Worlds Apart

by Stein Willard

Tia smiled. “I’m planning a trip to Europe for next year and needed the time to catch up on correspondence with some old acquaintances.” She glanced around her then back to them. “What have I missed in the meantime?”

  Lady Penelope’s eyes glistened with excitement at the opportunity to gossip. “A lot, actually. First of all, you missed Lady Rocheline’s wedding to Captain Masters. It was a beautiful affair, but the bride didn’t smile once during the ceremony.”

  “We all know why,” Lady Millicent noted dryly.

  “Do we?” Tia blinked at them both.

  “Of course,” Lady Penelope was quick to add. “She would’ve rather been the bride of a certain darkly handsome marquess, who shall remain unnamed.”

  Tia felt her heart skip a beat that the mention of Pope’s name. She had heard from Caleb that considering everything else, Pope was making a good recovery. Besides, she didn’t know anything else. After all this time, she found that it still irked her to think that Pope had been intimate with Lady Rocheline.

  “Poor thing, the marquess himself didn’t even show up for the wedding ceremony.” Lady Millicent looked around. “And now she shuns everyone else. She hasn’t been seen at any of the events since her wedding.”

  Tia drank deeply from her glass. No matter her feelings about Lady Rocheline, she hated to think of the other woman being caught in a loveless marriage. But it was either she married the father of her unborn child or she was ostracized from all social circles. That was a death sentence to any person of the peerage.

  “And then there is the trial of Lord Luton.”

  In the process of swallowing a mouthful of champagne, Tia almost sprayed her friends. She quickly clamped her hand over her mouth and swallowed quickly. “Trial, you say?”

  “Yes, the maggot was arrested two days ago on charges of theft,” Lady Penelope almost spat out the words.

  Lady Millicent leaned in conspiratorially. “Our friend here was one of the victims.” She smiled at a now fuming Lady Penelope. “At least you got your grandmother’s brooch back, Penny.”

  Tia shifted her glance between the two women as they bantered back and forth, but her mind was otherwise occupied. So, they had finally managed to snare Lord Luton. She swallowed the bile that threatened to surface. Not for the first time, she felt the shame at running away from the cause overwhelm her. She had been the one to initiate all this and now she had deserted them all. Caleb. Pope. Everyone. She finished her champagne and made a scene of looking at the clock. It had happened every night for the past two weeks. She would come to these events, soak up the carefree spirit and halfway through, wracked by guilt and shame, she would make a hasty retreat.

  “Oh now, please don’t say you need to go already. We’ve only got here,” Lady Millicent complained.

  “Yes, you need to stay for at least two more drinks.”

  Tia looked around the room and then back at her friends. “One and a half.”

  “Sounds perfect,” Lady Millicent said with a warm smile. “It would be great to catch up a little. By the way, would it be too much of a bother for you to be named the godmother of my unborn child?”

  The glass almost slipped out of Tia’s hand as she stared at her friend. Millicent had been married for almost two years and had struggled to conceive. She handed the glass to Lady Penelope and pulled her friend into a hug. “That’s great news, Milli. Congratulations and of course, I would be honoured to be the godmother.” She turned to Lady Penelope. “If it’s okay with you, Penny.”

  “Of course, it is, Tia,” Penelope said quickly. “Milli knows how bad I am with children. I can barely mother my own, I doubt I’ll do a better job with someone else’s.” Tia giggled at hearing that. She had missed being around her friends and their audaciousness. They had been a formidable force at the Academy of Girls and renowned for their daring pranks on both the teaching staff and students. She felt eyes on her and quickly scanned the room only for her to meet the grinning face of the same gentlemen who had been staring at her. She turned to Penny. “The gentlemen standing over at Lord Hutton’s group, who is he?”

  Penny glanced over her shoulder and grimaced. Interesting. “That, my dear, is Lord August Mortimer, the eleventh Earl of Hornsby. He recently buried his second wife and is on the prowl for a third.”

  Tia couldn’t help but feel that too much was left unsaid. “Poor man, it must be hard for him and his children.”

