His mother preened next to him. She patted his leg. “Exactly.”
“She’d promised to tell me her secrets.” Prudence—Mrs. Cabot smiled conspiratorially and winked.
His stomach twisted. His mother could not tell all her secrets, for her secrets were his as well. Slowly, with control, he looked at his mother, who returned his gaze, confidence in her eyes. They’d been co-conspirators, secret keepers, for so long, it was what had bonded them so permanently together. Mothers and sons were always bonded, true, but not like them. And the best way to keep a secret was to never tell a soul.
*
HE WAS LATE.Her clock chimed, and she couldn’t help but glance at it. Prudence paced her suite, not wanting to sit and wrinkle her skirts. She wore a silk dress that had easy clasps in the front. The kind of thing made for a tryst. Or a husband. Which is whyshe had it, though Gregory had not been the kind of husband who would have wanted it. Or needed it.
Dinner was ready on plates at the table, under silver domes. She didn’t want the hotel staff to suspect anything, so she ordered what she normally did for her and Georgie. As a favor, she also told Georgie to go out for dinner and handed her an extra stipend to do so.
Prudence cracked her knuckles. She knew it shouldn’t, but her heart felt strange, and her head felt light. Old habits were soothing, even if they were bad ideas. Once all her knuckles were cracked, she snapped her fingers.Please come, Leo,she begged in her thoughts. She rested her head against one of the pillars that separated the dining area and the lounge area. The cool marble felt calming against her face.
Had she ruined everything by visiting his mother? Or was she too much trouble? What if she was bad at being intimate? Had she been too selfish? She’d let him guide her, and was that not appropriate? She wouldn’t know. This was all new to her. Surely he would give her some grace for that.
Her lip was raw from where she’d chewed at it all day. The only time she’d been composed at all was sitting with Mrs. Moon. The older woman had been very helpful, and had thankfully not taken offense at what Prudence had implied—that she had come from very little money and could keep up appearances through creativity instead of cost.
And she’d had good ideas—draping cloth that pooled in places made a room appear more sumptuous. Rich colors might not be as fashionable, but they didn’t wash out in the evenings when light was low. That candlelight still made everyone appear more elegant than gas lamps. Brass will shine—if polished well enough—and used sparingly. No one will notice the difference.
All helpful tips, even if she wasn’t sure how they might incorporate to the party.
A soft knock at the door. Finally!
She cleared her throat for no reason whatsoever and went to the door. Her heart galloped like a stray dog after the butcher. Composing oneself was not an easy task. She opened the door, and there he stood, a bottle of wine in his hand.
He looked up at her from the brim of his gray hat, a color that matched his eyes. The well-tailored suit accented his slender build and his wide shoulders. The strong jaw set as if his teeth were clenched was the focal point of his gray-on-gray appearance.
“Come in,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He glanced at her, at the room beyond, his expression unchanging. Prudence felt a tingle in her body as he returned his gaze to her, flicking his eyes from her feet to her hair. He stalked past her, and she caught his ink and bergamot scent.
A tremble went through her entire body. It felt like... butterflies! This was butterflies! She’d done it. Or rather, Leo had.
“Good evening, Prudence,” he said, taking off his hat. She took it from him and stowed it in the small closet next to the door.
“Good evening, Leo.” She stared at him, unable to break away from whatever this was, this feeling like a giggle, but in her bones.
“Your gown is beautiful, but you are stunning.” His voice was lower than normal.
Heat radiated through her. Blushing? Here? Now? “Thank you.” She willed the heat to die down. “You look rather dashing yourself.”
He gave one of his rare smiles to her, and she felt like she’d been rewarded.
“Dinner is ready on the table.” She gestured into the other room.
At the table, he lifted the silver dome left in place by the staff to keep it warm. Unfortunately, it also often made things soggier than necessary.
“Fish,” he said.
Prudence lifted her dome and stared at it. Normally, it was perfectly respectable, but after sitting for so long, a grayish cast had come over the scaled filet. “It looks much more appetizing when they bring it fresh.”
She saw Leo wince.
“Oh, no! No, I wasn’t subtly chastising you for tardiness. No, I’m not as clever as all that.” She didn’t want him to feel bad. Yes, she’d been anxious for him to arrive, but she wasn’t angry. She was honestly grateful he arrived at all.
“You deserve an apology for my tardiness, Prudence.” He replaced the dome and looked about for the drink cart. He stowed the bottle of wine on it and searched for the wine key. He looked up at her once he had it in hand. “I’m sorry that I am late. I had misgivings.”
Prudence frowned.
