“Funny,” Leo snapped, unamused. “Why even mention him then?”
“Because, fool, there’s more than one way to get what we want!” Cirilla said. “Killing Olden would accomplish nothing. I don’t care about some insignificant alderman. I care about Jakob Terras.”
“That’s… a fair point.”
“It’s more than fair, it’s critical.” Taking a sip of her drink, Cirilla leaned heavily on the arm of her chair and smiled. “We’re undermining Terras by humiliating his aldermen, not killing them. Which is why I instructed my agent not to lay a finger on Olden himself. But he laid plenty on Olden’s wife.”
“You seduced his wife ?” Leo asked, flabbergasted.
“Well, not personally,” Cirilla said, with a wry grin. “Though, from my agent’s reports, I expect I could have managed. The poor thing was starved for romance. What’s important, though, is that it happened. And she’s expecting now, too. That’s the other reason I came to visit. Olden is scheduled to hold a campaign rally this evening. Thanks to your friend’s mischief, it’s going to be a big one. Even the count is planning to attend. I figured you might want to be there when my agent reveals how he cuckolded the alderman.”
Leo stood, his drink forgotten along with his enmity. Cirilla Orczy might have manipulated and outfoxed him, but in the span of a brief conversation, she had more than made up for it. Already, her presence had inspired a whole host of schemes until he felt his head might burst from the scale of them.
Closing the distance between them, Leo bent down, lifted the woman’s chin, and kissed her firmly on the lips. Unsurprisingly, she did not return it with equal enthusiasm, but neither did she pull away. Soon, however, Leo did.
“What are we waiting for?” he asked.
***
Leo had never had cause to visit the particular gentleman’s club that Cirilla led him to, but he was aware of it. The Brothers Brook was far from the most exclusive establishment in Ansiri. And yet, as he joined the queue outside its door, he found two reasons for concern.
Or three, if he included the fact that Cirilla’s escorts lingered on the opposite side of the broad avenue.
The first question of note was one of admission. As a baron, Leo could naturally have bullied his way past the doorman, though doing so at such a place would have drawn unwelcome attention. But given the fact that Olden had chosen to host his event here, it was entirely possible that he’d left specific instructions to bar Leo’s presence.
The second issue was Cirilla, herself. While most of Ansiri’s clubs had begun admitting women in the past few years, Leo distinctly remembered the Brothers Brook being one of the notable holdouts. If his fiancée caused a scene, he could easily find himself in the uncomfortable position of having to intervene.
“Stop that,” Cirilla muttered. She glanced at Leo, then took his arm and guided them forward as the line began to move.
“Stop what?” he asked.
“You’re brooding,” she said. Her voice was cold and flat, but there was a teasing gleam in her eyes. “Smile. You don’t want people thinking that you’re here to start a fight.”
“Aren’t we?”
“Not at all. We’re here to avoid one.” Turning from Leo, Cirilla’s face lit up as she regarded the doorman. “Kristopher! So good to see you again!”
“And you, Lady Orczy,” answered the man, bowing. His sternly professional mask slipped for a moment as he held open the door for them. “I do hope you enjoy your evening.”
“We will,” Cirilla said. With the faintest hint of a curtsy, she stepped inside and dragged Leo in after her.
Leo was so distracted that he hardly noticed the club’s interior. He glanced past the red, wood-paneled walls, food-laden tables, and hanging art to survey to people inside. A fair number of them were wealthy merchants or lesser nobles—baronets, mostly—though he did spot a handful of barons lingering on the far side of the room. There was no sign yet of Terras or Olden.
“You know him?” he asked, nodding in the direction of the doorman.
Cirilla hardly looked at him, though she did smile as she accepted a glass of wine from a passing servant.
“Kristopher?” she asked. “Yes, of course. His cousin is one of my ladies-in-waiting. That’s why I told you to stop brooding.”
Leo chuckled, then paused when Cirilla handed over the wine she’d taken. He sniffed it, then sipped experimentally. “I suppose I ought to have known.”
