“Something a’matter, ma’am?” one of her guards asked.
“No.” She drifted to the sink and placed her palm on the cool glass of the unbroken window. She looked around. The table had been righted, all the broken dishes cleaned up. The kitchen smelled of fresh paint. Colleen looked for holes in the walls and couldn’t find any.
Max’s friends could make a fortune if they opened a cleaning business. Colleen pursed her lips, impressed. The cook of The Black Rose stumbled in, a burlap bag full of fruits and vegetables hugged tight to his round stomach.
He nodded to Colleen and hefted his load onto the counter. “Mrs. Bonner. I wanted to thank you for the new equipment. The copper pans conduct heat much better than the old ones we had.”
Colleen had no idea what he was talking about. “You're welcome. I say only the best for the best.”
The cook’s pink cheeks plumped with his grin. He looked at the two men flanking the doorway and tilted his head. “Giving a tour to new members?”
One of the men coughed into his hand.
“Er, no.” Picking an apple from the bag, Colleen rubbed it on her sleeve. “There’s been a threat against one of our members. Nothing to worry about, I’m sure. But we’re taking extra precautions.”
With a reassuring smile, she headed towards her office. Lucy was on a settee in the main room, sewing a bit of lace onto a gown and chatting with some other girls. Colleen changed direction and approached the group. “Good afternoon, ladies. Lucy, can you join me in my office?”
Lucy nodded, eyeing the guards. She put down her gown and followed Colleen across the room to the entrance to Colleen’s private rooms. They climbed the stairs, one of the guards remaining at the base of the staircase, the other following them up. He took up position next to the door inside Colleen’s office.
She frowned. “As you can see, there is no one in the office but us. And no windows or doors besides that one to enter from. Please wait outside.”
“Madam, I’m supposed—”
“I know what you were told, but you have a head of your own. Use it.” She tapped a toe. “You’d do better making sure no one unwanted comes through that door.”
He nodded, took one last look around the room, and ducked outside.
Colleen shut the door with a decided click.
“Have a seat,” she told Lucy and circled behind her desk to do the same. “As assistant manager, I wanted to apprise you of a situation.”
“All right.” Lucy perched on the edge of the chair. Instead of her usual negligee or gossamer-thin gowns, she wore a basic morning dress. Cut a bit lower in the chest than Colleen’s liking, but much more business-like than before.
Colleen folded her hands together. “You should know there has been a threat against the club. I will be telling other workers that one of our members requires increased security, hence the presence of guards. But it is the Baron of Sutton and me the threat seems to be against. I don’t want to alarm anyone, but if you could tell people to keep an eye out for anything untoward, I would appreciate it.”
“Those men out there,” Lucy said, pointing a finger over her shoulder, “they’re here to protect you?”
Colleen shifted in her seat. She was as uneasy with the idea of men watching her every move as she was with the idea that someone wanted to harm her. Her anger simmered. What had she ever done to this Zed creature? She’d ignored his letters? Refused to give him the information he wanted? That hardly seemed cause enough for all this fuss.
“Yes.” Placing her palms flat against the cool wood of the desk, Colleen nodded. “And to watch over the rest of the club.” She would make sure of that. It was more than just her life at risk. “Although by having such a show of force, I’m certain that the blackguard wouldn’t dare attack us now.”
“All right. I’ll let the girls know to be extra careful.”
“Good.”
Lucy leaned forwards. “Can we discuss business now? I came up with a list of purchases we’ll need for the next month, and I think I found us a new wine supplier.” The woman spoke rapidly. Taking a folded piece of paper from the inside of her sleeve, she pushed it across the desk.
Colleen picked it up and ran her finger down the proposed list with its tidy scrawl of projected costs running down the side. “This all looks in order. Good job.”
Lucy flushed. “I was talking with Bob, our footman. He also works at White’s, and he’s friendly with the manager there, and he says his wine guy is the one to use.” She pulled another piece of paper, this time a small scrap, from her other sleeve, and gave it to Colleen.
Colleen eyed the woman’s sleeves, wondering what else lay hidden within. She took the name and address of the other supplier. “Thank you. I will contact him today and have M— Sutton run a history. This is most helpful.”
“And you’ll tell the baron that I found him? If I’m to become the manager, I need our employer to know I helped.”
Colleen’s reply, that of course she would give credit where due, was interrupted by a shout in the hallway. She shot to her feet and ran for the door, flinging it open. The guard posted down below came pounding up the stairs and took his position in front of Colleen.
She frowned and sidled around him. The other guard had one meaty hand wrapped around Molly’s elbow and was dragging her from Colleen’s bed chambers.
