Lucy looked at her friend. Even with Victoria’s vibrance, it was clear that taking care of her toddler while nurturing a life within her was taking a toll on her. She was glad that she agreed to see Melody. Perhaps her friend could take a little break.
At Hawksford House, Daphne was waiting in the parlor, much to Lucy’s delight. She rose from her seat, resting her embroidery so that she could properly greet the new arrivals. The three then settled on the sofa.
“Well?” Victoria prompted, her eyes dancing. “Tell us everything! From the door to wherever you ended up. Are the rumors about him true? I heard that he can make you forget your own name. Did you?”
Daphne did not say anything, but looked just as curious. With the twins on either side of her, Lucy almost wished she had something thrilling to share.
“I, uh,” she began, feeling embarrassed. “I would not know. I am so sorry. I did not even make it past the back door. Does this mean he will return your money?”
“That does not matter, Lucy.” Victoria waved a dismissive hand. “But why did you leave without even meeting the man?”
“What happened?” Daphne asked. “Did you have to leave in a rush? Did anyone see you or your driver?”
“No. The alley was empty, except for one man,” Lucy explained, feeling a mix of emotions as the memory came back to her. “It was the Duke of Stonewynn. Your brother.”
“Daniel?” Victoria’s jaw slackened in shock. “What was my brother doing in St. Clair’s neighborhood at midnight?”
“I have no idea,” Lucy replied, burying her face in her hands.
A fresh wave of embarrassment washed over her as she realized the gravity of last night’s events.
The Duke of Stonewynn had caught her in a compromising position, so close to knocking on a male escort’s door. How desperate. How scandalous. Even though he called her innocent and not fit for the night, he probably thought she was in the habit of soliciting the services of a man of the night.
“He heard the driver call me Lady Lucy. He said I was too innocent for the night and had me running away from that back alley.”
“He has no right to interfere in your private affairs!” Victoria cried. She rose and paced the room, suddenly forgetting her ownexhaustion. “What was he doing there? Why would he be seeking Valentine’s company? That cannot be good.”
“Daniel will not say a word about what he saw,” Daphne promised gently, much calmer than her twin. “He has a sense of honor, although I don’t know why he would be there with St. Clair. Perhaps Adrian had led him there, but for what?”
“It was humiliating!” Lucy confessed, although she harbored no ill will toward the twins. “You said it would be safe and discreet.”
“We are so sorry, Lucy,” Victoria said, sounding truly penitent. “We never thought that Daniel would be there. He had never been to Valentine St. Clair’s, I swear! Was Theo there, too? Daniel is often with him in their gentlemen’s clubs if he’s not buried under his ledgers.”
“No, he was all alone. Please do not speak of him again, and do not mention what happened last night,” Lucy begged.
“We promise not to breathe a word about it again,” Daphne said softly.
Soon, they heard the sound of pattering feet, followed by a soft giggle. It was Melody! Lucy’s nerves finally calmed just from the sound of the little girl’s voice.
“Wucy! Wucy here!” the bubbly toddler shrieked as she half-stumbled toward Lucy, who felt so much happier than she had ever been in the past few days.
Suddenly, everything that had been weighing her down lifted as she knelt on the rug, catching the little girl into her arms. Melody smelled like milk, soap, and flowers. The sweet innocence brought Lucy back to where she should be.
“Hello to my favorite girl,” she murmured into Melody’s hair, heart swelling with love and gratitude.
Soon, the two were playing with Melody’s battered wooden doll. The little girl babbled, and Lucy nodded as if she could understand every word.
Even as she laughed and smiled at the little girl’s efforts to play and converse, her thoughts kept drifting back to the imposing man who had put an end to either the biggest adventure—or the biggest mistake—of her life.
Chapter Six
“Well, what do we have here?” Daniel muttered to himself.
A part of him wondered at that moment if Valentine St. Clair was right and if he was too snobbish to be fighting thugs who lived for danger. He would also stick out like a sore thumb, although not as much as Theo would.
In his study, he felt comfortable—perhaps too comfortable—because it was his lair. He was surrounded by old parchment and choice mahogany furniture. Everything he owned contrasted sharply with everything the underworld stood for, with its stench of stale ale and rotting wood.
On his table, he had a map of Shoreditch laid out. He followed the networking veins of the slums. His index finger stopped on an unmarked square near the docks.
