Page 41 of One Night with an Earl

“Judging a friend is a waste of time. I’m a man of few words, and I’ll tell you precisely what I think. You are treading in dangerous waters.”

“Perhaps. But I find myself looking forward to those waters.”

Warwick turned away from the machinery to look at Oliver for the first time since he’d set foot in the ballroom. “We are alike, you and me. You have a strong sense of duty to the earldom. I have a strong sense of duty to my work. That’s why we are friends.”

It was true. Friends were difficult to come by. Good, lifelong ones. Oh, he had a passing acquaintance with his brother’s friends, but Oliver tolerated them out of respect for his deceased brother. But they were nothing like him, nor did they share the same interests. Whoring, gambling, and drinking had never excited him.

But then again, if it wasn’t for them, he never would have visited the brothel that night.

Even though Lady Scarlet, or Miss Gardner, was nothing like the other women in the brothel, he was fortunate to meet her.

She’d made him feel alive, much more than when his ledgers were balanced and his duties completed.

What was it about her? His grandmother would never approve of a match between them. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t share a more pleasurable arrangement.

“What about the young lady?” Warwick asked.

“You mean Lady Penelope?”

“How might she feel about this farce to get closer to her companion?”

Ah, therein lies the rub. He didn’t want to hurt the girl or lead her to believe he was interested in making her his wife. But he saw no other way to get closer to Miss Gardner.

He rubbed his chin with a thumb and forefinger. There was only one way. He needed to use all the weapons in his arsenal to show Ana that what they had was rare and worth exploring.

Chapter Fourteen

Ana parted her bedchamber curtains just as the unmarked black coach parked across the street from the Malvern’s townhome.

Time to go.

It wasn’t difficult to escape the house unnoticed. Her position as a chaperone had some benefits. No one paid her much attention as she left through the servants’ door through the kitchens and made her way to the street.

The carriage door opened, and Ana settled on the bench across from Madame Crescent. “Thank you for coming,” Ana said.

After her experience at the Royal Academy, she’d reached out to the madame at the Silver Chalice. She’d passed a shilling to a boy on the street to deliver a note. Ana had debated visiting the brothel herself to speak with its proprietress but dismissed it as too risky.

The interior of the carriage was entirely black, from the leather bench to its drawn curtains. In contrast, Madame Crescent was dressed in a white gown with a sapphire necklace that matched her blue eyes. Long, white satin gloves reached her elbows. Her fair hair was fashionably styled, and she was as poised as one of the patronesses of Almack’s.

Not for the first time, Ana thought Madame must have been even more stunning in her youthful days. Were the jewels a gift from a lover? Had she been a courtesan herself at a brothel? Or a wealthy man’s mistress? What was the woman’s past?

Madame Crescent’s blue eyes boldly traveled over Ana. “Why choose such an unflattering dress?”

“You knew me as Lady Scarlet, but this,” Ana said, sweeping a hand across her companion’s uniform of a gray dress, “is who I am on a daily basis.”

“Tsk. Such a waste.”

“Perhaps, but it cannot be helped.” Ana smoothed her skirt. “I cleaned and pressed the red gown, but I dare not risk walking out of the house with it. I will arrange to have it delivered to you.”

Madame continued to watch her. “As the gown no longer fits me, there is no imminent need. Meanwhile, I thought your summons was regarding another manner and would come sooner. The Earl of Drake visited the day after your shared evening.”

Oliver had already told her he’d returned to the brothel. The news had surprised her. “The earl sought my identity.”

“He inquired, but I told him nothing.”

Ana let out a breath. “I’m grateful.”

Madame arched a well-plucked brow. “When I received your note, I assumed he had discovered your identity on his own?”