She drew in a few long breaths to remain calm. “I don’t know, but you have no right to burst into my house, my chamber, in the middle of the night!”
He tilted his head. “Myhouse, you grasping whore. And I’m here because I heard about your little trips to Vivien Manning’s.”
She froze. Vivien had assured her that Ambrose was not allowed to hold a membership in her club. And most didn’t speak about what they saw or did there, out of fear they’d lose their own membership. But Elise had always known she was taking a chance going there, making public her desire to find a protector.
It seemed her chickens were now coming home to roost, if Ambrose’s wild-eyed rage was any indication.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never even heard of this person,” she said, trying to keep the quaver from her voice. Failing miserably.
“Don’t lie to me!” he roared. “Someone saw you there and reported it back to me. If you want to spread your legs for anyone who offers blunt, then here.”
He tossed her a shilling and it bounced off her chest and clattered to the floor. She supposed the small value of the coin was meant to be insulting, but she wasn’t insulted. She was abjectly terrified.
“Now take off your clothes,” he demanded, beginning to strip off his jacket as he said it.
“No,” she said, not daring to move.
He made a sound of rage so deep in his throat that she nearly collapsed in terror right there. Then he rushed at her, crossing the room in a few long steps. She braced herself, her mind turning back to a very long ago summer day when Gray, Asher and Stenfax had taught Felicity and her how to throw a punch.
She hardly recalled their teachings, but as Ambrose moved to grab her, she shot out a fist and hit him. She hadn’t fully closed the fist, though, so her finger darted out and she clawed him in the eye.
He staggered back, covering his eye with his hand as he made a sound of pain. With his other hand, he swung and backhanded her across the left cheek so hard that she saw stars. The force of the blow sent her reeling into her dressing table. Her hip crashed into the wood and pain shot through her.
“Goddamn bitch! You will pay for that.”
She didn’t think anymore. Her body seemed to entirely function on its own volition. She yanked her drawer open. A small double-barreled flintlock pistol waited inside. She pulled it from its hiding place and pulled back the hammer as she spun back to level it on Ambrose’s chest.
He stopped moving toward her, and for a moment the room was silent as they stared at each other.
“What a tiny little pistol you have there, Your Grace,” he finally chuckled.
Her hands were shaking, but she didn’t lower the weapon. “I was assured that it fires just as well as any larger version, Ambrose. If you’d like to test it, I’m happy to show you.”
She wished her voice sounded more calm, more collected, but it trembled just as she trembled from head to toe.
“Put it down, Elise,” he insisted.
She shook her head. “I shall not.”
He scowled but didn’t advance. “You think that if you stop me tonight, that you’ll stop me forever? I’ll just come back.”
She bit her lip and decided to play her cards. “I won’t be here. Ididgo to Vivien’s, just as you have heard. I’ve found a protector, Ambrose, and I’m leaving this place.”
His face twisted in rage. “You think you can walk away?” he bellowed, his voice all but shaking the room.
“I know I can,” she said. “And I don’t want to spill your blood on the way out, but Iwillif you take one more step toward me.”
“All right,” he said softly, his demeanor and tone terrifyingly calm after all his rage and bluster. “You go. You go tonight, in fact, if you think you’re so high and mighty. But know this. It’s not over. I know about Toby’s book.”
She swallowed hard past the lump of pure terror in her throat and stared at him. “Book, what book?”
“Don’t play stupid, Elise. You know what book,” he said.
She drew back. “I don’t know, Ambrose, and I don’t care.”
“You should,” he said with a bark of laughter. “It’s the book where he kept all the secrets he used against people. Including, I would wager, yours.”
Cold terror settled over every part of her body, but she refused to react. “I have no secrets,” she lied.
