“Lady Caroline.”
She glanced up sharply at Morgan. Caroline blinked, trying to focus back on the man next to her.
“So, will you tell me what you are really doing down here? I can hardly imagine you lack social obligations.” He pulled them to a stop just outside of the door to the tavern.
Caroline examined his expression of concern. She glanced through the front windows of the Red Lion. She already regretted her bravado. Could she go inside such an establishment? Maybe a bit of the truth would enable her to placate him. Then he could return her to the safety of her carriage. “I’m here tonight to watch who is coming and going from Mrs. Kelly’s brothel.”There, chew on that, you busybody.
“Pardon me?” Morgan’s eyes narrowed. Wrapping a large hand around her arm, he pulled her off to the side, away from the tavern’s entrance. “Why on earth would you be doing that?”
Caroline’s cheeks heated. “It is quite the double standard, isn’t it? Men come to slake their lust with prostitutes while not thinking of the plight of the women that they use.”
Morgan’s mouth fell open at her statement. His gaze slid to the left. “You shouldn’t even know about such things, Lady Caroline.”
“Well, last week, I pulled a young girl of fifteen from a place like Mrs. Kelly’s. Her father had sold her to the brothel. Sold her! So I guess I do know something of such things.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her anger at the injustice of what happened to Alice bubbled to the surface.
Morgan ran a hand over his face. “Caroline, you did what? How?”
“Alice is the sister of one of our footmen. I went to the brothel and paid the madame for her release. I had William with me just in case. Alice works for my brother now, as a downstairs maid.”
“I’m impressed.” His eyes examined her face as though reassessing his opinions. “And tonight? What was your plan?”
She lifted her chin to meet his gaze straight on. “I planned to see if I recognized any gentlemen coming and going from No. 2. Then I will expose them publicly.”
“Isn’t that dangerous for you?” he asked.
“Well, anonymously, of course. I haven’t figured out that part yet.”
“So let me get this straight, publicly embarrass the men, so they stop going to the brothels? Therefore, saving the women who work there?”
“Well…yes, in a nutshell.” She bit her bottom lip. “Do you think it’s a ridiculous idea?”
“Not ridiculous, perhaps a bit naïve. I dare say there are plenty of men who, how did you put it…slake their lust with prostitutes. Prostitution in London is a thriving business. How will you know the identities of the gentlemen?” He mirrored her pose, folding his arms across his chest. “How many will even care if you expose their ‘comings and goings’?”
Caroline mulled over his logic. It did sound far-fetched when he put it that way. What was she doing here? Her hands dropped to her side, and she lowered her head. “I am just so angry about what happened to Alice. I needed to do something.” She raised her gaze to his face. “I cannot pretend it doesn’t happen, that it isn’t an injustice that women have so few options to survive without a man that they must sell their bodies to eat.”
Morgan stared at her for a long moment. “You are not at all what I assumed you were.”
She bristled again. “What did you assume I was?” He opened his mouth to respond, but she held up one hand. “No, don’t answer. I can guess.”
The corners of his mouth tugged upward, and she returned his smile. She didn’t feel like arguing. Behind him, the door to the tavern opened, and two gentlemen in disheveled evening clothes came stumbling out. Lord Hughes and Lord Gregory.Oh dear.She let out a squeak of dismay. Perhaps her alarm showed on her face because the next thing she knew, Morgan had pushed her up against the brick wall, and his lips were on hers.
Panic filled her head like a wildly ringing warning bell. Her hands rose to his chest to push him back. But his lips, so warm and firm pressed against hers, distracted her with their pleasurable perusal. His large hands cupped the side of her face as he kissed her, and his body, so broad and solid, felt like an inferno. Her brain scrambled. Only her most basic senses seemed to work. He smelled like cigarillos and leather. His thumbs rubbed gentle circles against her cheeks. A low growl seemed to emanate from deep within him.
She quite forgot to protest. Instead, she grabbed hold of his lapels. Caroline gasped to pull air into her lungs. His tongue took advantage of her parted lips to dip in and tangle with hers. Caroline had been kissed before. They had been fumbling affairs that had been somewhat pleasant and vaguely disappointing. The heat that shot through her tonight as Morgan’s lips slid against hers was anything but vague. Every nerve ending in her body came alive.
“Hey, looks like Wrotham found himself a willing wench after all.” Male laughter rang out.
Morgan pulled back just an inch. “Yeah, so leave me alone to enjoy, gents. I’ll catch up with you later,” he called out loudly. Then he winked at her.
Caroline tried to jerk back, but he held her firmly in place. Good Lord, what was she doing? Why had he kissed her? The male voices faded, and Morgan glanced over his shoulder before releasing her and taking a step back.
She placed a hand to her lips. “Why did you do that?”
“I assumed you didn’t want them to recognize you. It was the only thing I could think of to hide you at the moment.” He shrugged those massive shoulders. His expression would have looked more contrite if his grin weren’t so wide.
“Miss, are you all right?” William rushed across the street. “’As he taken advantage?” His face was red with fury.
“No, William, it’s all right. He was just hiding me from being recognized.” She stepped forward to stand in between the two men. William looked unconvinced, his hands in fists by his side. “I think it’s time I went home.”
