A Devilish Slumber

by Shereen Vedam

  “So it would seem.” Daniel’s piercing dark blue eyes looked like bottomless dark pools as he caught and held her gaze. “Remember what I said, Ben. Come see me when you are done here.” With a nod to Phillip he left.

  “Who is he?” Phillip said.

  “No one important.”

  “What kept you then?” He looked concerned. “Ben,” Phillip’s tone softened, “I am your friend. I do not take that obligation lightly. If you are in trouble, I will gladly help.”

  “You are the most trustworthy person I know, sir. There are simply some things I cannot speak of yet. Give me ’til the morrow, and I shall tell all.”

  “As you wish.” He folded his arms and rolled back onto the balls of his feet, his gaze still fixed on Daniel’s retreating form. “By the way, I have a suspicion I wish to run by you.”

  “What is that, sir?” Rose asked absently. Now that she had found Phillip, and he was satisfied his “Ben” was safe, all she wanted was to return to bed with him.

  “I think there may be a shape-shifter in London.”

  “What?”

  “I overhead a couple of sailors talking near the Boar and Cross. A man proclaimed to witness another clearly change the shape of his face. If such a feat is possible, that would explain why I thought I saw Rose at the warehouse when obviously it must have been someone else.” He glanced at Ben with a sheepish expression. “Does that sound too far-fetched? Am I foolish to believe such a thing is even possible?”

  Rose stared at him in silence, unsure how to respond. If ever there was a moment to confess to Phillip about her ability, it was now. And after the night they had shared, she wanted nothing more than to be completely honest with this man. But the alliance’s secret was not hers alone to reveal.

  Telling Phillip the truth would break their trust in her. She must speak with Mrs. Weatheringham first. The alliance’s greatest fear was that their secret would get out. They had taken such a risk to even meet with her. She could not willfully harm the alliance this way.

  Phillip waited a moment and then ruefully shook his head. “Do not answer me. Those men were drinking, and it was likely the bottle talking. This conjecture sounds ever more implausible when spoken aloud than silently contemplated.”

  “We need more proof before we can follow such a trail, sir,” she said with caution.

  “Thank you for not scoffing at me, Ben. And you are wise.”

  “I could ask around. See if there are any more sightings of such unusual happenings. Daniel can help.”

  “Who is this Daniel Trenton? How well do you know him?”

  “He is a friend of an acquaintance,” she said, hedging her answer. And then because she could not resist, she asked, “What has suddenly changed your mind about Lady Roselyn’s possible guilt? You seemed so certain she was hiding something earlier today.”

  “She is. But she has also promised to tell me all her secrets soon.”

  Seeing a glow about him that she had not seen before, Rose probed, “You seem different, sir. More open to hearing the lady’s side of the story.”

  “Am I?” Phillip asked, and jovially slapped her on the back as they continued to walk toward the main street. “You are a perceptive young lad, Ben. If I seem changed, it is because things have worked out as you said. While I might have planned to seduce the lady, it is she who won my heart.”

  She stopped to gape at him.

  “Shocked you, have I?” He laughed, a delicious sound. “I highly recommend that you find yourself a woman worthy of your love, Ben. There is no other emotion to match it.”

  His happiness infused her. “All went well with Lady Roselyn tonight, then?”

  “Ben, that is the first time I have seen you smile. It becomes you vastly more than your normal solemnity. That serious facet of your character reminds me of Rose sometimes. Now I must return home. Meanwhile, I want you to watch Lady Roselyn’s house. If anyone attempts to gain entry, fetch me at my mother’s home.”

  “I am honored that you still trust me, sir, after I disappointed you tonight.”

  “Whatever kept you from your duty must have been unavoidable. Once Rose’s safety is assured, I will be at your disposal to deal with your concerns.”

  “I wish you success then. Lady Roselyn is very fortunate, sir.”

  “It is I who am blessed, Ben. For my lady has chosen to forgive me for my past bad judgment. I will not let her down a second time.”

