“The shows aren’t for ladies.” His patience seemed to have worn down to its last thread, pulled taut and about to snap. “And before you ask:no, I don’t know of an equivalent for you.”
“I wasn’tgoingto ask.” Though she had been thinking about the possibility of putting on a show at Bishop’s, if Jane could be persuaded. Nothing too scandalous, of course. But what if they had an attractive musician sing in a sultry baritone every Friday? Maybe with his collar unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled up. That might be enough of a draw without crossing the line into indecency.
A little research might inspire her.
“Whether they are for me or not, I should like to see a show. Do you think they would refuse me admission if I presented myself? Is there no mixed company at all?”
“The company is always mixed,” Ashton replied easily. “But the women who attend are not of your class, and they come in hopes of finding a wealthy gentleman willing to part with his coin to join them after the show, without exception.”
“I see.” On the bright side, this meant she could attend without any danger of being seen by her friends. Oh, but if a gentleman sheknew should spot her there, what then? “I could disguise myself,” she thought aloud.
“This isn’t a masked ball. Will you entrust your reputation to the concealment of a gaudy wig?”
“What if I borrowed one of my father’s suits and attended as a gentleman? With a hat on top, in a darkened room, no one will look closely enough to tell.”
“You.” He raked her up and down with his eyes, with an intensity that was not unpleasant. “Dressed as a man. You wouldn’t fool anyone for a second.”
Admittedly, her figure had a few too many curves to be transformed into rigid lines from shoulder to hip, but she wasn’t ready to give up yet.
“You shouldn’t dismiss the effort before you’ve even seen it.”
“I have absolutely no desire to see it.”
“Have you no sense of adventure?” There was something about the stern set of his chin that pushed Della to capture his attention. To break through his strict control. “That’s a shame. I’m going to be attending with or without you, but I’d feel much safer with company.”
“Have you ever considered that you might get some sort of thrill from taking these risks, much like an opium eater, and that it’s entirely unhealthy?”
There was a thought. She didn’t care for it much.
“I prefer the view that society is unfairly constraining and that I’m doing my part to thumb my nose at it.”
A long silence followed, in which Della and Lord Ashton locked eyes. He had such a commanding expression; it made her feel like a misbehaving child. She shivered at the energy in his gaze, but she wouldn’t be the first to back down.
It was Annabelle who spoke and broke the moment. “If you’regoing, I suppose I have no choice but to go with you, to make sure you come through it safely.”
Though her voice was meant to convey great reluctance, Della wasn’t fooled.
“Ha! You see, my lord? She’s every bit as bad as me.” Turning to Annabelle, she added, “I’m sorry, but you’re too young to attend. You’re staying home.”
“What if something happens to you?”
Never mind. She should use this to her advantage.
“Lord Ashton, won’t you put my sister’s mind at ease and tell her you’ll accompany me? I hardly see how it could be a hardship for you. You can even cancel next week’s meeting to make up for your lost time. Surely you’d rather spend an evening looking at beautiful women than a morning sniping at me over my book?”
He was silent for so long that Della’s heart began to hammer in her ears. Goodness, she was actually nervous.
When he finally spoke, those mossy eyes of his bored into her without mercy. “If your disguise is shoddy, I’m canceling the whole thing without any further discussion.”
He drew to his feet immediately, placing his hat back atop his head.
“It’s a deal.” She hopped to her feet as well, before he could escape. “It will have to be on Monday, when my club is closed. Every other night I’m there. Let’s shake on it.”
He blinked at her outstretched hand, then clasped it and shook, as he might have with a gentleman. But his warm, firm grip didn’t make her think of a professional agreement. She was shamelessly imagining what else he might do with his hands.
Well, she would do her utmost to find out, or humiliate herself trying.
Six
