The Fighter and the Fallen Woman

by Pamela Cayne

  She unlocked the door and entered the kitchen, dropping both keys on a counter and her cloak over a chair back, all in the same movement. She ran upstairs as quietly as she could, pulling pins out of her hair and unbuttoning her dress. Her shoes came off easily and she shrugged her dress off, leaving it where it dropped on the floor. She slipped on feathered slippers and her silk robe and gathered her hair into a loose tail. Trying to calm her breathing, she powdered her face to take away the flush dappling her skin.

  A loud knock sounded and Lady could feel her skin heat up again, bringing more blotchiness. She took two deep breaths, knowing if she had been home, it would have taken her that long to get up and put on a robe.

  The knock came again, louder and longer, and Lady started downstairs in a languorous walk. She made sure her slippers struck each stair loud enough to carry and figured by the time she answered the door any strained breathing or flushed skin could be explained by the unexpected visit.

  “Who is it?” she called through the door, her voice a husky tune.

  “Open up,” Shade said, and a second later she heard King. “It’s Shade and King, Lady. We’re here to make sure you’re well.”

  She turned the lock and opened the door just enough to frame her body. “Goodness, aren’t I the lucky lady. What’s the occasion, boys?”

  “Mr. Adams wanted us to check on you,” Shade said and pushed his way in. Lady sputtered a bit, but stepped back and let him enter. Shade was enough of his master’s beast that she didn’t want to get on any side of him, good, bad or otherwise.

  “Our apologies, Lady,” King said and followed Shade. “We’ll check the house and then we’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

  “I was resting,” she said in a sharp tone. That’s how she would have reacted normally. “Which I am not anymore and will have difficulty doing so after you leave.”

  “I’ll look up, you check the back.” Shade headed up the stairs without a second glance at Lady.

  “Watch the back bedroom. Mrs. Nesbitt’s sleeping,” she called after him. King looked in the parlor, then headed to the kitchen. Lady followed him.

  “What’s going on?” she whispered once they got away from the stairs.

  He took her in his arms and Lady felt a little piece of her heart grow back. She laid her head on his shoulder, her fear making the motion jerky and a little awkward, but as soon as she felt the warmth on her cheek, his heartbeat against her chest, her body relaxed.

  “I don’t know.” He stroked the back of her head with one hand. “He didn’t say anything on the way over here other than Mr. Adams wanted us to check on you. I got the feeling it was a sudden request, but that’s it.”

  “You don’t think he knows, does he?”

  “No, or else he wouldn’t go through this act. He would have had Shade get me when I answered the door, then come after you.”

  “But what if he—”

  “Shh.” King grabbed her shoulders and held her so he could look her in the eye. “He doesn’t know and he isn’t going to, so stop worrying.”

  A small creak indicated Shade’s return, and Lady and King looked that direction. They broke apart, King heading into the parlor and Lady leaning against a kitchen cupboard with her arms crossed over her chest.

  “Are you quite happy?” she asked when Shade entered the room. “Would you like to go through my closet or perhaps my drawers?”

  “I already did,” he said, and Lady could tell he wasn’t joking.

  “Why, the nerve.” She was truly furious now. She stepped up to Shade and stuck her finger in his face. “I’m going to tell Mr. Adams what you did and when he hears about it—”

  “He told me to do it.”

  Lady started to hear a buzzing in her ears and was pulling her arm back to slap Shade when King stepped between them, grabbing Lady’s wrist and holding it in place.

  “Lady, you can take this up with Mr. Adams tomorrow.” He released her and turned to the other man. “Shade, the house is clear. We need to go now.”

  Shade gave one last contemptuous look at Lady then left without looking back. Lady grabbed a teapot and lifted it over her head, but King took it and set it on the table out of her reach. He pointed one finger at her in a silent command of Behave and left with Shade.

  As soon as the door closed, Lady raced to the front of the house and locked the front door, then looked up the stairs. The sound of Nessie’s snores drifted down. The brandy was still working and, for that, Lady was immensely grateful.