  “Don’t waste your sympathy on that toad,” Milli sneered. She took a long sip from her glass, her eyes sombre. “There were rumours about his despicable behaviour towards his wife. Some say he was hard-handed with her on more than one occasion. The poor woman is much better off dead.”

  Ah, Tia thought, he’s one of those. Maybe he could be their next project. She’ll need to get a message to Caleb.

  “Thank goodness, it’s only rumours.” She immediately was the focus to two sets of indignant eyes. “I mean to say that if there were anything concrete, I’m sure someone would’ve made sure that he paid dearly for his ill-treatment of his spouse.”

  Milli seems to deflate. “You’re right. All there is, are rumours from a few servants who used to work at their estate in the country.”

  That is more than enough to go on, Tia thought as she studied her friends with wide eyes. “Doesn’t any of them have anything concrete? It’s sad to think that a man like this can roam around freely, destroying the lives of innocent women.”

  The other women sighed. “Well, that’s what happens if you have money and powerful connections.”

  “Powerful connections? Who would side with such a …?”

  Penny snorted. “You’re looking at him. Lord Hutton has stood up as a character witness for Mortimer since the rumours started circulating. They are inseparable.”

  Something Penny said, made Tia take a closer look at the two men. Yes, there it was. The strained distance between them. It was as if they had to make a conscious effort not to stand too close to each other, nor to allow their gazes to linger. Lord Mortimer looked up and their eyes met. For a moment, they only stared at each other before he looked away and said something to Lord Hutton. The latter nodded and Tia watched with dismay as Lord Mortimer made his way over to them.

  “Oh now, that odious fellow is coming over,” Penny hissed and looked at Tia. “Since we’re both married, I believe the Murderous Earl is looking to upgrade his rank to that of a duke.” Penny’s jaw dropped slightly and her eyes suddenly turned smoky. “Oh, my!”

  Tia felt a presence next to her and turned to see who it was. Her heart skipped a beat when she met an intense dark gaze. Pope! He was here! She had thought she would have more time to adjust to seeing him in this kind of setting. She swallowed as she held his mesmerizing regard. He stepped around to stand before her and bowed deeply. Over his dark head, Tia noticed that her two friends were shamelessly ogling him.

  “Your Grace, you look absolutely ravishing.” His voice washed over her like thick, dark French chocolate and Tia resisted the urge to shudder in delight. She had forgotten what a stimulant the man was to her senses. All those days spent in the hospice room with a bedridden Pope had awakened her nurturing side and all she wanted was to protect him. But seeing him now, dressed in a charcoal suit which complimented his swarthy complexion and dark curls perfectly, she couldn’t help but feel that there was nothing nurturing about her reaction to him. “You have turned me down so many times already for a dance, but could I hope for a stroll around the room?”

  Tia looked at her friends and blinked at the blatant lust in both their eyes. She prayed that she didn’t look like that. She inhaled deeply and met the twinkling dark eyes.

  “You’ve not been seen around for almost a month now milord, not that I’m counting, of course. Maybe I could take the time to fill you in on what you’ve been missing out on.” She hooked her arm into his and allowed him to lead her away. When they were sure that they were out of hearing distance from anyone, she looked up at him. “How do you feel?”


  “A slight twinge now and then, but otherwise I’m healing quite well.” He smiled at her, but his eyes were serious. “I never had the chance to thank you for being there when I needed you, milady. I doubt I’ll ever be able to return the favour.”

  Tia blushed. Right then, he didn’t sound like the cultured Lord Benedict Pope. Instead, the honest bluntness of The Maverick was evident in his expression of gratitude. The real Benedict Pope had just thanked her for her assistance and it made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

  “That’s what partners do, milord. I believe we should, as Caleb would say, ‘have each other’s back’.” She saw a shadow move over his eyes and she wondered what was it that she had said to cause that. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable with the fact that a woman had come to his rescue. He might be a more progressive member of the male species, but he was still a man. She decided to change the topic. “What news do you have of our friend in the underworld?”

