by K T Grant
“I don’t take many walks. It’s nice to get out and about with you,” Rose said.
Lily’s cheeks grew warm from Rose’s compliment. “This is a lovely park. I wished I knew about it sooner,” she said as she glanced around. The greenery and trees were lush with bushes and colorful flowers.
“You always lived on the eastern side of the city. Here is where more of the working class resides,” Rose responded lightly and began walking again.
Does she think I’m a snob? Shaking her head, she rushed up to Rose and slipped her hand through Rose’s arm. Surprise and then delight spread across Rose’s face.
“I’m ashamed to say I’ve barely came to this end of Charleston while married to Beau. He wanted to make a name for himself after the war and made certain we interacted with people who had money and prestige.”
Rose snorted. “Oh yes, how could I forget Beau’s obsession with being respected and reviled at the same time.”
Lily gave Rose a confused stare over the bitterness she heard in her voice. If anyone should be bitter, it should be her. Whatever had Beau done to Rose?
“If anyone knows Beau’s faults, it’s me.” Lily squeezed Rose’s elbow in consolation.
“Forgive me.” Rose halted and faced Lily with an apologetic expression. “I should be more aware about what I say, especially when it involves your husband.”
“I don’t mind.” Lily shrugged. “Maybe you can give me more insight on Beau and why he acts the way he does.”
“Have you heard from him lately?” Rose asked and started walking again.
“Only through his lawyer. On Tuesday I meet with Beau where we’ll go over our assets and start the process of terminating our marriage.” Lily’s throat tightened and she moved her parasol closer to her face to hide the tears forming in her eyes.
“I assume Beau will give you a hefty settlement?” Rose asked and peeked under her parasol.
Lily shook her head. “He better. He owes me that at least.”
“Good. That’s what I’m expecting.”
“Why? So I can finally move out of the Delights and find my own place to stay? You want to get rid of me already?”
“Not at all,” Rose said strongly, with a hint of worry. “Remove that idea from your mind this instant.”
“Dear Mrs. Ware, I’m not going anywhere yet,” Lily replied in an easy tone.
Rose closed her parasol and tapped the pointed edge on the ground. “You must think I’m a ninny. I don’t have many close female friends and I’ve come to think of you as one. I-I’m glad we’ve grown close.”
A prickling warmth covered Lily from head to toe. Who would have thought a lady like herself would be pleased as punch to have a brothel madam think of her in such a way?
“Fiddle faddle.” Lily waved her hand around. “Your staff at the Delights love you.”
“But they’re paid servants. Most of them wouldn’t give me the time of day if they were in a different situation.” Rose sniffed and opened her reticule.
“Oh, Rose, don’t say such a thing,” Lily said and waited as Rose wiped her eyes with her handkerchief.
“Blast it all to hell. I’m usually not so weepy. I blame it on the recent letter Georgette sent me.”
“Georgette?” Lily asked, intrigued.
“Ah, Georgie…Georgette is my daughter.”
Lily’s jaw dropped and she froze. Daughter? “Wh-what?”
Rose blew her nose and took hold of Lily again and made her way down the path to the exit of the park. “You didn’t know? Beau must have told you.”
“He never did. If he had, I would have remembered.” Lily closed her parasol and clenched her fists around the handle.
Rose shook her head sadly. “Georgie lives with my sister Caroline in New Orleans. She’s just turned fourteen.”
“She’s not,” Lily swallowed. “Beau’s?”
Rose laughed and covered her mouth. “Oh, dear god no. Beau is most certainly not Georgie’s father. The last time he saw her, she was only an infant. Her father died before she was born.”
“I’m so sorry. I jumped to conclusions—”
“Why apologize? If I were in your shoes, I would have asked the same thing.”
Lily chewed on her lip and then cleared her throat. And awkward silence fell between them. Rose stared at a large, brick mansion on the corner across the street.
