Say You Love Me (17 page)

“No,” Derek said. “It was at the new House of Eros that’s opened up since you retired from availability, a place that caters more to perversion than not, though we didn’t know that at the time. Just stopped by because one of Jeremy’s favorite light o’ loves had moved there.”

Nicholas chuckled. “So the lad asked to borrow money from you when you outbid him? That takes gall, but then gall runs in that side of your family.”

“Now, now, let’s not get into bashing my Uncle James, whom we all know you are so fond of.” Derek waited for the expected snort to that remark and got it. “And I wasn’t bidding, had no intention of doing so.”

“No? Then why did you?”

“Because of who else was bidding on her. Ever have any dealings with Lord David Ashford?”

“Can’t say as I have. Why?”

“We had a run-in with him not so long ago, one night when we were slumming down by the waterfront. Found him severely whipping a tavern wench he’d tied to a bed, so badly she’ll likely be scarred for life, and this was to—prepare himself—to have sex with her. If she hadn’t worked the gag out of her mourn, we never would have heard her screams.”

Nicholas made a sound of disgust. “Sounds like he belongs in Bedlam.”

“I couldn’t agree more, but apparently he’s
kept his despicable habit quiet. Very few know about it, and he pays his victims too handsomely for them to file any charges. I beat him senseless that night—damn near killed him, actually. Thought that would be the end of it, until the other night, when I saw him bidding on this girl and knew damn well what her fate was going to be if he got her. Couldn’t let that happen, now, could I?”

“I’d have taken him out and beaten him senseless again. Much less costly, particularly since you didn’t really want the girl for yourself.”

“But he’d have still got her. His bid was the last one. The proprietor would merely have collected from him and turned the girl over to him later. And besides, I’m not displeased that I won her.”

Nicholas laughed. “That’s right, I was forgetting that look you were wearing when I walked in.”

Again, Derek felt himself blushing. Bloody hell, it must be catching from Kelsey.

“She’s not at all what you’d figure you’d get from an auction in a place like mat. She’s had a superior education, what with her mother being a governess, possibly better than some ladies we know. Her manners are impeccable. And although it was stated at the auction that she was a virgin, which no one in his right mind would have believed, turns out she actually was.”

“Was? As in no longer is?”

Derek hesitated a tad before nodding be
cause he felt that blush coming up again. He groaned mentally. And finally realized that the problem might be that he simply didn’t want to discuss Kelsey in this vein, even with his best friend. Which was silly, of course. She was just another chit he’d enjoyed bedding, and Nick was undoubtedly right. The newness would wear off soon enough, and he’d be back in the social whirl searching for the next lady to catch his interest.

“At any rate, I’m not displeased that I have her. The extra cost wasn’t even for her but to thwart Ashford, which I’m very pleased to have done. Trouble is, it turns my blood cold, knowing that I only stopped Ashford this one time, that he’s still out there finding penny whores to scar up and pay off, and God knows who else he’s put through the pain and horror of his sexual habits. He’s no doubt a regular at that house that caters to his sort, though unlikely to his degree of brutality. I’d bloody well like to see him stopped—for good. Any ideas?”

“Short of killing him?”

“Well, yes, short of that.”

“Castrate him?”

“Hmmm, do you really think that would work,” Derek wondered, “when he apparently derives so much pleasure from inflicting pain?”

“Maybe, maybe not, but it’d be bloody well deserved, if everything you’ve said about him is true.”

“Oh, it’s true all right. I might have been a
bit foxed that night we found him with that poor girl, but I didn’t imagine anything. Percy and Jeremy were there and just as sickened as I was.”

Nicholas frowned thoughtfully. “I take it the girl won’t help if he’s taken to court?”

“No, she was in too much pain that night to even talk coherently, but I went back to find her a week later, when she was beginning to mend, and she flatly refused to point a legal finger at him.”

“Because he’s a lord?”

“That might have influenced her, but it was more that he’d paid her handsomely up front, more money than she could have made in two or three years doing what she does, and she was afraid she’d have to give it back. And the amount was negligible to Ashford. I checked. He comes from enough wealth that he could be doing this several times a week and it wouldn’t dent his pockets.”

