She took another sip of the sherry, larger than the first, before tightening her fingers around the short stem, hoping to get her thoughts to behave. She’d come here with the expectation of becoming a seductress. Hence, the revealing gown she’d worn. And now she was to be a teacher.
He lifted a tumbler, probably containing his preferred scotch. He seemed much more relaxed than she felt.
With earnestness, he leaned forward, planted his elbows on his thighs, and clasped his glass between both his hands. “My proposition.”
She waited. He cleared his throat.
“The women who work here—six remain, not counting Jewel—I want to help them find another occupation. Unfortunately, they aren’t as genteel as might... be needed... elsewhere.”
Her heart melted a little as he strove not to be unkind, as though the women were sitting there listening as he spoke.
“You, on the other hand. Every aspect of you has been buffed to a polish. It’s the reason I knew you were fromMayfair or somewhere similar to it. I thought you could instruct the ladies on how to be . . . more elegant. How to dress with a bit more style. How to speak properly. Perhaps you could even instruct them on how to be a lady’s maid, a governess, a companion. I’m well aware they will never find a position within a noble’s household, but I know several men who have recently acquired wealth and they might convince their wives to be willing to give a few of these women a chance at a more respectable life if they have the ability to learn what you have the knowledge to teach them.”
She hardly knew what to say.
“The bedchamber at your residence—is it like your brother’s, lacking a bed?”
She hated to admit it, but honesty was called for when negotiating a transaction. “Yes.”
“You could reside here, if you wished. A portion of this floor, this parlor in particular, is used for business. The floor above is where the women... entertain. The top one serves as our living accommodations. You would have your own bedchamber with a very comfortable bed, other furniture. A fire. We have no shortage of coal here. Your meals would be provided. Three a day. Naturally, you would also receive a salary. I’m willing to be quite generous.”
“I would earn nearly twenty-five pounds per annum at the Mermaid.”
“I’ll pay you a hundred.”
She knew her eyes had grown wide. “A hundred?”
Until three months ago, she’d had little idea what people earned, what constituted a good salary, what it cost to purchase food or lease a residence.
With a forefinger, he tapped the side of his glass. “What I’m offering you is only temporary. Once the ladies are placed elsewhere your services will no longer be required. I want to ensure you’re not returning to a residence withno furniture and no fires. To that end, I will give you an additional stipend of a thousand pounds if you can teach them all they need to know within six months. Five hundred pounds if it takes you a year. If you can’t teach them what they need to know in twelve months, I’ll assume you’re rubbish as a teacher and you’ll be let go with only the hundred.”
A hundred pounds. If it killed her, she’d see that they learned everything they needed to in six months to ensure she’d have the additional thousand. Her expenses would be minimal. She could save most of her earnings.
Moving to the edge of his chair, he leaned closer to her. “I’ll be honest with you, Miss Stanwick. I hate this bloody business, and I want out. But I can’t do it guilt-free without ensuring they have something better.”
His tone held a desperation that gave her an advantage. “You’ve given me six months. I can accomplish the goal in three.”
“Fifteen hundred if you do.”
“Two thousand.”
She could tell he wanted to smile again, but instead he flattened that lovely mouth and his jaw tightened. The victory was hers. He was simply striving to make it appear that he wasn’t cratering into her demands without some contemplation.
“You drive a hard bargain, Miss Stanwick, but if you can see this business shut down in three months, I’ll happily pay the two thousand.”
It took everything within her not to gloat. But still it wasn’t enough.
Three months. At the end of that time, what was she to do? She’d have money, yes, but it wasn’t going to see her through the remainder of her life. And if Marcus and Griffith were still engaged in a dangerous enterprise, she couldn’t havethem worrying about her. She would still be in need of a protector and was unlikely to acquire a husband.
Clutching the sherry glass, she rose and began pacing, striding between the chair and the window, the window and the chair, passing by several statuettes of nude couples, their bodies scandalously entwined. Back and forth she went, giving thought to all he was offering, all she required.
She finally stopped in front of him. When she’d risen, he’d come to his feet, so now he towered over her. She should have been afraid of him, of the strength and power he projected with such ease. But she realized she’d never feared him. She hadn’t needed to go to Kat to know that he would never harm her. She trusted him. For some reason she always had. “I need more.”
“Name your price.”
“I want you to teach me how to be a seductress.”
Chapter 6
