GRACE
“You look nervous.” Polly has a concerned look on her face as Selena pulls up outside the Fairfax mansion.
“You know me, I don’t get nervous,” I assure her, though I’m not convincing myself. I decided not to tell the girls about my encounter I’d had with the duke when I was scouting the place out last week. I didn’t want them to go into this with any doubts. I also didn’t want to admit that the man had completely floored me. I don’t know if it was the shock of being caught, the fact he was half-naked, or that he was every bit as handsome as his photos portrayed him to be, but he somehow turned me into a dithering wreck. It’s not who I am, and for this to be successful, we must be confident and focused. Being the leader, I’m supposed to set an example. “I’m just uncomfortable; this isn’t exactly my usual Saturday night attire.” I try pulling up the scooped neckline of the dress I’m wearing, while my feet cry out to be released from these torture heels.
“You have to look like you belong in there. I’ve seen some of the dresses that are being worn, and this is an understatement….you have to admit, you scrub up pretty good.” Polly beams while I place the tiny earpiece Selena passes back tome inside my ear and tap the microphone that's been sewn into my dress to check it’s working.
“I wish I was going in; I’ll bet it will be magical.” Polly sighs in disappointment
“We’re here to do a job, I don’t think I’ll have much time to be taking in the atmosphere. Besides, we can’t risk you being recognised; that job you have with Pandora has proved far too valuable,” I remind her, trying to hold my nerve as I go over the plan in my head one more time.
“I know, I know; it just kinda sucks that I have to be stuck in here withherwhile you get all the action.” Her eyes gesture to the driver’s seat, where Selena is busy checking everything is set up on the laptop that’s resting on the passenger seat beside her.
“It could be worse, you could be the rookie, stuck at home,” Selena points out. Tapping a few buttons before she turns the screen to show me the blueprints again.
“I know we’ve been through it before, but these are the two main rooms the necklace could be in.” She points to the office and main bedroom, where I assume Mrs. Ravenshaw still sleeps. I nod, looking in the rear-view mirror as I tie the ribbon of the black lace mask that matches my dress securely behind my head.
I’m not feeling the usual buzz I get before going into something risky; my stomach is in knots, and I can’t help wondering if it’s because of him. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find the duke I met last week attractive. So attractive that I decided to do even more research on the man when I got home. It’s no surprise that Jack Ravenshaw is a playboy. He seems to have lived all over the world, wasting his father’s money on partying. He’s a privileged asshole, and yet, I haven’t been able to get that privileged asshole and his perfect fucking body out of my head.
“The built-in safes are ancient, so you should be able to do your thing and pick the lock. If you do, however, run into any unexpected problems…” Selena reaches back and hands me atiny square box, “…this will help us decode the safe if it’s been upgraded to an electronic one. I already have it connected to my laptop so I can talk you through it,” she explains.
“Got it.” I nod gratefully. I’ve never asked about Selena’s past; it’s one of the rules I set from the start. Everyone deserves a clean break; their history isn’t important. Selena may not be the friendliest of the girls, but it has to be said, she thinks of everything.
“Guess it’s time to go.” I slide the device into my clutch bag and reach for the door handle.
“We’ll be parked up the road where there’s a gap in the woodland; you’ve got this,” Selena assures me. While Polly kisses my cheek and wishes me luck.
“Selena, you know what to do,” I remind her of what we agreed, and, although she doesn’t look happy about it, she nods her head before turning to face the road.
“Wish me luck.” I open the door and step out onto the road.
It’s a warm night, so having my shoulders exposed isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It’s dragging the long train of my dress as I try to walk along the gravelled driveway in these ridiculous heels that are proving to be the problem. Most women would kill for the opportunity to wear a dress of this design, and I don’t tell Polly often enough how talented she is.
I know she’d make it in the fashion industry if she had more confidence, but whatever rough start in life that got us all where we are today affects us all differently, and Polly doesn’t have that faith in herself to make it happen.
I eventually make it to the entrance, slowly taking the huge stone steps that lead to the front door, hoping that the time we picked for my arrival will mean my entrance is overlooked. I’m greeted by a waiter holding a tray of champagne, and I smile confidently at him as I take one and act as if I belong here.