“Georgie and I write each other once a week and I’m due for a visit. It’s been nine months since I last saw her and she’s slowly transforming into a beautiful woman. I’ve missed out on most of her childhood and would like to be there as she enters adulthood.”
“Why can’t you do that? You must make a tidy sum from the Delights?” Lily asked.
Rose half-shook her head. “I’ve done well for myself, but I’m not ready to retire yet. But I have a plan to speed things up.” She gave her a shrewd look. “Perhaps you can help me with it?”
“Is this in regards to the proposal you mentioned earlier?”
“Yes. See the vacant mansion over there?” Rose pointed to the boarded up four story building overrun with vines and plants. The outside balconies were in desperate need of a coat of paint and the roof required fixing as well.
“It’s quite large,” Lily stated.
“It has over thirty five rooms with a seventy foot domed ceiling and a forty foot covered glass skylight, including an awe inspiring entrance hall triple the size of the one at the Delights. I want to buy it. For a long time I’ve wanted to expand my business and buy another property where men and women can gamble and whore the night away if they so desire.”
“Like a gaming hall?” Lily asked, thinking back to when she used to read those Gothic novels when she was younger and the hero either owned such a place or visited one.
“You could say that. The only gambling is done on riverboats. Why not take over this building here and transform it into a type of exclusive club where one would pay an exorbitant fee to be a member of? This would revitalize Charleston and the economy. I already met with someone at the town hall to discuss the venture and explained how my club would create new jobs and put money back into the city. All I need is a backer, a partner to help me with the rest of funds needed.”
“And you want me to be one of your backers?”
“Only you, Lily. No other. There’s no one else I trust,” Rose responded.
Lily rubbed the tip of her finger over her mouth, her chest constricting from Rose’s honesty. “That’s why you asked me about my future settlement from Beau.”
Rose nodded and leaned back against the lamp post with her arms folded behind her. Her stance caused the upper globes of her breasts to emerge over the top of her dress. Lily took a moment to appreciate the sight until she heard Rose cough.
“Sorry, I was woolgathering,” she replied feebly.
Rose smirked and gave Lily’s chest a quick peek. “You’re sharp and intelligent. That’s exactly the type of person I want to have for a partner. And imagine how Beau will feel when he finds out you’ve taken his money and invested it with me? He’ll be mortified.”
“I’m not sure I like that look in your eyes.” Lily stated, uneasy over the penetrating, almost malicious stare Rose gave her.
Rose’s eyes dimmed a little and a blush stained her cheeks. “I tend to get over excited. That’s one thing you should know about me.”
“When it comes to buying things?” Lily asked although another, more personal question lurked in her mind concerning Rose and her ways in the bedroom.
“With most things.” Rose’s eyes grew heavy. “It all depends who’s there to witness it.”
The persistent tingle in between Lily’s legs that had been unrelenting since last night grew to an almost fevered pitch. She shifted her legs and decided to change the conversation. This current one wasn’t doing anything for her disposition. “We’ve gotten off the topic. I need to know the true reason you want me to be a part of this. Is it a way for you to get back at Beau
for whatever wrong he’s done to you or do you think I would be a welcomed asset?”
“A little of both.” Rose moved behind Lily and rested her chin on her shoulder as she lightly grasped her hips.
Lily grew startled by the open display, then calmed when she noticed the sidewalk and street were empty.
“You survived during the war based on your wits alone. You don’t need a man like Beau to protect you any longer. Why not show him and all those who turned their backs on you that you’re better than them? You’re a fighter, Lily Dunne just like me. Let’s make a go of it together and set the city on fire.”
Lily glanced at Rose, her cheek rubbed against Rose’s smooth one. “You know my maiden name,” she replied softly, wonder filling her voice.
Rose’s warm breath brushed over the side of Lily’s throat. Her face grew warm and she considered the house that could help her with a bright new future.
