“Do you mind if I ask you something?”
Arabella blinked and refocused on Julia. “Anything in the world. We three don’t keep secrets, do we?”
“Where exactly have you been spending your time lately, Arabella?” Julia asked. She stepped back from her work. “There, I think that’s perfect. Not too many but enough to draw the eye.”
“That’s the preferred effect,” Arabella said, and stood up. “And what do you mean where have I been spending my time?”
Julia laughed. “You think me innocent despite all this.” She waved her hand around the room. “But I’m not foolish. You spent several nights away from home and I heard about you racing with that man, the one you mooned over all that time. It was in all the papers.”
“Silas Windham. Are you pretending not to know his name?” Arabella asked.
“I don’t remember any of their names until they become important,” Julia said with a shrug. “Is that who you’ve been out with?”
“Yes.” It was odd that the admission gave away nothing and yet it felt vulnerable regardless. “You know I’m having an affair with him.”
“Still not an arrangement?” There was a disapproving quality in her sister’s soft question.
“No, as I said before it’s just a bit of fun on my own terms.”
Julia’s brow wrinkled but she murmured, “I see.”
Arabella grasped her sister’s hands. “Why don’t you come with me to Flynn’s tonight? I’ll give you a little blunt to gamble with.”
“And I assume you’ll also push me toward any man you think might be a good fit?”
“I haven’t since you parted ways with that last one…the baronet.”
“Lloyd,” Julia said softly. “No, I suppose you haven’t.”
“I just want you to come out, not lock yourself up and read all night. Havefunwith me.”
“And meet your fantasy man?”
Arabella froze. That would be, she supposed, the side effect of the invitation. And while plenty of men had met her sisters over the years, they were somewhat of a package collection, after all, the idea that Silas would come in contact with Julia felt…different. Charged in some way.
“Yes. But you must behave yourself and not ask him a thousand questions and tell him awful stories about how I mooned over him.” Arabella laughed. “He already knows that anyway.”
Julia seemed to consider the suggestion a moment and then she threw up her hands. “Fine. I’ll come along. How long to I have to ready myself?”
“As long as you need,” Arabella said. “I rule the roost at Flynn’s. I can be as late as I wish.”
Julia rolled her eyes at that declaration and grabbed Arabella’s hand. “Well, come with me then and help me find something to wear.”
Arabella went with her, giggling as they had as girls, at least in the times that their father hadn’t been looming over, threatening and controlling. They would have fun tonight. And then she would have a very different kind of fun with Silas once she reached the hell.
CHAPTER10
When Arabella and Julia entered Flynn’s gaming hell together an hour later, the eyes of the room turned toward her immediately. She smiled like she was a queen ruling over the regard of so many. Yes, some leered and only saw her as a prize to be won, but that was what men did and it only made them easier to control.
The rest saw her as powerful, desirable. She had the respect of a great many of them for the way she had handled herself in this life. They were willing to negotiate with her in a way no other woman was ever allowed to do, at least directly.
She also saw friends. Other courtesans, a female boxer she’d met a few years before, the owner of a dress shop whose real money was made creating toys for lovers.Thesewere her people.Thiswas where she belonged.
Julia gripped her arm a little tighter. “Oh, I see Bianca Reynolds over there. She just parted ways with her protector and we’ve been meaning to chat. I’ll come find you to game later?”
Arabella nodded and watched her sister skip off to her friend. Eyes followed her as she did. Julia might be hesitant to pick her next conquest, but she wouldn’t be hurting for options. Arabella could ensure she had even more when the time came.
She pivoted and looked into the crowd again and that was when she spotted Silas. He was coming toward her from the back of the hell. He was slightly slack-jawed as he looked her up and down and suddenly she was very happy she’d made herself up to be her most alluring. It was all for him, wasn’t it? She could pretend otherwise, but that was the truth of it.