“Yes, you should have,” she said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Scanning the room, she stepped closer and slipped an arm around his. “Good. My man is here.”
“Which one is he?”
“Guess.”
Sighing, Leo sipped his wine. He appreciated his fiancée’s cleverness, but not her sense of humor. He did not doubt that attempting to unravel the mystery would amuse Cirilla immensely. As much as he wanted to remain on good terms with his betrothed, his pride would not allow him to do so at his own expense.
“Where are they?” he said, instead. “They should be here by now.”
Frowning, Cirilla glanced at him. “It’s a good thing you’re not running for office.”
Leo fought the urge to glare at her. Fortunately, he didn’t have to for long. A ripple of polite applause and friendly bows swept through the hundred or so members of the crowd. Leo craned his head for a moment before spotting Olden on the far side of the room. The alderman shook hands and returned bows as he walked leisurely toward an empty pedestal in the corner.
Leo watched the man for a few minutes until a peculiar feeling came over him. The hair on the back of his neck rose and he turned, searching for the source of his discomfort.
He found it almost immediately. Leaning against an identical section of wall, Count Terras stared at Leo with a curiously grave expression. Upon meeting Leo’s gaze, he smiled slightly and lifted his glass of wine in a toast.
Leo did not return the gesture. Instead, he drained the last of his wine and set the empty glass on the ledge formed by the wainscoting.
“They’re both here,” he muttered.
Cirilla did not look at him, though she did squeeze his arm slightly with hers.
“I know,” she replied. “Just be patient and enjoy the show.”
For once, Leo appreciated her admonishment. He was so accustomed to directing and initiating the action; it was almost a relief to be able to sit back and let someone else do the work.
Almost.
“My lords!” Olden bellowed, climbing atop the pedestal. “Goodfellows and loyal supporters! Thank you for coming. It’s an honor to be here with you. And I’m pleased to announce that we’re joined tonight by a dear friend and honored guest: His Grace, Count Jakob Terras.”
This last announcement was punctuated by a dramatic bow and a raised hand in the count’s direction. Again, applause spread through the crowd as many of its members turned in surprise. Several of those nearest the count bowed or toasted with their drinks, a gesture which brought a wide smile to Terras’ face.
“Your man better act fast,” Leo murmured, once the noise began to die down.
“Just wait ,” Cirilla hissed back. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Thank you,” Olden said, gesturing for quiet. Once the crowd obliged, he continued in a smooth, honeyed tone. “As many of you are no doubt aware, in a few short weeks, I will be standing for reelection to the Ansiri City Council. It has been a privilege to serve as your alderman for the last twelve years, and I look forward to many more years representing your interests before the Duke.”
A smattering of applause greeted this announcement, but Leo thought he spied a hint of uneasiness appear on Olden’s face at the lackluster response. Nevertheless, the man handled it well. Smiling wryly, he shrugged.
“Now, I suspect that many of you have heard that I have a challenger this year. And I’m certain you’ve heard the rioters this slaver lout has loosed on our streets! His supporters have disturbed the peace o
f our fair city, assaulted brave members of the Watch, and vandalized your homes and places of business!”
Leo scowled as murmurs of agreement filled the air. By now, rumors would be flooding the streets about the events that had transpired at Nicolo’s last rally. And while most of the city would no doubt side with Nicolo, the fact that so many here accepted Olden’s words without protest irked him. It was as though they’d deliberately shut their eyes and refused to face reality.
“I am forever an optimist,” Olden continued. “I dearly hope that once this election concludes, we will once again have quiet and peaceful streets. But I refuse to gamble with the future of our city. If this rabblerousing scoundrel seizes power, there is no guarantee that he will not further abuse the rule of law. That is a chance I cannot take.
“Some of you have doubtless supported my opponents in the past. Believe me when I say that I harbor no grudges; my previous opponents were men of honor who merely held a different vision for Ansiri. And it is for such diversity of thought that the Council exists! But this man, this criminal , holds no such vision. He is interested in chaos, in violence, and in power for its own sake. I ask you—no, I beg you!—do not make the mistake of believing him a common man of common decency!”
