She felt her temper flare to life. That was exactly why she didn’t want a man in her life. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be available tomorrow, Lord Pope.” At that moment her coach came to a stop before the steps and she left him standing there as she hurried to get in. Burton was inside and his eyes were sharp as he looked from her to Lord Pope. “Later, Burton. For now, I just need to get home and pick your brain.”
***
It was late when Oasis let herself into the inn. She loosened her cape as she entered her room. Making straight for the brandy decanter, she poured herself a liberal amount which she downed in one swallow. She slowly lowered the glass and with a quick flick of her hand, unsheathed her rapier and turned. She sighed when she saw Grace lounging on her bed. She walked over to the table and lit the lantern, a move she immediately regretted when Grace threw back the covers and exposed her naked body. Oasis pointed at the door.
“Get out of here, Grace.”
The girl’s sultry smile slipped a little. “But why? It’s not as if you want me to.”
Oasis groaned. She really didn’t want to. Grace was a good girl and that was why Oasis liked her. Living half of her life in a world full of pretence, she liked to think that there were more people like Grace out there. That was what had always kept her from laying a finger on the girl. She didn’t deserve to be subjected to Oasis’ brand of lovemaking. She knew she was going to hurt the girl, but Oasis needed to do it now and hopefully nip this infatuation in the butt.
“Well,” she sighed as she walked over to the decanter and poured herself a fresh drink. “I hate to disappoint you, but you’re not my type, Grace.” She swallowed the brandy, keeping it in her mouth to wash it free of the hateful words. “You’ve nothing to offer me, but a quick tupping, girl.” Oasis turned to Grace and watched her pull the covers up to her chin. Hating that she was the cause of the look of hurt on the youthful face, Oasis left the room and took the short hallway to the front room. It was Friday and the room was almost bursting at the seams. She caught Gordon’s eye as she walked to the end of the bar and took a seat. He came over and placed a brandy sniffer in front of her. She grabbed it and took a healthy sip. This will be her last one for the evening.
“Something came for you.” A folded note was slammed before her. Oasis frowned. Not many people knew she kept a room here. She looked at the seal and her eyebrow rose. She broke the seal and read the short missive. Afterwards, she sat back.
It seemed like it was business as usual.
***
The next morning, Tia was standing on Anita’s doorstep with a basket of fruit. The door swung open, revealing the mottled face of the dressmaker. It didn’t look like the woman had slept a wink.
“Lady Tia, I didn’t expect you.”
“I know and I’m sorry. I was worried about you and I needed to see how you were doing.” She looked around her. Her presence here was already drawing a lot of attention. “Could I come in for a few minutes?” Anita stepped back, allowing Tia inside while Burton decided to stand watch outside. The small house was neat and warm. As she looked around, Tia realised that a baby would’ve been very happy here. The small fireplace was giving off a warm glow and the empty crib in the corner was evidence of the couple’s anticipation of their firstborn.
“Could I get you something to drink? Tea, perhaps?” Anita looked uncomfortable and Tia quickly took a seat to settle the woman.
“I won’t be staying long, Anita.” She pointed at a chair. “Why don’t you take a seat? I want to ask you a few questions, if I may.” Anita looked confused, but she took a seat. “I know it still hurts to talk about this, but I need to ask you to tell me what exactly happened when you lost the baby.”
“Why?”
“Believe me, Anita. I absolutely hate to put you through this, but it could help you with your grief.” She took the woman’s shaking hands in hers. “Please tell me, so I can help you.”
Anita nodded. “I went to the shop even though I suspected that I was having contractions. By midmorning it was getting worse and I was debating whether I should lock up for the day or not. That’s when Lady Helen came by.”
“Lady Helen, the Marchioness of Gilmore?” What a sickening coincidence.
“Yes. She offered to take me to the closest hospice. I must’ve lost consciousness or maybe… I... I don’t know. But we ended up at her townhouse.” The tears were flowing again. “I remember the labour. The pain…it was bearable, because I knew that I would see my child at the end of it all.” Anita was sobbing openly now and Tia grabbed her hands tightly. “But it was not to be. They told me he was stillborn.”
