The Accidental Courtesan

by Cheryl Ann Smith

  The two men exchanged glances.

  “The woman was probably meeting with her cohorts and didn’t expect Bliss to take off with the necklace,” Crawford said. He rubbed the old injury to his leg. “She must have been livid to find both Bliss and the necklace gone.”

  Gavin lifted the sketch off the desk, rose, and walked over to Bliss. “We have placed a face to the woman we suspect is behind this.” He held it out to her, and she took the sketch.

  She crinkled her nose. “It isn’t her.”

  Gavin shared a second glance with Crawford and nodded. “As we suspected, this wasn’t the maid.” He turned back to Bliss and leveled a hard stare on her. “Do you recognize her?”

  Bliss shook her head. “No. Though there is something familiar about her face. It is as if I’ve seen her before.”

  Gavin felt hope rise. He’d thought the same thing. “Do you know where?”

  Another shake of her head. “I don’t believe I’ve seen her in person. Perhaps from a painting?” Bliss said. She pressed her lips together for a moment. “No, I am certain we haven’t met.” She squinted and looked closer. “Drat! I cannot place her face.”

  Disappointment welled in Gavin. Every clue failed to connect and seemed to lead nowhere. Still, they were getting closer, in spite of the labyrinth of unconnected paths. He felt it in his bones. “If you remember anything useful, please pass the information on to Miss Eva immediately.”

  Bliss nodded and sighed. “Yes, sir.”

  There was nothing left for her to offer. Gavin dismissed Bliss and settled back behind his desk. Crawford placed the young women back into the care of the steward and returned moments later.

  “Someone knows her.” Crawford lifted the sketch off the desk. He tapped a closed fist against his mouth, then a fingertip to the sketch. “We are very close. We will find you, mistress thief.”

  “I agree.” Gavin leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingertips on the arms. The excitement of the chase welled. It was only a matter of time before they’d have their answers. “My cousin is the key. I think it’s time to force Charles to get involved. He cannot continue to avoid the matter for fear of causing scandal to his family. Bliss was his mistress. He must have seen the maid during his visits, and he may have information. I shall write to him at once and demand his return.”

  The letter never materialized. As Gavin collected the parchment and pen, Charles arrived, flushed from the long ride from Bath. He looked first at Crawford and then at Gavin, frowned, and said, “What in hades is happening here?”

  Noelle visited the courtesan school as the charitable widow and helped Eva teach the young ladies how to host a dinner party. Well, helping wasn’t what she was doing, exactly, considering her mind was on her handsome and extremely skilled lover. His hands, his mouth, his perfect male form all captured her interest more than china place settings and silver.

  After several failed attempts to hold her attention, Eva finally took Noelle’s hand and pulled her from the small dining room. She led her down the hallway and into the parlor.

  “Would you like to tell me why you’re walking around in the clouds today?” Eva closed the parlor door behind them and stared. “And with a dreamy smile pasted on your face?”

  Noelle knew spending the night with Gavin, and gifting him her virginity, was probably better kept secret. But she was so happy; she couldn’t keep it to herself. If anyone understood how wonderful it was to share one’s body with a man you loved, it was Eva. She spent all her nights with the handsome duke. Certainly Eva could see how happy loving Gavin made her.

  “I spent the evening with Gavin.” She smiled slyly. “I no longer worry he will forget me. After last night, there is little chance of that happening.”

  Eva gaped. “You sneaked out in the middle of the night?”

  Noelle nodded and grinned. “Perhaps you should have posted a guard at the door.” Eva was clearly mortified, less about the seduction and more about Noelle’s wandering the streets at night without an escort. “Not to worry, Sister dear. I took Thomas with me. He is very skilled at creeping around undetected. Someday you must tell me his history.”

  “You involved Thomas?”

  Nodding, Noelle said, “He was reluctant at first but realized I was determined. He knew you’d be unhappy if I came to harm. So he agreed.”