  The events of the night washed over her and Lady’s legs started to shake so violently she sank to the floor or risked falling. As she collapsed, her mouth started trembling and tears poured down her face.

  She had slept with King, and for the first time, sex had meant something to her.

  Dear God, what had she done?

  * * *

  After a mildly disgusting breakfast, Sebastian got into the carriage Jonathan flagged down, supremely glad for a moment of sun in this accursed town. Ever since the tournament started it had been nothing but rain and gloom. Usually, such weather worked in his favor as it made for better cover for Jonathan, but today, the day of the fights determining the championship bout, the sun cheered Sebastian. God was smiling down at him.

  “It’s a good day, Jonathan.” He was unable to contain a cheerful smile.

  “It’s going to get better.” Jonathan was smiling too, Sebastian noticed. This smile wasn’t happiness, but was more of the kitty who’d snared a goldfish from the bowl and didn’t get caught.

  “Oh? You mean I get more than lovely weather and the prospect of a prosperous and delightful evening tonight?”

  Jonathan nodded and Sebastian almost giggled like a schoolgirl. He did love surprises. “Well, tell me quick before we get to Mr. Adams’s house. I’d hate to miss the finale because the carriage went too fast.”

  “Last night I was watching Lady’s house—”

  Sebastian frowned and gave the younger man a stern look. “Now, Jonathan, I didn’t tell you to, did I?”

  “But you’ll—”

  “Did I?” Sebastian stressed. As much as he respected Jonathan’s ability to not only win these fights, but also to do what needed to be done, there was a part of him that wasn’t going to miss his talent for mischief. Any other day and he would have laid most of his money on the bet that Jonathan had split Lady with his knife, but there was something about her that kept the Aussie’s darker side at bay. Fascinating, yet there it was.

  “No, you didn’t tell me to watch Ladybird’s house.”

  Sebastian let the carriage go for another minute or so, letting his scolding sink in, but also enjoying the brief flashes of color on the street until he was in a better mind-set to deal with Jonathan’s adventure.

  “So what happened at Lady’s?”

  Jonathan jumped forward on his seat, the excitement back in his eyes. “Mr. Adams came over for a period of time, then left.” Sebastian made a hurry-up gesture with his hand. A man visiting his mistress and leaving after an hour was not worth anything. “Not more than two minutes after he left, King left where he was hiding across the street and went to the front door.”

  “Really?”

  Jonathan nodded. “He went around back, and about an hour later, Ladybird came out on her terrace and our Mr. King joined her, but with the fog, I couldn’t see what happened. It was quiet for the most part and after a few ticks, they headed in long enough to grab her cloak and leave together.”

  “Where’d they go?” Sebastian leaned forward, all pretense of ennui gone. This tale was too juicy not to wring every last drop out of.

  “King’s.”

  “No,” Sebastian said, drawing it out and dropping it in pitch. “Then what happened?”

  “After a few hours, Lady c
omes scurrying out the back, locking the door behind her. I stepped out so she could see me and that shook her mighty bad.”

  Sebastian chuckled. “I’ll wager it did.”

  “She was in a hurry to get home, said she had an appointment she was late for. We shared a hansom back to her place, where Shade and King arrived a few minutes later. They were there for just a trice, then left. It was all quiet after that.”

  “The appointment she mentioned—you don’t know who it was with?”

  Jonathan shook his head. “She didn’t say. When I asked her about King’s health, she got all prick-prick-prickly, said it was for her to know his state on behalf of Mr. Adams.”

  “Well, well, well. It sounds like there are some secrets going around, and secrets are a close second to money in my book.” Sebastian had a little time to roll some of the possible implications around on his tongue before the carriage slowed to a stop. He looked outside at the modest home they pulled up to and saw Shade waiting at the top of the stairs. Sebastian smiled hugely and waved at the guard. Shade looked away.