“Did they show him to you?”
Anita shook her head and inhaled deeply. “Lady Helen said she didn’t want to upset me any further and had asked the…the midwife to prepare the baby for the…coroner.”
Tia’s blood was boiling as she gently stroked the distraught woman’s hand. “I’m so incredibly sorry for what you had to go through, my dear friend. My sincere apologies for upsetting you, but I needed for you to open up and let it all out. Thank you for entrusting me with this.” She slowly came to her feet and embraced the woman. “I hope I can visit again once you feel a little better. I want to make sure that you are doing well.” Anita nodded and Tia made her way to the door to let herself out.
Back in the coach, her anger exploded. “She stole Anita’s baby!”
“What now? How can we prove it?” Burton was gently rubbing her knee to calm her down. “Did you hear back from him yet?”
“Not yet. But the event is in six hours. I pray he gets back to me before then.”
***
The whorehouse was huge and it took Oasis a while to find her quarry. Now that she knew where he was, all she had to do was keep an eye on him. It was not even noon yet and the place was overrun by the male species of the peerage. What would drive a man out of his home and into the arms of a prostitute so early in the morning, she wondered? She acknowledged a few of the lords with curt nods. Some of these men had truly beautiful wives at home. But Oasis was the last to judge. Her own life had not seen the shine of goodness in a very long time. She caught the eye of a beautiful blonde girl and shrugged. She would be the perfect cover. Wading through the smoke-filled room and drunken lords, she made her way over to the woman. She was pretty, but her eyes were sharp and calculating. The look of a hardened prostitute. She had seen and experienced too much for it not to show somehow. Oasis smiled as she leaned closer to the woman.
“How is it possible that the most beautiful woman in the house is left unattended?” She signalled for the bartender to refill the woman’s champagne glass. It was still too early for her and she was here to do a job.
The woman’s blue eyes studied her with shrewd interest. Oasis decided to play hard to get and see how far she could push the ice princess. “Marianne, milord.”
“Benedict, at your service, milady.” He saw her cheeks reddening with pleasure at the form of address. From that moment on, her icy façade began to thaw and she became a most charming conversationalist. They flirted mildly, but it seemed as if Marianne was also aware of the fact that Oasis was not really interested. It broke her heart to find the woman so starved for something as simple as conversation. Oasis made a vow to visit more often to engage the French native in some stimulating dialogue. A door opened followed by a lot of forced giggling and her target stumbled out of the room, half-dressed. He came to the bar and ordered a stiff brandy which he downed thirstily before he made his way over to a brunette lounging on a chaise. She turned to Marianne and smiled.
“He seems to be a favourite with the women,” she noted over the rim of her coffee cup.
“And not because of his sexual prowess, milord.”
“Oh?” She carefully placed her cup on the saucer. “I do not mean to pry, but now you’ve got me interested. Do tell.”
Marianne gave him a half smile as she sipped on her third glass of champagne. The alcohol had made her more talkat
ive, but she still gave him a hard, knowing look. The woman was not easily fooled. Marianne shrugged daintily. “Well, it’s the worst kept secret anyway. Lord George Morris, Marquess of Gilmore suffers from an affliction, which has rendered his seed unsuitable.”
Oasis shook her head, as if in solidarity with her fellow peer, but inside she was celebrating her great fortune of bumping into Marianne. “That must be hard for him.” She took a sip from her coffee, but quickly lowered the cup as if struck by a sudden though. “But his wife is introducing their new baby today.”
“The marchioness must’ve been spending her time with someone else. None of the girls here uses any protection with Lord Morris. He told me himself that he was trampled by his horse during the War of the Austrian Succession in 1740. A misdirected hoof ended his chances of ever producing an heir.”
“This has the potential of becoming quite the scandal,” Oasis noted as nonchalantly as possible.
***
Burton sighed and slammed the book down. “Will you please stop pacing? I can’t concentrate on my reading.”