“I know more about you then I let on. I’ve…come to care for you and there’s no one else I’d rather have as a business partner.” Rose squeezed Lily’s hip. “What do you say?”
“I’ve lost so much already. What’s one more thing? My Papa always said I was reckless and didn’t think things through. I can count this endeavor with you as one more thing to add to that list.”
Lily allowed Rose to turn her around. She slightly jerked from Rose rubbing her hip. She didn’t back away, but continued standing there as the warmth of Rose’s skin seeped through her dress.
“This is not recklessness on your part. And you don’t have to worry about thinking things though. I’ll do all the work for you. All I need is some of your money and for you to say yes.”
A laugh left Lily’s mouth. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you’re a con artist looking to steal my fortune.”
Rose’s lips twitched. “If you need letters of recommendation about my reputation, I have a house full of women who will support me, as well as the many gentlemen who reside here in the city.”
Lily giggled and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be surprised if I go ahead and do that.”
Rose grabbed hold of her hand. “The suspense is killing me. Do you accept my offer?”
“There’s a great deal more to talk about. Perhaps you need to work on convincing me some more.”
“Oh really? How about this?”
Rose pulled Lily in close and without forewarning, placed her mouth on Lily’s lax one. Shock filled Lily from head to toe as Rose’s skillful lips sucked gently over hers. She gasped and her tongue tangled with Rose’s. She swiped over her bottom lip and then the inside of her cheek. Lily fell back against the lamppost and dug her fingers into Rose’s arms. She moaned softly and tilted her head to get better access to Rose’s mouth that continued moving around hers in deep strokes. Their breaths mingled and Lily inhaled, shuddering almost violently as her knees locked together and her inner thighs compressed against one another to stop her juices from wetting her legs.
Rose finally broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against Lily’s. Her nipples tightened and her cunny swelled with the demand to be petted and touched.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment I saw you at the Marelton.” Rose licked her lips and brushed her fingertips down Lily’s cheek.
“Really? I had no idea?” Lily said through her heavy breathing.
“I’m good at hiding my feelings.” Rose moved her face away and placed her palms against the middle of Lily’s chest. “Why, Miss Lily, I do believe your heart is racing.”
“Why shouldn’t it? You gave me one of the most amazing kisses I’ve ever received.” Lily linked their fingers together.
“I have a hard time believing you, but it’s a nice compliment nevertheless. So, have I convinced you I’m true and can be trusted?”
With my money or with my heart? Lily stepped aside and contemplated the house again. It gave her an excuse to pull her head together and control her racing heart.
“I’ll have to sign a contract?”
Rose’s touched her lightly on the back. “Of course. Everything will be documented and signed. You can even have a lawyer look over the papers. I insist.”
“I should know how much Beau means to give me when I see him. I can count on it being a tidy sum.”
“Now, I don’t want to press you. I understand if you had other plans for the money.”
Like leaving this heartless city and running away where no one knows who I am? Lily released a watery sigh. She suddenly felt like crying.
“Lily?” Rose asked in a careful voice and then when her arms came around Lily again, she fell back against Rose, content to be held, regardless if anyone saw them.
“Have you given any thought to what you would name the gambling den or club?” Lily asked and stared down at her hands.
“I think Lily’s Rose has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
Lily wiped under her eyes and gave Rose a big smile. “It sounds lovely. I’m almost speechless you would have my name first.”
Rose’s shoulders lifted. “You have a beautiful name. It’s very feminine.”
“Much like yours,” Lily responded and blinked away the tears remaining in her eyes. “Men might find the name too floral for their tastes.”
“They don’t seem to mind visiting a place called Rose’s Delights,” Rose replied dryly.
Lily pulled her arm through Rose’s and motioned for her to walk. “I’d like to take a closer look at the building before I sign anything. Let’s discuss decorating the inside and fixing the outside, as well as when we should expect our club to open.”
“See, already thinking like a business woman,” Rose said proudly and patted Lily’s hand.
