“Very good, my lord.” The butler offered another smooth bow, then disappeareddown a hallway.
Georgiana watched him go, then turned to Benedict, her confusion growing by the minute. “Madame Célestine? That name almost sounds like…” She trailed off as the painting over Benedict’s shoulder caught her attention. “Is that a…” Her eyes widened, and she stepped closer to get a better look.No, surely not—
“It’s nothing of any import.” Benedict stepped in front of her, blocking the painting. “There’s a settee behind you. Will you have a seat? You must be fatigued.”
“Dear God, itis.” Some sort of noise leapt to Georgiana’s lips. She couldn’t say whether it was a gasp or a laugh, but she slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle it.
Benedict braced his hands on her shoulders and tried to urge her away from the painting, but she’d seen too much, and by now she’d also noticed there were another half dozen of the same sort of paintings in theentryway alone.
He might prod her all he liked, but he couldn’t prevent her from seeing all of them.
She let him guide her to the settee, but once he thought he’d gotten his way and relaxed his grip, she twisted away from him and hurried to the other side of the room where another one of the paintings was hanging.
“God in heaven.” Georgiana gaped at it with rounded eyes.
A pair of heavily lashed painted dark eyes stared back at her from the canvas. Whoever the lady was, she was beautiful, with masses of loose dark hair falling around her white shoulders and the most alluring, inviting smile on herred, red lips.
But it wasn’t her hair, her smile, or her eyes that caught Georgiana’s attention.
It was her breasts.
Not because Georgiana was particularly enamored of breasts, but because this lady’s breasts were…well, they weren’t bare, precisely, but it was a near thing. Her unlaced corset dangled from her delicate fingertips, leaving her clad in only a transparent chemise, which—if one could judge by the playful glint in her eyes—was a mere breath from being ripped from her body by some unknown gentleman and flung unceremoniouslyto the floor.
The other painted ladies were in similarly provocative poses. Fair, dark, and red-haired beauties; blue, brown, or green-eyed; each with those same red lips, that same inviting smile. One was clad only in a petticoat, her arms crossed over her bare breasts. Another stood in her chemise, a full-length looking glass behind her, one stockinged leg balanced on a chair. She appeared to be, ah…removing her garters?
“How curious,” Georgiana murmured, glancing over her shoulder at Benedict, who was shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. “I remove my own shoes and stockingsbeforeI take off my gown, and I’ve never needed a chair to remove my garters. Do you suppose I’ve been doing it wrong all these years?”
He seemed to be casting about for a reply, but just as he opened his mouth, footsteps tripped down the hallway, and with a grand swish of silk skirts, a fair-haired lady entered the room, a brilliant smile on her full lips. “Lord Haslemere.” She took both of Benedict’s hands in hers and rose to her tiptoes to kiss one of his cheeks, then the other. “Shame on you, my lord. It’s been much too long since you came to see me,n’est-ce pas?”
Georgiana watched this effusive welcome with raised eyebrows.
Benedict shot her an uneasy glance, but he bowed graciously over the lady’s hand. “Madame Célestine. It has indeed been a long time, but you remain as lovely as ever.”
Madame Célestine threw her head back in a merry laugh. “Such flattery! You have not changed either,monsieur. Do I dare hope you’ve come to see me, or will one of my young ladies be so fortunate as to enjoy your attentionsthis evening?”
Despite Georgiana’s vow not to show any reaction to the scenes playing out in front of her, her jaw dropped open, and another noise escaped her lips. Not a snort—certainly not something so unladylike asthat—but, well…a noise that soundedrather like it.
Madame Célestine turned then, and seemed to notice for the first time that Georgiana was standing behind her. Her eyes widened in surprise, but then a wicked grin curved her lips. “Or have you brought your own entertainment, my lord?”
Benedict glanced from Madame Célestine to Georgiana, looking as if he wished himself at the bottom of the Thames. “I brought my own—”
“Lord Haslemere!” Georgiana gaped at him, hercheeks on fire.
“I mean to say, I brought a friend,” Benedict hastened to clarify. “That is, not a friend, at least, not in the, er…veryfriendlysense of the word. Not achère amie, you understand, but rather a young lady. A pure, spotless, innocent young lady.”
Madame Célestine arched an eyebrow, but her lips were twitching, as if she were greatly enjoying Benedict’s discomfiture. “You brought a pure, spotless, innocent young lady to a brothel, my lord?”
“Thisisa brothel, then?” Georgiana shot Benedict an accusing look. “I thought it must be. I can’t think why I’m surprised, my lord, but this is taking it a bit far,even foryou.”
“Indeed,mon chère, I’m afraid I must agree with your friend. My establishment is of the highest quality, as you know, but even so, it’s not a proper place for aninnocent girl—”
“If you’d both do me the favor of ceasing your infernal chatter for one blessed moment,” Benedict huffed, “I’d be delighted to explain myself.”
“But of course, my lord.” Madame Célestine smiled sweetly at him, then shot Georgiana a mischievous wink.
Benedict turned to Georgiana. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I’d had another choice, but Madame Célestine is an…an old friend, and her, er…this establishment is out of the way, and known only to a few select gentlemen in London. We may rely on Madame’s discretion to keep our visit utterly private, may we not, Madame?”
Madame Célestine inclined her head. “Of course, youmay, my lord.”
