The Accidental Courtesan (18 page)

 

N
oelle watched his lips curve up and knew he was quite happy with the shared intimacies. She finally understood why Bliss found it so difficult to leave her lover. All the things women claimed to suffer with their husbands in bed were certainly not present here. Perhaps it wasn't that the women were born frigid, but the ineptitude of their husbands and lovers that made them so.

With Mister Blackwell, Gavin, these stolen moments of passion had certainly been unexpected. Though she'd promised herself she'd not go beyond a few kisses when proving herself a competent courtesan, she'd lost her senses again with his first touch. He was extremely difficult to resist. She also knew he'd sacrificed to keep her virginity intact, and she would appreciate his efforts in the morning. Nevertheless, even now, she ached to feel that erect part of him buried deep inside her body.

The adventuress in her wanted more. She wanted to feel their naked bodies locked together. She wanted to kiss his skin and lick his nipples and explore all the angles and planes of his beautiful male form. She wanted to forget her title and become his courtesan in every way.

Thankfully, he possessed the good sense she lacked.

“I could stay like this forever,” she breathed, disappointed that the stolen moment would end too quickly.

“Alas, My Lady Courtesan, this coach does not belong to me. There is real danger we might get caught.” Gavin sighed as he adjusted her bodice over her breasts and tied the laces. He lifted her gently off his lap and covered himself. Noelle felt dampness on her chemise, a reminder of his release.

With care, he covered her hair with the wig and shook out her skirts. Noelle felt awkward as he cared for her, yet he said nothing to ease her discomfort. No words of affection. No tender stares shared between lovers.

Was it he who felt regrets? She was the one who should be regretful, even angry. At the first opportunity, he'd chased after another woman, a courtesan, when her back was turned. It didn't matter that the two women were the same person. He didn't know that when he dragged her into this coach. It was no wonder she didn't trust men. They were faithless creatures.

Fortunately for him, she felt no betrayal. They had no formal connection on paper, no verbal agreements between them to keep him from seeking the company of other women. They'd enjoyed a pleasurable moment, nothing more.

At last, he finished straightening his own clothes and lifted his eyes to hers. He appeared thoughtful, almost pensive. A change from the man who'd spent the last few minutes making love to her with such reckless abandon.

“Gavin,” she began. He put a finger to her lips, then pulled her close and kissed her. Noelle suspected the tender kiss was meant to assuage her unease. It helped very little. The relationship between them had changed. There was no hope of going back to the days of innocent stolen kisses. Oddly, she felt no desire to do so.

“Come, we must go.” He took her hand and helped her out of the coach. Tucking her hand under his arm, he led her down the row of coaches. “Did you bring your carriage?”

Eyes averted, Noelle shook her head. “I took a hackney.” At his frown she added, “I was careful to watch for anything suspicious. I believe my identity is still safe.”

He nodded and kept walking.

In the aftermath of their love play, their conversation had ground to a halt. Silence stretched between them while he retrieved his horse from where he'd left him tied behind a coach and helped her mount. He climbed up behind her and settled her against him in the protective circle of his arms.

When they reached her town house, he went around to the back, so as not to alert the servants of her arrival. As he led her quietly through the garden, she felt his tension undulate off him. She wanted to say something, to assure him he'd not done anything she hadn't willingly begged for, but couldn't find the words.

He drew her to a stop at the shadowed kitchen door and stepped in front of her. He lifted her chin. “I need to speak to Bliss.”

She nodded.

He pressed a kiss on her knuckles and said, “I will send a coach for you. Until then.” He gave a slight bow and walked away.

N
oelle was positive she'd changed somehow after the encounter with Gavin in the coach. Yet, no matter how many times she stood in front of a mirror, with or without clothing, and looked herself over from top to bottom, she saw no visible evidence to support this conclusion.

No flushed cheeks, no kiss marks on her skin, no dewy eyes when thinking of her sort-of lover. She was the same as always on the outside.

Everything she'd experienced was locked secretly inside her. Not even Martha seemed to notice anything untoward when she poked and pinched and fussed over Noelle as she always did. So went the maid's theory: She could read every secret on Noelle's face; and this was a big secret.

“Stand still, Milady,” Martha scolded. “It is difficult to dress you when you fidget.”

Noelle scowled. “I think this dress is too tight.” She grunted and pulled at the fabric of her waist. It wasn't really too tight. She needed an excuse for fidgeting.

“The dress is fine.” Martha gently slapped her hand out of the way and shifted the dress into place. “There.”

The serviceable green dress was perfect for a visit to the courtesan school, but she missed wearing the borrowed breeches and shirt she'd worn the night she met Gavin. She envied men wearing such comfortable garments. She longed to go back to that night, when she'd been a nameless adventuress in borrowed breeches and had felt free.

It was quite different from last evening, when a moment of passion had been tainted by guilt and regret. His.

Though she knew Gavin had found as much fulfillment as she had in their wicked love play, his subsequent behavior was a bit of a puzzle. Whereas most men would have taken her fully and without consideration of the consequences, he had became somewhat aloof afterward.

Could it be the anonymity of darkness that he found appealing? All of their previous encounters, where kissing and fondling were involved, had been in dim or darkened spaces.

Was it possible he didn't find her attractive in daylight? Her confidence slipped a notch. Disheartened at the idea, Noelle slumped onto the settee as Martha reached for a brush.

“What shall we do with your hair?”

