by Eliza Lloyd
Mary slipped through the door and the room grew quiet except for the crackle of the constant cooking fire. She slipped an arm around Imo’s waist and kissed her forehead. “We missed you, dear. We all feared the worst until the note arrived.”
“I was just about to tell the boys what happened.” She started with the trip to Newgate, for which Danny berated her. He cursed when he found out Tiny had used Frank’s imprisonment to kidnap Imo again.
“I ended up at a place called Jade House. I don’t need to say in front of Charlie what kind of a home it was, but Tiny was there. So was Jack.”
“Jack? Your Jack?” Danny asked.
“The same.”
“Would someone please tell me who this young man is?” Mary asked.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Fitz. I did a lot of things for money before we came here. I met Jack one night and, well, he kind of came around more than once.”
Mary pursed her lips. “Your mother would be very disappointed.”
“Yeah, well, I’m disappointed my mother died, but we had to eat,” Imo said.
“Don’t be harping on Mary. She just asked,” Danny said.
“Me and Jack made an agreement. He would try to help Frank in exchange for what he’s always wanted.” She gave a direct stare to Danny to impart the words she couldn’t say in front of Mary and Charlie. “He’s at Newgate now,” Imo finished.
“Imogene, there’s no hope for Frank. He’s a dead man.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Did Jack promise he could help?” Danny asked.
She tilted her head at Mary and Charlie and made a face, trying to get Danny to shut up.
“Mary. Charlie. I need to talk to Imogene alone.”
Mary understood the nuances of the conversation. She tugged on Charlie’s shoulder and pushed him from the room, but came back herself.
“Well?” she said.
“He’s at Newgate right now, so yes, he did promise me and he fulfilled that promise,” Imo said.
“If he did, he was lying just to get you in bed with him. He can’t do a thing for Frank. Jeez, Imo, at least you could have gotten money.” Danny rolled to his back and pressed his hand to his side.
“He promised me money too.”
“Did he give it to you?”
“Not yet.”
“I thought I taught you better.”
“I did it for Frank. There wasn’t enough time to get what needed to be got,” she said. She did it to save her own life and she did it because she regretted missing the opportunity to be with Jack. “He said he would try. Not that he would for sure help Frank. That’s something and more than we can do.”
Mary interrupted. “What’s done is done. We have to decide what to do from here. How long is your agreement with this gentleman?” she asked. Mary might be pragmatic now but Imo knew Mary wanted better things for all the Farrells.
“Almost three months.” Imo didn’t want to tell them that the gentleman was going to throw her to the street once he got married. She didn’t want to think that far ahead. For now, a rich man was going to provide for her. A mansion with a warm fire and a bath was more than she’d dared hope for.
“I can’t stay here,” Danny said. “Not with what happened to Frank. If Tiny is still looking for you, I’ll only put you in danger. At least Jack can protect you from her.”
“It’s a crying shame, that’s what it is,” Mary said. They chatted more as the tension eased, everyone accepting that Imo would be a kept woman and turning a blind eye to her bleak future. Danny’s future was just as uncertain.
“I have money upstairs I can give you,” Imo said.
“What about me?” Charlie asked. He’d peeked his head back in the room, somehow knowing all of this affected him too. Imo glanced at Danny, who glanced at Mary.
“Well, you’ll stay here with me, of course. Ain’t no life for a boy to be running wild. You’ll be safe with me,” Mary said.
“And I’ll visit at least every other day and in three months we’ll be back together again,” Imo promised. She didn’t think Jack would mind, and if he did, she’d make it up to him. When she had Jack’s money, she’d be able to provide for them, but not here in London. Someplace with water, someplace clean.
At last they decided Danny would stay at least another week at Fitzroy Square with Mary. Imo thought they would all see things clearer once Danny healed, she settled in with Jack, and they knew for sure what would happen to Frank.
Imo suspected Danny had promised a week because by then Frank would be hanged, unless Jack found a way to save him.
When it was time to leave, Danny reminded her, “Don’t get your hopes up with him. You do what you promised and you walk away with the money. Don’t look back. He may be a fine gentleman and he may treat you right, but in the end you ain’t part of his world. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“Since Mam died you ain’t loved nobody. He’ll hurt you that way and not mean to.”
“That ain’t true. I love you boys.”
“What I mean is you ain’t loved nobody new. You ain’t loved nobody that was just yours. You’ll be his whore, Imo. Don’t give him anything he ain’t paying for.”
She understood, but she thought the warning came too late.
* * * * *
Jack could almost see Imogene’s smiling face as he took the stairs two at a time. He could also see the tears spilling from her eyes when he had to tell her he’d failed.
Even though he’d warned her of the probable outcome, she’d placed faith in him and his money. She didn’t understand the system. Jack understood the complexities, unfairness and judicial prejudices against the poor more thoroughly this evening. All he wanted was to wash today’s grit and grime from his body.
Imogene met him at the door, still barefoot but wearing one of her new dresses. A simple pink sheath designed for wearing during the day and one which suited her perfectly.
Her fingers twisted together and her gaze searched his face.
