Scandal in the Wind

by K T Grant

  Sadness crept up on her. Clinton wouldn’t flirt if he knew how often she dreamt of him in her bed with her hand between her legs as she brought herself relief, crying out his name. A crippled housemaid and a handsome, well-prized whore had no chance of a future together regardless if they were both outcasts.

  Chapter Five

  Lily had just finished her bath and combed her fingers through her hair, letting it dry. As Sissy unpacked her clothes, she stood at the window watching the carriages drive down the street to their destinations. Tonight she would stay in. She had no parties to attend or invitations to accept. No escort waited down below to show her off in her finest gown as they went on their merry way.

  “I think a night in will do you good, Miss Lily,” Sissy said as she hung dresses in the armoire in the corner.

  “Fiddle faddle, Sissy. I’ve stayed inside far too many nights over the past week bemoaning my fate. It would serve Beau right if I went out with another man.”

  Sissy scratched her head. “But you won’t. It’s bad enough those mean old gossips are waitin’ for you to slip up. If you step out with another man, Mr. Odell will have your head.”

  Lily went over to the table where her half eaten dinner lay. She took a sip of water, wishing it was something stronger. Thoughts of alcohol made her stomach rebel. “I can’t stay in this room a minute longer.” She walked back over to the window and watched as two men dressed in formal wear stepped out of a carriage. Soon after, two more carriages pulled up and more men entered the building.

  “Sissy, come here and tell me what those men are holding.”

  Sissy walked over to the window. “It looks like they have masks.” She snapped her fingers. “When I was down in the kitchen, the cook and some maids were talkin’ about a masked party or somethin’ of the like.”

  “You mean a masquerade?” Lily asked.

  “I hold a masquerade twice a year for only my most favored clients,” Rose announced as she stood in the doorway of Lily’s bedroom.

  Lily went to cover her mouth but then dropped her hand down to her side. She had seen Rose dressed for a night out on the town in the past at various public functions such as the theater and at restaurants, but never in what she wore now. Rose stood on full display wearing a gown of deep crimson with beads lining the hem and a slit up the right side, past her knee. Lined with feathers, her bodice was cut low enough to show off the tops of her breasts. Each breath Rose took pushed her chest forward, where the edge of her nipples showed. Her waist was the tiniest Lily had ever seen it, tightened with strays crossing over her stomach. Her hair was up high on her head and surrounded with small, white pearls among her curls that would come tumbling down if someone sifted their fingers through it.

  Lily looked down at her hands as she thought about doing just that. She folded them behind her back and waited as Rose came into the middle of the room.

  “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, but I overheard you and your girl talking about your plans for tonight,” Rose said as she fluffed back her bangs.

  Lily licked her lips. “I don’t have any plans and will most likely stay in my room and read before I go to bed.” She lifted up part of her satin nightgown covered by her robe. Without waiting for a response, she went back over to the window and opened it higher, allowing the night air to cool off her flushed face.

  “The party will go late into the night, but most of the celebrating will remain on the ground floor. The second floor is where most of the one-on-one activities take place.”

  Lily turned back around and gave Rose a head to toe look over. Rose swiveled her hip and placed her hand on her waist. “Do you approve, Mrs. Odell?”

  Nibbling on her bottom lip, she stopped before she ended up chewing away the skin there. “You look beautiful tonight. Most of the men won’t be able to stay away from you.”

  Rose’s laugh filled the room. “I’m untouchable. I no longer give out my favors for payment. I observe my guests and wait for them to come to me and inquire about one of my girls they want to spend a few hours with. Those days of being bought and sold for a man’s pleasure are long gone for me.”

  Lily simply blinked from the harsh tone in Rose’s voice. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for Rose to be bought by a man for his own sexual gratification. The urge to go to Rose and hold her close made her walk over to her. Rose stared at her with suspicion, and as Lily lifted her hand, Rose grabbed hold of it.

  “Don’t feel sorry for me, Lily. I won’t apologize for what I had to do to survive.”