  Eva groaned and dropped into a chair. “Not only was my sister parading around town in the middle of the night—”

  “Dressed like a pirate—”

  “Good lord!” Eva pressed a hand to her forehead. “Dressed like a pirate, and she seduced a man who has no desire to wed her.” She sighed deeply and pushed the spinster spectacles farther up the bridge of her nose. “And if the virile beast has planted his seed in fertile ground, my husband will have to beat him to a bloody pulp.”

  “Fertile ground?” Noelle giggled. “I hardly think such a consequence is possible. We were together only one night.”

  One glorious night.

  “Old Lord Chatsman impregnated Lady Chatsman on their wedding night, then proceeded to drop dead the next morning,” Eva scolded. “So it can happen.”

  Noelle waved a dismissive hand. The tale had frenzied the gossips for weeks with speculation on how vigorous a lover the young Lady Chatsman was, to kill off her husband in bed. Since then, she’d become a very popular widow with the cads and rakes. “That is her story. I myself find it odd that her son looks very much like her handsome, dark-haired footman.”

  “Either way,” Eva retorted, “the deed was done that evening or shortly thereafter. It doesn’t matter who the lady spent those first few days with after her wedding, and Lord Chatsman’s funeral. The boy was born almost nine months to the day after and is the old letch’s heir.”

  Watching her sister run a hand over her belly made Noelle wonder what it would be like to be carrying Gavin’s child. She let her own hand drift to her flat stomach and knew if he had gotten her with child, she would love the little mite with all her heart.

  “You cannot be considering bearing his bastard?”

  Noelle’s eyes snapped up, and she realized Eva was staring aghast at the path of her hand. She jerked it off her belly and flushed deeply. “Of course not.”

  “I will not have a niece or nephew suffering the shame of my situation. I am a bastard. We do not need another in our family.” Eva’s eyes clouded. “Even now, we hide the truth of our connection. I want nothing more than to claim you as my sister to society, but I cannot. The Harrington family does not need a courtesan’s bastard, or Blackwell’s illegitimate issue, hanging from their family tree.”

  Noelle dropped to her knees and took Eva’s hand. “I wish the same, but I see this differently. I am not the least ashamed of you.” She brushed a tear off her sister’s face. Eva wasn’t the overly emotional sort. But since finding herself with child, she’d been both cranky and weepy. “It is you who chooses to hide our sisterhood.”

  Nicholas wasn’t ashamed of Eva’s paternity either. He loved her. And in spite of the shaky start to her entrance into society as the Duchess Stanfield, Eva was a popular duchess. Some members of the Ton might have initially scorned her because of her mysterious past, but eventually they’d come around with Nicholas standing firm and protective beside her.

  “I’m not ready.” Eva brushed the remaining tears from her face and sat upright. “Perhaps after the babe is born, we can revisit the topic again? People will begin to notice when he or she calls you ‘aunt.’”

  Noelle pressed Eva’s hand to her cheek. “I cannot wait to publicly claim both a new sister and the precious babe as kin.”

  After Eva had excused herself to return to her class, Noelle decided to head back to Collingwood House for a much-needed nap.

  She’d had only snippets of sleep in Gavin’s arms. The man had decided sleep was wasted time when he could be loving her. She’d not complained a single word about his enthusiasm, as she’d felt the same. Now, however, the lack of rest was creepi
ng in and fogging her brain. A nap was just what she needed.

  Luckily, a hackney pulled up to the curb as she stepped outside the courtesan school. She wasn’t surprised to see Bliss alight. Gavin had casually mentioned his plan to speak to her with Crawford. He just hadn’t mentioned when.

  A small bit of jealousy formed as she watched the beautiful courtesan smile at the driver, who grinned. Had Gavin felt lust with Bliss? He’d have to be blind to not notice her seductive draw while questioning her.

  Noelle brushed aside her annoyance. He’d met Bliss once previously. Surely, if he desired the courtesan, he wouldn’t have been so eager to bed her last evening.

  Bliss looked as if the world was pressing down on her shoulders as she stepped away from the hackney. Her face was pale, and she looked on the verge of tears.

