Powder of Sin (21 page)

Perhaps it is time to think about settling down,
before you make a fool of yourself. Don’t let yourself be captured
into a mismatch by pure attraction.

She didn’t argue.

Fifty people had said yes to the party invitations
her mother had sent out. Not a huge event, but not as intimate as
her mother had promised. Rosalie wasn’t surprised. Deirdre had
grown up in a world that didn’t know how to do anything by
halves.

The list included a great many bachelors. Rosalie
could pretend she was Prince Charming and looking for a gentleman
who’d kneel at her feet, slip a shoe on her foot… No, it was the
other way around in this case. He’d have to flee her house, and
she’d go door to door with his patent leather dancing pump, looking
for her mate.

Or maybe she’d say yes to Mr. Wentworth, a perfectly
nice gentleman who had gently pursued her for a couple of years.
Well-bred, he was always polite, patient, reasonable, and didn’t
carry irons in his pocket or know how to punch a man unconscious.
Though she couldn’t quite picture his face at the moment, she knew
he had brown eyes and a pleasant smile. He would fit her neatly
ordered life like a hand slipping into a well-made glove.

Her mother came in the door, humming. She looked
Rosalie up and down. “You looked pinched, my darling. And if you
don’t stop frowning, those lines in your forehead will be
permanent.”

“I am fine,” Rosalie said, but her mother didn’t
avert her stare, and Rosalie knew that unless she confessed
something, her mother would keep after her. “I have a mild case of
spring fever, I suppose.”

“An electrical treatment,” her mother said
decisively. “Tomorrow. You’ll be relaxed enough for your party. It
imparts a glow.”

Just like the one Miss Renshaw had worn all
afternoon at the beach.

Reed’s replacement met him in a parlor off the lobby
of the hotel. Staring down at the telegraphy operator’s florid
handwriting on the form confirming the new man’s appointment, Reed
felt slightly queasy. It was one thing to shrug off the job, quite
another to feel as if he could walk away when Clermont still wanted
that powder and would do what he could to get it.

The doctor still hadn’t notified Reed that the safe
had arrived, and so the powder waited in Miss Ambermere’s basement.
Reed couldn’t trust anyone else. Not yet.

The new man cleared his throat. “I say, I’m
Trevner.” He was a thin man with a square jaw almost balanced by a
huge waxed mustache. Mild, pale eyes gave him the look of an
amiable sheep. “As you see, I’m the, um, new representative for
Mr.…um…Clermont. Secretary is the title they said I should use.” He
laid a finger next to his nose in a knowing manner.

That was quick
. “Did you come from England?
Just for this job?” This one wouldn’t last a week. The name sounded
familiar. Reed examined him, recalling a more pugnacious version of
a man with the same jaw and same name. He’d rather liked the other
Trevner he knew.

“Rather. Or rather not. I was over the pond anyway,
and Clermont’s mother is a friend of my mater. And there’s a matter
of me, in search of a new
poze-ish
.”

“Poze what?”

“Position. Work and so on. What have you. This is
easy, one hopes, what?”

Reed considered agreeing, but then he remembered the
young German seamstress’s assistant Clermont had encountered near
the hotel.

Clermont had wanted a girl young enough to have no
nether hair, he’d said, and if Reed hadn’t been there to stop
him…

“Come on,” Reed said and motioned to the broad
staircase. “We’ll talk in the suite. Clermont’s napping. We don’t
want to be absent when he wakes up.”

He escorted Trevner into the small parlor next to
the main sitting room of the apartment. Reed took up his position
near the door so he could watch Clermont’s bedroom.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned
against a wall. “Sometimes it’s an easy job, but you can’t relax.
The main responsibility is stopping Clermont from attempting to
seduce nearly every female he encounters. You can’t be squeamish
about the subject of sexual congress, and you must be willing to
occasionally physically subdue Clermont.”

“Subdue him? Oh, I say. Doesn’t that make him
angry?”

“Certainly.”

Trevner pursed pale lips under his pale mustache.
“You’re Gideon Reed, aren’t you? My older brother went to Oxford
with you. You’ve got a boxing blue.”

Reed nodded.

