by Wendy Vella
“How could you tell if his eyes were flashing behind his glasses?”
“Which just goes to tell you how bright the smile actually was.”
“So he is not unhappy to have Miss March there, then? I had wondered, as he is quite territorial.”
“She was seated beside him doing something in a ledger, and the look Perkins threw her was that of a benevolent father. It was disturbing, I tell you. I am not used to that from him.”
“She has a way about her,” Jacob said.
“I don't like the look in your eyes, Jacob.”
“No look, I assure you. Just stating facts.”
“It's true she is beautiful, in a wholesome way. Those soft pale cheeks and lovely rose-colored lips certainly draw the eye. And all that rich chestnut hair, must be quite something when released—”
“Yes, thank you, Leo, I know what Miss March looks like.” The bite of jealousy Jacob felt at Leo's words was not comforting. He didn't feel jealousy, in fact, he rarely felt anything for anyone but those closest to him, and especially after he’d just assured himself he was concerned for her and nothing more.
“Bed her, Jacob, and then you can move on.”
Leo didn't like women very much. He'd once had his heart broken, and was now cynical and hard edged where they were concerned. Jacob tried to remember that.
“She is the daughter of a vicar, Leo, and while you may treat women as vessels, I assure you I do not.” Jacob pushed aside the fact that he had thought about making Poppy his mistress. He had not voiced or acted on that thought, so he was not in the same class as Leo.
Something flashed across his friend’s face, brief and painful, and then it was gone.
“I am merely trying to help you through this, Jacob.”
“Through what? I feel nothing but sympathy for Miss March. She has met a hard end due to Lord Revel, and I as a nobleman with so much am attempting to help.”
He met Leo's eyes calmly.
“Very well, if you wish to delude yourself, I shall not stop you and will say nothing more on the matter.”
“My mind is relieved, and I am not deluded.”
“It is just that I have no wish for you to fall as the others have. We must remain united, Jacob.”
Jacob watched his friend lift an ugly statue of a woman and examine it. The man could never sit still. He was always moving, as if he feared to stop in case something or someone caught up with him.
“It is not a campaign, Leo. Besides, you like Grace and Charlotte.”
Further conversation was halted as the door opened once again to admit the butler.
“If you will come this way, Lord Revel will see you now.”
Jacob followed Leo and they were soon outside another door. The butler opened it and announced them.
“My lords, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
Lord Revel was a sniveling individual with a sparse amount of blond hair that he wrapped around his head to give the effect that he had more than he actually had. Tall and lean, he was fully dressed, as if ready to leave the house. Looking into the hazel eyes, Jacob saw nerves.
“I have been charged to visit Lady Revel on behalf of my grandmother, my lord. She is most upset that her dearest friend is unwell, and I offered to come and check on her and then report back.” Jacob took one of the seats across the desk. Leo remained standing, and started to prowl. “I came several days ago, but was unable to see either you or her, and so had to leave.”
Leo was a big man and could intimidate with just a look. He had a fierce reputation, some of which was justified, but most just embellishment. Jacob watched Lord Revel swallow as Leo moved closer.
“My aunt is unfortunately unable to take visitors as she is unwell.”
Jacob raised a brow. “She has been so for some time, I believe. What are the doctors saying?”
“That she needs quiet and bed rest.”
“And what is her condition?” Jacob had skills of his own, and one of them was interrogation.
“A chill.”
“Then she should not be laid low for long, excellent. My grandmother will be coming to London in two weeks. She will call, and I expect her to visit with her friend.”
Leo had moved to the man's desk now and picked up the letter opener. Lord Revel swallowed nervously as he ran one finger down the blade. It was classic Leo intimidation, and it amazed Jacob how many people fell for such an obvious ploy.
“Sh-she is elderly, and may not recover.”
“Now that would be sad, considering when I last saw her, which was not that long ago, she was in excellent health.”
“I-I— The elderly grow frail fast.”
Jacob smiled, just a baring of his teeth, and there was nothing pleasant in the gesture, he was sure.
“I recently became acquainted with her companion, Miss March, Lord Revel, and can I say how upset she was to leave Lady Revel's side. She tasked me to enquire if and when she may return to visit her employer.”
The color drained from his face at Jacob's mention of Poppy.
“I am now well acquainted with Miss March, Lord Revel. She is working for me and under my protection.” Jacob put a great deal of emphasis on the last word. This man would no longer be a threat to Poppy, if nothing else he would see to that.
“I-I'm not sure why you are telling me this?”
Jacob smiled again. “I thought you would be pleased to know that she found a position, as you were the one to let her go.”
Lord Revel brayed like a donkey. “Oh, of course, I am quite pleased. Although I must add that I have grave concerns over you having Miss March in your employ.”
The sly look that replaced the fear in Lord Revel's eyes told Jacob what was coming.
“How so?”
“She is not a trustworthy person, I'm afraid, my lord.”
Leo slapped the small knife onto the desk with a sharp bang, making Lord Revel jerk.
