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Irene's squeak came right on top of Grace's question. The prim and proper redhead looked horrified at the idea that she was about to become a part of this.
"Of course!" Cynthia said enthusiastically. She pointed at Irene and Eleanor. "You told us that your husbands decided to spend the evening together, yes? Do you really think Alex isn't there? They'll probably be up all night drinking, thinking us safely tucked away here. Besides, she certainly won't get a chance tomorrow. And don't you want to know what his correspondence says?"
Reckless Eleanor looked like she wanted to say yes, but Irene was already shaking her head. "What if we're caught? How are we going to avoid being seen by the servants? Don't you think Manfred will notice if we all go missing from this room? Besides, I can tell you right now that I'm fairly certain Alex loves you," she said, looking beseechingly at Grace. Her words made Grace's heart jump in her chest, even though she couldn't quite bring herself to believe them. "When you were married
, he was the happiest I've ever seen him... and after you left, it was like all his emotions just closed up and went away."
"That could have been because I humiliated him by leaving him," Grace countered, keeping her heart cold against the hope that was always trying to batter its way in. "My father is completely closed against me as well."
"Alex isn't like that..." Irene said, but then she shook her head, a rueful expression crossing her face. "But then, sometimes I wonder if I know Alex as well as I think. I would have never expected him to spank his wife, and I certainly wouldn't have thought that he'd ever say that one woman is as good as another for his wife. I know he would do anything for his business, he loves his work, but..." Irene sighed. "I'm not helping am I?"
"Nope," Cynthia said, turning her attention back to Grace. "Which is why we should absolutely search his study tonight."
Even though part of her was clamoring to say yes, Grace hesitated. "But... Irene made some good points. What about Manfred?"
The Countess' butler checked in on them every so often, ostensibly to see if they needed anything, but probably also to reassure himself that Cynthia wasn't running amok without the Countess to watch over her. Grace was under the impression that he didn't trust the other women to be able to control her. He probably didn't realize how true that was.
"What if I stay here?" Irene said, rather eagerly. She glanced at the clock on the mantle. "Manfred hasn't checked on us in a while, he'll probably be by soon. If you leave after he checks on us, there should be plenty of time for you to return, and if you aren't back before he comes again, I can say you've gone to the retiring room."
All of them looked at Irene with varying degrees of admiration. Despite the fact that she obviously didn't want to be party to the search of Alex's study, her deviousness and willingness to contribute in a very key way was impressive. Grace would probably have given up, rather than come up with something so sneaky.
Eleanor sighed, pulling her hand away from Grace and laying both of her palms over the very slight swell of her stomach. It was only visible because she was sitting down and she wasn't wearing a gown that required a corset. "I should probably stay here as well," she said, regretfully, her hand briefly caressing her stomach. "It would still look suspicious if Irene was just sitting here alone. Besides, someone should keep her company." The two women smiled at each other, Irene looking rather relieved that she wouldn't completely be on her own.
"Well I'm going with Grace," Cynthia announced, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Even in the face of her enthusiasm, Grace could still feel herself hesitating. There would still be the other servants to contend with. And what if Alex came home early? But Cynthia was also right about this being a golden opportunity. "Please," the younger woman begged. "It sounds like so much fun - think of it as a wedding present to me!"
The happy eagerness with which she made her suggestion had Grace laughing again. Truly, she had laughed more in the company of her friends here in Bath than she had in years, and mostly due to Cynthia. The young woman was, quite simply, outrageous. When Wesley did take her to London, she would either be a hit or even more of a scandal than Grace had been. Although, since he was already considered a bit of an eccentric, due to his flaunting of fashion and his bronzed skin, as well as his outspoken interest in trade, Cynthia would probably be dubbed an Original, rather than a scandal.
"Very well," said Grace, her heart beginning to hammer inside of her chest. "We'll do it."
******
Comfortably ensconced in a plush chair, Hugh swirled his brandy and raised his glass.
"To Wesley and his bride - may she ever keep him on his toes!"
"Which will keep her bottom very red," Wesley parried, raising his own glass amid the laughter. Hugh could only shake his head.
Although he did admit that it aroused him to discipline his wife, he certainly didn't consider it a necessity to life, like Wesley did. Edwin too, although Hugh did his best not to think about that. He was more than content with Irene's sweetness, her passion, her eagerness in his bed. The occasional spanking surely added a bit of spice, but he was happiest when she didn't require it. As he'd thought, he preferred a wife who wasn't constantly getting into trouble, like his sister had. A wife like Cynthia would probably put him in his grave decades early; Wesley seemed to thrive on it.
"Do you think she does it on purpose?" Alex asked, tapping one long finger against his glass.
To Hugh's surprise, the usually stone-faced lord seemed almost relaxed tonight. It was the first time that Hugh had really seen him enjoying himself. Since arriving in Bath, Alex had sought out advice from all three of the other men about disciplining his wife, but he hadn't talked about the results at all. He kept everything very close to his chest, unlike Wesley, who had a tendency to share a bit too much.
"Does what on purpose?" Edwin asked.
"Gets into trouble," Alex said. His hazel eyes were slightly out of focus, as if he was looking at something far away, or deep within. "I think Gracie has started deliberately trying to provoke me."
"I wouldn't put it past either of them," Wesley said. A small, sadistic smile played on his lips. "However, I would hope that Cynthia's punishments are enough to keep her from misbehaving in a way that I would truly be upset over."
"Or it'll just teach her not to get caught," Hugh said. "I'm sure that Eleanor didn't receive half the punishments she likely deserved." He'd even covered for her a few times, as a good big brother should. Usually when the offense was minor, or he himself was somehow involved in her antics. That had only been when they were children though, as he'd gotten older and taken on more responsibility - including disciplining her - he'd stopped participating in her wild schemes and she'd started hiding them from him.
All of the men mulled over this likely scenario. Wesley looked like he anticipated the challenge and Hugh silently wished him luck. He was sure that his friend would need all he could get.
Before another topic of discussion could be raised, a knock sounded at the door, making all of them look up, and then at Edwin, in surprise. He shook his head, looking just as caught off guard as the rest of them. Although they knew quite a few people in Bath, as the ton had come trickling in for the wedding on the morrow, they hadn't been expecting anyone to join them. Edwin's butler opened the door, an expression of concern on his face and he gave an apologetic bow to all of them as he handed his employer a note.
Edwin's countenance darkened as he read over it quickly, his jaw clenching. "Speaking of getting caught..." He thrust the note at Hugh as he nodded to the butler. "Thank you, Banks. Get our coats, please, it appears we're going out."
The other two crowded ‘round Hugh as Edwin spoke, wanting to know what had perturbed him.