  Phillip dismissed his hackney so they could travel together in hers. The whole time, he talked about his Rose. In front of his mother’s townhouse, he left speedily, sending her a careless wave before entering the house. She gave her instructions to the jarvey to take her to Heaven’s Gate and settled back in her seat, hugging herself to contain her joy.

  Phillip loved her! She wanted to shout it out loud but instead laughed, not caring a jot what the jarvey thought of his passenger’s strange start.

  PHILLIP RACED upstairs, eager to slip into bed beside Rose and pull her snugly close. Anticipation had him sprinting along the corridor to the guest bedroom. Before opening the door, he took a calming breath. Rose was his. For the rest of their lives. There was no need to rush.

  He opened the door softly so as not to disturb her. He wanted his kiss to be her first sensation on awakening. The fire had died and the dark room had chilled. He spent the next few minutes coaxing a flame back into the charred coals. Once a brisk fire warmed his hands, he climbed the steps to the bed.

  The covers were bunched over the pillows. He snaked his warm hand under the covers in search of her. And then, his heart racing in alarm, he flung the covers aside. Rose was gone.

  Could someone have followed them here?

  “Rose!” He ran out into the corridor and rushed to his room. Finding no sign of her there, with slower steps, he trudged back to the guestroom. If she had left of her own volition, surely she would have left him a note?

  His gaze immediately flew to the dresser on which lay her black mask. The beading glinted in the dim candle glow like a finger gesturing him over. He hurried there and beneath the mask found her note. With a heartfelt sigh, he sat on the stool to read.

  Dearest Phillip,

  Pray forgive me for leaving. I, too, wish to speak of our future. However, there is something of import I must first do. I go to visit a trusted acquaintance to seek her guidance. If I do not return soon, come to my home on the morrow. This time, we will not repeat our past mistakes, but forge a new life together. That is my dearest hope.

  All my love,

  —Rose.

  Relief, sweet as sugar, coursed through his veins. His stubborn, resourceful Rose. Who did she visit? It must be someone close, for she would have to explain her late night arrival. He already missed her. After being parted for three years, a few short hours would surely fly by. And he had much to do. He must procure a special license and arrange for an archbishop to perform their wedding ceremony. And he must inform his mother about his plans to wed Rose. He did not look forward to that interview.

  He could also check into this Daniel Trenton character, to ensure he was who Ben believed him to be and not Eve in disguise. If she was alive and back in London, that boded ill not only for Rose but for all of England. He wondered where she had been hiding all these years. When his men caught up with her carriage, she and her uncle had been fleeing to France. He had uncovered evidence that the pair had booked passage onboard a ship.

  After her uncle died, could she have kept to their plan and left England? That would explain why she had not been here to cause trouble all these years.

  Also, while Phillip was working deep undercover in France the last few years, there was one puzzle that he had never been able to unravel. Bonaparte was said to have someone who was able to penetrate the English forces to kill officers in important positions.
A woman identified only as his “ghost.” Rumor had it that this killer was a master of disguises, able to infiltrate any English camp with impunity.

  Now Phillip wondered if Bonaparte’s ghost and Evelyn Ravenstock might have been one and the same. If so, he had a many-time murderess on his hands. And the safest place for Rose would be to be surrounded by friends, not in her house, alone. This also gave him time to decide how to deal with Eve without breaking his promise to Rose. Because, if given a second chance, he was no longer certain he could let her sister go free.

  ROSE HAD BARELY stepped out of her hackney when Stony rushed down the steps, paid her fare and, shielding her with his body, escorted her inside. Rose considered his behavior overprotective, but touching. Daniel must have told the alliance about the attack on her tonight.

  In the drawing room, a rumpled Mrs. Weatheringham, and Miss Wood with visible sleep lines, sat on the couch. Daniel paced alongside the hearth. After escorting her inside, Stony remained standing inside the drawing room doorway.

