“No, Miss Salisbury, I would recommend that you do exactly the opposite.The aristocratic rake can have almost any woman he wants.His status, his wealth, opens nearly all doors.What he wants is what he must work for, even if it a farce.”
“I am beginning to suspect that you are not a man of sense, Lord Leith.”
He sighed with exasperation.“You are a businesswoman, aren’t you, Miss Salisbury?When you are at home?”
“Yes,” she said, surprised he had remembered.
“And when you are taking your sheep herd or wheat or whatever they grow in Somerset to market, do you accept the very first bid from the first bidder?”
“Obviously not.”
“And so it is here in London between men and their courtesans.The successful courtesan does everything in her power to drive up her price, which means driving up demand.When they compliment your beauty, you do not thank them, but take it as your due—it is not a surprise, but rather an established fact, as if they were calling a rainy day wet.When they say they want to take you for a ride in the park, you demand to be turned out in the finest barouche and with a new silk parasol.In short, you never make it easy.”
“But Ineeda new protector.I don’t want to scare them away.”
“Trust me, you will not.But you might if you act like a blushing debutante.They can get plenty of that in Mayfair.”
Beatrice felt her irritation with the man growing, not least because she was aware that the last time she had given serious thought to the finer points of conversing with gentlemen had been in anticipation of her own debut.A debut that had never actually happened.And that had been set to happen only among the local squirarchy of her home county.
“With my little show of possessiveness, I have bought you time,” he said, his hands flexing on the arms of his chair.“I don’t care what happens to you after this fortnight, Miss Salisbury,” he continued, “but if you want to find another protector, I suggest you heed my advice.”
Bastard, she thought.
The rebuke stung.
In no small part because she knew he was right.
“I suppose Stratton or Pennington would suffice.”Those two gentlemen, while not attractive to her, appeared wealthy and, at the very least, well groomed.
“Jesus Christ, Miss Salisbury,” he grumbled.“You must aim higher than Stratton or Pennington.”
“Well, I cannot be too precious in my choice.Although I draw the line at the other two fellows—I’d let Parkhorne Hall be sold at auction before letting Lord James be my protector.”
“Lord James!”Leith huffed.“As if I would let such a thing happen.”
“I thought you said you didn’tcarewhat happened to me, Lord Leith.”
His jaw clenched.“I don’t.But I’m not a monster.”
“What novel intelligence.”
“Very amusing, Miss Salisbury.”
And then they fell back into a silence that felt, to Beatrice, almost companionable.
Chapter Eleven
When the operahad ended, Lord Leith had escorted Beatrice down through the opera house.As he did so, she noticed the eyes of many finely attired gentlemen on her.Their gazes followed her as they wended their way to the exit.
“Well, the gentlemen have certainly noticed you,” Leith said, dryly.“No one could accuse you of not making an impression.”
She knew it was because of him, of course.They were interested in her because she was withhim.And he had advised her to wear the green silk.And saved her interaction with Stratton and his friends.
She noticed the ladies glancing at her as well, albeit more discreetly.She wondered if she had won their begrudging admiration.
Once they were in the carriage, they barely spoke, the air between them growing taut.The companionable air of the opera box had dissipated.Instead, they glanced at each other with renewed wariness.
Now, Beatrice and Leith had arrived back at St.James’s, and she watched his back as he poured her a glass of wine at the sideboard.
