Yes.That was the only reason she was so set on seeing Thornecliff.
Lucy was consumed with what she’d say to Thornecliff when she found him, and she welcomed those thoughts as they did a creditable job of blocking out the memories of everything that had happened between them in the anteroom of Sharpe’s.And the deeply buried fear that, having had her in his arms once, Thornecliff was done with her.That he’d decided she wasn’t worthtupping, as the awful Lord Chicheley would have said.
Molly had helped to dress Lucy for an evening of vengeance in a daring gown of wine-red satin trimmed with gold accents.A cloth of gold shawl would provide little in the way of warmth, but it did drape lovingly over her shoulders and trail becomingly almost to the floor, where her gold slippers peeped out from beneath the gathered hem of her claret-colored skirts.
Fastening a dazzling garnet necklace round Lucy’s throat, Molly bit her lip.“I wish I could go with you tonight.”
“Bess needs you more than I do,” Lucy said.“She’s come to quite rely upon you in the last few years.I’ll be absolutely fine.”
“At least take Charlie with you!”
Lucy restrained a sigh.She’d hoped to avoid this sort of thing, since Bess was already abed after retiring to her rooms once supper was done, and Nathaniel was away for a couple of days to check on some repair work being undertaken at the foundling home he and Bess supported.
“Surely Charlie has better things to do than follow me around all evening,” Lucy protested, but Molly had a mulish look on her pretty face.
“There’s naught more important than your safety,” Molly said stoutly.“How would I look your family in the eye if I let you traipse out of the house with no one to see after you?”
It chafed at Lucy’s sense of independence, but she forced herself to stop and consider that she didn’t know exactly where she’d need to venture to ferret out Thornecliff’s latest lair.
There were parts of London even Lucy wouldn’t be comfortable exploring after dark on her own.It might not be the worst idea to bring along a strapping young footman.
Especially one whom Lucy had always been able to cajole into doing whatever she wished.
Of course, Lucy reflected resignedly as Charlie barred the door of the carriage with an outraged expression, that was back when he was fifteen.
Charlie had gone from a young, impressionable wounded sailor in His Majesty’s Navy to a burly twenty-year-old underbutler.
“You told me I should’ve enlisted your aid when I wanted to sneak out at night, that you’d do all you could to help me.How is this different?”Lucy demanded, curling her fingers around the edge of the carriage door and assessing Charlie for any weaknesses.
“What’s different is no one was ever going to know about your midnight rides,” Charlie insisted staunchly.“But this place is very, very public.I promise you, Iamhelping you by not letting you go into that…that…”
Words seemed to fail him.“Hotel?”Lucy suggested.
Color darkened Charlie’s lean brown cheeks but he stood firm.“Apublic dining roomof ahotel.”
“Goodness.You make it sound like a brothel.”
Charlie crossed his arms over his chest.“It might as well be!No lady would dare be seen there.Your brother would have my head!Let’s go to White’s instead.Gentlemen love those clubs of theirs, don’t they?And it’s just round the corner, we could be there in a trice.”
“Thornecliff is no gentleman,” Lucy pointed out.“He would be bored to tears at a respectable club like White’s.No, if we are to discover him, we can’t search respectable places.We’ve already been to Sharpe’s, Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, and that tavern down by the docks.You won’t take me to The Nemesis, though I think it’s by far the best lead as it’s a known haunt of his.This place is all that’s left.”
This placebeing The Grand, London’s first European-style hotel.Recently opened and reputed to be very fine inside, luxuriously appointed and meticulously staffed, The Grand was extremely fashionable and in demand with the younger, racier members of the Ton.
Lucy had overheard a group of rowdy, already-inebriated gentlemen at Sharpe’s making plans to adjourn to The Grand for a late supper.
It would be considered quite risqué for the unmarried sister of a duke to appear in The Grand’s dining room, but Lucy could well imagine Thornecliff there.
“It’s ridiculous,” she burst out.“I stayed three months at The Ritz in Paris before I found a townhouse to let.No one batted an eye.”
“In London, lots of eyes would be batted,” Charlie said, brow lowered.“I can’t let you do it.Sharpe’s was bad enough, but as you’d already been there…”
He bit his lip and Lucy felt a stab of guilt.Charlie was so uncomfortable with everything they’d done this evening.And if she wanted to succeed, things would only be getting more uncomfortable for him.
Resigning herself to going home early and sneaking out again alone to continue her search, Lucy cast a regretful glance up at the distinguished façade of The Grand Hotel.
Just then, a group of elaborately dressed people spilled out of the front door.The young bloods of the fast set were in full evening dress, as though on their way to a ball, while their female companions were attired like the highest of high flyers: gowns cut low, with scandalously tight bodices and hemlines gathered and raised enough to show a daring flash of ankle as they tripped down the stairs, laughing gaily.
This was soexactlyThornecliff’s sort of place.And she was here now.Surely Lucy could contrive to take a quick peek into the dining room.Just to see if he was there.