  “I want you to go back to the pub and rest, get a good dinner. Shade is going to be a formidable opponent tonight, even for you, and you had best be on your game.” Sebastian looked across the carriage at his fighter and got angry at the disinterest the other man was showing. He reached across and grabbed Jonathan in a tight grip by his shirtfront, twisting the fabric into a knot at his throat. “Don’t fuck this up, Jonathan. I’ve got a lot of money and business riding on this tournament, so don’t get cocky now. I’m sure there’s a hundred more like you back in Australia.” He raised his eyebrow in a silent question and Jonathan struggled to nod. Sebastian released him, then exited the carriage.

  “Back to the Four Crowns,” he called to the carriage driver and tossed him a few coins. He watched the carriage leave, then with a jaunty bounce, he jogged up the stairs and greeted Shade.

  “Good afternoon, Shade. Lovely day today. You know, I think this is the first I’ve seen the sun since being in London.” He laughed but Shade only turned away and opened the front door, indicating Sebastian should follow by a jerk of his head. He shut the door behind them, then led Sebastian to a room near the back of the house. Sebastian took the opportunity to look around, but all he could tell from the entry and hallway was that Mr. Adams liked dark wood and drawings of half-clothed women in various states of fornication. The place was meticulously clean and smelled of beeswax.

  Shade knocked twice and after a few seconds, Mr. Adams called to enter. Shade opened the door and after Sebastian had passed into the room, closed it and presumably left.

  Sebastian laughed as he crossed the room to the desk where Mr. Adams was seated. “That man talked my ear off from the moment I got here. I feel like I know him better than my own father.”

  Mr. Adams rose and came around the desk to shake Sebastian’s hand. “That must make you feel warm and cozy.”

  “Mmm, not so much. I killed him when I was nine.” At Mr. Adams’s gesture, Sebastian seated himself at one of two green wingback chairs in front of the fire. “The evils of drink. Delightfully easy to lace with rat poison.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.” Mr. Adams laughed. “Speaking of evils, can I tempt you with any?”

  “A glass of whiskey would be delightful, and a cigar if you have one.”

  Mr. Adams offered the opened cedar box full of cigars and Sebastian took one and sniffed it appreciatively. He lit it as Mr. Adams poured him his drink, and returned with it and one other.

  “For a man who just spoke of the evils of drink, you’re awfully trusting to be having one.”

  “Did you ever beat my mother?” Sebastian dipped the end of his cigar in the whiskey before taking another puff.

  “No.” Mr. Adams sat in the other chair and lit his own cigar.

  “Then we have no quarrels. In fact, I hope we have nothing but a successful partnership.”

  Mr. Adams held his glass up and Sebastian clinked his against it. “I think we might be well on our way.”

  Sebastian leaned back in his chair, the glass of whiskey resting on an armrest, and crossed his legs. He took a deep puff of his cigar and said, “Oh?” on the exhale.

  “I’ve done a little investigating about you and your shipping business, especially with such a tempting offer on the table.” Mr. Adams leaned back, mirroring Sebastian, but he left his legs splayed open instead of crossing them. “You’ve got a tidy little trade going on—no complaints, no rumors, no notice by the authorities. For the few years you’ve been shipping back and forth to England, you’ve been showing a nice profit.” Mr. Adams drew on his cigar through a satisfied smile.

  “Gracious, however did you find that out?” Sebastian brushed at an imaginary speck of dust on his trousers so he wouldn’t make his hand into a fist. “I understood my financial information to be confidential.”

  “Every man has his price, Collins. Your bookkeeper’s here is young boys with no hair other than what’s on their head. If you don’t have a man in mind to replace him, I know several who are good with numbers and better with silence.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Adams. I’ll certainly keep your generous offer in mind.” Sebastian sipped his whiskey and let it drain to the sides of his mouth before swallowing. “Does such generosity indicate merely a favor or possibly more of a partner’s interest in a well-run operation?”

  Adams leaned forward, bracing his crossed arms on the arm of the chair. “The offer still includes your man Jonathan?”