  “Miss Noelle.” Bliss had taken two steps toward her when a man darted around the hackney and slammed into her. Bliss let out a pained cry. A second man appeared from nowhere and caught Noelle tightly around the waist. An enclosed coach with bars on the windows raced around the corner and down the street, rapidly drawing to a halt beside the hackney. The two men dragged Noelle and Bliss toward the coach.

  Both women screamed.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The prison guards waited until they were well away from the town house before stopping briefly to shackle Bliss and Noelle together. The women struggled fiercely, but to no avail. The largest man was quick with his hands, touching places he should not, and grinning evilly as he did so. Noelle managed to keep the worst of his fondling at bay with her nails. Still, the horrid man left her feeling unclean when he finally settled against the back of the coach, leaving them huddled together in a near-hysterical lump near his feet.

  They’d been arrested, likely illegally, and without a magistrate to oversee the matter. The guards had probably been bribed to take them. Somehow Bliss’s whereabouts had finally been discovered. Where Noelle fit into this, she didn’t know. All she could think of now was fighting off the guards.

  The two women clung to each other on the dirty floor as a toothless guard stared at them with hard black eyes.

  Bliss sobbed quietly on Noelle’s shoulder while Noelle glared at the man to warn him off. She was fully prepared to fight for their lives if he dared touch either of them in a lascivious way. She and Bliss might well be smaller and weaker, but the men would not find abusing them easy.

  Her nightmare had come true. They’d been arrested. But who had made the charge? Gavin? Deep in her heart, she didn’t think so. He’d been so tender, so loving. He wouldn’t turn on her without feeling anything after what they’d shared.

  If it wasn’t Gavin, then who? The mysterious woman? She certainly was up to something. Her goal was the necklace, wasn’t it? Since Bliss and Noelle no longer had it, why would this despicable stranger go to this trouble? Or had the earl finally figured out the real reason for the sudden reappearance of the bauble and decided Bliss should be punished?

  She’d left his bed. Perhaps he was the vengeful sort? Had Noelle just been at the wrong place at the wrong time?

  A shudder of dread filled her as she tried not to imagine the fate that was heading toward her like panicked horse. It took all her strength not to join Bliss in tears.

  Any sign of weakness would give the guard a reason to maul them again. She steeled herself. Bliss needed her to remain focused on finding a way to extricate them from this nightmare.

  Once they reached their destination a short time later, Noelle had only a moment to glimpse the outer prison walls before they were dragged inside by the chains that bit into their fragile wrists.

  The door slammed closed behind them. This was an entirely new world composed of danger and terror. It was dark, vile, and without rules.

  Newgate. Bile raced up the back of her throat. At least Bliss was shackled to her, and Noelle had something real and comforting to hold on to. The dim, dank passageways were filthy and rat-infested. The two women stumbled along, their skirts tangled together, desperate not to be separated. Bliss was no longer crying. Her tears had turned into whimpers as they faded into the bowels of the prison.

  Sounds of despair came from barred cells, as if the occupants had long ago given up their sanity. Shrieks and moans and mumbled voices filled the passageway, and clawed hands reached through the barred doors toward her, until Noelle was certain she’d go mad with fright.

  She felt sick and struggled not to empty the contents of her stomach on the unswept stone floor. Bliss needed her, and she would be strong.

  The guards finally shoved them into a cell, the floor covered with straw and, likely, vermin. The toothless guard unshackled them, taking his time with Bliss. The girl tried to twist away when his hand groped her breast.

  “Ye are a beauty.” Spittle droplets sprang from his mouth, no teeth to block the spray.

  Noelle pushed his hand away and shoved herself between them. “Don’t touch her.” She stood to full height. The top of her head barely came to his chin. “I have friends who will see you hanged if we are harmed.”

  Whether it was her tone or her aristocratic speech that caused him to back away, Noelle couldn’t know. But he finally left them and slammed the heavy door closed behind him.

  “What is happening?” Bliss asked, her voice high. “Mister Blackwell swore he wouldn’t see us imprisoned.”