The atmosphere inside is not what I was expecting from this mysterious playboy everyone seems to be talking about. The decor is elegant and sophisticated; the harpist playing in the corner creates a calm, tranquil atmosphere rather than a partying one, and the people surrounding me are much older than I expected. Not wanting to attract too much attention to myself, I step towards the corner of the room so I can do a little observing. There are a few people here who I recognise, despite the masks they wear. I know that Duncan Chivers donated very generously to the children's hospital last month. I also know that he's a regular at The Residence club that Bernard Ravenshaw owns. How do I know this? Mrs. Chivers used one of the online services we provide and requested that we get some information on what her husband does when he’s not at home. What we uncovered was obviously not enough for the woman to leave him, because she’s still by his side, dutifully laughing at the dreadful joke he’s telling.
I drag my eyes away from them, looking for a sign of the duke. A duke is what I find…it’s just not the one I’m looking for. Alex Stanley is standing near the French doors, accompanied by his heavily pregnant wife and another woman around her age, and he doesn’t look at all happy. The man is a self-made millionaire; I know for a fact he never relied on his father’s fortune to get to where he is. He may not have made his millions in the most legitimate of ways, but I’ve always gotten the impression he had some morals. Before he sold his club to Bernard, the girls who worked there were well treated. I wonder if he’s aware of what became of some of them?
I glance down the hall that leads to the office, then all the way up the grand staircase to the landing. There’s no plan for which room I try first. I decided that opportunity should be the dictator of that. Each option poses its own risk. The staircase is open and exposed; with this amount of people here, it would be almostimpossible to go unnoticed. I still see no sign of the host himself, so there's a chance he could be in his office. These parties often have alternative motives for men who are in the business world, and since Jack Ravenshaw became his father’s sole heir, he has a lot of business to handle.
I’ve studied the blueprints, I can navigate my way around the house, but until I can confirm the duke isn’t in his office, I can’t risk entering it. I won’t risk being alone with him again.
I startle when the office door flies open, and The Duke steps out, closing the door behind him, tugging at the sleeves of his tailored tuxedo, and marching straight for me. The mask he wears is black and masculine, enhancing those perfect features and chiselled jaw perfectly. I hold my breath as he walks straight past me, his dark eyes focused and narrow beneath the mask as he enters the room and causes a throb in my pussy.
Feeling as if the whole room can sense my reaction, I step back into the shadows, using the huge grandfather clock to shield me so I can keep observing him. An attractive blonde woman immediately approaches him, the skirt of her dress so full she can’t get within a meter of him, yet she still makes an exaggerated attempt to kiss his cheek. He leans towards her coldly, accepting it with a look of distaste, and I shake myself out of the trance I’m in and remind myself why I’m here. The office must be empty; it’s just become my safest option, and I’m really hoping I’m going to strike it lucky and locate the necklace in there. I can’t shake off the unease; it’s unlike me to get distracted. But it’s too late; this operation is in action. A fresh start for me and the girls could be in that room, and I won’t let them down. Taking a deep breath, I start making my way towards his office, but freeze when I see the middle-aged woman dressed in a red silk gown rush down the corridor, and beat me to it.
“Bitch,” I hiss under my breath, loud enough to earn a look of disapproval from the snooty couple standing beside me. Now, my only option is upstairs and in a room full of people, wearing these heels and this dress; the odds are against me.
“Ahhh!” A loud gasp that comes from the other side of the room distracts everyone's attention, including my own, and all eyes fall to Alex Stanley's wife as she stands hunched over with wide, shocked eyes.
“Shit, your waters just broke.” The Duke of Hatherly stares at the puddle between his wife’s legs, looking every bit as shocked as she is.
“You think?” She bites back at him sarcastically, gripping hold of his forearm to steady herself when he offers it.
“I told you this was a bad idea.” He shakes his head as The Duke rushes over to offer his assistance, and with everyone fully distracted, I smile to myself, hitch up the front of my dress, and begin my ascent up the stairs.
