by Monica Burns
“You seem determined to think the worst of me.”
“How can I not?” Jane said coldly. “You’ve manipulated my father and me to suit your own ends.”
“I’ve made your father happy,” Irene snapped defensively.
“I won’t deny that. He does seem happy, but it’s your interference in my own affairs that I find despicable.” Jane met Irene’s glittering green gaze with contempt. “But I’ll soon be out of your way and for far less than if you’d not convinced my father to marry me off to a man I barely know.”
“Gratitude has never been one of your better qualities, has it, Jane? I confess I’ll not be sad to see the back of you,” Irene said with a cold smile.
“Nor I you, but perhaps it is important to note that my father is not a stupid man. Blinded by lust perhaps, but he is far from a doddering old fool. He will eventually discover your true nature.”
Jane kept her voice calm and detached as she watched the color drain from Irene’s face. The older woman recovered so quickly Jane couldn’t help but admire the woman’s survival instincts.
“Exactly what are you implying?” Irene demanded harshly.
“I’m not implying anything, Irene,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m simply pointing out that if you continue to play with fire, my father is quite apt to douse the flames without warning.”
“What a smug, pretentious little cow you are,” Irene sneered.
“Think of me what you will, but consider yourself warned.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Not at all,” Jane said with a shrug as she continued toward the door. “Your fate is completely up to you, and I’m certain you’ll manage your future quite well without my help.”
“You’re quite right, Jane, I have no need of your help,” Irene said with brittle laugh. “Although I think you’re in need of a warning as well.”
There was a hard, virulent note in Irene’s voice that made Jane look over her shoulder at her father’s fiancée. Something vicious and malevolent twisted Irene’s lovely features into an ugly mask. Unwilling to reveal how unsettled she was by the other woman’s antagonistic manner, Jane hid the trepidation sliding through her veins. Slowly, she turned to face Irene.
“Warn me?”
“Indeed,” Irene said with a satisfied bob of her head. “I wonder what people would think if they knew your Mr. Lynsted has a propensity for the profane.”
“If you’re suggesting Tobias’ work in the East End is—”
“Good heavens, no,” Irene exclaimed with a derisive laugh. “Mr. Lynsted’s efforts to appear morally respectable serve a valuable purpose when it comes to his indecent and immoral activities.”
“I beg your pardon?” Jane asked in a brittle tone as panic slithered through her.
Her back ramrod straight with fear, Jane eyed the other woman with as dispassionate an expression as possible. How could Irene possibly know about Tobias? Did the woman know about her own activities at La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres? How could she know? Did Irene know the traitor who could expose every member of the club? Jane’s lungs constricted from a lack of air as she struggled with the ramification of Irene’s words.
“It appears your Mr. Lynsted has unusual tastes in bedroom sport, my dear. Naturally I’m sure your horizons will be expanded a great deal when you’re married.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Jane bit out in what she could only hope was righteous indignation. “But if you think to discredit Tobias—”
“How quaint. You’re defending him.” Irene mocked her with a harsh laugh and narrowed her gaze at Jane in a calculating fashion. “Let me guess, you’re in love with him.”
Irene’s words washed over Jane like an icy wave threatening to drown her. Her mouth dry she swayed slightly on her feet. When she didn’t reply, the older woman gasped with laughter.
“You didn’t realize you were in love with him, did you?” Irene exclaimed as she pressed one hand to her bosom and laughed again. “How wonderfully delicious. Plain, Lady Jane Grisham is not only engaged to a reprobate, she’s in love with him as well.”
Desperately, Jane struggled to maintain her composure as the truth of Irene’s words crashed through her with the power of a runaway horse. She was all too aware of her failure to do so as she saw a catlike expression cross Irene’s face. Her mouth dry, Jane remained rooted where she stood as Irene moved toward her. Green eyes narrowed in a fashion she’d witnessed in her father, Jane felt as though she were a butterfly pinned to an entomology board. In the far reaches of her mind, Jane suddenly realized she wouldn’t tell her father of Irene’s deceit. The two deserved each other.
“It seems we both have secrets we wish to keep,” Irene murmured with a pleasant smile. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must let your father know that I intend to return to my own house tonight. I have need of the comfort and pleasures of my own bed. I suggest you retire as well. You’re looking quite indisposed, and you have a great deal to think about.”
Jane didn’t move as Irene started to brush past her. A second later she stiffened as the older woman paused to lean in close to Jane’s ear.
“And remember, my dear, men run like foxes at the first mention of love. So I promise to take great care not to let your little secret escape my lips.”
The conspiratorial whisper doused Jane’s skin in ice as Irene, in a condescending gesture, lightly patted Jane’s cheek. In the next breath, Jane was left standing alone in the library to contemplate her folly and the knowledge that Irene knew Tobias’ secret. She’d never been so terrified in her life.
§ § §
Jane sat in front of the vanity mirror in her dressing room at La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres. Her exhaustion from a sleepless night was evident in the mirror’s reflection. Irene had barely left the library when Jane had fled to her room. From her bed, she’d stared at the moon until it hung low in the sky, desperately trying to deny the truth. Now, the solemn accusation reflected in the dark blue eyes looking back at her made Jane wince. She blinked and turned away from the challenging gaze in the mirror.