  Noelle scooped her into her arms. “I am positive he isn’t responsible for this.” But not as positive as she’d like. She petted Bliss’s hair and made soft, soothing sounds. “We have to hope that someone saw us taken and will come to our rescue.”

  Noelle watched a pair of mangy rats move over the straw, searching for edibles, their black beady eyes intense. She led Bliss to the soiled cot, eased her down onto it, and joined her on the tattered surface. Both women tucked their legs up beneath them in hopes the rats wouldn’t come in for a closer look.

  Rat bites were suspected to cause disease.

  “We have to remain strong.” Noelle clutched Bliss’s cold hands and tried to manage a smile. When that failed, she managed to force out, “Someone will come for us. I know they will.”

  As the hours passed and their situation became more desperate, Noelle began to worry they’d never escape. The guards took turns looking through the small barred window of the cell, their evil eyes burning through their clothing, silently promising it was only a matter of time before they violated the two women. Eventually the bravest of the group would overlook Noelle’s obvious aristocracy and threats and would pounce.

  She tried twice to gain the attention of a guard, hoping if she told him her name and title, she could gain release. However, the men seemed content to ignore her pleas.

  It took some time before the occupants of the adjoining cells settled to sleep, and Noelle suspected it was nighttime. Without exterior windows to confirm her suspicions, it was but a guess. Bliss had fallen into a restless, exhausted slumber with her head on Noelle’s lap, her soft breathing uneven.

  Noelle kept watch, glaring at the guards as they passed. The smells of disease, urine, and filth helped to keep her vigilant. Two sleeping women were easy prey. And though Noelle knew that eventually they would be victims, she’d fend off the inevitable as long as possible.

  Time passed without notice, and Noelle didn’t realize she’d dozed until a sound snapped her awake. The toothless guard and another man had slipped silently into the cell and loomed over the cot. Bliss came awake at Noelle’s cry and screamed. The two men grabbed for them, one jerking Bliss to the floor.

  Noelle clawed at her attacker, barely noticing Bliss being pushed down into the straw. The toothless guard tore at the courtesan’s clothing while the second guard shoved Noelle down on the cot and climbed atop her. His weight was so great, she couldn’t push him off. He tore at the opening of his trousers, at the same time shoving up her skirts. Noelle pummeled his face with her fists, hoping to break his nose.

  “Get off!”

 
Bliss fought as well, kicking the toothless guard with her slippered feet. He slapped her hard, and she went still.

  Noelle whimpered, gouging her attacker’s eyes with her nails. It was a replay of the night of the courtesan ball. The man grinned sickeningly. “Ye might well lay back and enjoy it.”

  “Never.” She spat in his face. The man glowered and closed a fist. She braced herself for the blow. Instead, he reared up, his face filled with shock and surprise. He tumbled off the cot onto his face and went still; a knife was buried deep in his back.

  Her eyes wide, she saw Gavin standing behind the fallen guard. “Gavin!” she screamed. Noelle scrambled from the cot, only then noticing the toothless guard similarly prone on the floor, a knife in his neck. The Earl of Seabrook reached down to gather the stunned Bliss into his arms.

  Gavin took Noelle by the hand and pulled her against him. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head. “Come, then, we must go.”

  Gavin took the lead, dragging Noelle behind him. The earl, carrying Bliss, brought up the rear. They made their way quickly through the darkened passageway. Noelle had no sense of direction in the maze of passages and had to rely on Gavin to lead them to safety.

  Shock kept her from questioning his appearance or doing more than notice that Crawford had joined them at the back door of the prison. They were quickly hustled into a waiting coach. The investigator rapped his fist on the roof. The coach jerked forward, and the prison was soon well behind them.

  Gavin snuggled her close to his side and looked into her eyes. The blue depths of his eyes showed how deeply concerned he was for her. Both relief and worry were there. “Are you hurt?” he whispered. “Did he—?”

  She touched a fingertip to his lips. She couldn’t speak about her near-violation now, while it was still fresh. “We are both unharmed. You came in time.” She watched his eyes fill with relief. “How did you find us?”