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“I said—” His cross words were arrested by the breathless greeting of his erstwhile houseguest, who hurried across the room and put out her hands in a gesture of entreaty, saying, “Oh Silverton, what a terrible day it’s been! I know I shouldn’t be asking favors of you when you’ve already been so good to me, but you just have to help me rescue Dorcas, even if you say she couldn’t be persuaded by you the first time.”
“And good evening to you, too, Kitty. What is this? You’ve left Nash?” He rose, gripping her fingertips as she was about to withdraw her hands, and was conscious of an unexpectedly strong wave of hopefulness that was immediately dashed by her response.
“Indeed not! Nash and I have never got along better.” Extricating herself, Kitty stepped back. The damp air that caused her bright hair to curl about her temples, and her heightened color, made her look like the most exquisite china doll. It was hard to resist the impulse to hold her tight and soak up her warmth and kindness. But she was chattering excitedly, her words not at all what he wanted to hear
as she went on, “It was quite the right thing to forgive him for he has been utterly darling to me, and my house is nearly decorated.” She threw her arms wide and did a twirl before him, her face suffused with happiness. “Have you seen the gossip sheets? Lord Summerton is to wed the woman who was his mistress, Mrs. Pinkerton? Yes, indeed! Do you not think I should take heart from a real-life instance of exactly what you say cannot happen to me?”
Silverton took her hand and led her to a sofa, pulling on the bell rope to order tea after Kitty declined what he had to hand on the drinks tray. While he felt ridiculously pleased by her intrusion, he wasn’t going to pander to her false hopes by pretending something other than he thought.
“Kitty dearest,” he said gently, “Lord Summerton is in his dotage with grown children. He cares nothing for society’s opinion—which will be condemnatory. He can afford to thumb his nose at society and do as he pleases.” He took a seat beside her and stroked her hair to soften his words. “Lord Nash might prefer you above all others, but he will marry for expediency. He will marry for dynastic considerations. You cannot blind yourself to the truth.”
Kitty’s sigh tugged at his heartstrings. She’d not objected to the hair stroking which he’d ceased, for he found it created a whirlpool of raging desire which he was clearly never going to be able to act upon; but now she gripped his hand, holding it upon her knee as if unaware of the effect this had upon him and said, “You shan’t dissuade me that it’s possible, but that’s not what I came here to talk about. I came here because I urgently need your help.”
“To rescue Dorcas? Why, Kitty, I’m not saying I won’t help you, but I’ve already tried once, and I can’t force her to go with me.” He knew he was resorting to low tactics to hear her say Nash wasn’t prepared to help her, while she believed Silverton clearly would. And indeed, Silverton would. Yes, he would try again. Any opportunity to be surrounded by her cheerful chatter was worth an investment of his time.
“You see, Nash is terribly busy right now, besides which he’s naturally wary of venturing near such a place in case it casts aspersions on his character.”
Silverton chuckled. “That’s what he told you?” Nash was more likely concerned at being recognized as one of Mrs. Montgomery’s regular clientele.
“Yes, but you will help me, won’t you?” She brushed aside his ironic chuckle, clearly pretending she did not understand. Or, turning a blind eye. Kitty, he noticed, had a charming way of seeing only the best in a person. She drew herself up. “I’ve been to Maggie Montgomery’s house and watched the gentlemen go in and out.”
Silverton raised an eyebrow. “Gentlemen?”
Kitty blushed. “If I wasn’t so desperate, knowing that Dorcas was a prisoner inside such a...place, and that such shocking, terrible things may be happening to her, I don’t think I could bring myself to even allude to Mrs. Montgomery’s establishment for what it is. But the truth is, I am powerless to get her out of there alone. I’ve asked and asked Nash, and he won’t do anything. So now, between you and me, Lord Silverton, we must be her saviors.”
The grim reality and desperation of her friend’s plight aside, Silverton couldn’t help smiling at Kitty’s earnestness. No, not earnestness so much as faith in him. When he thought of it like that he was warmed by a wonderful glow of satisfaction.
“You know, Kitty, I think saving your friend from vice and iniquity is just the tonic I need. Yes, your arrival has bolstered my mood enormously.”
She looked surprised, and instinctively put up her hand to cup his cheek. “Poor Lord Silverton, yes, I see now that you are tired and perhaps low in spirits. I’m sorry I didn’t notice before. Is there anything I can do to help?”
As there was not—short of suggesting Kitty might like to switch camps and transfer her affections from Nash to Silverton—Silverton shook his head.
“But what has happened? Please tell me.”
Her large, brilliantly blue eyes were so full of sympathy, he had to resist very strongly the urge to take her in his arms and place her head against his chest, just for the catharsis it would be to feel her womanly body pressed against his. Comfort. That’s all he wanted, he told himself, knowing he wanted so much more, in fact.
“A very dear friend of mine took his own life last night.” Silverton reached for a scrap of paper which lay upon the arm of his chair and waved it at her. “This is the reason.”
Kitty took it, was quiet while she scanned its contents, then, with a gasp, handed it back to Silverton. “Poor Lord Calder. But...surely he could have denied it?”
Silverton sighed. “There are sufficient rumors involving his Lordship’s...proclivities...and his association with pretty young men that he’d not be believed. This was the nail in his coffin.”
Kitty shook her head. “Who wrote it?”
“I only wish I knew. A scurrilous, muckraking, pamphleteer. When I last saw Calder, he inferred he was being blackmailed. I told him to hold firm against emptying his pockets, believing the blackguard responsible would find more fertile valleys to plumb. So, you see, in light of what’s happened, I feel responsible.”
“You mustn’t!” Again in that impulsive, familiar manner Kitty adopted toward him, she squeezed his hands. “But...”
“What?”
“I admit, I don’t really understand the love of a man for a man. I mean, it’s not possible to...”
“What?”
“Do more than just say words of love. So the fact that it should be punishable by death seems very extreme.”
Silverton was not about to pursue a topic on which Kitty clearly knew nothing, so he said, “Lord Calder was a kind and gentle soul, and I failed him. But by God, I intend to find out who’s behind the muckraking.”