“I assume you offered her a like sum or more to press charges?”

“Oh, yes, that occurred to me immediately,” Derek admitted. “Unfortunately, that was when she admitted she
knew
what he was going to do and had agreed. Doesn’t matter that she couldn’t have known just how bad it would be or that she’d end up physically scarred from it. And ironically, she hasn’t realized yet that those scars are going to damage her future trade, nor did I have the heart to point that out to her.”

Nicholas sighed. “You’ve taken on quite a
dilemma here, dear boy. I’ll give it more thought, but at the moment, I can’t think of anything to help you solve it, not when he’s covering his arse in being honest, or at least partially honest with these girls in explaining up front what he wants. And unfortunately, he’ll find an endless supply of cheap whores in this town who will jump at the chance for the extra blunt without thinking the thing through before it’s too late and done.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Derek said.

“I hate to say it, but you know, you ought to be asking your Uncle James for advice. It’s right up his—er—area of expertise, wouldn’t you say?”

Derek grinned. “Already thought of that. I’m meeting with him tomorrow morning.”

“Good. Associating with the scum of the earth, as he’s done, tends to give one a different perspective. Now, enough of this seriousness. Glad you stopped by. You can keep me company today while Reggie gads about.”

“Delighted to—this morning anyway. Have plans for this afternoon myself, though.”

“That’s quite all right, old chap. I’ll commandeer what time of yours that I can. Miss you, you know, since I’ve moved out to the country. You don’t visit often enough. And by the by, I’ve picked up a new racer I want you to see.”

“Percy did, too,” Derek replied. “You’ll be drooling when you see his.”

Nicholas chuckled. “Already did that yesterday. Who d’you think I got my new racer from? Managed to talk the dear boy out of another one.”

21

“
Are you married?”

Derek blinked. They’d no sooner sat down in the carriage when Kelsey dropped that question on him. But it had been on her mind ever since she woke up that morning. And although she should have led into asking more tactfully, she didn’t know how much time they’d have before they reached their destination, and she did want an answer. Today. And she got just what she was hoping for.

“Gads, no!” he exclaimed. “And I don’t intend to be for a very long time.” Her relief was immediate and obvious, making him add, “No, no, dear girl, you’re not stealing me away from anyone.”

“Not even from another mistress?”

He snorted. “Especially not—that is to say—dash it all, tried having a mistress once and it bloody well didn’t work out. Wasn’t going to have another, but, well, circumstances changed my mind.”

“Circumstances? Are you saying you
bought me for other than the obvious reasons?”

“Well, yes, actually,” he replied a bit hesitantly. “I couldn’t let Lord Ashford have you, now, could I, when I know what sick perversions he’s capable of.”

Kelsey shuddered mentally, realizing who he was talking about. She’d thought Ashford looked cruel. She really had been saved from a fate worse than she could imagine. And she had this man to thank.

“I’m grateful, very, very grateful, that you felt so disposed.”

“Think nothing of it, m’dear. I consider it money well spent—now.”

That brought on the expected blush. Derek smiled.

But Kelsey’s curiosity still wasn’t completely satisfied, so she said, “I’ve noticed that you don’t want to call attention to our—association. At least, that was the impression you gave in Bridgewater. But since you don’t have a wife, is that just a matter of preference?”

“Not just that, no,” he replied. “My youngest two uncles, you see, were rather scandalous. Drove m’father through the roof, the scandals they got into one after the other. I grew up with his tirades over his brothers. Tends to lead to caution, or at least a desire not to cause him any more grief as far as scandals go.”

“And I’d be a scandal?”

“No, not a’tall—at least, not out of the or
dinary. It’s more a desire to keep my name out of the gossip mill for any reason. M’father objects to giving even our own servants food for that mill, you understand.”

She nodded and smiled, because she did understand. She’d been raised the same way, to be circumspect. In fact, she couldn’t count the times her parents had gone completely silent, whether in the middle of a heated debate or not, if a servant happened to walk into the room.

