by Laura Landon
Hannah smiled. Felicity did over worry about most things, and with the rest, she usually concentrated on the worst possibilities. But where Skinner was concerned, it was always good to be cautious. “Tell Madam Felicity to inform me the minute Delores returns.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m sure Delores is all right. It probably just took longer for the girl to arrive, that’s all.”
“I’m sure you’re right, Elaine. But let me know the minute you hear anything.”
“I will,” Elaine said, then left the room.
When Elaine was gone, Hannah turned to Dalia and said, “If Delores hasn’t returned by the time the auction is over, send every man you can get to search for her. They know where the drops usually take place. Have them start there.”
Dalia nodded, then rose. “I’ll go below and see what I can find out.”
Hannah watched her friend walk across the room, but Dalia stopped before she reached the door. “How many men did you invite to the auction?”
Hannah felt a knot bunch in her stomach. “Four. The Earl of Masey, Viscount Balderford, the Marquess of Referley, and Vicar Waterford, of course.”
Dalia’s brows shot up. “You chose well, Genny. The other three have some of the deepest pockets in London. There’s no way your vicar will be able to outbid them.”
“That’s what I’m counting on.”
Dalia nodded, then left Hannah alone with her thoughts—and her regrets. No matter how this night turned out, there would only be one winner—the man who won her favors for the night.
But she and Rafe would suffer the greatest loss.
After tonight they would lose each other forever.
Hannah walked around the crowded room, playing a part she’d played often in her life—that of Madam Genevieve. Except tonight she wasn’t playing the role; she was living the role. A role she didn’t think she’d ever have to play again. And at the end of the night, she would have to do something she never thought she’d have to do again—be the whore.
“Do you think your vicar might not show up?” Dalia waited until Hannah was away from the crowd to ask her question.
“He’ll be here. He’ll do everything he can to save me. I just have to make sure whatever he does won’t be enough.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Genny. I hope you know what you’re losing.”
“I know who I’m saving. Word will travel fast enough about the price Skinner put on Rafe’s head. By the end of the week, it won’t be safe for him to step out of his house.”
Hannah’s conversation was cut short when Viscount Balderford approached them. The smile on his face showed that he was more than delighted to be one of the few chosen to bid for her favors.
He stepped close and bowed. “Madam Genevieve. Madam Dalia. It is a pleasure to be here. And it will be a pleasure indeed to spend several enjoyable hours in your company,” he said as he focused on Hannah.
Hannah smiled up into his laughing eyes and tapped him on the arm in a teasing gesture. “Only if you are the highest bidder in the auction, my lord.”
“Never fear. I don’t plan on being outbid.”
The determination in his eyes left a lump in the pit of her stomach. The thought of giving herself to anyone except Rafe caused shivers to race down her spine. She reminded herself for the thousandth time that she had to make this sacrifice to save him. Telling herself that this was the only way she could save Rafe was the only reason she would survive this night.
“Then be prepared to leave a great deal of your money on the table, my lord, because Masey has vowed the same.”
“Has he?” Balderford said on a laugh. “If the prize were anyone else, I might consider letting him win. I consider Masey a good friend, as I do the Marquess of Referley. But when the prize is the famous Madam Genevieve, friendship, I’m afraid, falls by the wayside.”
“Did I hear my name mentioned?” Referley said, walking up behind them.
Hannah turned to face the second bidder she’d invited to the private auction.
“You did, Referley. I was just explaining to the beautiful Genevieve that even though you and Masey and I are all friends, any regard I feel for either of you no longer counts. Not when the promise of such a special evening stands before me.”
“Let me assure you of the same, Genevieve. I will not let my friendship for either Balderford or Masey prevent me from parting with as much of the Referley wealth as it takes to win you for the night.”
