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“But why would he do such a thing, Miss Dupre? Has he formed a passion for you?”
“He is a wicked man, Madame. He wants my money. He wants me to marry him so that he can take my fortune and use it in his manufacturing business. That is why he has destroyed my reputation, so that I will have no friends to believe me. They will advise me that marriage is the only solution, and Lord Appleby is quite a catch.”
Her voice broke and she looked away, steadying herself. This was not a time for tears; Aphrodite needed to hear the facts.
“And yet you came to his house,” Aphrodite reminded her.
“He invited me to London from my home in Surrey. He knew I was eager to see the Great Exhibition, and because he had a part in building the Crystal Palace, he said he would be able to bring me to the opening ceremony. I was flattered, and although I had my doubts, I allowed myself to be persuaded. At first all was well, and then I began to hear rumors that he and I were engaged, or in love, or some such nonsense. I felt uncomfortable and approached him about it. That was when he proposed to me.”
“And you rejected him?”
“Yes. He seemed to accept it calmly enough, but that was when he must have decided that more direct means were needed if I was to agree. I wanted to go home but he begged me to stay on for his dinner party. He needed my help, he said. That was when he staged the moment when his guests saw us together…But it was a trick. He caught hold of me moments before and I was struggling, but he held me so tightly, and…Well, I knew then the gossips would ruin me. I demanded he explain and apologize, but he laughed and said now I would have to marry him. And that was when I saw for the first time the real man behind the smile.”
Aphrodite stood up and went to ring the bell for a servant. She went to the door, and when there was a soft knock, opened it and spoke quietly for a moment, before return
ing to her seat.
“I am listening, my dear,” she said evenly.
Antoinette tried to read her face but she could see nothing to give her a clue as to what the courtesan was thinking, as she went on with the rest of her story, how she was sent away to Devon.
“Ah, Wexford Manor,” Aphrodite said, when she was finished, and smiled. “But then you escaped, I think, Miss Dupre? You are a very resourceful young lady.”
“I…yes, I did escape.”
“On your own?” Aphrodite asked her innocently.
“Ah, no. There was a man.” Antoinette covered her face with her hands. “I don’t even know his name! He’s lied to me ever since we first met and yet…” She lowered her hands and her face was pale, determined and honest. “He’s the most exciting man I have ever met.”
“Cats in the night,” Aphrodite murmured cryptically.
“Pardon, Madame?”
Aphrodite smiled knowingly. “This exciting man, Miss Dupre, I think you fell in love with him.”
Antoinette’s eyes widened. “Of course I didn’t,” she said sharply. “My life is complicated enough without him in it.”
Aphrodite raised her thin eyebrows. “But the heart doesn’t always obey as we would want it to. Love is not always tidy, my dear.”
But Antoinette shook her head and refused to be drawn. “I was speaking of Lord Appleby.”
“Very well, tell me why you have come to me, Miss Dupre.”
“Because Lord Appleby is not the wealthy and successful businessman everyone thinks he is. He owes a great deal of money and has borrowed more to complete his contract for the Crystal Palace. He is relying upon my fortune to set things right, otherwise he will be ruined. He is a sham, Madame.”
Aphrodite smacked her palm onto the desktop. “He is a monster! A man of such self-importance that he cannot bear to admit to failure, or to be slighted. The smallest insult must be repaid over and over. Do you know why I believe he took my club from me? Because long ago he wanted me in his bed and I turned him down. I was not very flattering in my refusal, but in those days I was young and beautiful and I did not take account of other people’s feelings. He never forgot, and when the chance came to revenge himself upon me he took it.”
Antoinette nodded. “Yes, that sounds like His Lordship.”
“My club is closed. He wants it all and he has decided the way to get it is to force me to sell my share, so he has arranged for complaints to be made. There are some gentlemen in Parliament who like to decide what others should or should not do. He has taken a stick and stirred them about, like a nasty boy an ant’s nest, and now he has them dancing to his tune. Can ants dance? Well, it does not matter. My club is to remain closed until it is decided whether or not I am a moral danger to the innocents of London.”
“Can they do that?” Antoinette was shocked.
“They have.” Aphrodite lifted her hand. “Listen. Do you hear the silence? I do not know how much longer I can bear it.”
“I’m sorry, Madame.”
“I have a friend who is also in danger of being ruined by Lord Appleby,” Aphrodite said, watching her closely.
