She expelled a deep breath and shook her head. Either the elixir would work, and she and Branville would be engaged by the end of the house party, or she’d beg Branville to play along temporarily. That was her plan.
In the meantime, Delilah only hoped her mother wouldn’t discover she was acting in the play. She’d have to face Mother’s wrath if she found out.Mèreknew she’d gone to Lucy’s country house for the performance, and she’d had plenty to say about that alone, but she had no idea Delilah was one of the actors, and she wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. After that? Delilah planned on doing what she normally did when she behaved in a way her mother disapproved of: Ask for forgiveness instead of permission.
By the time Delilah’s coach arrived at the front of Lucy’s estate on Friday afternoon, she’d convinced herself everything would work out perfectly. And if she kept repeating that to herself, she might begin to believe it was true.
The company rehearsed the play twice that day at Lucy’s country house, once in the morning and once that evening. A few lines were flubbed or outright missed, but for a play for charity with a company of actors who’d never before been on stage, Jane Upton had declared their performance, “Not half-bad.”
That evening, Delilah retired to her bedchamber, where Amandine helped her remove the costume she’d worn at the dress rehearsal. Delilah had already dismissed the maid and was about to climb into bed when a knock on her bedchamber door startled her. She hurriedover to her wardrobe and wrapped her dressing gown around her. “Come in.”
The door opened, and Lavinia Hobbs strolled inside. She looked around the bedchamber as if she were judging its contents. She eyed Delilah up and down.
“Lavinia? What are you doing here?” Delilah asked, hoping she could usher the older woman out sooner than later. She was exhausted. Tomorrow was her birthday, and not only would she have to give the performance again in front of a real audience, she’d have to stay up late and tiptoe around in the darkness to sprinkle magic elixir on the duke’s eyes. Such subterfuge was exhausting, it turned out. She hoped to get plenty of sleep tonight.
“I’ve come to ask for your help,” Lavinia said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Delilah didn’t want to turn her back to the lady. She didn’t trust her. She shuffled over to her wardrobe. “I told you, Lucy and I are doing our best to put Lord Berwick in your path, but—”
“Putting him in my path isn’t good enough,” Lavinia shot back.
“I’m not certain I know what you mean,” Delilah replied.
“Don’t you?” Lavinia drawled. A slow smile spread across her face, a smile that looked partially evil.
“No.” Delilah frowned. What in heaven’s name was Lavinia getting at?
The smile dropped from the other woman’s face, and she narrowed her eyes. “Don’t play dumb, Delilah. It doesn’t suit you. I’m talking about the potion you’ve got.”
“P-potion?” Delilah sucked in her breath. How in heaven’s name had Lavinia, of all people, found out about the potion?
“Yes, the magic perfume,” Lavinia continued. “The one you and Danielle bought.”
Delilah swallowed hard. “Why do you think I have a ma-ma-magic potion?” She was a horrible liar. She tended to stutter when she lied.
Lavinia drummed her fingertips along the sides of her folded arms. “I overheard Danielle telling you about it at one of the rehearsals in London.”
So Lavinia had been eavesdropping that day? Leave it to her to do something so underhanded. Delilah eyed the older woman. Lavinia was clever, and she obviously knew about the elixir. Was there any use denying it any longer? Very well. They might as well have it out. This was certain to be unpleasant. How in the world had Thomas and his lovely sister Alexandra come from the same parents as this awful woman?
“You want to try it on Lord Berwick?” Delilah asked.
Lavinia’s smile was tight and fake. “Of course, I want to try it on Lord Berwick.”
Delilah moved to position herself between Lavinia and her trunk where the perfume was hidden, as if Lavinia might jump into action and attempt to steal it from her. Truthfully, Delilah wouldn’t put that past her. “I’ve no idea if it even works, you know?” She would at leastattemptto reason with the woman.
“It cannot hurt, though, now can it?” Lavinia opened her hand to reveal a small empty glass vial. She handed it to Delilah. “I’m willing to try. Give me some.”
Delilah expelled her breath. This was going to be even more difficult than she’d originally thought. “I cannot give it to you.”
Lavinia’s eyes narrowed even more. “Why not?”
Delilah tightened the dressing gown’s belt around herwaist, pulling hard on both ends. “Because I promised Madame Rosa.”
“Who is Madame Rosa?” Lavinia asked in a bored voice that indicated she didn’t give one whit who Madame Rosa was.
“The woman who sold me the perfume,” Delilah replied. “She made me promise to follow the rules.”
Lavinia’s eyes were barely opened slits. “Rules? What rules?”
“One of them is not to share the elixir with anyone else.”
