Powder of Love (I) (19 page)

Dr. Leonard had come forward, hands outstretched. “Miss Ambermere.” The doctor vigorously pumped her hand in both of his until she pulled hers away, still with the fixed smile. The only one of her smiles Reed didn’t like.

The doctor held up his fingers and ticked off facts. “We have the tools in place in my laboratory now. I’ve discovered independent funding necessary to do any work—academic, I assure you! So you don’t even need to worry about that aspect of the business. And I have your contract signed and witnessed.” He pulled out a sheaf of papers. “Everything is in place for our work to begin.”

“I’m delighted to hear that,” she said evenly. “I’m sure Mr. Reed could lead you to the spot where it’s stored?”

She was backing away now, still not looking at him.

“Of course,” Reed said. “You’re well, I hope?”

“Perfectly.” She glanced at him, and a slow, dull red filled her face. She was remembering.

He gave her a wide smile, probably a manic grin, so she couldn’t miss the fact that he was delighted to see her. He wanted to do whatever he could to make her smile real. She’d said he scowled too often. Other people had. This was as far from a frown as he could manage.

Her fixed expression didn’t falter. “I wish I could offer you refreshment, Doctor, Mr. Reed. But I have a great deal to do today,” she said. “I hope you’ll excuse me. I-I…” She cast him one more look, nodded to them both, and then hurried from the room.

“She looked almost angry. What do you suppose is going on?” the doctor asked.

“I’m afraid I don’t know,” Reed said and reflected he knew but needed to discover how to make it better. He’d find a way too, as soon as he could—though the start of a huge party was perhaps not the best place to demand they speak of the matter. He left the room, the doctor on his heels. Beels met them at the basement door.

“Good morning, sirs. Miss Ambermere says I am to offer any assistance you might require.”

“We don’t need anything. No, wait. Keep watch up here, would you, Beels? We’ll go out the lower back entrance. If anyone expresses interest…” He decided to be honest. “If anyone—especially Mr. Clermont—expresses interest, I’d be grateful if you’d neglect to mention our visit.” He slid a few coins into the butler’s hand.

The butler cleared his throat. “He has visited, sir.”

“Did he go downstairs?”

“I couldn’t say, sir.”

They thumped down the stairs, and the doctor slid on thick leather gloves before lifting the hatbox from under the coals where Reed had hidden it.

“Feels the right weight,” the doctor said, hefting the box experimentally. Someone was coming down the stairs, and Reed pointed to the back. They fled out the kitchen door, through the thick gate, and into the mews.

“I’d feel better if you had your gun ready,” the doctor said as they walked along the alley.

Reed obliged but didn’t pull it from his jacket pocket. “You should check to see if it’s in there.”

“Not until I have this in a safe place.”

“The outer wooden box affords protection. You should stop and look.”

The doctor only sped up.

A hansom waited for them out front. “I hired him for two hours,” the doctor said after they climbed in. “I thought I’d have to do the greeting and polite stuff for a while.” He leaned back in the seat, panting slightly. “Rather sad I didn’t have to, come to that. She’s straightforward, Miss Ambermere. I think I admire that in a woman. Very pleasant body too. If only that ridiculous effect of the powder hadn’t been so obvious that day. I could have made a better job of my attempt to seduce her.”

“Seduce her? She’s a young lady, not a lightskirt. And she knows about you and your maid.” Reed wasn’t sure of the situation in the doctor’s household, but the way the maid had hovered over the injured doctor that day spoke volumes.

“Yes, that was a mistake too, wasn’t it, telling Miss Ambermere about that?” The doctor apparently didn’t feel the waves of hostility emanating from Reed. “I don’t just mean seduce her for a single episode, though that would have been enjoyable, no doubt. I should have had my eyes on the ultimate prize. It just never occurred to me that a young lady like her was interested in marriage, but I’ve heard she’s considering Wentworth.”

That name again. “Who is he?”

“A worthy. He’s our age, more or less, but acts about a thousand years old. I’ve met him because he sponsors some scientific lectures I’ve attended. Same echelon of society as hers. You see his name everywhere as a patron.”

