They didn’t look too happy at being cut out of the action butagreed.
Nicholas addressed Lucien and Miles. “We’re all dressing as the greatunwashed. I’ll get the clothes. We’ll meet at Tom Holloway’s to change,but try to turn up there inconspicuously. You, in particular, Luce, tendto glitter.”
“How can you say that,” Lucien demanded, “when you think of my lowtastes?” He cast a baleful look at both his mistress and his wife.
Beth giggled.
“What time?” Miles asked.
“We’ll meet at nine. It’ll be growing dark and the streets should belively with impromptu celebrations.” He looked at Beth and Blanche. “Makesure you can’t be recognized. I don’t want to have to kill the men if Ican help it.”
Beth was startled at how easily she believed him capable of killingwhen required. She was beginning to wish she’d not volunteered, but it wastoo late now.
Blanche nodded. “I’ll get wigs from the theater and paint. Anythingelse we’re likely to need?”
Throughout the following discussion, Beth was aware of Lucien’ssilence. If he wasthatangry, why had he not made a stronger objection? What wouldshe have done if he had made a stronger objection?
Soon Beth and Lucien were walking back to Marlborough Square. He didn’tspeak, and Beth didn’t try to make conversation. However, he followed herinto her boudoir.
Beth looked at him nervously. He wasn’t in a rage but neither was hehappy. He ran a hand through his hair. “I would like to be allowed to keepyou safe,” he said.
Beth faced up to him. “I can’t live in a gilded cage, Lucien.”
“There is a lot of ground between a gilded cage and the gutter,” hesaid angrily, “and that is where you’re going tonight. You rememberDeveril’s henchmen. What if something goes wrong? What if it takes timefor us to intervene?”
Beth hadn’t really thought it through that far, and she swallowed evenas she stuck to her guns. “It is not right that Blanche be asked to dothings I am not asked to do.”
“For God’s sake, Blanche is a whore!” he exploded. “She’s a gem and Ilove her ? in a platonic way these days, of course ? but she worked herway to London on her back and bought her way into the theater the sameway. Now she depends on her acting for her livelihood, but she’s seen anddone things you can’t even imagine!”
“With you, no doubt,” Beth snapped.
“Yes, sometimes!”
“I’m sure I’m a very boring lover compared to her! I’m sure you’drather go off tonight and adventure with her and leave me safe here athome to ply my needle!”
“Yes, I would!”
Beth decidedshe’dlike to hithimand clenched her fists. “Well, I won’t.”
He glared at her. “Fine. Just remember I warned you!” With that heslammed out of the room with a reverberating crash.
Chapter Twenty-three
contents -previous
Beth put a horrified hand over her mouth. He’d wanted them to have aflaming row, and they certainly had. And he’d never shown any sign ofhitting her. But, Lord, he was angry and very frightened for her. Was shebeing an utter fool?
But she didn’t see why Blanche should be exposed to risk while she wasprotected. And, she admitted, she wanted a part in the working out of herplan. She trusted Nicholas Delaney.
Then she remembered Nicholas’s wife had declined the adventure and thatbrought to mind that strange confrontation between Blanche and Nicholas.He had once been an intimate of Deveril’s ...
Oh Lord, she had tangled herself in a mess, but it was impossible toback down now.
Beth went down to dinner with the duke and duchess that evening, forthe first time in days, and found Lucien there, too. He treated her in thesame reserved manner that had marked the days before their marriage.
The duke and duchess did not seem to notice. “You are looking so muchbetter, Elizabeth,” the duchess declared. “But surely that is a bruiseupon your face?”
“I fell against a table,Maman,” said Beth. “It is nothing.”