Shouts now filled the air. They were not the impassioned, desperate cries that Leo had heard from Nicolo’s crowds, but were no less vehement. Folding his arms behind his back, he clutched his wrist rigidly.
“Make no mistake, my lords and goodfellows,” Olden bellowed over the crowd. “We may have our differences. And I expect us to have a hearty debate two years from now. But this election is not the time for such squabbling. Now is the time for unity! I believe you to be men of wisdom and foresight. And I ask you to cleave to my cause as a soldier to his general, as a noble to his liege, and as a man cleaves to his wife!”
Under different circumstances, Olden’s words would have drifted right past Leo’s ears. But under the circumstances, the choice of words sent a jolt of adrenaline through him. He glanced at Cirilla and was not surprised to find her grinning fiendishly.
“Master Olden!” exclaimed a voice from the crowd. “I have a question!”
“A moment, please!” Olden called back. “There will be plenty of time for—”
“Master Olden!” continued the man. “How can you speak of marriage when your own wife strays?”
The crowd fell silent in an instant, hushed with excited disbelief. From his spot atop the pedestal, Olden froze as well. Then, face darkening, he leaned forward and growled with sudden venom.
“Who the fuck said that?” he snapped. “Who dares—?”
“I do,” replied the man. Laughing, he pushed forward through the crowd until its members shied away from him like a leper. “I’ve served your house for nigh on two years now, Master Olden. I’ve cooked your meals, cleaned your privy, and fucked your wife more times than I can count!”
Olden’s eyes narrowed as whispers and muffled laughter spread through the crowd. Cursing, he gestured furiously at the man.
“Someone throw this filth out!” he demanded. “I won’t listen to another one of this bastard’s lies!”
“Oh, you want the truth?” jeered the man. “Then how’s this? Your wife prefers my company! That’s why she came to me once you finished your… well, I wouldn’t call it lovemaking. I stretched parts of her that your puny cock never dreamed of! I’m surprised you never noticed! She’s been rather loose lately.”
“Get him out!” Olden roared. He made as if to descend from the pedestal, then hesitated when several of the club’s servants succeeded in reaching the heckler’s side. They seized the man by the arms, laboriously dragging him toward the door.
“And she’s pregnant, too!” the man taunted as he struggled against the servants. “Or didn’t she tell you? I wonder why she kept such a thing hidden? She certainly wasn’t quiet when I took her in your bed! Maybe she—”
Whatever the man had been about to say was lost as the servants threw him bodily from the building and slammed the door shut behind him.
Slowly, every eye in the room turned to look at Olden. The man remained standing on the edge of the pedestal, motionless except for his panting and the slight trembling of his clenched fists. His barely suppressed rage made for such a piteous sight that Leo almost felt bad for him.
Cirilla laughed boisterously, loud enough to draw stares. Squeezing Leo’s arm, she tugged him prominently toward the door.
“Well, I think I’ve seen enough,” she announced in a stage whisper. “I’ve no desire to mingle with cuckolded fools.”
Grinning, Leo bowed in acquiescence and allowed her to lead him toward the door. Before he’d even reached it, several others had taken Cirilla’s cue and begun filing out. Their exit slowed him and gave him time to cast a final, parting glance at both Olden and Terras. Evidently, the alderman had not noticed Leo before and regarded him with outright horror.
Terras, however, was nowhere to be seen.
That fact should have bothered Leo, but he was in far too good a mood to be troubled by something so insignificant. He smirked as he exited the club and listened to Olden’s futile attempts to retain his evaporating crowd.
“Well done,” Leo murmured, once they were safely out of earshot of the laughing, gossiping attendees. He wasn’t conscious of what direction Cirilla was leading him, but couldn’t help but follow. She’d earned it.
“I told you to trust me,” she answered casually. “This isn’t my first time humiliating arrogant men.”
“It’s not?” he asked, brows rising.