How could she have done something so reckless and foolish? Hadn’t her indiscretion with Barnaby taught her how dangerous love was? It was an emotion that could only lead to heartache. When Tobias had first offered to serve her, she should have simply refused or at least revealed herself to him. She’d done neither. It was a mistake she now regretted.
Jane closed her eyes as if doing so would make her troubles disappear. It was a vain effort. Just as it was pointless to deny she loved Tobias more deeply with every breath she pulled into her lungs. Her feelings for Tobias ran far too deep to die as her affections for Barnaby eventually had. Fear had almost paralyzed her into coming tonight, but she’d refused to succumb to cowardice.
Perhaps Tobias wouldn’t come tonight. Jane scoffed at herself for thinking something so ridiculous. He would return tonight. She was certain of it, if only because she’d yet to form any rational explanation for her deception. No, she had an explanation, but sharing her reason meant opening herself up to certain heartache.
From his manner over the past several weeks, Jane believed Tobias had become quite fond of her, but she wasn’t about to fool herself into thinking his affections went beyond that. Tobias was not the sort of man who tolerated deceit, and any affection he held for her would not shield her from his anger.
But it wasn’t his anger she feared. It was the thought of him looking at her with contempt when she revealed herself that made her stomach roil. Yet despite all of her fears, she knew she needed to tell him who Mystère was. Not even the threat Irene posed seemed as dire as her current predicament where Tobias was concerned.
The soft knock on the dressing room door announced Angélique’s entrance. Jane stood up to greet her friend. The Frenchwoman smiled with pleasure as she kissed Jane on one cheek and then the other before taking a step backward. Violet eyes glowing with approval, Angélique smiled at Jane with gleeful satisfaction.
“I was right,” the Frenchwoman exclaimed. “This color is exquisite on you.”
“I shall not doubt your advice again when it comes to fashion,” she murmured as she looked down at the satin material that was the color of an early morning sky just as night surrendered to the day.
“You say that with such enthusiasm, ma petite,” Angélique said with a hint of pique. “What is it that has you so troubled this evening? If you are worried as to whether Tobias will come, you may lay your fears to rest.”
“He’s here?” Jane exclaimed with a horrified gasp. Her reaction was clearly not the one Angélique expected as her friend frowned with a nod of confirmation.
“Oui, does that not make you happy?” Angélique eyed her in confusion.
“Yes…no.” Jane pressed her fingertips into her forehead in a futile effort to clear her thoughts.
“Something is troubling you.” Angélique caught Jane’s hand in hers and guided her to the elegant lounge seat. “Come, tell me what is wrong.”
“Irene knows Tobias has visited La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres.” Jane’s words hung in the air like a fiery explosion as Angélique stared at her with great consternation.
“Impossible,” the Frenchwoman exclaimed fiercely. “The woman’s name is not on my client list, and I would know if she had ever set foot in La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres. Did she say anything about you or any other member of the club?”
“No,” Jane replied with a vehement shake of her head. “She didn’t mention La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres. She simply said she knew about Tobias’ need for something more in the bedroom.”
“If she made no mention of the club, then I am inclined to believe her knowledge is second-hand,” Angélique said with worried look. “There is, of course, always the possibility that someone was indiscreet, and the woman overheard something. However, I think it quite possible Lady Hounslow knows the bâtard we seek. My private investigator is narrowing down possible suspects, I shall have him check for any connections the woman might have to our members. We do not want Tobias injured in any way.”
“Now that I consider her threat more carefully, it does seem more of a vague innuendo than anything else.” Jane said with growing dismay. “Which means my reaction only served to strengthen her suspicions.”
“Irene threatened you? Tobias? Why would she do such a thing?” Angélique’s face darkened with anger. The loyalty her friend displayed warmed Jane’s heart.
“I learned one of her secrets last night, and she learned…” Jane’s voice trailed off as she remembered Irene laughing at her.
“Ah, I see. She knows you are in love with Tobias.” Startled, Jane jerked her head toward her friend, and the Frenchwoman shrugged her shoulders. “You forget how well I know you ma chérie. You were in love with Tobias before you ever agreed to marry him.”
Jane stared down at her hands. Her friend was right. Jane had loved Tobias from the first moment she’d set eyes on him. His greeting had been quietly pleasant as they’d passed in the foyer one early afternoon after his meeting with her father. There had been nothing dramatic about their polite exchange, but his smile had warmed her in a way she couldn’t forget.
From that moment forward, she’d made any excuse she could to ensure she encountered him whenever he visited her father. She’d lost her heart to him without even realizing it. Not even when he’d proposed to her had she acknowledged her feelings for him. Deep inside she’d known it was foolhardy to dream of him reciprocating her feelings. But when he’d approached her as Mystère, she’d unconsciously allowed herself to hope.
“Will you tell him who Mystère is?” Angélique’s quiet question made tears well up in Jane’s throat.
“I don’t know how,” she said with a heavy heart. “I wish I’d never accepted his offer to serve me.”