“Sorry.” Tia took a seat, but her eyes kept returning to the clock above the fireplace. “I have to leave in the next hour for Gilmore House.”
“I know, but it doesn’t help for you to wear the carpet through.”
She sunk lower in the chair and sighed. She looked at Burton as he resumed his reading. She felt like throwing something at his head. Tia groaned in frustration. Come now, Maverick. Why is it taking you so long? She closed her eyes and tried not to think of the time ticking away.
“Milady?”
Tia surged to her feet, startling the young servant girl. “Yes, Anne?”
The girl’s hand shook as she held out the note. “Thi…This came for you.” Tia snatched the note from the girl’s hand and read it quickly.
“Yes!!!” She grabbed the girl close and place a loud kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, Anne.”
An hour later she was in the lavish townhouse of Lady Helen, watching the woman proudly showing off her infant son. Tia didn’t feel any remorse at the moment for what she was about to do. All she could think about was Anita, the way she was this morning, grief-stricken and hollow. This woman deserved what was coming her way. She leaned closer to the nearest woman.
“I’ve heard that Lord Morris couldn’t produce any offspring after his accident in the Austrian War of 1740.” She watched as the woman’s lips fell open in shock and closed again. “If not him, then who could’ve sired Little George, I wonder?”
By the time that a late lunch was served, the event buzzed with the news that Lady Helen had an affair and was trying to cuckold her husband into raising her lover’s child. Tia knew the moment the marchioness got wind of the rumour. She was slurping her cucumber soup when one of her servants entered the dining room. A short discussion ensued, after which the marchioness’ face paled dramatically and she excused herself from the table. Tia left soon afterwards.
It would take decades before the Lady Helen could show her face in public again.
***
Tia scanned through the newspaper and smiled. Justice had been served and The Maverick kept his word. Anita woke during the night to answer a knock at her door, only to find a baby on her doorstep. Strangely, the boy had an identical birthmark to Anita’s husband and it quickly came to light that the marchioness had been behind the switch.
“You look pleased with yourself,” Burton said as he entered the library and walked over to the shelves. He returned the book he had been reading and was skimming through the other titles.
“Yes, I am. Lady Helen has retired to their country estate for an undetermined time. Anita has been reunited with her son and The Maverick proved that he was a reliable ally.”
He turned to look at her and smiled. “Good for you. So, what’s next?”
She smiled as she noisily folded the newspaper. “We wait and see.”
IV
‘The Noble Gladiators’
“Time to get up, milady. You asked me to wake you so you would not miss the morning shift at St. Moira’s Hospice.”
Tia moaned as she pulled the covers over her head. She was not a morning person and the chirpy voice of Sophie was a tad too much to handle so early. She had attended a masked ball at Lord and Lady Hirsh’s home and had intended to leave early to visit with Burton and Janine. But her dance card had filled up quickly and with no cancelations, she had to fulfil her duty. It was well after midnight when she made her way back home. She wiggled her toes and moaned at the pain. She had promised Sister Madeline that she would help out at the hospice and she couldn’t cancel now. She threw off the covers, ignoring a beaming Sophie.
“I’ll have the bathtub filled. Would you like me to send up a tray?”
Tia grunted her answer as she made a dash for the bathroom. She was relieved, when on her return, Sophie had left. There was a knock on the door and a stream of servant girls entered with buckets of steaming water. They curtsied hurriedly as they exited the bathroom.
Two hours later she walked into the hospice, inhaling the strong and familiar scent of antiseptic pine gel. She tried to help out as much as she could but she personally felt it was not nearly enough. A few of the women recognized her and curtsied. She smiled back at them as she rushed down the hallway. Up ahead, a group of nuns exited a room and spotting Sister Madeline amongst them, Tia rushed to catch up.
“Sister Madeline.”
The nuns all turned and after a quick word from their Mother Superior, continued further down the hall without her. The nun smiled when Tia reached her. “It’s wonderful to see you could make it, Tia.” The nun had been her tutor and mentor as a young girl and it would be absurd to expect the other woman to address her by her rank.