  Before he could respond, they passed a gaggle of older matronly women who blushed and flirted wildly with Pope, who wasn’t averse to doing the same. Tia watched with great amusement as the women preened under his attention and warm praises. He definitely had a way with women. She wondered what they would do if they found out that he was the feared Maverick, Lord of the Underworld. She prayed no one did, for it would make these soirees very boring if he would not attend any of them.

  ***

  Oasis watched Tia out the corner of her eye as she herself engaged in lively banter with the Lady Margaret Pruitt, Dowager Marchioness of Kemp and her cronies. She was watching them with a slightly amused smile on her face, not interrupting the wordplay. The duchess looked ravishing, dressed in an egg-shell blue gown that accentuated her sapphire blue eyes. They seemed to swallow him whole every time he had looked into them tonight.

  “Now off with you, handsome rascal. You have a gorgeous lady waiting on you already,” Lady Margaret pouted and smiled at Lady Tia. “He’s slippery one, my dear, but a beauty like you will definitely manage to rein him in.”

  Oasis felt her face heating up and she could hear the ladies chuckling at her discomfort.

  “I’ll remember to pass the message on to his future wife.” Tia’s eyes danced wickedly as she looked at Oasis.

  “You mean he hasn’t thought of asking you yet?” Lady Margaret made a scoffing sound as she glared up at Oasis. “You won’t do better than Lady Tia, you know.”

  Oasis swallowed hard. If only, she had a chance with the fascinating duchess. “I know milady. But I’m not anywhere near what Her Grace deserves.” She saw Tia’s head jerk in her direction, the blue eyes wide in shock.

  The older ladies hummed before they nodded. “A noble rascal. I never thought they made men like you anymore. Now off you go and a word of advice, my dear rogue. You’ll never know, unless you try.”

  They moved on from the ladies in awkward silence. It was only when they passed the drinks table that Oasis spoke again. “Something to drink?”

  “What did you mean when you said that you’re not what I deserve?” Tia was not looking at him, but was peering at the dancing throng before them from over her fan.

  Dang! This was not something that they should be discussing. Oasis drained her glass of champagne and reached for another.

  “I just wanted to get the ladies to ease up on you.”

  “Well, I think you’ve just made the situation worse, for they will try their hand at matchmaking now.”

  Oasis blinked at Tia. She had not thought about that. She placed the glass on the table. “I didn’t mean to complicate it further,” she muttered. What to do now? She couldn’t go back to the women now. They would only see it as her trying to either hide a secret relationship with Tia or to save face in the absence of Tia.

  Tia reached for a glass. “Do not fret over it. Let them believe what they want to believe. At least we know the truth.”

  “Yes, we do.” Caleb.

  Tia took a small sip from her glass. “By the way, how well do you…” She stopped when a couple came to the table to serve themselves. “How well do you know Lord Mortimer?”

  “Besides the fact that he’s been stalking you all night?” Oasis threw a glance at the man who had been trailing them for the past ten minutes. When she looked at Tia, she was disturbed by the flash of fear in the other woman’s eyes. “Do you want me to go talk to him?” The urge to protect Tia rose fast and savagely.

  “No.” Tia took another sip. “But I want us to find out if the rumours about him are true and then make sure that he never hurts another woman.”

  Oasis studied the woman and waited until those spectacular eyes met his. “I won’t let him hurt you,” she said almost urgently. Oasis wanted Tia to believe her. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’ll skin him alive and hang him from the London Bridge before I’ll let him hurt a hair on your head.” Tia looked shocked at the violent threat. “Now, I would suggest you go home and meet me in three hours outside the soup kitchen. We have work to do and a predator to catch.”

  Tia stared at her, long and hard, before she nodded and held out her arm for Oasis. Oasis knew that the duchess hated being ordered about and that only the fact that he had asked her on an adventure with him, had softened her up. He waited with her as she made her farewells to the hosts and led her out the ballroom. They stood together in silence as they waited for her carriage to be brought around. Oasis nodded at Burton when he stepped out of the carriage and helped Tia in. She stared at him through the window of the carriage.