The thin young man sighed. “I haven’t any such
ability. Pity. But I might be able to outwit the man. Certainly
sounds a more interesting position than I’d expected. More action
of all sorts.” His laughter was high-pitched and loud. Clermont
wouldn’t sleep through that.

After Reed hushed him, he told him how to enlist the
aid of Clermont’s valet, Banbury, and occasionally hotel staff. The
trick was to always carry money for tips or bribes.

“He’s single-minded and intelligent,” Reed said. He
didn’t want to scare off his replacement, but he didn’t want the
young fool to be tossed in over his head.

“So I’ll be trailing around after him?”

“Yes, every time he goes out. And you better have a
strong stomach or a strong interest in hearing about women’s
bodies. You’ll be seeing quite a few naked females as well.”

“I don’t much mind,” Trevner said.

Reed wondered why the man sounded so indifferent.
Offended or interested would have made more sense. He went on.
“Because of his money and family, sometimes Clermont receives
invitations from polite society. Unbelievable, if you ask me. At
any rate, you must go along. Getting an invitation for yourself can
be awkward on occasion, but you’ll have to be insistent. Do not
allow him to go alone.” He stopped to think. “In a few days, he’ll
be attending a party held by Miss Ambermere. I’ll be there, so you
needn’t contrive to get an invitation for yourself.”

“Ambermere. Rosalie Ambermere, eh?”

Reed nodded.

Trevner grinned at him, showing crooked front teeth.
“Ha. I know that name. From England, I think?”

Reed shrugged. “She lived there.”

“Brunette.” Trevner’s hands formed curves in the
air. “Lovely face and whatnot. All the trimmings, but a sharpish
tongue and a bluestocking. Gave my brother an excoriation that had
him in a bad mood for days.”

“Oh?” Reed waited for more, but the boy went on
reciting less interesting facts. “Her father was Lord Williamsford,
a dour old blighter. Title went to…hmm…to a goer.” Trevner
squinted. “I’ve heard the last Lord Williamsford was rather a
version of this Clermont I’ll be trailing after.”

Reed felt more cheerful. Trevner was less of a
lackwit than he’d first seemed.

Trevner drew out a handful of crumpled yellow pieces
of paper from his pocket. Telegrams. “Aha. Forgot. I’ll wager the
late Lord Williamsford is mentioned in here.” He went to the
dresser and carefully smoothed the papers on its top. “These are a
few instructions. Must have cost them a packet to send all this
along to me, what? I’m to ask you for details. The family said I am
to watch out for some items that belonged to Lord ‘Wms.’ I’m
guessing that’s Williamsford. I’m to buy ’em up from the current
owner, whomever that might be.”

“The only real nuisance Williamsford left behind is
being taken care of.”

“By whom? You?”

“I helped to take care of it.”

The pale eyes beamed at him. “Glad to hear I have
one less problem to worry me. But come, you’re off the job now,
Reed. No need to take up any more of your time.” He gave a tiny,
fake cough. “I’ll have my things sent up. Will you stay on in the
hotel?”

A polite way to say it was time for him to move out
of the suite. That was fine with Reed. He’d already spotted a
furnished room not too far away from Washington Square, rented by
the week. He wanted to stay close to Miss Ambermere’s house until
he knew she was safe.

After that, the Pacific. Or perhaps the Rockies.
Something out there must be worth exploring, he supposed.

He walked to the door. “I’ll leave behind my
directions so you’ll be able to reach me. You keep an eye on
Clermont’s door. He’s sleeping off a long night. I’ll go pack.”

“No no no. Not this moment, dear sir. Of course, no
need to hurry.” Trevner’s mouth fell open, and he looked slightly
panicked. Perhaps he hadn’t thought Reed would take him
seriously.

“I’m confident you can prevent Clermont’s arrest and
protect the innocent females of New York.”

He had only one female he cared to protect.

“You’ll just walk out? Not at all the thing.”
Trevner bleated. This from the man who’d just made it clear Reed
wasn’t welcome.

“I’ll be back once I settle in. And yes, I’ll say
good-bye to Clermont.”

Freedom to explore the city beckoned. A city filled
with sights like the museums Clermont had avoided, but Reed found
himself heading for Miss Ambermere’s house instead of visiting any
of the usual tourist spots. Perhaps she’d got a note from the
doctor by now. He’d check.

