“Aye,” the others said. Nathan looked grim.
“Beth is safe, Nathan. But you need not enter Madame Bolade’s if you don’t want to,” Gabe said.
Beth had been forced to go undercover there to save her family. Any mention of brothels, or more importantly Madame Bolade’s, and Nathan became irrational.
“I understand she’s safe, but I also know what she went through.”
“But never will again,” Gabe said calmly. “Rest easy, brother. She will always be safe.”
The hackney ride was undertaken in silence, even with the five of them crammed into a small space. When they stopped, they all stepped down. After paying the driver, Nathan led the way to the brothel.
“Be alert, there are those that would slit your throat without thought for a few coins here. Desperate men,” Gabe said.
Chessen Lane was in the once prosperous area known as Weaver Town, occupied by Huguenots during the previous century. It was now a place one did not walk alone and most definitely not at night.
“It’s hard to believe what it once was,” Michael said, looking around him.
Nathan led the way toward the building that housed the well-known brothel run by the notorious madam and her lover. Supposedly her family had come with the Huguenots and stayed.
“Have you been here?” Nathan asked Zach.
“No.”
“That is something, then,” Michael said.
“I do not constantly frequent brothels,” Zach snapped.
His brothers scoffed. Forrest patted his shoulder.
“I don’t,” he muttered, sounding like a petulant three-year-old.
“Zach and Nathan take the rear, and the rest of us will walk in through the front,” Gabe said.
“I have entered more brothels in the last week than I have in some time,” Zach muttered, following his family.
“I find that hard to believe,” Nathan said, needling him.
“If you don’t leave off, I will be telling your wife what you’ve been doing,” Zach threatened.
“She wouldn’t believe you.”
The smugness had Zach wanting to punch him. But there would be time enough for that later. They had a room on the bottom floor of Gabe’s town house they trained to fight in. It was important they could always defend themselves, especially if they became separated. They practiced constantly against each other. Tomorrow, he would be making his brother sorry he’d annoyed him.
They reached the rear of the property. Zach saw stairs up and headed for those. He and Nathan climbed, and when they came to a door, he opened it softly. When no one approached, they slipped inside.
Nathan indicated he was going down the left side, so Zach took the right. He listened at the first door for any sign of a French accent. There was a man and woman talking. Opening it an inch, he peered inside. What he saw had him pushing it wider.
Lord Plunge and Madame Lucienne stood together. A woman sat before them on the bed. “What the hell is going on in here?” Zach asked, entering the room.
“Mr. Zachariel Deville!” Plunge smiled at him. That silly “I don’t have a brain in my head” smile. “Surely you have no wish to join us too?”
“Pardon?”
“The three of us are about to…” He waved his hand about.
“Good God, no!” Zach said, falling back a step.
Plunge’s face fell.
