The Uncertain Customer
Page 7
Wilcox tapped a finger against the boy’s perky nose. “It wouldn’t do for us to be seen leaving here in the full light of day, now would it?”
“I suppose not,” Gardenia answered with a pout, his nose wrinkling adorably at the playful rap.
Wilcox forced himself from the bed with Church shortly following his lead. The next fifteen minutes were spent gathering up the various articles of clothing they had treated so carelessly the night before. Church’s white shirt was well hidden among the similarly colorless sheets, and Wilcox was almost completely dressed, though very rumpled, before he managed to locate it. Gardenia proved singularly unhelpful, constantly distracting Church with kisses and pinches to any part he could reach. Laughing helplessly at the boy’s antics, Church finally enlisted Aster in his battle for clothing, expressing his undying gratitude when Aster pulled Gardenia away to help him prepare cups of cold tea for the departing men.
“Will you come again, my lords?” he asked while they all partook of the remaining tea and biscuits they had previously ignored in favor of indulging different appetites.
Wilcox blinked at Aster in surprise. Though the boy had performed admirably, he was clearly a reluctant courtesan at best. That he was inquiring as to their return, and in a tone that bespoke his hope that it would be so, was unexpected to say the least.
“Would you like us to?” Church asked, apparently sharing Wilcox’s bemusement.
Aster nodded, shyness overcoming him if the pinking of his cheeks were any indication. Gardenia, ever the bolder of the pair, grinned through the crumbs that clung to his lips.
“You are most welcome to come back at your leisure, my lords. And we do hope you’ll ask for us again.” An uncharacteristic shadow briefly darkened Gardenia’s bright gray eyes. “Not all of our guests are as pleasant as you gentlemen.”
“Then we surely shall,” Wilcox promised, reaching out to brush away a bit of biscuit from the corner of the boy’s mouth.
Once their strength was sufficiently replenished from the evening’s athletic pursuits, Wilcox and Church took their leave of the well-named flowers. The boys sent them off with smiles and waves, remaining behind in Gardenia’s room while the men were left to find their own way back to the main hall. As Wilcox shut the door behind him, he heard something that made him pause and press his ear to the dark wood.
“What is it?” Church asked.
“Shhh.” Wilcox closed his eyes to better focus his ears. “I hear voices.”
“Well, the lads are still inside—”
“No,” Wilcox interrupted. “The voices are far deeper than either of theirs.” He listened for another minute before straightening. Shrugging, he turned back to his waiting friend. “The boys don’t seem to be in distress, so I guess everything is in order.”
Church raised an eyebrow. “It seems the Garden yet holds more surprises. Perhaps we will discover them upon our return.”
As they made their way down the staircase, they saw other gentlemen milling at the bottom just ahead of them while yet more footsteps were mounting the steps above them. It seemed that this was the general time of departure for their fellow miscreants. Wilcox noticed a few more acquaintances, at least two of whom he was amazed to learn shared his proclivities. Both were peers of the realm, and he realized he would need to make a careful study of who came and went from this place in order to keep himself and Church safe from undue scrutiny. Far from fostering any sort of brotherhood, he understood all too well that some of these men would use the knowledge of their patronage for blackmail and nefarious advancement.
“No point in borrowing trouble,” Church murmured close to Wilcox’s ear, smirking when he received a startled glance at his seeming clairvoyance.
Wilcox shook his head, reminding himself that his lover was also not to be taken lightly. He felt unaccountably reassured at having such a savvy personage supporting him.
“Good morning, sirs.” The Garden’s butler—Sebastian, Wilcox recalled—appeared suddenly at their side. The elderly man nodded at their returned greeting before gesturing them toward the door between the main hall and the sitting room. There, they found the proprietor of the unique brothel seated at his ostentation desk, enjoying his own breakfast.
Mr. Leslie pressed a napkin to his lips and stood from his desk as the butler closed the gold-painted door behind them. “I trust you enjoyed your time with us.” He rounded the handsome furnishing and shook each of their hands in turn.
“Quite,” Church responded, pumping Leslie’s hand vigorously. “I dare say you shall see us back in short order.”
“Wonderful. Just send a message whenever you wish to come, and I will ensure that we are able to accommodate you. Perhaps next time you would like to sample one or two of my other flowers.”
“Perhaps,” Wilcox said, “though we have grown rather fond of the cheerful kindness you’ve already bestowed upon us.” Leslie grinned at his clever reference to the meanings of Gardenia’s and Aster’s floral pseudonyms.
The subject of payment was briefly raised and even more quickly resolved. With that done, they turned to depart. In the daylight, the street had completely lost its menacing, nighttime air. Neil’s Yard was transformed into a stretch of quaint shops, though many were not yet open for business. Church led the way back to Queen Street where a line of hansom cabs sat waiting along the curb. Wilcox was impressed by Leslie’s considerate foresight, having no doubt who had arranged for the ready transportation. After they were settled in the front-most conveyance, Wilcox sat back while Church provided the driver with his address in Regent’s Park.
“I do wonder who the boys were speaking to after we left them,” Wilcox mused absently. “It was passing strange. After all, there was certainly no one in the room with them aside from ourselves, and no one else entered the room behind us.” His train of thought was immediately derailed when a pair of soft lips began to nibble insidiously at the line of his jaw. “Church!” Wilcox hissed, scandalized at being so bold accosted in broad daylight. The cab windows were uncovered, and the only thing preventing them from being seen was the early hour and the resulting emptiness of the streets.
“Surely you have better things to think about.” Church punctuated the observation with the slow glide of his hand up Wilcox’s thigh. When it reached its destination, all conversation ended, and the former and future patrons of the Garden put aside its secrets to enjoy their own pursuits.
~~~
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About the Author
PEARL LOVE has been writing since she was a kid, but it was the pretty boys who frolic around in her head who finally convinced her to pursue it seriously. She’s a Midwest transplant who currently thrives in the hustle and bustle of the nation’s capital. A jack of many genres, she enjoys just about any type of story, so long as in the end, the boy gets the boy. Pearl is the proud mommy of two bunny rabbits and a ridiculously large stash of yarn and knitting needles.
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Also from PEARL LOVE
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Also from PEARL LOVE
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Romance from DREAMSPINNER PRESS
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Copyright
Published by
Dreamspinner Press
5032 Capital Circle SW
Suite 2, PMB# 279
Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886
USA
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The Uncertain Customer
Cover Art
© 2014 Paul Richmond
http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com.
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only
and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.
Digital ISBN: 978-1-62798-635-9
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition
April 2014
Table of Contents
The Uncertain Customer
About the Author
Also from Pearl Love
Romance from Dreamspinner Press
Copyright