“May I help you, sir?”
He was never one to accurately guess the age of a woman, and what man would be game to try? Zach thought the lady had a few years on him. She was dressed in a deep, bloodred satin that showed off a large amount of her breasts, especially as she leaned toward him. Her cheeks were blushed red, as were her lips.
“I came here not long ago, and the woman who addressed my needs was French. I had hoped to see her again,” Zach said.
The flash of anger that crossed her face told Zach she wasn’t happy that he didn’t want her. “I shall see if Giselle is free.”
He watched her walk away from him. Giving it a few minutes, Zach followed. She’d passed the stairs going up and disappeared, which suggested there was another way up or a room where the staff gathered.
He found a door and entered. It was empty but led to a narrow hallway, and at the end of which, there was a set of stairs. Taking them, he found another hallway at the top lit by subdued lamplight.
Reaching the first door, he opened it. The large bottom on the bed had him closing it with haste. The next two had people in varying positions. So far, he’d remained undetected and wanted to keep it that way. Zach checked the entire floor, and when that was done, he climbed to the third floor.
There were only three doors up here. One led to a storage space and the other a bathing chamber. Quietly, he opened the last. Lamplight showed him a large room with a bed covered in crimson satin. Under the window was a desk, and it was there a woman was bent at the waist going through papers. She had yet to hear him. Entering, Zach closed the door behind him with a click. She turned.
Her.
“Madame Lucienne, I believe?” He bowed but kept his eyes on her.
The veil was in place and this dress black silk, fitted and curved low over her breasts. On her head, a small hat was perched. Red, he thought. Her hair was bright red. Now he wanted to see her face.
“Oui. Mr. Zachariel Deville.” She nodded.
She had a fistful of papers.
“Did you find what you were looking for, madam?” Zach asked.
“Oui,” she said again.
Nervous, he thought. Her hands were shaking.
“I must leave,” she said in that sexy little French purr that had his body heating up.
“Do you work here?”
“Sometimes.” He didn’t believe her.
“And those papers are?” he asked.
“None of your business,” she said quickly.
Zach was also very good at languages. French was something he excelled at, so he kept up with what she was saying even as her speech grew quicker.
“Is there somewhere we could go to talk, Madame Lucienne?”
Was she one of the women who had been at Lord Blackhall’s and stolen government papers. Was Madame Lucienne involved in blackmailing the king? Zach found he didn’t like that idea very much and had no idea why. He knew nothing about her other than she intrigued him. For pity’s sake, he didn’t even know what she looked like.
What of her connection to Plunge? Surely that fool wasn’t in some way involved.
“Why?” she asked.
“I would like to get to know you better.” Not a lie—he did want to, but he also needed to find out if she was in any way involved in what had happened to the foolish lords who, when faced with ladies of the night, had lost complete control.
“Non. I have no wish to do that with you.” She sounded angry now.
“Do what exactly?”
“Copulation.”