  “With a big red bow if you’d like.”

  “Save your bow. Partner.” Adams held out his hand. Sebastian set down his whiskey and shook. He had the fight and the business. Now all he needed was the lady.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Lady didn’t wake until well after noon the day of the fight. She wasn’t surprised. She remembered seeing the first light of dawn before she was able to fall asleep. After King and Shade left and she had her moment of nerves, she had sat in the kitchen with an untouched pot of tea, thinking. She probably could have stayed up longer, but Nessie tended to get up early and Lady wasn’t sure if she was ready to face her. Lady was desperate to talk to her best friend, get her advice about King, but it was no secret what Nessie thought Lady should do. As time ticked by, Lady became more and more torn, and unless Nessie started to bend, Lady knew her heart would be completely ripped in two.

  Still not sure how she would deal with Nessie or what to tell her, Lady tried not to worry about it as she slipped into a day dress of a faded gray homespun, tied her hair back in a tail and rinsed her face.

  “Lady, is that you?” Nessie called up the stairs.

  “Be right down.” She looked at herself in the mirror. Nessie or King? Best friend or lover?

  She went downstairs and when she entered their cozy and familiar kitchen, felt an ache in her heart. After their years together at the Red Door, after their years together here under Mr. Adams’s protection, it was just the two of them, drinking tea and sharing impossible dreams. They’d stood back to back against the world and survived, and now something was prying them apart. The only thing Lady didn’t know was if it was somebody else doing the prying or if it was coming from between them.

  “Ah, there you are. I was beginning to worry you’d fallen back asleep.” Nessie put the teapot on the table. She followed with the toast and marmalade. “Well, don’t just stand there. Sit and eat. Big day today with the fights and all.”

  Lady let herself be nudged to the table. She sat down and wrapped her hands around her cup. Even though she wasn’t chilled, the warmth felt good, anchored her.

  “Goodness, you’re white as a ghost. You should eat something, dear.”

  Lady put on a smile. It must look as weak as she did, but she was trying. “Only if you sit with me. I feel like I haven’t spoken with you in
forever.”

  “Well, with the tournament and Mr. Adams and him asking you to nurse King, you’ve been busier than usual.” Nessie braced one hand on the table and sank into the opposite chair. Lady ignored the bitterness with which she’d spoken King’s name and simply poured her some tea and added sugar and lemon. “Though you had some extra time last night since you made Mr. Adams wait the way you did. Yes, that was one whole evening with some unexpected time.” She smiled at Lady, a wicked smile full of pride.

  “It was nice.” Lady’s thoughts flashed to King and how she’d spent her extra time. It felt good to make her own choices, follow her own wishes.

  “Well, it may have been nice, but don’t do it too much. I can’t see Mr. Adams enjoying that game more than once or twice. But I’ll give you how well it worked, possibly even tied Mr. Adams more firmly to you.” It was obvious by Nessie’s smile she thought that was a good thing. Lady sat silently, feeling something slip away as Nessie added more tea to her cup. She never did like it when her tea cooled.

  “What about leaving, Nessie? Escaping to a cottage on the sea and not needing to play any man’s game?” It was time to address this head-on.

  “Pshaw.” Nessie grinned, certain, Lady was sure, that she was joking. “Like either one of us would really want to do that.”

  “I do,” Lady said softly and watched Nessie’s face as she discerned the truth in Lady’s.

  “What do you mean, leave? Where would we go? What would we do? What would happen to Mr. Adams?” Nessie started to stir her tea so fast it sloshed over the side of the cup.

  Lady reached across the table and took Nessie’s hand, stilling her frenetic stirring. “That’s just it—we could go anywhere, do anything. Wouldn’t you like to live somewhere where you wouldn’t be beckoned in the middle of the night to spy on me, to not have to constantly dress me up like a rich doll, to not have to wash sheets every night?”

  “But I don’t mind doing that.” Nessie sounded like a lost little girl, and it hurt.