She was home, surrounded by yards of red gauzy stuff
and some shouting men.

The expression of delight when she saw him made his
heart thump hard.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” she told Reed, then
turned to the men. “If you need to order more cloth, go right
ahead. I have no opinion on the matter, and my mother isn’t
available. So you do what you think best, all right? We don’t have
time for squabbles.”

The men began shouting at each other. Rosalie was
louder. “Come to an agreement, or I’ll have the servants remove
every square inch of this fabric, and we’ll have no need of either
of you or your services. And no, I don’t mind the placement of the
gilt cages for the birds, but I don’t want to hear about them. You
do what you think is best,” she said again, only with a more
ominous edge to her voice. A woman used to getting her way. And for
a moment, Reed wondered if she’d be like a predator if she got a
sniff of that powder. He was intrigued by the image of her stalking
him, holding him with her gaze as she readied herself to pounce.
Except what if he was in California and she hunted some other man?
Jesus. No way would he leave—not until Dr. Leonard destroyed every
last grain.

She crossed the room swiftly as the men went to the
fabric and began pulling at it.

“My mother hired designers. Two of them. Rivals. And
then my mother disappeared.” She sighed. “I think she’s with her
rancher.”

“Her what?”

“A man who lives out west on a ranch or something.”
She adjusted the cuff on her sleeves, no longer meeting his eyes.
He understood that she didn’t want questions about her mother’s
activities.

He supposed his presence created another distraction
in her long list of chores, so he reluctantly abandoned his plan to
hang about and gaze at her. “I shan’t bother you for long. I only
wanted to give you my new address.”

“You’ve moved? What about Mr. Clermont’s—” she
began, but stopped when a loud voice came from the front hall,
asking for Miss Ambermere’s whereabouts. She looked up and frowned.
“Oh dear. That will be Mr. Wentworth. He will want to stay and
stay.” She shook her head fiercely. “I can’t bear it. The house
will be filled tomorrow, and there is too much to do. Will you
pardon me for a moment?”

She showed Reed to the library and vanished, but not
heading to the front door. A few minutes later, she returned to the
quiet library, where there was no sound of the party
preparations.

“I had Beels tell him I was out,” she explained.
“I’m just…” She pressed her lips tightly together. “I’m tired, I
suppose. My mother’s visit.” Her laugh was unconvincing, and Reed
went to her, wrapped his arms around her before he had time to
think too hard and change his mind. She made him lose his control,
yes, but even if he could think clearly, he’d do exactly this. Hold
her firmly against him, stroke her hair and delicate shoulder
blades. And enjoy it all, particularly when she leaned against
him.

“You were asking about Mr. Clermont. I’ve left his
family’s employment, but I shall keep an eye on him. I will keep
you and that powder safe from the fool until we hear from Doctor
Leonard.”

He waited for her to grow offended by his
declaration, but she only nodded against his coat and sighed.
“Thank you.”

“It seems less noisy out there,” he said.

“The two arguing gentlemen have agreed to stop
squabbling. They’ve taken themselves off by coach to a warehouse
for some missing supplies. They shan’t reappear for at least an
hour.” Her voice against his front was muffled. “I didn’t mean to
sneak off with you to do this again.”

“No, of course not,” he said, but he didn’t let
go.

She stirred, wiggling in his arms so he loosened his
hold. She was only turning her head up, however. He allowed himself
to indulge in a kiss. His mouth against hers, light, breathy
touches, and then sinking into a deeper kiss. This was what he’d
been thinking about for the last few days. Since the moment he’d
last touched her. This was the one time he absolutely knew he was
alive.

“Rosalie,” he whispered.

She gave a small laugh. “You do know my first
name.”

“Mmm. Rosalie, Rosalie. Rosalie.”

She stopped him by planting another kiss at the
corner of his mouth.

Then he was returning her kiss, stroking her back,
cupping her scalp so he could twist and taste even more. She had
her arms around him.

A vine, she’d called herself. A delicious, sweet
vine, and he wished she could climb in even closer. He’d have every
bit of her touching him.

His head was clear; nothing fogged his thoughts. And
he desired her so much, nothing else could get in the way.

“What do you want?” he whispered.