“You don’t gamble, and yet you’re familiar with the Siren’s Call. What will you do tonight whilst I’m…busy?” She’d almost said meeting with Jo, but he didn’t know why she was going.
His brows shot up. “What do you mean you’ll be busy? I thought you were going to play games of chance and wager.”
“I might,” she lied. “However, the primary reason for my visit is to meet with someone—privately. Don’t bother asking with whom.”
He studied her a moment, and she wondered what he was thinking. “I would never pry. Again,” he added with a brief smile.
She couldn’t help smiling in return. “I appreciate your sharing some of your past. I’ll try to do the same. Soon.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can be patient.” His eyes glittered like steel in moonlight in the light of the coach. “I’ll wait for you in the common room, if you don’t mind. I hope that won’t interfere with your plans.”
“Not at all.” When Ellis arrived, she was to find an employee with bright red hair. Her name was Becky, and she would take Ellis to Jo.
They arrived at the Siren’s Call and departed the coach. Ellis reminded herself to open the door and not wait for Keele to do it for her. But he moved ahead of her and opened it anyway, then gestured for her to precede him.
Ellis gave him a slight shake of her head before walking into the club. She’d never been there, of course, and realized she was a trifle excited along with feeling anxious. There was something temptingly forbidden about being here dressed as a man. She slid a peek at Keele. It was a similar sensation to what she felt about him, but not as intense.
A woman in a beautiful purple velvet gown greeted them. “Lord Keele, it’s been some time since we’ve seen you,” she said in a sultry tone. She sounded like the velvet of her gown, if the fabric could speak, which was absurd.
“Hannah, aren’t you usually serving in the common room?”
“Not tonight.” She gave him a flirtatious look. “Does that disappoint you, love?” A full, rich laugh floated from her, and Ellis didn’t think she could ever master such effortless flirtation, not that she needed to.
Keele flashed a heart-stopping grin that made Ellis’s toes curl in her slippers that were, unlike her costume, slightly too large. “Mayhap a little.” Why was he flirting back?
Because that was what men did, even former rogues. However, what if he wasn’t a former rogue, but one that had simply been hibernating? Ellis’s pulse thrummed. She might prefer that he were a rogue. It wasn’t as though she was considering him for a husband. Her interest was entirely to do with bedding him.
Did she really want that?
A combustive lust swept through her and provided the definitive answer: yes.
Hannah’s gaze fell on Ellis. “Who’s that with you?”
“My friend, Mr. Ellis.”
“You’re a pretty thing,” Hannah said as she surveyed Ellis’s face. “I mean that as a compliment. You’ve delicate features, which some find very appealing.”
“Thank you.” Ellis glanced toward Keele. “I’m going inside.” She didn’t have time to stand around and watch him flirt with Hannah, who was about to accurately guess that Ellis wasn’t a man at all.
“Good to see you, Hannah,” Keele said before looking to Ellis and gesturing faintly with his head that she should go on into the common room.
Ellis walked down a few steps into the large, well-appointed space. There were more than a dozen tables and a few seating areas, all decorated in rich mahogany, deep purple similar to Hannah’s gown and accented with gilt. Many gentlemen were in attendance around the room, and several ladies were serving them, all dressed in a rather provocative manner. Ellis knew that was to attract the men to come to the Siren’s Call over any other gaming club. It wasn’t to offer anything else—this was not a brothel. In fact, Jo had told her that employees who dallied with patrons were dismissed.
She didn’t see anyone with red hair. Hopefully, Becky would turn up so Ellis wouldn’t have to ask for her.
“Where are the games?” Ellis whispered.
Keele gestured briefly toward an arched doorway at the back of the room. “Through there. This area is for dining and drinking. The food is quite good, actually. If I had known how long you planned to be, I might have chosen to dine here.”
“I can’t say, but if you’d like to have a meal, you should do so. I can always wait in the coach after I’m finished.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to do that. Besides, the coachman has moved away from the door, and he’ll be watching for me to leave to come back ‘round and fetch us. You’d have to go out and search for him. I’ll just wait for you here and have a glass of port.”
A tall server with bright red hair entered from another doorway at the back, carrying a tray with glasses, which she delivered to a table. That had to be Becky.
Ellis sent Keele a brief look. “Please excuse me.” She didn’t wait for his response before hurrying to the redhead. Becky stood at the table and flirted with the occupants in much the same way that Hannah had done with Keele.
At length, Becky finally turned to Ellis. “I ken I know who ye are. Come with me.” She had the thick Scottish brogue Pandora had told her to expect.