“What is it you’re boasting about, Referley?” the Earl of Masey said as he joined them. “Are you trying to convince the lovely Genevieve that your pockets or those of Balderford are deeper than mine?” He turned to grace her with a heart-stopping smile. “Let me assure you, dear Genevieve. You have nothing to fear. You will not have to suffer the attentions of either of these braggarts. I intend to have you for myself tonight.”
Both Balderford and Referley laughed.
“Look who’s the braggart,” Referley said, standing tall.
“Not bragging, Referley. Simply stating a fact.”
That caused another uproarious burst of laughter that Hannah tried to ignore. If they had been talking about anyone or anything else, she could have found humor in their boasting. But they were talking about her. Each was bragging that he would be the one who would take her to his bed and use her like the whore she was.
Hannah felt sick to her stomach. And this is how she knew Rafe would feel. Sick to his stomach to know she intended to give herself to a man to whom she wasn’t married. And she didn’t love.
She forced herself to close her mind to that thought and concentrate on playing her part. She was the most desired—and most elusive—paramour in all of London. It was a role she’d worked hard to establish. And tonight would be her finest performance.
She brightened the smile on her face and turned her attention back to the three handsome men who surrounded her.
“I thought there were to be four of us bidding for you tonight?” Masey asked.
“There are.” She looked around the room, thankful Rafe hadn’t arrived yet. She needed another minute or two to prepare herself for seeing him. She needed to steel her nerves for what she was about to do to him—how she would hurt him. Make him hate her.
A weight pressed harder inside her breast. “I’m sure he’ll be here any moment. It’s not yet nine o’clock.”
“Do we know him, my dear?” Referley asked.
“I doubt that any of you do. He’s not a part of the London scene.”
“Maybe he’ll decide not to come,” Balderford joked. “Maybe he’s heard how desperately each of us wants to bed you and it’s frightened him off.”
She forced a laugh. “Perhaps, but I doubt it. He has been one of my most ardent admirers.”
“More than me?” Raferley asked, pretending to be shocked.
“Yes, my lord. Even more than you.”
That elicited another round of teasing laughter.
“All I can say,” Masey countered, “is that if our mystery bidder doesn’t arrive soon, he won’t be able to fit in the room. I expected that your auction would draw a crowd, Genevieve, but even I am amazed at the mob of onlookers.”
“Only because they’re jealous that they weren’t one of the four men given the honor to bid for you,” Balderford said.
Genevieve glanced at the mantel clock and saw the hour hand neared nine o’clock. Her gaze moved to the door as Rafe entered. The Marquess of Wedgewood followed him into the room.
Hannah’s heart died a painful death inside her breast. Her gaze locked with Rafe’s, and she recognized a number of emotions. But the reaction that affected her most was the disappointment on his face when he looked at her.
And she knew that tonight would be the last time she would see him.
Chapter 24
Rafe could feel the excitement the minute he stepped into the room. The anticipation was as palpable as anything he’d ever experienced. The noise level was so intense he kne
w he could roar his frustration as loudly as he wanted and not be heard.
And that’s exactly what he wanted to do—bellow his anger until everyone in the room knew how furious he was at what was about to happen. Then he wanted to grab Hannah by the arm and drag her from the room.
He was desperate to stop her from allowing this to go any further. He knew she was selling herself simply to prove how far beneath him she was, and he wanted to forbid it.
He understood why she’d turned to prostitution after she’d been raped, and he accepted that part of her life. He also knew that she’d repented of what she’d done because of her refusal to sell herself the minute she’d earned enough money to buy Madam Genevieve’s. Because she hadn’t turned to prostitution since.
And tonight he wanted to forbid her to return to that lifestyle because she felt she needed to convince him how unworthy she was of his love.
She was more than worthy. She’d done more good than he could hope to do in ten lifetimes. She’d affected the lives of more children and young men and women than he would ever be able to claim to influence. She’d rescued more children from a life of prostitution than anyone could count. He couldn’t let her do this.
He wouldn’t.
