“And I will too.”
Her lower lip quivered, and a bolt of heat shot through Ben as he remembered how that lip tasted below his mouth, its silky texture when he caressed it with his tongue, how desperately he wanted to feel it again—
“Give me a chance. IknowI can do this.” She drew in a breath and held it.
Every face in the room pointed at Ben. If he allowed this, it was a tacit invitation for Rose to stay, to spend even more time with them. With him. His desire for Rose had slipped past the point of purely physical need. She was open in a way he had never known, allowing the mask of her confidence to drop and learn. Something deep in his chest yearned to see what would happen if Rose were to grow here, if she could set aside her London frivolities and embrace the life he led. If she could belong.
A low thrum of fear pulsed in his gut at the thought of Rose walking into the belly of the beast. But if he denied her this, he would have to acknowledge how he felt for her. And he couldn’t do that,wouldn’tdo that.
Ben closed his eyes and exhaled through his teeth. “Fine.”
Rose leapt to her feet with a squeal of glee and Abby caught her around the waist, joining in her joyful cries. Cass fixed Ben with a knowing smirk, and Garrett grunted, even as he smiled the slightest bit.
“I swear, Ben,” Rose said, grabbing Ben’s hand and squeezing. “You won’t regret this.”
Ben was certain he would regret every moment.
TO: Lord Timothy, Marquess of Trembly, Ashburn Hall, Oxfordshire
I need your assistance STOP You told me once you are friends with James Astor STOP He is holding a tea next week and Miss Rose Stonecroft needs to be on the list STOP As my dearest friend I know you will refrain from asking questions STOP
FROM: Miss Rose Waverly, ? Batterman & Co, Brooklyn, New York
TO: Miss Rose Waverly, ? Batterman & Co, Brooklyn, New York
Jimmy looks forward to meeting my dear friend Miss Stonecroft of Oxford STOP My curiosity is piqued STOP What are you up to QUERY
FROM: Lord Timothy, Marquess of Trembly, Ashburn Hall, Oxfordshire
Chapter 15
Rosehadneverseenso many condoms in her life. Her cheeks had been burning since Cass dumped the contents of a massive bag on the kitchen table in Miss Restell’s apartment and began sorting the round tins into piles.
“These are all donated and sent in through messengers from pharmacies in Canada, so we need to check them for quality,” Cass said, scowling as she lifted a torn rubber and tossed it into the garbage pail at her side.
Rose had been desperate to keep herself busy in the day leading up to the tea being held in honor of Linden’s reelection campaign. Being introduced with her mother’s surname should avoid association with her uncle, but the idea of using subterfuge—and attending a proper social event!—had eager anticipation dancing in her chest.
She had barely seen Ben in the last two days; he was gone before she awoke in the morning and returned after she had settled into bed. No longer requiring the use of his sling, he managed his own correspondence. The only signs of his presence were the letters piled in neat stacks on the table and the distant sounds of hammering and sawing from the apartment five floors above.
“Do you plan to… use all of these?”
Cass smirked. “Not me, personally. I don’t have a lot of use for the male appendage in general.”
Rose did not realize she could blush any more without bursting into flames, but somehow she managed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—I didn’t—”
“I’m teasing, Rose.” She felt the heat recede as Cass gave her a soft half-smile. “Miss Restell and I distribute sheaths to the women in the neighborhood, but most go unused. The men don’t like them.”
“Are there alternatives?” Rose asked, tossing a particularly battered prophylactic aside.
Cass’s face split into a diabolical grin. “Oh, yes. Sponges, pessaries, caps. Best of all, they are solely within a woman’s control and the men are none the wiser.”
“Why wouldn’t the men want to prevent pregnancy?”
“Because they put far too much importance on the potency of their dangling parts.”
Rose chuckled.
“No doctor can safely distribute contraceptives with the Comstock Laws hanging over their heads.” Cass tossed a loose rubber into the bin. “They’d lose their practices, their licenses. We operate in the shadows. No one pays attention to two Black women delivering babies.”
