“Your heart is pure, Lucy. That is why you see people as good. Didn’t you know that Stonewynn is a mysterious man? When he was young, he explored the Continent to sate his appetite. Now, he’s exploring London’s filthiest corners. That man did not dance with you out of kindness. Perhaps he was persuaded by his sisters, but kindness? No.”
“Politeness,” Lucy corrected, although her throat felt thick.
Was she that naive? Shehadseen Daniel in that alley when she was about to meet with Valentine St. Clair. It looked like he was about to meet the escort, too. But for what? Underground deals? Was he seeking discreet female escorts?
She could feel herself turning cold.
“Yes, politeness,” Joshua agreed. “After all, the ton is expected to be at least polite, even when some people gossip behind each other’s backs. The Duke knows how powerful he is. He is aware that a girl who is unused to men’s attentions can be easily seduced into believing that he cares. He likes to play games and steal a girl’s heart for the sole purpose of showing that he can do it. Then, he quickly crushes it with such a statement. Out of politeness. Bah!”
Lucy was feeling even more foolish by the minute. Her brother was right. She was in no position to understand the way theworld worked. The way men thought. Perhaps Joshua was right to shield her the way he did. Men saw her as vulnerable, and some might even exploit that fact.
“He isn’t cruel,” she protested, but her words sounded weak even to her own ears.
“Look at me, Lucy,” Joshua urged, reaching for her hand. She flinched ever so slightly, and he looked at her as if wounded. “I know what the predators of this world look like. Perhaps Stonewynn is better than most. His title and wealth certainly help. However, he is still a man. Even though you are his sister’s friend, men will always have not-so-innocent intentions. You are a sheltered woman and may present something that can be both easy and hard for him. Why would a man like him skulk in the shadows? What secrets does he have?”
Lucy was tempted to ask him what someone like her would like to do in the shadows, because she had found it tempting enough to meet a man—an escort, no less—to pursue the pleasures of being a woman without being judged.
What if Daniel Brighton was simply searching for something similar?
Then again, why was she defending the man who had just carelessly hurt her feelings?
“I am not as naive as you think I am,” she said testily.
Joshua didn’t seem to hear her. “If you were to lose your heart to someone like the Duke, I believe I would have failed our father’s memory.”
“You are right,” she exhaled, feeling emotional all of a sudden. Whenever he mentioned their father or their mother, she remembered how alone they were in this world. “I don’t want you to fret about me. You are right. I do listen, you know, but I’m tired. As a wallflower, I am also simply relieved that I did not become the talk of the ton. Being an unmarried woman can be horribly difficult, Joshua. I hope you can see that.”
“Of course, I do,” Joshua said. His voice was gentle, but she detected a somewhat triumphant edge. “Let’s go home. I am glad we came only because it is another opportunity to learn about this world.”
She wondered if he truly meant that. Her brother might be her protector, but sometimes she wondered just what he was trying to shield her from.
“Indeed,” she whispered.
As they made their way to the exit, Lucy could not help but scan the crowd for Daniel. She wished she could truly read his mind, know its depths.
What kind of man teased when they were alone and acted as if she were nobody to him when other people were present?
Chapter Nine
“You can stop pretending you are part of the awful scenery, Barton. Your shadows are too long and lean, and won’t hide you from the gallows,” Daniel muttered dryly.
He didn’t have to turn around. He knew his friend well enough. Theo simply could not resist a splash of color. Daniel could have sworn he saw some magenta on what was otherwise an uncharacteristically gloomy outfit for the Marquess.
His main focus was the alleyway, though. It smelled of river salt and rot. Because it was often used, he could also smell cheap gin. In front of him stood a dilapidated door, which was probably beaten down by the Shoreditch air, time, and the rough use it might have seen.
From behind a stack of shattered crates, a figure emerged. Theo stepped into a spot illuminated by an oil lamp. He dusted hisgreatcoat and tapped the magenta handkerchief sticking out of his breast pocket like a lucky charm.
“Here I was feeling proud of myself,” he grumbled, his eyes darting left and right. He was brave enough to come through for Daniel, but did not really like the danger that might come with an encounter. “I have been following you from Mayfair, where there were fewer hiding spots. Now that we are in the bowels of the earth, you must out me?”
“You’ve always been terrible at sneaking around. I almost wished that you’d trip on something and go home before I call you by name,” Daniel said sharply, turning fully to face his friend. “Go home. This isn’t one of our grand adventures. We will be dealing with men who are used to violence, and if they see a pampered lord, they will put a knife to your throat.”
All levity vanished from Theo’s expression. However, he also had a stubborn streak, which he used to advance upon his friend.
“I am no fool. We’ve been friends for years, and you know I am not. Yes, I am used to frivolity, but I know where I am. I know what you are trying to do, more than anyone could ever guess. Other members of the ton don’t know that you have not given up on your quest to find the man who killed your family, and I am not letting you do it all alone. I am staying.”
“Theo—”
“You can threaten or order me, but you know that you need someone to talk you out of a situation if your temper rises. In this case, I know it will.”