  Rose’s hand trembled in Lily’s. She pretended not to notice and gave Rose a bright smile. “I have no right to judge you. There are some things I’ve done I’m not proud of, and like you, I won’t make any apologies either.”

  “Good.” Rose nodded, and pulled her hand back.

  Lily went to tighten her hold, but decided not to. She simply couldn’t hang on Rose the entire night.

  The low ding from the clock on the wall caught her attention. Rose gave it a quick look and rubbed her hands together. “I have to go downstairs to welcome my guests.”

  “Will you be wearing a mask too?” Lily asked and folded her hands over her stomach.

  “I hadn’t planned on wearing one. But, I do have a mask to match my dress,” Rose said and flicked her feathers on her bodice.

  Lily kept her eyes on Rose’s face. She didn’t know how she would explain her stare if Rose caught her ogling her chest with the feathers barely covering her nipples.

  “You have a strange expression on your face, like you want to ask me something but don’t know how to go about doing it.” Rose tapped the middle of her chin with her finger.

  Lily wiped her palms down the side of her robe. Sissy continued to move around the room, not saying a word, which was unlike her. The covert stares, and the way Sissy kept wrinkling her nose at Rose was a sign of displeasure on her part. Lily had seen it many times—the majority of them directed at her. For once Rose was on the other end.

  “And now a secret smile slowly forming,” Rose pointed out. “Whatever is going on in that head of yours, Lily?”

  You. Lily did bite down on her lip this time to stop from blurting out Rose’s name. She quickly dropped her mouth into a straight line and relaxed her pose.

  “I can’t stay shut up in this room with just Sissy as company. Since I’m residing here as your guest indefinitely, don’t you think I should be…um…involved in the procedures of your...”

  “Brothel?” Rose asked.

  “Yes. I must admit I’m curious to see how your parties are played out.” Lily’s nerves almost got the best of her as she hurried on. A bead of sweat fell down the side of her throat. “I don’t want to be a participant, but an observer. I think tonight would be ideal because everyone will be wearing masks to disguise their faces. I can do the same.”

  “Lily—”

  “Please don’t say no.” Lily lifted her palms up. “I’ve been so bored and need to do something with myself or I’ll scream.”

  “And watching how whores and their johns interact is your idea of fun? You may be shocked by what goes on here tonight.”

  “I’ve seen many upsetting things in my life thanks to the past few years.” Lily swallowed. “Dead bodies lining the road, half naked children roaming the country side, starving women selling their bodies on the street for—”

  “Stop right there.” Rose rolled her eyes up toward the ceiling and mumbled something under her breath Lily couldn’t catch. She’d been far too dramatic but wanted to show Rose she was a mature woman and not some fickle bored lady who hadn’t experienced life.

  “I can stay by your side the entire time and if you think I should come back up to the safety of my room because things may become too rowdy, I will.” Lily gave her a sunny smile. She crossed her fingers behind her back and rocked slightly to the side. Sissy stood behind Rose and shook her head in bewilderment.

  “Maybe it is time you’ve received a lesso
n. I can’t have you running out into the streets traumatized the moment you see one too many naked bodies or witness any sexual acts you might consider depraved.” Rose pointed out, her voice more playful than serious.

  Lily hopped on the balls of her feet. “I promise I won’t faint at the sight of any immoral sex acts I may come across.”

  Rose sighed. “I may regret this later, but fine. You may join the entertainment down below. You’ll have to change into something more suitable and wear a mask at all times. Right now there hasn’t been much talk in town about you staying here. I can only imagine the whispers tomorrow if you walked among the men with your face bare.”

  “I agree with you.” Lily lost her smile. “But I don’t have a mask. Where would I get one at this late date?”

  Rose swiped a finger down Lily’s cheek, tracking a trickle of her sweat. Her skin tingled from Rose’s touch and continued to do so after she pulled away. “Remember how I said I had a mask but wouldn’t wear it? You can.” Rose eyed her from top to bottom and stroked her chin. “I think we can find you a suitable dress to go along with your mask. It may be a tad low in the bosom area, but then again, we’re not living in a convent.”

