“A mistake. I left quickly.”
“And I stayed there all night.” There was something distinctly bleak inhis voice but then he looked down at the baby and gently smoothed herfuzzy hair. “You think my past makes me unsuited to take this business inhand?” he queried, looking up again. “On the contrary.”
Blanche studied him thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded. “I see.Very well. How can I help?”
Beth hadn’t the faintest notion what that had all been about and aftera glance at Lucien’s wooden face suspected she was never going to findout. This time last year, however, Eleanor must have been pregnant withArabel. It seemed unbelievable that Nicholas Delaney had been consortingwith a whore at that time, particularly one who counted Lord Deveril as anintimate.
Eleanor did not seem disturbed, and Nicholas picked up their planning.“Are you on stage tonight?” he asked Blanche.
“No.”
“You said you had lines to learn for tonight,” Lucien interrupted witha teasing smile.
“I lied,” said Blanche pertly, then turned back to Nicholas. “What canI do?”
He grinned. “Do you think you could play the part of a commonwhore?”
Blanche grinned back. “Difficult,” she said, “but I am an actress,after all. What do I do?”
“Distract.”
She chuckled. “I think I can manage that.”
Beth took her courage in both hands. “I want to play a part, too,” shesaid. “Surely two whores will be better than one.”
“Over my dead body!” Lucien exploded.
“That can be arranged,” Beth retorted.
Lucien opened his mouth and took a deep breath. “It’s out of thequestion, Beth,” he said more moderately. “You’re not an actress.”
“I was always very competent in theatricals.”
“That is hardly the same thing.”
Beth fixed him with a cold eye. “Lucien de Vaux, either you areimplying I am too delicate a creature to take part in this adventure, oryou think that Blanche is too coarse to care about. Which?”
Random seating had placed him between Beth and Blanche, and he lookedbetween them and sunk his head in his hands. “I don’t believe this ishappening.”
There was a wave of laughter, but Beth could see some of the men werescandalized by her behavior. Nicholas, however, said, “If you want tocome, Beth, you’re welcome. Eleanor?”
Eleanor’s eyes widened. “Will you think me very tame if I say no?”
“Of course not.” He looked at Blanche and Beth. “If the will is not tobe questioned there must be no hint of strange goings-on at Deveril’shouse, but there may still be a couple of his men there. If we’re luckythey’ll have taken his absence as a chance to go out and join the fun, buthe was a hard master who paid well for obedience, so we can’t depend onit. Deveril was in the habit of bringing in women for himself and his men.You will turn up in that guise and keep them occupied. It should only befor a matter of minutes.”
“How do we get out without raising suspicion?” Blanche asked.
“Your protectors will turn up and drag you out. You see, you havearranged this little bit of business for yourself and deprived them oftheir cut.”
Lucien looked up sternly. “In that case, I am one of them.”
“Of course. And Miles.”
Beth raised a problem. “Won’t this little foray be seen as suspiciousif the will is questioned?”
“Unlikely. The scenario’s not unlikely and with luck the men will beoff as soon as Deveril’s death is discovered. The beauty of your plan,Beth, is that no one has a pressing cause to investigate anything.Besides, if questions are asked, the doxies will never have penetratedinto the upper floors of the house. All we’re trying to avoid here isbodies or an obvious break-in.”
Nicholas looked at Francis and Hal. “You two have the boring job ofhanging about in the street as your normal selves ready to help if needbe.”
