One Night with a Rake by Mia Marlowe

Author:Mia Marlowe [Marlowe, Mia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-06-03T21:00:00+00:00

Twenty

Georgette breathed a sigh of relief once her mother finally stopped scolding her about her late-night escapades and left. She didn’t want to think about her duty to the family or the royal duke’s expectations. She didn’t want to think about the dead girl on Lackaday Lane. And she certainly didn’t want to think about a certain rake and his ideas on how to spend time in an enclosed carriage.

Or what Nate thought she ought to do later that night once moonlight shafted through her window and the whole house slept.

All she wanted was for Mercy to help her strip out of her clothes so she could collapse into bed and, please God, sink into a dreamless sleep.

Mercy, however, had other ideas.

“Oh, my lady, why did ye go and do that for?” Mercy complained once the door latch snicked behind Lady Yorkingham’s light step. When Georgette looked askance at her, Mercy went on. “Leavin’ that dolt Reuben in a whorehouse for the night! He’s what ye might call—oh, drat it, what was that word ye teached me? Oh, yes!—‘susceptible.’ He’s helpless in the face of a woman’s wiles. It’ll be lambs to the slaughter.”

Georgette began unbuttoning her own bodice. “The House of Sirens is no longer a whorehouse.”

“Call it what ye will. If a jar is filled with biscuits, it’s still a biscuit jar.”

“That’s not very charitable, coming from a former…biscuit.”

“I don’t fault the girls. They are what they are.” Mercy finally remembered her duties and began to help Georgette out of her ensemble. “But that fool Mr. Darling. He’s too gullible by half.”

“He’s only there for the residents’ protection until Lord Nathaniel can replace Mr. Bagley.” Georgette spared a few uncharitable thoughts for the former pugilist who couldn’t be bothered to do his job.

“They’ll have Reuben protectin’ them, all right. Right out of their pantalets.”

Georgette stepped out of hers and raised her arms so Mercy could slip her night shift on over her head. Her maid was none too delicate with the sheer linen and lace.

“Careful. You’ll rip the seams,” Georgette said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re jealous.”

Mercy made a rude snorting sound. “It makes no never mind to me where that oaf decides to dip his wick. If he thinks for one minute that it matters to me if he tups every slattern in Covent Garden, well…”

The rest of the sentiment descended into more profanity than Georgette could decipher, but she definitely understood what was behind her maid’s outburst. It did matter to Mercy if Reuben Darling took one of the Sirens to his bed. It mattered a great deal.

“If it’s any consolation, Mr. Darling was concerned about what you’d think of the plan,” Georgette said.

“He was?”

“He asked me to be sure to explain the situation to you. He was most particular about it.” Georgette crossed over to her bed and waited while Mercy turned down the bedclothes. “He most especially wanted you to know that his staying at the House of Sirens was not his idea.

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