  There was no need for a goodbye, since they would see each in a few hours. Now, she needed to find Caleb for where they were going, she would need a gunslinger. A killer.

  ***

  Tia was astonished and fascinated by the foreign sounds and smells. This was her first time in Chinatown and she hated that it was under such circumstances. She would’ve liked to walk down the street, crisscrossed with small red lanterns and inhale the rich scent of spices and fragrant smoke sticks. When she was younger, she had read somewhere about a small group of Orientals, who had settled in Fairfield, but she had never thought that she would find herself here. She looked around her and her eyes fell on the two men walking a few paces from her. Both Pope and Caleb were in disguise. She doubted that Caleb had to do much to get into character, for his cowboy outfit of dark tightfitting trousers and shirt, hat and side arms was not a big change from his everyday attire. Pope, on the other hand, had slight limp that caused him to lean heavily on his cane. His moustachioed face fit in well, but his height and sharp dark eyes belied the appearance of a lazy Sunday evening stroll through Chinatown. With Durham not having been dealt with yet, Pope had decided to lure the other man into a false sense of security. The more established Durham became in his new role, the harder his fall would be. The people needed to draw their own comparisons and renounce these cruel upstarts terrorizing them. Until then, Pope would have to rely on other disguises to go about his business in and around the slums. The two men ducked into an alley and Tia followed suit. Dressed in her disguise and accompanied by two men, the place they were going to, according to Pope, was renowned for men who prefer the company of other men. A young fresh-faced boy would be the envy of every man there and that was what Pope was going for. They entered the establishment through a door leading out into an alley.

  The inside was not what Tia had expected. A large room, almost similar to an English tearoom, held a large group of men; men from all walks of life and races. Tia could make out the top hats of several highborn men. Amongst the men were a number of women of Oriental descent. In the corner of the room, Tia saw a man stick his hand inside the low-necked gown of one woman, eliciting a squeal from her. She felt a presence next to her and looked up into Pope’s eyes.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Now a few rules. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you follow them, Tia.”

  Tia felt a pleasant thrill chase down her spine at hea
ring her name on his lips. It was so unexpected that it almost sounded foreign even to her. She nodded when she noticed that he was becoming slightly agitated at her silence.

  “We’ll go upstairs for that is where we’ll find our hostess and quite a few of our peers. Unless accompanied by Caleb or me, do not go anywhere near the large public rooms. They are marked with a red ribbon on the doorknobs.” Pope looked away. “If you go in there…” He inhaled deeply. “Just don’t leave my side, please.”

  Another thrill chased down her spine, this one was chilling and it caused her to step closer to Pope. He’s dark eyes gentled instantly. He reached out a hand to cup her face, the touch so soft that Tia wanted to nuzzle her cheek into it. Instead she smiled and nodded.

  “I won’t leave your side.” Reassured, Pope led them up the stairs and walking behind him, Tia couldn’t help but wonder how he would know this place so well. A thought suddenly crossed her mind and it caused her to stop in her tracks. Oh, no! Caleb! Could the two of them…? She swallowed. Did she imagined the look of desire in Pope’s eyes when he came to pay her a visit at Bellingham? Was he maybe…?

  Pope turned when he noticed she had stopped and hurriedly came over to where she stood. “Is something wrong?”

  Tia could only stare at him. What a mess her become. Here she was pinning for a man, of all things, only to find that said gentleman’s preference might be turned towards another man.

  “Tia, what’s wrong?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. I was just thinking.”

  He blinked. “And you had to physically stop to do so?” he asked incredulously.

  Tia felt her face heating up. “Well, it…”

  “Are you two coming or what,” Caleb hissed from where he stood a few feet away.

  Pope held out his hand. “You don’t leave my side, Tia,” he whispered urgently.

  She held out her hand, allowing him to lead her down the long hallway towards a brightly lit room. As soon as they entered, a petite Oriental woman dressed in the finest Parisian fashion incepted them. Her sharp dark eyes took in the three of them, but Tia felt it lingered a moment longer on her. With her gaze lowered, she looked the part of a shy, untested youth.