“And what do you base that accusation on, Lord Revel?” Jacob reined in the anger that had risen at the slur cast on Poppy’s character.
The man tried to look contrite, with little success.
“She... ah, this is most indelicate.”
“Speak freely,” Leo drawled. “We are all men here.”
“She propositioned me, and I have proof that she also stole from my aunt, which as you can imagine was most distressing for her.”
“Jacob?”
He hadn't even realized he'd made a noise until Leo addressed him softly. Christ, he’d just growled.
“Just clearing my throat, Leo.”
“Those are serious accusations that, if surfaced, would cause Miss March's reputation considerable damage, Revel,” Leo said.
“Indeed they are, but I could not in all conscience keep them to myself when she is now in your employ.”
The man's pious expression made Jacob's fists clench on his thighs. What the hell was happening to him? He never lost control. Regaining his feet, he placed a hand flat on Lord Revel's desk and leaned toward him.
“I would advise you not to spread those accusations, my lord, and I will add to that, I will be most displeased if I hear you have.”
“I-I.... Is she your mistress, Lord Hatherton?”
Jacob wondered if the man knew he could kill him with his bare hands. It was a skill, but not something he was proud of. It had been a necessity when he and his friends were behind enemy lines.
“She is my friend, Lord Revel.”
“B-but she is a nobody.”
Jacob could see the confusion on Revel's face. Lords did not have untitled woman as friends, only mistresses.
“This conversation is at an end. I will be returning to see your aunt in one week. See that she is ready for visitors. If she is not, I will be seeking out her doctor.”
“You have no right!”
He didn’t address the man’s cry; instead he rose and walked from the room. He heard Leo say something, and then the thud of his large feet following
. Jacob inhaled a deep, cold breath as he stepped outside, and coughed as it hit the back of his throat.
“Nasty thing, fresh air.”
“Shut up.”
Chapter Eight
“I am not entirely sure if you are correct, Mr. Perkins. Do you see that number there? I think it should be placed in the left column, not the right.”
Jacob walked into Night Street with Leo on his heels. He was still in a bad humor, and it hadn't been improved by Leo needling him about his behavior on the carriage ride from Lord Revel's house. Matters were not made better by his body’s reaction to hearing Poppy's voice.
“Perhaps you are right, Miss March.”
She was seated, and Perkins was leaning over her shoulder reading the ledger laid open before him. Her hair was pinned into a neat bun, and she wore cream; he could see no more than that. The sling that she was supposed to have her damaged fingers resting in was dangling empty around her neck.
“Not letting her bully you are you, Perkins?” The words came out sterner than he'd intended. “She is to learn from you, not the other way around.”
Jacob had decided that he needed to rein in his feelings for Poppy. For some reason she had ruffled him, and that had to stop. He was strong, he could do it, and the best way to start was by treating her as an employee. And sounding like a pompous ass, he thought as her eyes shot to his.
“Of course, Lord Hatherton, but I must say, Miss March has a keen mind, and some of her suggestions will help the running of Night Street immensely.”
Leo walked past him to stand before the desk Poppy sat at.
“Morning, Miss March.”
“Good morning, my lord.” She attempted to rise for Leo as she had not for Jacob, but Leo placed a hand on her shoulder and held her in place.
“You will likely get vertigo if you rise every time one of us enters. Remain seated, Miss March.”
She shot Jacob a look, which he interpreted to mean, I wonder if he is happy with that too. He let his eyes run over her and thought she looked better. Her cheeks had color, and her eyes seemed clear of pain. He’d dreamt about her last night. Dreamt that she was his mistress, and had woken hard and wanting her.
Excellent, Jacob, just the thought you need in your head right now. Looking away, he gave himself a short talking to. Get control, man.
“You have missed an entry there.” Jacob watched Leo point a long finger at the ledger before her.
“I have not missed it, my lord, I have merely not put it in that column yet.”
“You cannot tally the column without it, Miss March.”
Jacob had seen Leo do this too many times to recount. He poked at people. Tried to unsettle them until they retaliated. He did it, he said, because it was the only way to truly test a person's character. Strangely, it had never annoyed Jacob before, however today it did.
“Good lord, I do believe you are right, my lord.” Poppy's smile was not pleasant as she looked up at Leo. It was small and tight, and Jacob saw a flash of white as she clenched her teeth.
“And there,” Leo jabbed a finger onto the page, “something is missing from there also.”
“I wonder, my lord, as you have such a talent for bookkeeping, if you would care to take over?”
Jacob snorted at Poppy's words.
“I'm a nobleman, we don't do bookkeeping.”
“Leo,” Jacob said softly, “that is enough.”
“How lucky it is that you were born to such lofty heights then, Lord Vereton, unlike some of us. Now if you will excuse me, I must add the missing figures.”
Leo barked out a laugh. “You'll do, Miss March.”
“Do?” she questioned him.
“It's his way, Miss March. He likes to annoy people to see how they react, and he is obviously happy with your response,” Jacob said.