  Lily arranged her palm over her chest and Rose’s lips twitched in humor.

  “Stop playing the naïve virgin, it doesn’t suit you.” Rose took hold of Lily’s wrists. “You have a nice chest and should show it off. As long as no one touches, they can admire you as you stand on display like I’ll be doing most of the night to make certain nothing out of the ordinary arises.” Rose glanced at Sissy who remained silent during the entire exchange even though the expression littering her face showed her displeasure. “Sissy, let’s make your mistress ravishing where the men, and perhaps even the women, will salivate for the chance to have an hour alone in her company.”

  “But that won’t happen, I mean, you won’t leave me alone with any of those people downstairs?” Lily asked Rose as she tugged her into her suite.

  “Only if you want to, pretty Lily.” Rose gave her a smile full of mischief.

  * * * *

  “Now, when we go downstairs, be aware of your surroundings and if one of the men approaches you, smile and walk away,” Rose rattled off another requirement.

  Lily barely nodded, staring captivated at the action below. Masked men wandered around the foyer as they drank and smoked while Rose’s girls mingled among them. She expected the women to be scantily dressed, but most wore ball gowns and dresses comparable to those genteel ladies she knew who attended more respectable affairs.

  “Your mask is lopsided. Let me fix it.” Rose straightened Lily’s satin mask that was a shade darker than her garnet evening dress. She remained quiet, concentrating on controlling her nerves.

  “I feel like I’m sixteen again and attending my first coming out ball.” Lily placed her palm over her stomach and took in a deep breath.

  “There’s nothing to be nervous about. As long as you stay close to me or Tagg, all will be well.”

  “Tagg?” Lily asked, not familiar with the name.

  “Oh, I’ve forgotten to introduce you to my head groom.” Rose leaned over the banister and waved her fingers. Lily came up next to her and spotted a tall, muscular black man dressed all in white, bare faced, walking through the throngs of people. He climbed the stairs and when he came over to Rose, she linked her arm in his. She smiled up at him while he bowed his head at Lily.

  “Tagg, I would like you to meet my friend, Lily. She’ll be staying here for a while.” Rose rubbed Tagg’s arm.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Tagg said, bowing low to Lily.

  “Pleased to me you, Tagg,” she said and went to touch her mask again.

  “Stop it.” Rose reached out and squeezed her hands. She faced Tagg again and laughed softly. “This is the first time Lily has been to one of our parties. Can you please spread word to the boys to watch out for her welfare? We wouldn’t want her to get lost in one of the special rooms or dragged away by an amorous guest.”

  Special rooms? Lily wished she had investigated or had asked Rose to take her on a tour of the house. Perhaps before the night ended, she would see one of these rooms for herself and find out why they were so singular.

  “I’ll guard Miss Lily with my life.” Tagg folded his arms over his chest.

  “I don’t think you have to go to such lengths,” Rose admonished lightly and pulled her arm through Lily’s. “If you’re ready, we’ll go down below.”

  “Lead the way, Madam,” Lily said, and with Tagg in front of them, walked down the winding staircase.

  Harps and violins came from within one of the rooms and the buzz of conversation filtered all around as she and Rose descended. Rose nodded to both men and women, and in turn they greeted her back. Lily glanced around, making certain not to make eye contact with anyone.

  Rose took her down the hall and past the masked guests. More black men in white stood next to the wall, watching quietly. By the time she and Rose entered a large room where people where sitting on long triple back sofas or chaise lounges and drinking from flutes or playing card games, she had counted at least ten guards.

  “How many guards do you have on watch tonight?” she whispered closely into Rose’s ear.

  Rose’s attention remained on the room. “There are always at least ten men on each level in case one of my girls needs their assistance.”

  “How often does one of the girls need help?” Lily asked as she viewed the men around her. They all seemed to be jovial sorts, laughing and talking among themselves with a woman or two by their side. She expected the men to grope or drag the women away. But none did. If she were anywhere else, she would have considered this a house party and not a bacchanalia.