God, she was so beautiful. He hated that her first request of him resulted in failure. From what she’d shared of her life, she’d had little in the way of lucky breaks. Even her becoming his mistress wasn’t turning out to be such a fortuitous event.
“Don’t make me wait, Jack. Just tell me the truth, no matter how awful.”
So like her.
“I need a few things before I tell you about my day. A kiss to start with. Do you mind?”
She forced a smile and surrendered to his kiss. Jack could get lost in the embrace, but they stood in the foyer where two footmen guarded the hall near them.
“Imogene, would you wait in the library for me? And pour a drink, please? I’ll be along shortly.”
Pressing her lips together to prevent whatever it was she wanted to say, she turned quickly and hurried to do his bidding. For once. He didn’t doubt that the moment they had privacy, her questions would flow nonstop.
He turned to Vernon, the footman who’d accompanied Imogene this morning to Fitzroy Square.
“Well?”
“It was much like you said, Mr. Davenport. She told them about...her arrangement with you. After some hubbub, they seemed to think it best. The older brother is leaving town in a week, after his wound heals, I believe, and there was some general concern about the youngest boy. Don’t know what they decided, other than Miss Farrell promised to visit every few days.”
“That’s all? She didn’t request anything else?”
“No, my lord. We were back well before lunch.”
Jack pulled a coin from his jacket. “Thank you, Vernon.”
He assured himself he was justified in spying. He had taken a certain risk bringing her into his home. But he thought it best to find out now if he had a Judas on his hands. A beautiful Judas, to be sure.
She paced in front of the fireplace and turned as he entered the room.
“I did all I could, Imogene.”
She put her hands ove
r her face for a moment. He waited for some signal—a sob, a scream—something that said she understood. Slowly, he approached.
“I need to tell my brothers.”
He sank into the cushioned chair and held out one hand for her, beckoning her to join him. Imogene’s supple, rounded parts slid into his lap, her arms entwined about his neck. Filling his arms, she was better than the drink he wanted.
“I’ve never talked to a slimier, more dishonest bunch of thieves and liars in my whole life than I did today. Some of them should be behind bars. The barristers pointed to the judges, the judges pointed to Parliament. The system was a mess, but all of them concluded that because of unimpeachable testimony, Frank was guilty of the crime. They would not allow for the possibility a more sinister plot was involved.”
“Poor Frank. I could kill Tiny for this. And I still might.”
“Then, this afternoon, I talked to a man who, for the right price, could arrange for transportation instead of hanging.”
“Transportation? To where?”
“An Australian penal colony. Botany Bay.”
“I’ve heard of it. I think it’s a bad place.”
“It is. I didn’t want to make the decision, so I arranged to talk with Frank.”
“You saw him?”
“Yes. He said to tell you it was his decision, and that if it was possible he’d rather have a maybe death than a certain death.”
“Peter, Paul and Mary!” she said. “So he’s not going to hang?”
“I think being transported might be worse.”
“If Frank is alive, he’ll find some way to land on his feet. He’s clever and sneaky and tough. He’ll make it. I know he will.”
She put her hands over Jack’s ears and made him look at her. Watery eyes gazed into his. “I will owe you for the rest of my life. Whatever you had to pay, I want you to take it from what you were going to give me. And for the rest of my life, I will love you.”
Imogene crawled out of his lap and between his legs. Within a moment, she had his trousers open and her mouth over his cock. The day was forgotten. The trouble past.
And he’d thought he’d have to comfort her tonight.
Simple, uncomplicated Imogene. He would be happy to accept love like hers anytime.
Chapter Five
Joy, relief, gratitude—Imogene’s tangled emotions were bouncing around inside of her and the only way she knew how to express them was to do something she knew Jack enjoyed. Frank wouldn’t be hanged!
Last night she was tied to Tiny’s bed at Jade House. Tonight she was tied to Jack with bonds that transcended mere physical pleasure. Again, she recognized her lack. If she had enough of the right words, she could tell him how she felt so he would understand.
They reached her bedroom and a light supper followed, brought up by two of the footmen. She smiled at them, appreciative, and their ears turned red. Jack dismissed them with a bossy word.
Imogene wasn’t used to so much food and she didn’t feel the need to eat, so she watched Jack instead.
“Did the modiste treat you well?” he asked as he sliced a piece of bread.
“She was yammering about length and yardage and tucks and I told her just make the damn dress. Well, she seemed kind of put out, so I let her measure and it tickled every time she ran that cold tape around me. Then she showed me pictures of this and that, and I pointed to what I liked and she said she thought I’d look good in red and I told her I don’t like red ’cause it looks too much like what the whores at Vauxhall wear and I thought she was going to spit the pins right of her mouth.”
“So you chose pink?” Jack regarded her with a thoughtful expression while he chewed his potatoes.
“She brought two dresses with her and I liked this one, so it didn’t make any sense why she was here so blasted long. But it was too tight here.” She cupped her breasts. “And too wide here.” Her hands found her waist. “Then she snips a bit, puts a thread to needle, and now it fits.”
“You look lovely,” he said.
Imogene’s face went red. “You think so?”