  “Good evening, Lady Roselyn.” Mrs. Weatheringham still appeared frail beneath her cap, her white hair falling past her shoulders in a white wave. “I would not have believed that you are her, if Daniel had not warned us about your changed appearance tonight. Your disguise as Ben Turner is impeccable.”

  “Thank you,” Rose said, embarrassed to have to appear before the lady in Phillip’s clothing.

  “Glad you saw fit to come.” Daniel’s dark breeches, shirt and coat matched the soot under his fingertips. Cinder fella indeed.

  She ignored him and spoke to the ladies. “Since Sir Phillip says my home is no longer safe, I thought it best to come here.”

  “Why not return to his bed?” Daniel said. “Or does he object to his lady wearing pantaloons?”

  “Daniel!” Mrs. Weatheringham said.

  Miss Wood’s scorching, “Mr. Trenton!” mirrored the old woman’s scold.

  Rose’s cheeks flushed hot and she glared at the unrepentant rogue. He silently dared her to refute his words and her hand itched to throw something heavy at him.

  Yet, he was right. In society’s eyes, she had done the unthinkable.

  “Lady Roselyn,” Mrs. Weatheringham said. “Kindly sit. You have much to tell us and I would rather we converse in comfort.”

  She sat quietly beside the old lady.

  Mrs. Weatheringham’s wrinkled and veined hand descended to rest gently on Rose’s clasped fingers and madly twirling thumbs. “We are not here to judge, my dear. We merely wish to ascertain what happened and find a way to safeguard you. Do not leave out one detail.”

  Daniel pulled over an armchair to her left. Stony, too, approached closer. Eschewing the chairs, he sat cross-legged on the Persian carpet to Rose’s right.

  As she had done with Phillip, Rose relayed what had happened, from her arrival at the Lockhart’s masque to Phillip’s rescue of her.

  “Did you notice anything unusual about your attackers?” Daniel said. “Face? Coloring? Speech?”

  “The man had a strong French accent, was heavyset, and walked with a limp. The woman wore jasmine perfume. Miss Warwick or Mrs. Rochester wore a similar scent, so it could have been one of them.”

  “Prime bit of thinking you showed going to a masked ball,” Daniel said.

  “I do not understand why someone would want to harm me.” She shook her head. “I have not hurt anyone.”

  “No one is that much of an angel.” Daniel’s eyebrow lifted with obvious skepticism.

  “For now, their motivation is immaterial,” Mrs. Weatheringham said. “We must decide our next move.”

  “I am certain Phillip wishes to marry me.” He had said as much last night when he spoke of her being tied to him forever. “As his wife, he can keep me safe.”

  Daniel snorted and leaned back in his chair.

  “That is our answer then,” Mrs. Weatheringham said.

  Rose sighed in relief. They were in accord.

  “You cannot be serious?” Daniel said.

  “Sir Phillip is an acceptable match for Lady Roselyn.” Miss Wood adjusted her spectacles. “He has funds and is of noble blood, on his mother’s side. And he was recently knighted. All points in his favor.”

  “Yes.” Rose gave Daniel Trenton a pointed look. Besides, Phillip loved her. She believed that now and it was high time Daniel accepted it as well. “Considering the circumstances, I am sure that come morning, we shall be man and wife.”

  “Oh no, my dear,” Mrs. Weatheringham said. “Marrying Sir Phillip in such a slapdash manner will not do.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Finally, someone who speaks sense,” Daniel said.

  “You are a gentle born lady,” Mrs. Weatheringham said. “No one knows that you spent the night alone with Sir Phillip. But if you eloped, the whole world would learn of it.”

  Rose’s temper erupted. What did she care what people thought? She had been alienated from society for a long time and not missed the ton’s company. In fact, the past year had been quite peaceful. “What people gossip about behind my back is of no concern to me.”

  “But will it be of no concern to Sir Phillip?” Mrs. Weatheringham asked in a gentle voice. “Will he adapt to being ostracized as well as you have? Can his love withstand his friends talking about his ‘fast’ wife? Even supposing he is not barred from his clubs?”