The doctor lapsed into silence, then said, “Someone said she’s encouraging Wentworth, but she strikes me as a woman who won’t allow society to dictate whom she should pick as mate. The girl has a strong will, but that can be worked around. And I can see she is addicted to expensive entertainments. Did you hear all the birds twittering in that place? They’ll all be asleep by the time the entertainment begins, you know. So much for that silly expense. Never mind. She has the money, and I don’t mind the occasional fete. I’d be generous about her parties as long as I wouldn’t have to go to them all.”

He must have finally paid attention to Reed’s scowl, because the ridiculous smile faded from his handsome face and he sighed. “I know, no need to glare at me. I’m only daydreaming. Can’t sue a fellow for that. That sort of female only marries more money and status. Why, she didn’t even invite me to that party of hers, even after I hinted strongly.”

“When?”

“This evening, of course. You saw how the place was turned upside down.”

“I mean when did you hint?”

“Yesterday evening, when I stopped by to give her a progress report. She was even more pale. I must say, I do like her looks, though I’d insist she spend more time in the sun. But I don’t suppose I have a chance with Miss Ambermere. If I ever had one, I probably ruined it that first day when the powder affected me and I tried to engage in intercourse with her too persistently.”

Reed shifted in the seat, ready to explain the words
attempted rape
to the jackass, when the doctor went on. “My memories of the day are slightly hazy, but you were there, later on, of course. What do you think? Any chance I might convince her to view me as a potential—”

“None,” Reed interrupted. “Believe me. No chance.”

The doctor sighed. He patted the hatbox. “At least I have this. It’ll make my name and fortune. Scientifically,” he added quickly.

At his house, he showed the laboratory to Reed, who’d seen it only briefly on the two previous visits. The safe was ready, and the doctor showed him the strange breathing apparatus he’d wear when working with the powder.

“So this is good-bye, then.” The doctor held out a hand.

“Not yet. I want to make certain everything’s right before I go. You need to check.”

The doctor twitched impatiently. “You can go wait in the sitting room. Mary or Hughes will bring you some tea, and I’ll be out in a minute.”

He came in a few minutes later, drying his hands. “It was in there. But there could be a problem. I think…” He hesitated. “I think some of the powder is missing. It’s at least ten grams lighter.”

“Damnation.” Reed grabbed his hat. “I’ll send word if I find the missing amount.”

“It’ll be a very small amount. The powder is dense, heavy. So that’s probably about the size of, say, half a pea.”

“It doesn’t take much. That would be more than enough to start an orgy in a graveyard, and you and I both know it.”

“Oh?” The doctor’s brows went up. “You know it? Are you saying you’ve been affected by the stuff too? Did you write down your symptoms? I hope you have. It’s not too late, of course. You should write down every detail you remember.”

“I have work to do,” Reed said as he headed for the door. “Once I have that missing powder safe, I promise I’ll write pages and pages.”

Hawes. He might have taken the damned aphrodisiac. That would be less disastrous than any other possibility.

He returned to Rosalie’s house to discover that the coachman had taken Miss Renshaw and Murphy on some sort of errand. The house was filled with final preparations and was even more crowded than it had been an hour earlier. He pushed through the rooms, looking for Rosalie. He had to warn her.

Rosalie was in the larger drawing room, trying to get the workmen to pay attention to her. Someone called her name, and when she turned and saw Mr. Reed, she felt her face flush and her heart beat faster.

“Miss Ambermere, may I speak to you a moment?”

He was so serious, his intensity drew her, and she forgot all the dratted details of the day and the fact that she was determined to remain cool near him.

She dropped the red material, and it made a soft swish as it rolled on the parquet floor. “Yes,” she said hesitantly. “But first, this problem has to be cleared up.” She went to the back of the room, where a man in yellow trousers—one of the decorator’s assistants—was arguing with a maid.

She pointed to the pile of fabric on the floor. “It was set too near the flame. I tried to move it but don’t have the proper fastenings.”

He surveyed the mess glumly. “And I hear the fish in the smaller fountain are dying, miss.”

“Oh dear. But please take care of this when you can.”

She’d had enough time to calm herself before she joined Mr. Reed. Her face had cooled, and she could show an equally cool manner. “As you can see,” she said, “I don’t have much time to spare.”

