“I assume you’ve come to join your aunt and Miss Simone?” he asked as he took her hat and gloves.
Arabella blinked at that unexpected question. “My—my aunt? Er, yes. Of course.”
He led the way to the parlor. Arabella was surprised to find the door shut. He knocked lightly and waited until he heard Simone’s voice, “Yes?”
“Miss Arabella Comerford,” he announced as he cracked the door.
“Oh. Yes. Well, have her come in,” Simone’s voice came from behind the door.
He stepped back and Arabella entered the room. She found her aunt first. Caroline stood at the window, her hands clasped almost nervously in front of her. Simone was also on her feet before the settee. She must have been entertaining her protector before Caroline’s arrival, because Arabella recognized her gown. Normally it was one she wore at the beginning of a new arrangement. It was low cut and accentuated Simone’s lush curves. Something to make them want, she always said.
“Simone,” Arabella said, and crossed so they could kiss each other’s cheeks. Then she turned on her aunt. “And Aunt Caroline. I…I admire I’m shocked to find you here. I didn’t realize you and Simone shared tea.”
Her aunt blinked and reached up to smooth her dark hair before she cast a quick look toward Simone. “I—we don’t. Or we didn’t. Not often at any rate. I just wanted to talk to her about?—”
“Gracious, Caroline, don’t give yourself an apoplexy,” Simone said smoothly. “Your aunt and I share something in common, our affection for you and your sisters. We bumped into each other at Mr. Mattigan’s bookshop and decided to have tea. I’m not sure one should say they areshockedto see us together.”
Arabella wrinkled her brow. That did make sense, of course. It was only that her aunt was always so missish when the topic of Simone ever came up. She’d had such a sheltered life and the idea of the courtesan seemed to make her nervous.
“Well, I’m happy for you two to be friends,” she said carefully. “To have you two both looking out for us is a very powerful idea.”
“Yes,” her aunt said, and seemed to find the ability to move from the window at last. “But it seems you have something to discuss with Simone…with Miss Stanhope, and I think it’s best I not be involved in the details of your arrangements. I’ll excuse myself.” She glanced toward Simone. “Thank you for—for today.”
“It was my pleasure,” Simone said with a smile. “May I escort you to the door?”
“No, I’m fine. I can find my way. Good afternoon.”
Her aunt scurried off and shut the door behind her. Though muted through the thick wood, Arabella could still hear her voice as she asked for her carriage. She glanced at Simone.
“What did you do to my aunt?” she teased.
Simone shifted. “Nothing at all, I assure you. You know we’ve had a few interactions over the years.”
“You have? I thought it was only the one time.”
Simone shrugged. “You don’t know all her business, you know. Or mine.”
“We delight in teasing her at how red she blushes when your name is said.”
“Does she now?” Simone said with a husky laugh.
“Well, she was raised in a very sheltered way,” Arabella explained. “That she didn’t cut herself off from me, and later from Evelina and Julia, speaks to her loving heart. Still, the facts of our lives are still shocking to her, I’m sure. Was she concerned about something specific?”
“Don’t you worry. I took care of it,” Simone said. Then she motioned to the tea that had been laid at the sideboard. “Would you like a drink? I have this, but also a great many somethings which are stronger.”
Arabella took a seat on the settee. “The tea is fine.”
She watched as her friend prepared her a cup just to her liking. That was another skill Arabella had learned at Simone’s knee: that a courtesan must always pay attention to the small details. Being able to prepare a cup of tea just perfectly to a partner’s liking was almost as important as knowing what kind of sex he liked.
How did Silas like his tea? They’d shared tea once, back at the beginning of this seduction, but he’d prepared it for her, not the other way around. Did he recall how she liked it? She had a sneaking suspicion he did, down to the exact amount of milk.
“What are you doing?” Simone asked as she set the cup before Arabella and took a place in one of the chairs across from her.
Arabella blinked. “Doing?”
“I’ve heard the whispers, you know. Actually it’s all louder than whispers now, though not quite shouts. You and Silas.”
Arabella’s first instinct was to play it all off. To act like it meant nothing. But she’d come here to talk to Simone about just this. She couldn’t be a coward now. Even if she tried, she had a sneaking suspicion that her friend would see right through her.