“And yet you did,” the Frenchwoman said softly. “Listen to me, ma petite. Here in La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres we are all hiding something. Tobias will understand why you did not tell him who you were. He will understand, because whether he realizes it or not, you possess the one thing he desperately needs. You have the strength and power to help him lay his demons to rest.”
“But if he were to discover I love him…I cannot allow him to hold that much power over me.”
“No man, or woman, can ever hold us completely in their power unless we choose to let them, Jane. As I’ve told you before, ma chérie, love is not about submission. It is the willingness to give of yourself. That is a great power and gift, if you allow yourself to wield it.”
Jane didn’t say anything as she considered her friend’s gentle admonishment. Was it possible her love for Tobias would make her even more powerful where he was concerned? Could she give enough of herself to make Tobias yield all of his secrets to her? Would he yield to her tenderness and desire to care for him?
Jane rose from the lounge sofa and walked back to the small vanity. Cool marble brushed the tips of her fingers as she played with the black silk ribbons of the mask she’d selected for the evening. The significance of the mask was not lost on her. It was the first mask she’d ever worn in La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres.
She studied it carefully before she tied it on. Angélique was right. Everyone had secrets here in the club. But some of those secrets could bring her a happiness she’d longed for all her life or a devastation that would shatter her heart. As she turned to face her friend, Jane tried to smile at the frown of concern on Angélique’s face.
“You’ve taught me everything you know, Angélique. If he won’t surrender to me, he’ll not yield to any woman.”
The Frenchwoman’s nod was her only reply, and Jane left Angelique’s private suite without another word. As she walked along the softly lit corridor, Jane remembered her first night at La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres. She’d been in awe of Angélique’s ability to command a lover with nothing more than her own feminine sense of self. It was a power she’d only recently begun to realize she had as well.
Last night, she’d wielded that power, and Tobias had bowed to Lady Jane’s commands. Although he’d done so with amusement, he’d given way nonetheless and with a passion that had left her breathless. It wasn’t until later when she’d been faced with the reality of her feelings that self-doubt had taken root inside her.
The whisper of her gown against the floor’s carpet runner reminded Jane of how Tobias had kissed the hem of her dress before leaving her last night. It had be a gesture of homage and a commitment to protect. It had been a silent vow that he would keep her safe, and it was her turn to do the same for him. She would offer him the ability to slay the demons hounding him, while giving him sanctuary once he’d purged the darkness from his soul.
For the first time since she’d accepted Tobias’ offer of service, she realized the true potential of her power. If she could help Tobias see beyond her mask and recognize that Mystère and Jane were the same woman they might find a small measure of happiness with each other. Even if Tobias’ feelings never developed past a deep fondness for her, that would be enough.
Jane stopped in front of the mahogany paneled door that was her destination. She stared at the brass door knob as she steeled herself for the challenge ahead. Tobias would give way no more easily tonight than he had before, but he’d returned. That had to mean something. She bit down on her lip and nibbled at the plump piece of flesh. In all likelihood, the challenge to possess her without giving up much in return was his reason.
She entered the room, and simply stared at the scene in front of her as she pushed the door closed behind her. Only four or five candles lit the room, and the heavy, sweet scent of jasmine hung in the air. The effect was as warm, sultry, and seductive as a summer evening in a garden. On the bed, she noticed white jasmine petals scattered across the coverlet waiting to be crushed with the weight of their bodies. She wavered between amusement and irritation at his confidence, but the end result was pleasure.
The jasmine was an extravagant gesture as
the blooms were not easy to find at this time of year. It showed his desire to please her, and she recognized it as a small concession on his part. Her gaze settled on Tobias’ hard, muscular body. He stood naked in the center of the room with his head partially bowed, but his gaze respectfully downcast. A tumultuous streak of emotion hummed its way through her veins as she stared at him. He was magnificent. In silence, she moved toward him with slow, measured steps.
In the candlelight, she could see how his muscles were knotted with tension. His stance indicated he was on guard, but he didn’t move as she reached out to trace the hard line of his shoulder with her finger then drag it downward along his muscular arm. How could his naked form be even more beautiful than before? Perhaps it was simply because she’d finally admitted she was in love with him, and it allowed her to see him in a new light.
“I am pleased you returned, Tobias,” she murmured as she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his fingertips. If possible, he became even more rigid. His reaction made her smile, and she glanced down at his growing erection. The fact that she suddenly found it difficult to breathe emphasized that the evening would demand more of her than she’d realized. Beneath her mouth the skin of his knuckles seemed unusually rough, and she immediately examined his hand in the light. Yesterday evening she’d been so preoccupied with tending to his face, she’d not even considered the condition of his hands.
“You’ve injured yourself,” she said in a stern tone.
Jane lifted his head and a flash of elation swept through her as she noted his eyes were still downcast. The feeling vanished as she stared at the side of his bruised face. She’d known she would need to act surprised by his injury, but her horrified dismay was genuine. Logically she’d expected his face to look worse than last night. But the dark, angry purple color that curled around his eye and flowed down into his cheek emphasized just how close he’d come to serious injury. Gently, she tipped his head to better study his injuries.