My heart beats furiously as she winds her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck, as she presses herself against me. “Oh, Lil. You’re shaking,” she murmurs. Then she lowers her head and kisses me. At the feel of her lips against mine, all my senses ignite, my body thrumming with desire. I sigh, winding my arms around her neck as she explores my mouth with her tongue, as her hands rove over my body. How right this feels. How natural.
“This dress,” she says, kissing my neck, “is beautiful on you. But I’m far more interested in what’s beneath it. When I told you I wanted you in my bed, I meant it.”
Seventeen
I have no idea what time it is. I wake alone, the sheets tangled around me, the sun blazing through the windows. I sit up, dizzy with hunger. I haven’t had anything to eat. After Kate swept me off to bed this morning, I didn’t care about anything but the feel of her body against mine, her hands, her mouth ...
My god, the things she did to me.
I stand on wobbly legs and reach for my chemise, discarded on the floor along with the rest of my undergarments, although Kate had the foresight to fold the blue dress and place it back in the armoire. I find her in the kitchen house, standing at the stove, her shirt unbuttoned, suspenders draped around her hips, trousers slung low. Her hair riots in dark curls around her shoulders. She’s never looked more enticing.
“There you are,” she says. “Hungry?”
“Yes. Very,” I say, sinking into a chair.
“I gathered the eggs since you were sleeping.”
She presents me with coffee, two sunny eggs, and toast. I can barely meet her eyes, remembering the feverish way we came together. “Ruby was right,” she says, turning back to the stove. “I hardly saw another soul about town last night. Miss Mabel’s is closed. Indefinitely. Apparently, the ladies are too frightened to go out, even during the day.”
“Goodness.”
“Without her, I’m not sure what I’ll do for work. I have a private party on Saturday, in Mount Pleasant, but I may be forced to go back to mashing if there are no more commissions.”
“Mashing?” I ask.
“Doing breeches roles at the theater. Dock Street is still running shows, at least. But private parties are where I make the best money. And those mostly came about because of Mabel. And Barbara.”
I think of the photograph of Kate and Barbara again. Cherubino was a breeches role. I push aside my thoughts of Barbara. My jealousy. No matter what their past together entailed, Kate wantsmenow. She showed me that this morning, in every way possible.
She sits next to me with a sigh, and tucks into her food, stabbing at her eggs with her fork. She seems agitated. Irritable.
I place a hand on her forearm. “Surely all of this will be over soon,” I say. “The police will find the real killer.”
“That’s just the thing.” Kate gives me a tight smile. “They’re still convinced it’s you. As I feared, you were recognized at the Kincaids’ party. That doctor—Broadbent—reported that he spoke to you at length. That you were in disguise, but he knew who you were. I also talked to my friend at the City Guard. You were seen fleeing the park. They’ve increased the bounty on your head. It doesn’t look good, Lil.”
Dr. Broadbent. He saw through my guise. Of course he did. Fear trundles through me, anew. If they capture me, I’ll be put to death. Possibly on sight, knowing the City Guard and their penchant to shoot before asking questions. And what if Kate now sees me as more of a liability, too? I think of her passionate nature, of how she’s opened my eyes to a new way of being. I’m loath to let my freedom—and this new life with her—go.
“What are we to do?” I ask.
“You’ll have to hide away here. No more coming to town. Ever. If all my work dries up, I won’t be going to town anymore, either. I’ll have to rely on my apothecary skills to sustain us.” She finishes her breakfast and paces the room, running her hands through her hair. Although Ihave nothing to do with these murders, I feel guilty all the same. I’ve complicated her life. Made things more difficult. She’s been nothing but kind to me, with her hospitality, her care, and now, her love. She has no reason to do these things—to take in a fugitive like me—and I don’t want to be a burden. I want to contribute, to be her partner in all ways. To prove myself worthy of her. There’s also the matter of learning more about the killer and the rumors about me. There’s no better place to overhear gossip than a ballroom.
Though Angel’s Rest is now my home, the thought of never leaving here again makes me feel unsettled. Beautiful as my surroundings are, being locked away like a princess in a tower is merely another form of prison, even with the pleasures Kate affords me.
Suddenly, it dawns on me. A way I might help and slake my boredom and curiosity at the same time.
“I can help you, Kate, just as much as you’re helping me. I want to.”
She lifts her brow. “How?”
“I can pick locks. If you have the guest list for the party in Mount Pleasant, I can go to the guests’ houses. Break in and steal while they’re away.”
“And who do you think would get the blame for that, Lillian? Most of these people are slave owners.”
I wilt. She’s right. If precious jewels and money went missing from a wealthy home, the enslaved would be the first suspected. And punished. Sometimes with their lives.
“One last party, then,” I say, lifting my eyes. “I’m quick with my hands. When I stole to survive on the streets, I was never caught. I’ll dress like a boy again. The only person who ever recognized me besides Dr. Broadbent was Arabella, and well, she certainly won’t be there. People are so enraptured when you perform, they’ll be completely distracted.”
“No, Lil. It’s too dangerous.” Kate leans against the kitchen sink, crossing her arms. Her eyes harden. “This isn’t a game.”
