“That’s not really appealing to me.”
Minnie laughed. “Dancing, listening to music, and…” She lowered her voice. “…even spend time with a gentleman alone in private.”
Esther suppressed a gasp, not wanting to sound shocked. “Have you done that before? I can’t believe it. You’re always so prim and meek.” She must have said something horrible because Minnie’s face transformed into a mask of rage.
“Meek? Like a lamb? Well, maybe I’m tired of following orders and not doing things I like, only to be meek. Maybe I was forced to live a secret life to have the experiences I value. Maybe I want more power over my own choices.”
“Goodness.” Esther wanted to applaud her friend’s spirit. “You have my whole sympathy. I’m not here to judge you.” Although shock and surprise made her wonder if she knew Minnie at all. But that could wait as well. “I’m here to join you.”
“Are you really? Do you understand you’ll have to be careful? If your mother suspects you set foot in The New Club, she’ll send you to your Great Aunt Martha in Argyllshire.”
She recoiled. Argyllshire was the wettest county in the kingdom and one of the least populated. And she would end up like Great Aunt Martha, having a fit every time she crossed another human being on the pavement.
“I understand,” she said in a quivering voice.
“There’s no going back,” Minnie continued. “You’ll have to protect your reputation tooth and nail and make sacrifices to enjoy yourself. You’ll have to wear dull gowns and be very, very meek, not to raise suspicions. I hope you’re ready for that.”
She put a hand on her chest, moving towards the wall as more people arrived, cramming the alleyway. “I thought you were the highest example of a perfectly mannered lady.”
“The important thing is not to let anyone know the truth. Ever. It’s like a secret society. Do you swear never to tell anyone you saw me here?”
“I do.”
That wicked smile, completely at odds with Minnie’s persona, came out again. “Do you want to experience what true enjoyment is?”
It was the offer Esther had been waiting for since her first Season. “I do. But what happens when you spend some time alone with a gentleman in the club?”
Minnie leant against the brick wall behind her. “Allow only a taste, or he will lose interest and think you’re easy prey. Try to meet as many gentlemen as possible. Don’t promise anything, but tease as much as you can. Show a little bit of yourself but don’t allow him to touch you for too long.”
That was Minnie’s secret.
She was confused though. So many rules. There were rules even in a secret wanton life. “And does that work?”
“How do you think I gathered six suitors in a short time? A night at The New Club works better than an entire Season of balls and tea parties.”
Esther nodded. She was more curious than interested in a suitor. “I want to go.”
“Welcome to the club.”
Six
Esther was shivering with excitement when she entered The New Club with Minnie.
Although an annoying doubt whispered in her head, in Alexander’s voice.
The way he’d asked her to be careful had cracked something in her chest. He could have forced her to follow him. Instead, he’d let her make her decision. Admittedly, she was diving into a wanton life without preparation. But then again, she wouldn’t go back.
She gasped at the view.
The New Club was a drawing room as wide as St. Paul’s Cathedral with a soaring ceiling and dim lights that couldn’t hide the couples kissing, dancing too closely, or playing cards. Music sounded from a corner, and it wasn’t the sombre music of a ball, but the lively one of the public houses. The scent of wax and jasmine teased her senses. There was also a lot of champagne and not many clothes.
She stood in a corner with Minnie. “My goodness.”
“This is just the beginning.” Minnie removed her cloak, revealing a scandalous gown that hugged her curves and pushed her breasts up. She tugged at the two strings at her waist, and her skirt gathered up, revealing her legs.
The neckline was so low that Esther could see Minnie’s corset.
“My goodness.” She was incapable of saying anything else.
