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“George?”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever brought another lady here?”
He met her gaze. “Yes.”
Her smile faltered almost imperceptibly, and he felt an immediate desire to spare her whatever unwelcome thoughts his answer had provoked. He could have offered some lighthearted reassurance, something amusing to dismiss the matter entirely, but Cordelia deserved more than the easy charm he had employed with countless women.
“I will not insult your intelligence by pretending otherwise, Cori. But I have never brought anyone here whom I wished to know in the morning.” He covered the hand resting upon his arm, his thumb moving gently over her gloved fingers. “Nor have I ever brought a woman who has my heart so thoroughly wrapped in knots that I scarcely know where to begin untangling it, or whether I even wish to try.”
Her eyes searched his face, and he wondered if she understood how much of himself he had surrendered in that admission.
“That,” she said softly, “is a rather more persuasive answer than I expected.”
“It happens occasionally.”
“Do not become conceited.”
“Far too late.”
Her laughter returned, and he felt absurdly pleased with himself.
He led her toward the broad staircase, its polished banister adorned with the ribboned lanterns Rebecca favored for her more extravagant evenings. From below came the swell of music and the occasional burst of applause, while the upper floors offered a different sort of entertainment. Here were the private chambers reserved for Aphrodite’s most discerning patrons, rooms decorated with gilded paneling, thick damask curtains, and luxurious furnishings intended to satisfy every possible desire.
George knew several of them intimately. He had spent more evenings than he cared to count in the company of his friends, enjoying brandy and cards while the establishment’s guests pursued their pleasures in adjoining rooms.
On the third floor, he guided Cordelia toward a wing seldom shown to casual visitors. It contained a series of narrow corridors and concealed observation chambers, architectural curiosities left behind by an eccentric nobleman who had once owned the house and possessed an unfortunate fondness for discovering what his guests did when they believed themselves unobserved.
Madam Rebecca had retained the passages and adapted them to Aphrodite’s particular purposes. Certain private chambers could be observed from concealed adjoining spaces, allowing guests who enjoyed displaying their intimacy to entertain an audience without having that audience present in the room.
The arrangement was entirely discreet, and Rebecca insisted that those who used the chambers understood precisely what they were consenting to. George had always admired the madam’s insistence upon such distinctions, for beneath all her calculated extravagance, she was remarkably protective of those who placed themselves under her care.
As they approached the entrance to the concealed passage, he hesitated.
Cordelia noticed at once. “What is it?”
“Nothing that ought to interest a respectable young lady.”
She gave him a look of profound disbelief.
“At what point this evening did you conclude that I was attempting to conduct myself as a respectable young lady?”
He laughed, unable to resist the delightful absurdity of her argument. “An excellent point.”
“Then tell me.”
He considered her eager expression, the lively curiosity that had brought her into his life, and the remarkable ease with which she had come to trust him. That trust mattered to him more than he cared to admit, and he had no intention of treating it carelessly.
“There are concealed passages beyond those doors,” he said. “They lead to several observation chambers adjoining certain private rooms.”
Her eyes widened with delighted curiosity. “Observation chambers?”
“Guests who have agreed to be observed may entertain an audience without having that audience present in the room.”
Cordelia stared at him. She remained silent for several moments, and George could almost see her imagination working as she considered the possibilities. Finally, she looked up at him. “May we see?”
He searched her face, expecting some trace of embarrassment or hesitation, but found only curiosity and an unmistakable gleam of excitement.