  With every word, Rose’s courage shriveled. She could not put Phillip through such an ordeal. The memory of him at White’s, his friends’ avid interest in gossip, his cousin’s obvious pride in Phillip, all changed into a macabre vision of Phillip standing on St. James Street having been blackballed from entering that establishment, Lord Terrance lambasting Phillip for ruining the family name.

  She covered her cheeks to cool them and to hide her shame. “What am I to do then?”

  “We will do what women have done for centuries to guard against the impulses of men,” Mrs. Weatheringham said.

  “Do tell.” Daniel leaned an elbow on his knee and his chin on his fist. His smile was so wide and mischievous, it lit up his dark eyes and made him devilishly handsome. The transformation was as startling as one of her shifts and she could not tear her gaze from his mesmerizing face.

  “It is a simple matter,” Mrs. Weatheringham said, drawing Rose’s stunned attention back to her. “From this moment forward, Lady Roselyn must be chaperoned at all times until her marriage.”

  A chaperone meant there would be no more illicit kisses and certainly no further lovemaking. Rose disliked this plan.

  “How do we ensure this?” Miss Wood asked, ever the practical lady.

  “Why, we must move into her home.”

  That brought silence as everyone pondered this startling solution. The idea of this gentle old lady, her granddaughter and Miss Wood moving in with Rose did not put her off as it might have done a day or two ago. Where once people fussing around her had felt irksome, now she was touched by these alliance members’ wish to assist her. It was too late to worry that she would grow too attached to them. That had happened the moment they served her that delightful lunch.

  Rose nodded to indicate her agreement. “This strategy could prove effective. It also eliminates the need for me to return to an empty home.”

  “Since your house has been virtually shut down for years,” Mrs. Weatheringham said with a warning look, “it will require some effort to make it livable.”

  “Hannah is a hard worker,” Rose said. “I am sure she will be up to the task. I can help, too.”

  “Many hands make light work,” Miss Wood said. “Shall I put the word out that we will need help?”

  “That would be wise,” Mrs. Weatheringham said.

  “If that is to be the case,” Rose said, “please mention that I will pay for any services rendered by alli
ance members.”

  “Thank you, Lady Roselyn.” Miss Wood chuckled. “You will not catch any of us saying no to your funds.”

  “What an aristocrat could lose in a night’s wager, I could live on for years,” Daniel said.

  “The opportunity for work will be well received,” Mrs. Weatheringham said. “Members must hold a position that can see them through hard times. If they do not, the temptation to use their talent for ill gain might become too strong.”

  Rose gave Daniel a side-glance, wondering what type of position he held. That it was honest was hard to swallow.

  His smirk suggested he clearly read her thoughts.

  She quickly looked away.

  “Helen was a wise woman,” Miss Wood said.

  Rose agreed. Anything that kept Daniel off the streets at night, breaking into homes, had to be good.

  “This arrangement can serve another purpose,” Mrs. Weatheringham said.

  “What is that?” Rose asked.

  “Our presence in your home gives us the opportunity to be prepared the next time this murderess approaches you.”

  “Is she likely to?” Miss Wood said. “Even with us there?”

  “Assuredly,” Mrs. Weatheringham said. “In fact, we should entice her to come by, opening your house to visitors.”

  “Is that wise?” Daniel asked.

  “The one we seek has connections to high society, Daniel. Else she would not have gained entrance to the Lockhart masque. If we make it seem as if Lady Roselyn intends to rejoin society, and has hired new servants to help with reopening the house, no one will suspect them of actually being there for her protection. The arrangement also gives Sir Phillip time to court Lady Roselyn in proper fashion for a gentleman of the ton. In due time, an engagement may be announced.”

  “May I come too?” Stony asked.

  “You may be my porter cum footman.” Rose laughed at his pleased expression.

  “That is the first time I have heard you laugh.” Rather than pleased, Daniel sounded suspicious.

  “You should do it more often,” Miss Wood said. “You have a delightful laugh.”