The false smile widened. “You have no idea how gratified that makes me, Lord Vereton. It is of course my fondest wish to have your approval.”
God, she was mouthy, Jacob thought. The woman could hold her own in the presence of the king, he had no doubt.
“I do believe I like you, Miss March.” Leo walked away after these words.
“Pay him no mind, Miss March. He is odd, but the best of men.”
“If you say so, Lord Hatherton.”
“If I may have a word. I would like to discuss the developments in the case of Lady Revel.”
“Of course.” She rose this time, and Jacob directed her to a small room they had set up for clients. He pushed the door closed, but did not shut it completely.
Poppy walked to the window, as far away from him as she could, and his eyes fell to the small buttons marching down the back of her dress. The material was worn pale from washing, and he guessed it was several years old, but it clung to her lovely body, and Jacob cursed himself for a fool again for noticing.
“What news do you have, my lord?” She turned to face him now that she had placed herself as far away as possible in the small space.
“Why are your fingers not resting in that sling?”
“They have been, and now they are not, my lord. Now, please tell me about Lady Revel.”
“Lord Vereton and I paid a call on Lord Revel. He would not let me see his aunt, but we were able to question him.”
She clasped her hands before her, face eager as she waited for him to tell her the rest. What was it about her that got to him? There were plenty of woman prettier. She's unpretentious, and real, and vastly differs from anyone you have met before.
Was that it? Was this intrigue he felt for her simply based on the fact she was different? Jacob felt relieved that he was probably right. At least this burning need inside him for her would pass… surely.
He related what he had been told by Lord Revel regarding Lady Revel, and watched the expression on Poppy's face darken.
“But that is not true! He is poisoning her and keeping her prisoner, I am sure of this.”
“But I cannot simply waltz into his house and throw baseless accusations at him, Poppy.”
“Then what can you do?”
“Investigate.”
“How?”
“I have a man at present entering the house to question the staff. He will attempt to find out more about Lady Revel.”
“How?”
“How what?”
“Under what guise is this person entering the house?”
Her hands were waving about now as she talked, her face moving through expressions that he could barely keep up with. Frustration and anger, he identified clearly.
“He is delivering supplies.”
“Oh, well that's quite a good disguise.”
“You sound disappointed that I may actually know what I'm doing.”
She waved her hands again, dismissing his words. “No indeed, but you are a nobleman and do not know much about the workings belowstairs of a large household.”
Miffed at that slight, Jacob frowned. “How do you know that?”
“Well, do you?”
“Yes... maybe. Perhaps not as much as I should,” Jacob felt compelled to add. “But I know a damn sight more than many.” Why the hell was he justifying himself to this woman?
“It matters not. What matters is Lady Revel, and I fear time may be running out for her,” Poppy said.
“Humble, intelligent man that I am, I am attempting to do my best,” Jacob drawled.
She stopped moving and simply stared at him.
“I never questioned your intelligence, my lord.”
“Just everything else,” he muttered. The woman was truly exhausting. Conversing with her was like talking to five people at once.
“Forgive me, I did not mean to sound ungrateful. I am grateful for everything you have done for me, and realize that I have not conveyed that gratitude to you properly.”
It was a new thing, to see her contrite, but there it was, now written all over her sweet face.
“No, you have not.”
Her eyes widened.
>
“In fact, you have been downright ungrateful,” Jacob said, enjoying himself again now that he had wrestled control of the conversation back. “My only aim is to see to your well-being, and yet you have not seen my motivation as anything but sinister.”
“Come now, sinister? Surely that is not the right word? Misguided, perhaps?”
She was laughing at him now, and he refused to join her, so he continued to play the injured party.
“Misguided? What part of my actions was misguided?”
She waved a hand again. “We digress. What else did you and Lord Revel discuss?”
“You will not be happy when you hear the rest, Poppy.”
“As that man has never said a word that made me happy, I am sure nothing you say can shock or upset me, my lord.”
“He said you propositioned him and stole from his aunt”
Her mouth fell open and no sound came out. Color stole into her cheeks, and Jacob could tell she was genuinely horrified.
“B-but, you did not believe him? Please tell me you did not. I-I know you do not know me well, or even a little—”
“Poppy, let—”
“I know my behavior has been less than stellar,” she added, rushing forward to stand before him. “And as I explained I also realize I owe you a debt of gratitude, but I would never—” She heaved out a loud breath… “—do that with him... or anyone.”
Jacob shouldn't be enjoying her discomfort so much. It was beneath him... no, really it was.
“Poppy, let me assure you—”
“The thing is... oh.” She stopped suddenly, her lovely body no longer moving, as she looked up at him wide-eyed. “I worked in that brothel, therefore how can I convince you that I have not done that with him.”
Despair now formed her features, and Jacob saw the tears, although they never fell. It was instinctive for him to take the single step that would close the gap between them. He reached for her good hand, clasping it tight.
“I did not believe it, Poppy.”
“Really?”
“Really, and neither did Leo.”
“But you know nothing of me other than what I have demanded of you, and how ungrateful I have been.”