She led him from the room and for a moment considered taking him to the library. No, that had echoes of their encounter, so she led him to the large dining room that was entirely ready. Fifty could sit down at the huge table done in red and gold. Her mother’s taste, magnificent and far too opulent. At least she’d opened her purse to pay for the table and the decorators.

“Try not to let it blind you,” she said. Then remembering she wanted to be formal with him, she crossed her hands in front of her and gave him a polite look of interest. “How may I help you?”

“Rosalie.”

Her name in his mouth. She wanted to go to him to see if he’d kiss and hold her again. They might be in the middle of a hurricane of activity in her house, but that hadn’t stopped them the last time.

But no, she wasn’t going to be a fool again, and at any rate, though his manner was tense, it wasn’t the usual tension between them.

So she waited and suddenly suspected what he was going to say. He took off his hat and pushed a hand through his hair. “I’ve just come from Dr. Leonard’s establishment. He weighed the powder, and some is missing.”

Rosalie put out a hand and groped for a chair. She sat down heavily. “Hawes. It must be him. Since yesterday Miss Renshaw hasn’t stopped humming and is quite unlike herself.”

Reed shook his head. “No, that’s what I thought too, but now I believe he used only my handkerchief.”

“He was the only other person who knew where it was,” she added.

“He didn’t know the exact location. But I wonder if someone in your household has had a drastic change in manner. Because whoever moved even the small amount…”

She gasped when she understood.

“Exactly. Someone would have to have touched it. We know one can’t open it without the strongest effect.”

She tried hard to think. The only person she’d seen affected lately other than Miss Renshaw was herself. Transformed by sexual congress, turned to something wholly alive after all these years of sleepwalking. Not that she’d ever admit as much to anyone.

But her mother… Deirdre had been conspicuously absent in the last day. Granted, she didn’t take an interest in organizing the party, only in attending. That was her usual habit—dash in, start a fire, and rush off. Except, had she even come home the night before? She’d left before dinner. Rosalie, who’d barely managed a complete sentence, had been grateful for her absence and for the fact that a dreamy Miss Renshaw didn’t appear to notice.

“I don’t know who it could be. What shall we do?” she asked.

He sat back and stared at a gold ribbon that twisted in the breeze from an open window. A few birds in the cages chirped peevishly. “I don’t know. Perhaps I should interview everyone on the staff.”

She shook her head. “I doubt that would do any good. It had to have been taken

before today.”

“I’ll stay here. If you witness something strange, you need only shout.”

She’d be distracted by his presence, but she didn’t know who else she might turn to. “Yes, all right. Thank you. I suppose I might as well return to work.” She rose from the chair.

“Rosalie, are you well?” he asked. Her name again, that deep voice, intimate, soothing. Drat. The usual excruciating tension filled her and made her bones ache.

“Yes.” She didn’t meet his eyes.

“We must talk,” he said in that firm voice that brooked no dispute.

“Not now. I’m too busy.”

His expression softened. “I plan to help as best I’m able, all right?”

“Yes. Good. Thank you.” Coward that she was, she hurried from the room with a murmured excuse about grouse.

She didn’t actually have very much to do. Beels, puffed like a balloon with pride, was skilled at his job and had intimidated the decorators in her absence. The workmen were finishing up hours before the start of the event. Soon there would only be the usual household staff plus the extra servants hired for the occasion, all dressed in gold and scarlet and wearing new wigs.

She could feel Gideon’s presence in her house, his stalking around, watching for trouble and signs of the powder. When she felt him near, she took off like a rabbit with a ferret sliding after her. She finally hid herself in the library again with the bills. Servants and Miss Renshaw came and went, but Gideon never disturbed her peace, at least not in person.

At around four o’clock, she heard his voice, muffled and low, and then her mother’s shriek of laughter. Thank goodness her mother had returned from wherever she’d spent the day, though her laughter sounded even louder and more frenzied than usual.

Rosalie left her hidey-hole to greet her mother, who was admiring the decorations in the withdrawing room. Deirdre looked rumpled. She was out of breath, but her smile was broad and unwavering.