 

T
he courtesans were napping when Noelle arrived at the school. Sophie went upstairs to rouse Bliss, leaving Noelle alone with her disconcerting thoughts.

She'd behaved improperly last evening. What must Gavin think? Was he appalled by how easily she'd succumbed to his seduction?

“Miss Noelle?” Sophie's voice brought her around. The former courtesan had on a simple yellow frock, and her blonde hair was tied back with a matching ribbon. She was in charge of the school when Eva was away, and took her duties seriously. “I must protest again. Your sister will be put out, should I allow you to follow through with this troubling plan.”

Noelle had expected some resistance when she'd told Sophie she intended to use the school to learn how to be a courtesan and to keep watch over Bliss. However, Sophie was a mother hen protective of the school and the ladies. She worried that Noelle would bring danger to their door.

“I am always careful when I visit and would never allow anyone to discover the whereabouts of this town house. I will come in disguise and lead the others to believe I am a courtesan on the verge of leaving my protector. There will be no link between myself and this school for the thieves to discover.”

“And what of Bliss?” Sophie's face tightened. “Do you actually think she might be involved with a band of thieves?”

This was the question Noelle had wrestled with. “I do not believe so, yet what do we know about her?” Noelle shrugged. What did they know about any of the young women who came to the school? Eva trusted them all explicitly, unless they said or did anything to break that trust. And thus far, she'd never had to toss a young woman out. “If there is anything wrong with her story, appearing as a fellow courtesan is the best way for me to find out. Her guard will be down. And I will be gone before Eva returns in two weeks to begin lessons.”

The lines in Sophie's hard-edged face deepened. “I don't like deception,” she said. “Miss Eva will have my hide of she discovers I allowed this.”

Noelle felt her will falter. She placed a hand on Sophie's arm. “Should I get caught, I shall take the full brunt of my sister's anger. She will hold you blameless.”

After a few more muttered protests, Sophie reluctantly consented to go along with the deception, once Noelle agreed that Sophie could call off the ruse should there be any inkling of danger directed toward the school.

Noelle hurried from the town house and into the garden behind it before Sophie could change her mind. The only way for the ruse to be a success was with Sophie's cooperation.

Hopefully, the next time Noelle returned in her disguise, all of Sophie's concerns would be settled.

It had also been difficult to get Sophie to allow Gavin to come and speak to Bliss. Men faced strict rules when visiting the school. Though Sophie was very protective, she had come to see this visit as unwelcome but necessary in order to protect Bliss from future harm.

Once the culprits were rounded up, they'd all be safer.

 

T
en minutes passed before a coach, its shades drawn and its windows painted black, pulled to a stop behind the house.

Noelle held her breath. Dragonflies flitted in her stomach. The large driver, Thomas, was also protector of the courtesans. He climbed down and nodded at Noelle. He had replaced Harold, who'd been Eva's friend, confidant, and protector until he'd married their sister Margaret.

Her heart thumped as Thomas unlatched the coach and swung the door wide. Noelle leaned forward against the gate but could see only a shadowy outline of Gavin in the darkened interior. Her heart tumbled about and her chest tightened.

“You may remove your blindfold, sir,” Thomas said.

Gavin impatiently pulled off his blindfold and pushed to his feet. He paused, hunched over, at the open door and blinked in the sunlight streaming across his face. Noelle realized she was twisting her fingers together and forced her hands to her sides. In daylight, her erstwhile lover was magnificent in black clothing.

He scowled as he climbed from the coach.

Her heart beat so hard beneath her ribs, she was certain he could hear the thumps.

Beneath his stare, she was thankful she'd carefully chosen the color of the dress. The green muslin was edged at the bodice in cream lace and brought out the almost invisible bits of green around the pupils in her amber eyes. She had had Martha upsweep her hair into a soft crown around her head with a few loose strands to frame her face. If she'd thought he'd find her lacking in daylight, there was no indication of that worry as he met her eyes.

From the heat in his stare, she knew he found her more than a little suitable. It was the same look he'd held her in when he'd pushed up her skirts and settled her on his erection, ground against her core, and brought her to release.

Gavin drew her hand to his lips. “My Lady.”

Her heart caught. “Mister Blackwell.”

He held her hand longer than necessary, and it took Thomas clearing his throat to break the spell. Gavin released her fingers and frowned over his shoulder. Thomas settled into a position by the coach and ignored the frown.

“Was all this subterfuge necessary?” Gavin asked. “One would think the queen was in residence.”

Noelle smiled. “Some of our courtesans are fleeing abusive men; the kind of men who don't take kindly to their absence.” She peered at the nondescript brick town house. There was nothing to indicate there were wayward courtesans in residence, and the high hedges along the fence offered a measure of privacy from the neighbors' prying eyes. However, if there was ever any breach of security, Eva would pack the lot of them up without haste and move to another house. She'd had to do that once in the past. An angry baron had somehow discovered the address and made trouble.

“They must know they are safe,” she said. “Miss Eva will not risk a scorned lover hunting down one of her girls.”

“Miss Eva?” His eyes narrowed. “Her name is familiar.” Gavin took in the garden and the house with a sweeping glance as Noelle turned and led him through the garden gate. “I believe I was invited here some time ago, to a party. An invitation I declined. So this Miss Eva is the woman who matches courtesans with husbands?”

The comment took Noelle by surprise. “You are in Eva's book?” How did she not know this?