Cirilla looked at him but did not speak.
“So what now?” Leo said, hunting and failing to find a different subject. “Should we wait and talk to Olden once the crowds leave?”
“So impatient,” Cirilla teased. Stopping abruptly, she stepped close and walked her fingers up the buttons of Leo’s shirt. “You have no idea how to savor a victory, do you? No. We’ll give Olden a day or two to realize just how hopeless his cause is. Then we strike. I’ll offer him an administrative position somewhere no one has ever heard of him. He’ll take it.”
“How can you be sure?” Leo asked. He tensed at the sound of swiftly approaching footsteps but turned and relaxed when he realized it was only Cirilla’s guards.
A sharp tug on his collar brought Leo back around. Cirilla grinned up at him, her eyes narrow and her bared teeth almost predatory. Pulling his face lower, she kissed playfully from his lips to his ear.
“Guess,” she whispered.
Chapter Twenty
Leo hadn’t intended to bring Cirilla home with him. He’d walked arm-in-arm with her most of the way back to her estate, but rather than turn down the appropriate street, she had merely shaken her head and steered him past it. At his look, she smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.
“I have Lewis and Nat to see me home,” she said. “You’re the one who needs company.”
“I’ll be fine,” he protested, but his fiancée did not even acknowledge his words.
He tried again to be quit of her on the doorstep. As he waited for a servant to answer his knock, Cirilla gestured and sent her guards to wait by the gate. Standing at his side, she waited expectantly.
“Did… do you want to come in?” he asked, swallowing a sigh.
Chuckling, Cirilla took his hand and squeezed.
“Such courtesy,” she teased. “Do you have a spare bed, or will I have to share with one of your lovers?”
“You’re staying the night?” he asked.
“But of course!” she said, eyes twinkling mischievously. “We’ll be joining our houses soon, Leo. I ought to see what I have to look forward to.”
“That’s…” he stammered, then faltered. Scowling, he knocked again, louder.
“Undisciplined servants, apparently,” Cirilla teased. “Perhaps you’ve been too lenient with them. I could… lend a hand. Show you the ropes, as it were.”
Leo imagined he could hear th
e sound of distant, hurried footsteps within and stepped back. Turning to Cirilla, he scowled slightly.
“Stop that,” he said, as the door opened.
“Stop what?” she asked with exaggerated innocence.
“You know exactly what.”
Stepping inside as the door opened, Leo did not even acknowledge Delia. He half-hoped that she would shut the door in Cirilla’s face, but had no such luck. Curtseying, she waited until the woman entered and hastily closed the door behind her.
“Apologies, my lord,” Delia said. “I was helping Brigit with—”
“It’s fine,” Leo interrupted. “Can you prepare a room for Cirilla? She’ll be staying the night.”
“Actually,” Cirilla said, with the same wicked smirk she’d used to announce her plans to say. “You needn’t bother with the room. I’ve seen your bed, Leo. It’s plenty large for the both of us.”
Again, Leo nearly froze. Collecting himself as quickly as he could, he nodded to Delia and watched as the woman hurried back to whatever business had kept her. Only once she had gone and they were alone in the foyer did he turn to the woman who remained.
“What’s this about my bed?” he demanded.
Giggling, Cirilla stepped inside the circle of his arms and practically rubbed herself against him. “Oh, come now, dear,” she teased. “We’re engaged, after all. Where’s your sense of excitement?”
“I thought you had a lover,” he said.
For just an instant, so brief it was almost imperceptible, Cirilla stiffened. Then she drew back, gazing up at Leo reproachfully.
“What wonderful manners you have, Leo,” she said. “I’ve refrained from interfering with your love life. So please return the courtesy. Who I take to bed is none of your concern—or Josiah’s.”
“You’d betray his trust so easily?” he pressed her. “For what? A chance at my bed? I thought this was nothing but a political marriage.”
Again, Cirilla stiffened. This time, however, she made no attempt to disguise the fact. She stared at him coldly, her eyes guarded.
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