“I’m sorry to be so nosy. It was just that I had been wondering if this might affect the times you might be visiting me.”

He frowned, having forgot that he would need to be cautious in that regard, as he had been with his previous mistress. Showing up in the daytime to pick her up was nothing. Showing up repeatedly to visit for long hours at a time would definitely begin to raise brows. But damned if he wanted to restrict his time with Kelsey to a few stolen hours.

So he replied evasively, “Can’t say right now. Don’t know anyone offhand who lives in this area, so we’ll have to wait and see. But you needn’t be sorry for asking, dear girl. How else are we to learn about each other, eh? I have a few questions m’self, actually.”

“I will be glad to answer them—if I can.”

“Splendid. Then tell me, with your exceptional education, why didn’t you follow in your mother’s footsteps and become a govern
ess? Not that I’m sorry you chose the path you did, but why did you?”

Kelsey sighed mentally. In questioning him, she’d left herself wide open for questions like that. But, then, she’d figured he’d ask something like this eventually, and she was somewhat prepared.

“I’m too young, really, to be a governess. Most parents want a mature woman to trust their children to.”

“You had no other options?”

“None that would supply me with a large sum of money to pay off debts.”

He frowned. “How the deuce does anyone as young as you run up twenty-five thousand pounds in debts?”

She smiled slightly. “I have no idea. The debts weren’t mine and weren’t even half that amount.”

“Ah, then you made a tidy profit.”

“No, none of the money came to me. The proprietor of that place gained a large portion of it for arranging the auction, but the rest, well, as I said, there were debts that needed taking care of.”

She hoped he’d leave it at that, but of course he didn’t. “Whose debts did you feel obliged to pay off?”

She could lie or avoid the question as she’d done before. But she really didn’t want to lie to him any more than she already had, so she fell back on the excuse she’d used previously.

“That’s a private matter I don’t feel com
fortable discussing, if you don’t mind.”

His expression said he did mind, nor was he dropping it completely. “Is your mother still alive?”

“No.”

“Your father?”

“No.”

“You’ve no other relatives?”

She knew what he was doing, trying to figure out for himself who she might have given the money to, but that was information she couldn’t afford for him to ever find out, so she said, “Derek, please, this subject is very unpleasant for me. I’d as soon not discuss it.”

At that point he sighed, giving up—for the time being anyway. But then he leaned over and patted her hand. Only that must not have been enough for him, if it was comfort he was trying to offer her, which it seemed to be, because he then pulled her over into his lap.

Kelsey stiffened slightly, remembering what had happened the last time she had sat thusly. But Derek merely put his arms around her and rested his cheek against her forehead, surrounding her with his pleasant scent and the soothing, steady beat of his heart.

“I have a feeling, m’dear, that you and I are going to become very close,” he said so softly it was almost a whisper. “So the day will come when you will feel comfortable telling me anything. I’m quite patient, you know. But you’ll find I can also be quite determined.”

In other words, this discussion would come up again in the near future?

“Did I thank you for the carriage you sent me?” she asked him.

He burst out laughing at her so obvious change of subject.

22

The dressmaker Derek took Kelsey to was certainly
not what she’d been expecting. The woman’s establishment was very elegant. Satin couches and chairs filled the front room, where several of her more magnificent formal creations were on display, as well as dozens of books featuring the latest in fashions. It was a comfortable room for the gentlemen to wait, if they were so inclined, while their ladies made their selections.

And ladies did frequent this shop. But then Kelsey found that Mrs. Westerbury had many private fitting rooms, so she had little problem keeping her affluent customers separated from her less savory ones. She was in the business of making money, not casting judgments. She didn’t turn down customers just because she might frown on their professions, though she did probably suggest to some that they use the back door rather than the front for their visits.

But considering that the establishment appeared to cater to the upper crust of London society, Kelsey was no longer sure how Derek
would like her to be outfitted. Of course, his bringing her there could simply be because he knew of no other dressmakers.