“And I’m sure you’ll look just as lovely in the other dresses she is making for you.”
“Others? No, I told her I just wanted one.”
“Well, since you’re my mistress and you live in my house, you’re going to have several.”
“How many? Do you know how damn hard it is to keep clothes clean?”
He set his fork on the table. “Imogene, you have servants to take care of your clothes. You need to let them.”
“But I’m used to taking care of myself.”
“Imogene, how old are you? Do you know?”
“’Course I know. I’m eighteen, give or take.”
He nodded. “Give or take a year?”
“No, just a month here or there. You can ask my brother; he was there for my whole life. He knows.”
“That would be Danny?”
“Yes,” she said. “You remember. Danny’s real smart. Like you. ’Course, he don’t have education. You’d like him.”
Imogene sensed his growing disinterest in the conversation. His gaze looked more and more toward her breasts in the low-cut dress. She’d already bathed twice today. So far, a tub full of hot water overflowing with big bubbles was her very favorite thing about being a whore.
Or maybe it was her second favorite thing, because she liked having Jack best of all.
“What are we going to do tomorrow?”
“Do? Well, for starters I’m going down to the docks to check on a shipment of goods that just came in.”
“Twenty Acres?”
“Yes.”
“And then where will we go?”
“Then I’m having lunch with my parents, as I do every Wednesday.”
“And after lunch?”
“Probably I’ll go to my club, followed by a return here to prepare for an evening with my fiancée at my best friend’s family’s home, the Shiffingtons.” Jack draped his napkin over the table and pushed back his chair.
The look on Jack’s face made her doubtful, but she plunged forward. “What time will we leave for the docks? It’s been months since I’ve been there. I can see all my old friends.”
“No, Imogene. You cannot go to the docks. It’s dangerous and there are people who know Tiny and would be happy to tell her that we were seen together. I won’t take that risk.”
“And your parents?” Her hopes for time with Jack dwindled to a pile of ashes. As pretty as Jack made shagging sound and as much as she didn’t mind being his mistress, she had to remember she was just here for the fucking.
“No. I’m sorry. You’ll find plenty to do here tomorrow.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have asked. I’m unsuitable to meet them.”
“Imogene, it’s not you. A man doesn’t introduce his mistress to his parents unless it can’t be helped. Especially when that man is engaged to a young lady whose family has close ties with his own.”
Imogene wanted to know everything about his fiancée. She would certainly be more educated and talented and connected, but was she more beautiful too? Imogene fought against her heathenish background. When someone threatened another’s well-being, that someone did something about it. Usually not-nice somethings. Only this was Jack’s fiancée and Imogene entered into their agreement knowing he was to be married. Whoever the woman was, Imogene needed to pretend she didn’t exist.
And pretending would only make her miserable.
So Imogene did the one thing she knew pleased Jack. She eased from the chair where she’d been perched. The dress buttoned from behind, so she presented her back to him. “Could you undo me?”
“As you’ve already undone me, I’d be happy to.” From behind her, Jack moved close. His hands skimmed over the material and worked at the buttons. The dress gave way, revealing her shoulders.
The modiste had stuffed Imogene into a tight undergarment that pinched and pulled. She had requested a maid help her take it off ear
lier. If that was what aristocratic ladies wore, she could do without.
“You’re no slave to fashion, are you, Imogene?”
She heard the laughter in his voice and didn’t mind. At least he wasn’t cross with her. His lips settled on her neck and she closed her eyes.
“Be patient with me, Jack. I’ll try to do better, I promise.”
“For what I have in mind, you’ll do fine. Better than fine.”
Cool air caressed her skin as the dress slid off her arms and down her body. Jack’s hands skimmed along her shoulders and over her chest, settling under her breasts. His lips nipped at her ear before he whispered, “You have the most beautiful breasts I’ve ever seen.”
Imogene turned in his arms. His hands slid over her bottom and he clutched her arse, pulling her into his erection. She worked at his cravat and then shoved his jacket down his arms. He loosed Imogene long enough to shake the clinging material from his arms.
She stepped out of the dress, feeling guilty for a moment as she left the pile on the floor. It was her new dress.
“Leave it,” Jack said and guided her toward the bed. He ripped his shirt over his head. At some point in the day, the bed had been made. The cover from last night was gone and a thin, soft one was in its place. Jack pulled back those same blankets and Imo crawled underneath.
He sat on the bed and toed off his boots. Imo knelt behind him and pressed her breasts into his back while wrapping her arms about his neck. He then wiggled from his tight trousers before pulling her into his arms. Falling with Jack on top of her, she landed in the soft thickness of the bed. She liked the bed for loving, just not for sleeping.
“You can count on one thing tomorrow. Each and every second I am gone, I’ll be anxiously waiting to get back inside you.”
Imo opened her legs for him and he settled between. Subtle, slow pressure built as he pushed into her body. Nothing hurt tonight. His mouth settled on hers, opening and invading. Braced on one elbow, he cupped and kneaded at her breast.
Hazy pleasure filled her. Being with Jack was pleasant. Just having him inside her and over her made her think she was protected and cared for, even if the truth was that he was buying her services.