“It is unimportant.” He shrugged off her answer impatiently. “Are you interested or not?”
Mrs. Miller smiled slowly, refusing to be pushed. “I want the drug at no cost for the first thirty days. Afterward you can charge whatever you like. She will be paying then.”
“Done.”
“I will pay half what you ask for her now, the other half when she is broken.”
“Non.It is all now or I will look elsewhere. Amelia’s place perhaps. Or the Flower House, the one run by Miss Rose.”
The mention of Miss Rose’s name did not sit well with Mrs. Miller. If she hadn’t thought Rhys Canning would ruin her business she would have done something about Polly Dawn and her erstwhile knight a long time ago.
“Don’t threaten me, Mason,” she said tersely. “Two-thirds now and the rest after thirty days. It is better than you deserve. Just look at her! I suppose she’ll clean up well enough but her hair is outrageous. It will take the full month for me to make something stylish of it. She’s been sheared like a sheep.”
“A necessary precaution,” Mason said, glancing in Kenna’s direction. Her head lolled to one side though he could see she fought to keep it upright. The bright red-gold braid was no longer in evidence and the remainder of her hair had been cropped close to her head. “A pity Sweet’s knife was not sharper, but then he hardly pretends to be a barber.” He turned back to the madam. “As you wish,” he conceded. “Two-thirds now and the remainder in one month.”
Mrs. Miller rose from behind her desk. “Have your men take her to the attic room. The chamber on the left is vacant. I’ll get your money.”
Mason directed Jeb and Sweet. “You heard what she wants. Use the back stairs.”
Jeb hefted Kenna over his shoulder while Sweet opened the door. When they were gone Mrs. Miller unlocked the middle drawer of her desk and counted out the payment to Mason. He attached the leather pouch of gold and silver coins to his trousers.
“As always, Mrs. Miller, it has been a pleasure doing business with you.” He gave her a little salute with his cane and turned to leave.
“How quickly you forget the terms of our agreement,” she chided him. “I’ll take the bottle you have now and expect more of the same in two days.”
He gave her the bottle, cautioning her about its use. “This has not been diluted. Use it judiciously and it will last you a full week. She will only require a dram now and again to keep her pliant. I will send Sweet around with more of the same strength in forty-eight hours. Toward the end of the thirty days withhold it several times to gauge her reaction. As I said, I am certain she will do anything for it.” He heard Jeb and Sweet lumbering down the stairs. “I believe we’re ready to leave. Good evening, Mrs. Miller.”
“Good evening,” she said and showed them to the door.
After they were gone she went to the main lounge and signaled two of her girls who were not entertaining clients. “Linda. Katie. We have a new arrival. She’s in Angela’s old room. Take a look at her and see if you can’t make something presentable out of her. I’d like to be able to give our gentleman callers something to anticipate until the day she is ready.”
* * *
Albert Reilly opened the door to Rhys’s library and announced his purpose with an officious air. “Lord Dunne is here to see you, sir.”
Rhys looked up from his reading. “Nicholas? I wonder why.”
“I’m certain I could not say,” Reilly responded gravely.
Rhys hid a smile at his butler’s solemnity. His staff was noticeably puffed up with their own importance since they were now serving the owner of Canning Shipping. Rhys only hoped things would settle into a less formal routine in a few weeks. He set a stack of papers aside, glad to have an excuse to put down the reports he had been given on his father’s shipping business. He had begun reading them out of duty to his new position and responsibilities and had been surprised that he felt interested and challenged. It was rather unsettling. “Well, have him come in then.” He got to his feet as Nicholas brushed past Reilly. “Nick! Good to see you! Though something of a surprise. Did you forget I was coming to Dunnelly?” He would have chided his friend for his poor memory but the greyish cast to Nick’s face stopped him. “What is it? You look terrible!”
Nicholas drew off his gloves and threw them on the spindle-legged table near the window. “It’s Kenna. She’s disappeared. I think she may be dead!”
Rhys felt the color drain from his face but he managed to ask for details with deadly calm.
Nick tossed his greatcoat aside and paced the floor as he spoke. “She left yesterday morning for Yvonne’s with her maid, two grooms, and a driver. It was all arranged that she should stay at Robinson’s for one night before going on to Cherry Hill. She arrived there safely but sometime during the night she was abducted. Mrs. Robinson became curious when Kenna did not come down for breakfast and at the request of the driver she went to investigate. Kenna’s maid was injured, bashed on the head with a brick from the looks of it, and Kenna was gone.”
“You saw the maid for yourself, then?”
Nick shook his head. “Not yet. One of the grooms came back to Dunnelly on Pyramid to report what happened. Mrs. Robinson sent for a physician for the maid and the driver and groom are remaining to transport her back to Dunnelly when the doctor approves.” He paused in his pacing long enough to accept the drink Rhys offered him, knocking it back in one swallow. “I came here on my way to the ale house. I thought you would want to be involved and I can use your help.”
“I’ll have a fresh horse made ready for you,” Rhys said. “As soon as I change my clothes we can be off.”
Nick nodded and his shoulders visibly straightened as he thought he would not have to face the ordeal alone. He put his hands in his jacket pockets to hide their trembling. His fingers touched something and he pulled it out. “Here, this is for you. I’ve been carrying it around since before the funeral. Forgot to give it to you.”
Rhys took the paper, his brows lifted in question. “What is it?”
“That guest list you wanted from the night of the masque. Victorine drew it up. I haven’t had time to look at it.”
