margaret, who was Lord Griffin’s sister and thus Lady Hero’s sister-in-law, snorted delicately. “That’s not the only thing he’ll show you at his estate, I’ll wager.”

“Megs!” Lady Hero’s shocked gasp was rather ruined by a giggle. “How much of that sherry have you drunk?”

Lady Margaret squinted at her glass. “This’s only my second glass.”

“The wine is very good,” Miss Greaves broke in tactfully. “Simply perfect to toast our success with.”

Lady Hero shot her a grateful look.

“Hmm,” Isabel murmured as she took another scone—really it was the orphan girls’ best pastry. “The sherry is delicious, but it’s a pity you were forced to smuggle it past Mr. Makepeace.”

“I didn’t exactly smuggle it,” Lady Hero said with dignity.

“But you did have it packaged in a box with no markings,” Lady Margaret pointed out.

Lady Hero wrinkled her nose. “It’s just that Mr. Makepeace is so…”

“Dour,” Isabel said.

“Stern,” Lady Phoebe piped up from where she sat next to her sister.

“Religious.” Lady Penelope shuddered.

“And rather lacking in a sense of humor,” Isabel added to round the whole thing off. She bit into her tender scone.

“But he is quite handsome nevertheless,” Miss Greaves said judiciously.

Lady Penelope tossed her head. “Handsome if you like severe, unyielding gentlemen.” The faint curl of her lip indicated that she, at least, did not. “I do think that the home is sadly lacking in a female influence now that Mrs. Hollingbrook has abandoned her brother.”

“We’re a female influence!” Lady Margaret said somewhat indignantly.

“But we’re not here all the time,” Lady Penelope pointed out. “ ’Tisn’t the same.”

“What about the female servants?” Lady Isabel asked, amused. She herself did not subscribe to the idea that Mr. Makepeace needed female help—or any help, for that matter—to run the home, but she was fascinated by Lady Penelope’s prejudiced and somewhat convoluted thought process.

“Servants,” Lady Penelope sniffed and that seemed to be her entire argument.

Isabel hid a smile and popped the last bite of her scone into her mouth.

“In any case,” Lady Hero said hastily, “we need someone to meet Mr. Makepeace at the new home the day after tomorrow. Someone tactful, charming, and able to deal with Mr. Makepeace’s er… sternness.” Her eyes met Isabel’s and Lady Hero smiled sweetly—and rather craftily. “You’d be quite perfect, Lady Beckinhall.”

Chapter Eighteen

The years went by and Clever John grew old. His once black hair turned snowy white, his broad shoulders stooped, and his strong hand shook. And in all those years he never again saw Tamara. Finally the day came when he knew his time on earth was drawing to a close. He sat on his grand golden throne in his wonderful castle, with his treasure chest beside him overflowing with jewels but he had eyes for none of that. Instead he examined five brightly colored feathers upon his lap….