Lily glowed under Rose’s compliment as they both walked back to what she had come to think of as her home. As Rose chattered on about their club, tentatively named, Lily’s Rose, she nodded and smiled, even though on the inside her heart felt like bursting all because she had become undone from one passionate kiss. And if she had to sign her name on a contract to receive more of Rose’s kisses, so be it.
Chapter Seven
After she and Lily had a light snack and Lily excused herself to take a nap, the letter came. Rose recognized Margaret Anne’s perfectly curved handwriting. She had a stack of letters hidden in her desk filled with grandiose words of love and devotion. But Margaret Anne was smart, never signing them with her name and only with the letter ‘A’. She did so because Rose had once called her by her middle name in a moment of passion and it stuck. Rose wanted Margaret Anne to become unstuck to her. She’d become a nuisance that needed to be taken care of and quickly before Lily found out.
Ah, Lily. Most likely wearing nothing but a short negligee as she sleeps undisturbed. What would she do if I interrupted her nap and climbed into bed with her?
Tapping the envelope against her chin, Rose grinned and walked over to the window. It had been such a lovely day walking with Lily and finally kissing her. Lily had tasted as sweet as she imagined she would be and she had to stop herself from pulling her into her bedroom and kissing her more, which would lead to them becoming naked. But she had to take her time and wait until Lily signed the contracts for the club. Then she would know for certain Lily wasn’t going anywhere. They could celebrate their new partnership with champagne poured over parts of their bodies, licking it off...
“What in the world is she doing?” Rose shook her head as a familiar woman wearing a huge bonnet on top of her head and her face covered with a veil threw stones up at the window. They pinged against the glass and Rose stuck her head out.
“Margaret Anne, stop!” she hissed down below, glad her sitting room faced the back of the house and not the front.
“I need to see you now,” Margaret called up and lifted the veil away from her face. Tear marks tracked her cheeks and her eyes were bloodshot.
Rose examined the closed door to Lily’s bedroom. When Lily didn’t come rushing out, she relaxed.
“Stay where
you are, I’m coming down,” she said and walked across the room and out into the hallway. She stomped down the staircase where she gave Jo and Clinton a terse greeting as she passed them both on the second landing. She didn’t stop to question why Jo’s lips were swollen or why a disheveled Clinton, his shirt hanging outside his breeches and his hair unkempt, bracketed Jo against the wall. She had more pressing matters to deal with at the moment, mainly concerning an emotionally unstable Margaret Anne Bourdieu.
When she hit the ground floor, she hurried down into the kitchen and out the back door and up the steps. Margaret Anne stood near the arbor, twisting a wrinkled handkerchief. Her fretting demeanor vanished and her face glowed as Rose made her way over to her.
“Rose! It’s been far too long since I’ve seen you!”
Rose took hold of Margaret Anne’s elbow and pulled her around the side of the house where bushes hid them from view. She longed to shake the woman in front of her but settled on glowering at her instead.
“Margaret, we’ve been over this many times before. You can’t come like this during the day. What would Nigel do if he found out?”
“Annie. I’m your Annie, not plain old Margaret. Everyone calls me Margaret and I’ve become sick of it.” Margaret Anne stomped her foot and wiped her dripping nose.
“You’re a mess,” Rose said, not bothering to conceal her repulsion.
“I haven’t been sleeping or eating. Why won’t you answer my letters?”
Rose winced from the whining tone in Margaret Anne’s voice. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with her now.
“I’ve been busy—”
“Busy fucking Odell’s whore of a wife?” Margaret Anne snarled and her nostrils flared in near rage.
“Lily Odell is a guest in my home and will be treated with respect. And as any friend would do, I’m helping her during this rough time.” Rose kept her voice calm and controlled. “You shouldn’t listen to such vicious gossip. You could easily be on the end of such talk if your precious friends ever found out you were fucking a genuine whore.”