He looked around and found her at the front of the room talking to three men. Two of them he knew, but not the third.
“If those are the men Hannah invited to bid for her tonight,” Thomas said from behind him, “she chose wisely. They are three of the wealthiest men in London. As well as three of the most sought-after bachelors in Society.”
Rafe reached for a glass of champagne an elegantly gowned young beauty offered him and took a sip. “I recognize Lord Balderford and Referley, but not the third. Who is he?”
“The Earl of Masey. He belongs to one of the oldest families in England. Very influential. Very wealthy.”
Rafe studied the three men talking to Hannah, and his blood heated. She’d handpicked these men with the intention of giving her body to one of them.
He studied each of them, then shifted his gaze to look at Hannah. Their gazes locked.
Rafe had imagined the emotions that would surface when he saw Hannah tonight, but he was unprepared for the riotous reaction that engulfed him. He wanted to place a wrap around her shoulders to cover the flesh that her gown exposed. He wanted to hide her exquisite beauty so that every man in the room stopped lusting over her. He wanted to whisk her from the room and save her from debasing herself.
He wanted to forbid her from taking part in this fiasco and be assured she would honor his wishes. But he knew she wouldn’t. For some reason he didn’t completely understand, she was so desperate to separate herself from him that she’d chosen to sell herself.
He kept his gaze riveted to hers as she slowly made her way to where he and Thomas stood.
“Lord Wedgewood,” she said, extending her hand to Thomas. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“Madam Genevieve. Yes, I happened to be in town and thought I’d accompany Lord Rafe, since he was one of the lucky four chosen to bid for your favors.”
Rafe thought he noticed a flash of embarrassment on Hannah’s face, but it disappeared as quickly as it emerged.
“I’m certain he’ll appreciate your advice. Maybe you’ll even suggest that there’s no need for him to risk his money. As you can see from the men he’ll be bidding against, he will undoubtedly be forced to drop out of the game soon after it starts.”
“Is that what you are hoping happens, Madam Genevieve?” Rafe asked.
He enjoyed watching her cheeks darken with a blushing rose.
“If you knew me better, Lord Rafe, you’d realize it hardly matters to me which of the four men bidding for my favors wins. The winner of the prize is of little significance. Just as the prize is of little value.”
The knot that formed in Rafe’s gut nearly made him ill. How dare she play the part of a slut? How dare she attempt to make him believe that letting one of them use her body meant nothing to her? How dare she try to make him believe that she wasn’t humiliated by what she was doing?
A long pause made the tension in the room even more unbearable. Thankfully, Thomas eased the situation. He looked around the room, then turned his attention back to Hannah. “Your event has attracted quite a crowd.”
She smiled. “Yes, it has. It’s been a long time since I’ve offered my services to anyone. Obviously, London’s male population is interested in who the winner will be.”
Rafe couldn’t listen to Hannah degrade herself any longer. He leaned closer to her. “Stop this madness now, Hannah. You don’t need to prove anything to me. If I could take back my words from the other night, I would. I didn’t mean to insult you like I did.”
For a fleeting moment, Rafe thought he saw a flash of regret in her eyes, followed by dark remorse, but he must have been mistaken. Before he could identify with certainty what he saw, Hannah tipped her head back and released a hearty feminine laugh.
“Oh, Vicar! Do you truly believe that you are the reason I am offering my services? Do you think I am taking a lover tonight because I believe I need to prove something to you? Oh, no. Nothing could be further from the truth.” She stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. “No, Vicar. I am taking a lover tonight because I am a whore and I enjoy what I do.”
Hannah’s stomach clenched the second the words left her mouth. What she’d said had a visible effect on Rafe. He blanched as if she’d physically struck him.
Hannah struggled to keep the proud expression on her face, even though pride was the last emotion she felt. “Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me. It’s nearly nine o’clock. The bidding will commence in moments.”