  “There haven’t been many cases of men becoming too impolite. Some do grow loud and cranky when they’ve had too much to drink. More often than not, a male guest will fall asleep and have to be awakened before dawn approaches.” Rose spoke in an amused whisper. “We spare them the embarrassment of going home to their wives as they’re having breakfast.”

  Lily covered her mouth to stop her laughter. Rose gave her a wink and when a servant came by with a tray, Rose grabbed two flutes filled with sparkling pink liquid. She handed one to Lily and raised her glass.

  “To friendship and new beginnings.”

  “Cheers,” Lily said and sipped the honeyed, slightly tart drink.

  When she looked back at Rose, she jerked slightly from the way Rose studied her over the rim of her glass. She almost asked her if something was wrong, but then Rose gave her a satisfied smile. Lily’s throat suddenly felt dry even though she had just drank. Why is she staring at me like that?

  “Is something the matter?” she asked warily.

  “Nothing at all. What if I told you I’m stunned by your beauty?”

  Lily wrapped both hands around her glass. “I’d thank you for the compliment, but it sounds strange coming from a...”

  “Woman?” Rose lifted an eyebrow and downed her drink. The tip of her tongue came out and swiped over the corner of her mouth. Lily stalked the subtle, yet suggestive action, and when her chest brushed against Rose, she almost recoiled back.

  “Lily, there are no rules tonight. You’re allowed to be whatever you want to be. The mask you wear gives you this freedom. If you long for company with a man, or even a woman, I can obtain one of your choosing.”

  “Ah…I’ll keep that in mind,” Lily said weakly. Her face grew warm and she searched for something more to drink.

  Rose’s thumb brushed over the inside of her wrist. “After I walk around and make certain my guests are happy and their transactions are to their liking, I can show you one of my favorite rooms where we can watch—”

  “Madam, one of the gentlemen has requested permission to speak to you privately in your office.”

  Lily blinked and separated from Rose as Jo stood before them. Giving her an abrupt nod, Jo lifted up on her toes and whispered into R
ose’s ear.

  “Tell Mr. Addison I’ll see him in my office in a few minutes. Please make sure he’s comfortable,” Rose said to Jo, who curtseyed and quickly walked away.

  “Duty calls.” Rose sighed and she snapped her fingers. One of the guards came over to her.

  “Yes, Madam, how may I serve you?” the dutiful guard asked Rose as he gave her and then Lily a slight bow.

  Rose placed her hand on the man’s arm. “Samuel, this is Lily, a close friend of mine. I have to take care of some business and would like you to escort her around.”

  “There’s no need for you to do this.” Lily lifted her hand. “I can take care of myself. I can always find Tagg or just go back to my room.”

  “Nonsense.” Rose pulled Lily along until they stood in the far corner. Samuel followed behind them in silence.

  “I would prefer Samuel stay by your side until I can return.” Rose brushed her fingers over Lily’s shoulder. Rose’s touch made Lily shiver and she went to rub her arm, but then dropped it. The way Rose hovered over her, she didn’t want her to think she had a chill and would force her back up to her room.

  “Fine. But only until you return,” Lily conceded.

  “That’s a promise,” Rose said with mirth in her voice and with one last caress over her arm she backed away and walked out of the room.

  “Does she always get what she wants?” Lily asked Samuel who gave her a half nod. When he didn’t speak, she exhaled loudly. She lifted up on her toes to get a better look. When she heard sounds of a piano, she faced Samuel. “I’m interested in seeing where the music is coming from. Take me there.”

  Samuel held out his arm for Lily to precede him. She entered another room and soon found herself among even more masked men and women dancing. But the dancing she witnessed here was unlike any she had seen before. Bodies nestled up against one another and hands roamed over their partner in a way that would give any of her former acquaintances a fit. She smiled, imagining a few of those matrons who attended church and thought about how they would surely faint at the sight. A giggle left her and when a waiter walked by with a tray, she grabbed another flute and sipped the sweet spirit she had enjoyed drinking before with Rose.