“Barely, Sister,” she said as she winked at the old nun. They hooked arms and began to walk down the hallway. “So, what are we doing today?”
The nun’s face fell as she looked around her to ensure they were alone. “We are preparing a small funeral service.”
Tia walked around so she could look into the nun’s face. They were both tall women, so their eyes met and held. “Funeral service? For whom?”
“A group of young boys. Their bodies were discovered three days ago in the woods.” Sister Madeline shook her head. “A very strange find, indeed.”
“What about it was strange, Sister?” Tia lowered her voice and stepped even closer to the nun. “Do…do you think they were…?”
Sister Madeline held up her hand. “I’ve forgotten what an active imagination you possess.” She cupped Tia’s cheek. “What I’m saying is that there is not much information about what happened to them. And I doubt anything will come of it.”
Tia shook her head. “That’s really tragic.” Sister Madeline actually said more than enough, by not saying much at all. The boys were of a poor background and the police would not waste their resources on trying to catch the perpetrators of the crime. She hooked her arm through Sister Madeline’s. “I would like to attend the service, if I may.”
The nun’s eyes brightened. “Of course. Many of the beneficiaries of your monthly contributions to the poor house will be in attendance.”
“Please, don’t tell them who I am.”
“Too late, my dear. Someone already leaked your identity.” She smiled when Tia frowned. “It wasn’t me.”
The washed-out blue eyes twinkled as Tia pursed her lips. She bet the nun knew who did. She really wanted to attend the funeral service but didn’t want to attract attention to herself. Especially not when they would attempt to solve this case. She’ll just have to come up with an excuse when the time arrived.
“Let’s go start our shift, Sister. I’ve been missing the kids these past few weeks.” She always worked with the orphaned babies; feeding and cleaning them. There was nothing as wonderful as cuddling these castaways when they dozed off in her arms. She had never thought of having a child, but over the past year, her work at the hospice was eroding her r
esolve.
They continued their walk. They were just about to enter the wing housing the babies, when Sister Madeline spoke again. “You never talk about a suitor. I refuse to believe that no one has shown any interest.”
Tia cringed. Dark eyes and a strong jaw flashed in her mind’s eye. There was no way she was going to discuss men with a nun. She gave the nun a cool look. “I’m not looking for one.”
***
Oasis grinned wildly as she kicked the horse into a faster run. She had spent the last week and a half at her country estate and she loathed to return to London so soon. Here, she could be herself. She especially liked that she was up at the crack of dawn every day and working alongside her staff. There was nothing more rewarding than falling in her bed at the end of the day, completely exhausted. The routine reminded her of her plantation in Virginia. There, she worked just as hard. London, on the other hand, was The Maverick’s domain. It was dangerous, corrupt and violent. The Maverick thrived in that wicked environment.
She slowed the horse to a trot. Her eyes travelled over the landscape and she inhaled deeply of the fresh air. She had spent her earliest years with her mother in the forests of Europe before they moved to Britain. Then her father bundled her whole Gypsy family on a ship and sent them to Hartfield Plantation in Virginia. His sin of indulging in the pleasure of a drifter woman would be buried in the colonies. But his death came before he could father any legitimate heirs with his noble-born wife. They both perished in a shipwreck off the coast of France. She had to return to claim her inheritance. It was at her mother’s behest that Sylvie and Gordon, the two servants that the old marquess sent along to colonies to ‘keep’ Oasis British enough, accompany her on her trip. Six years in this dank place and with her anger unresolved, she had created The Maverick. The ruler of the London Underground. And the only person that the fair Lady Tia Bellingham, Duchess of Camphor was interested in. She had turned Lord Benedict Pope, down coldly. Oasis sighed. A bundle of correspondence had arrived from her London residence and she somehow knew there would be a note from the beautiful duchess. She hadn’t seen the woman since Lord and Lady Fry’s ball four weeks ago. She missed the spitfire. Suddenly eager to see if there was indeed a missive from Tia, she turned her steed around and rode back the way she came.
Worlds Apart Page 5