She turned, grateful for the chance to escape. Rafe was not the only one who disapproved of what she was doing. Wedgewood did too. The dark frown on his face told her he did.
She had taken two shaky steps away from them when Wedgewood’s voice stopped her.
“Madam Genevieve. A moment, please.”
She turned.
“May I have a few words with you?”
“I don’t think—”
“Please.”
Hannah filled her lungs with air. “Of course, Lord Wedgewood. If you’ll follow me.”
She led Wedgewood to the far side of the room, then opened a door and stepped into an empty room. Wedgewood followed her, and she closed the door behind them. He spoke before she could turn to face him.
“Perhaps you’d care to explain what’s going on, Hannah. Because none of this makes sense.”
“There’s nothing to explain, Lord Wedgewood. I decided to offer my favors—”
“No, you can use that excuse to Rafe and hope he believes it. And maybe he will. He’s so desperately in love with you he can’t see beyond the hurt you’re causing him. But I am not that affected. Why are you doing this?”
Hannah squeezed her eyes shut while she thought of what to tell her friend’s husband.
“You might as well tell me the truth, Hannah. I’d like to be able to tell Caroline the real reason you’re doing this when she asks.”
Hannah’s gaze darted to his face. “Caroline doesn’t need to know about tonight.”
Wedgewood laughed. “Do you think that’s remotely possible? With six sisters and their connections to London Society, someone’s bound to mention it. I can name a half dozen men out there right now who will relish repeating tonight’s events, including Viscount Carmody’s father and the Earl of Baldwin’s brother. How long do you think it will take Lady Josalyn or Lady Frances to hear the news and tell Caroline? Or Grace?”
Hannah swallowed hard. She had no choice. She would have to tell Wedgewood the reason she was offering herself. Perhaps she could even enlist his help to make sure Rafe left London immediately.
She walked to the sideboard and poured them each a drink. “Please sit down,” she said as she handed him his brandy. The trembling in her fingers felt foreign, strange, unlike her. She was nervous. More nervous tonig
ht than she’d been in years. But tonight was different. Yes, tonight was very different.
Wedgewood walked to the chair she pointed to, then waited for her to sit first.
“Sit, please,” she repeated. “I prefer to stand.”
She walked to the window and left him behind her. She stared out into the darkness, even though she could see very little. “I’m sure Caroline has told you part of what I do here—my attempt to rescue as many young girls from a life on the street as possible.”
“Yes,” he said from behind her. “She’s explained your mission. I find it admirable.”
“Well, not everyone does. Particularly a man named Skinner.”
“I’ve heard of him. And what I’ve heard isn’t good.”
Hannah turned her head and looked over her shoulder. “Whatever you heard was no doubt a compliment compared to his true nature.”
“How is he involved in this?”
“Several…” She paused. “No, most of the girls I’ve rescued are very young. Many of his clients prefer young virgins. That shouldn’t shock you.”
“No,” Wedgewood replied. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t.”
“Those are the girls I try hardest to rescue, before they are ruined. Skinner, as you can well understand, has taken exception to my interference. In fact, when your brother first arrived in London, he followed me when I went to rescue one of the girls I’d heard was arriving. Skinner took note of Rafe’s intrusion and ordered his men to teach your brother a lesson.”
Hannah turned to face Wedgewood. She wanted him to realize how dangerous Skinner was and how at-risk Rafe was. “They shot him in the back, then beat him.”
The expression in Wedgewood’s eyes turned deadly.
“He could have died, my lord. More than once I thought he might lose his battle to survive.”
Wedgewood rose. “That’s why you’re doing this. Because you are worried over his safety. You intend to disgust him so completely that he’ll leave you and never return.”
Hannah breathed a heavy sigh. “There’s more.” Hannah walked to a chair near Wedgewood’s and sat. “Unfortunately, Skinner knows that Rafe is very important to me. To retaliate against me and to stop me from interfering in his business, he has put a marker on Rafe’s head. A significant marker.”