“Yes.” She wrinkled her nose, setting her wineglass carefully on the kitchen table.
“Why didn’t I know about this visit?”
She shrugged, avoiding his eyes. “You were asleep when he called.” She held her breath, wondering if she’d have to explain how Lord Caire had called.
But Winter had other concerns. “Why didn’t you wake me, Temperance?”
“I knew that you’d disapprove.” She sighed and sat in the chair that Lord Caire had vacated. The seat was already cold. She’d known that she would have to have this conversation with Winter eventually, but she’d been cravenly putting it off. “I don’t know why exactly he’s notorious, as you say, but I knew you wouldn’t like me associating with him.”
“So you lied to me.”
“Yes.” She tilted her chin up, ignoring her twinge of guilt. “I made a deal with him. He’ll help me find a patron for the home, and in return I’ll help him find the murderer of his mistress.”
“Indeed?”
She took a deep breath. “I’ve already paid the rent with the money he provided.”
There was a shocked silence. Temperance swallowed and looked down, avoiding the awful expression of hurt on Winter’s face. She was doing this for him, she reminded herself. For Winter and the home.
After a moment, her brother sighed heavily. “I’m afraid you don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself involved in.”
“Don’t patronize me.” She glanced up sharply. “I know that the home will close even if you work yourself to death. I know I can’t sit back and let that happen. I know I can help. I know—”
“Lord Caire is notorious for his sexual perversions,” Winter said, the flat, precise words interrupting her heated speech.
Temperance stared, closing her mouth. If she was a good woman, a chaste and pious woman, the words would repel her. Instead she felt a thrill, low and deep and forbidden. Dear God.
He continued. “Be careful, sister. I cannot stop you, so I will not try. But if I ever think you are in danger, I will bring this matter to Concord.”
She drew in her breath but said nothing.
Winter’s brown eyes, usually so calm and caring, had become hard and determined. “And mark you this: Concord will stop you.”
Chapter Five
Now, below King Lockedheart’s balcony was a stone terrace with a door that led into the castle. In the room inside, there was a very small and very insignificant maid kneeling at the hearth. Her name was Meg, and it was her duty to clean the castle grates. It was a dirty job, but Meg did it cheerfully, for she was glad of the work. But because Meg was so very insignificant, the other inhabitants of the castle never noticed her at her work. Thus she’d overheard more than a few conversations.
So when the king from his balcony above proclaimed how beloved he was, Meg couldn’t help but giggle. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, but by then it was far too late….
—from King Lockedheart
Silence opened her eyes two mornings later and was greeted by the most wonderful sight in the world: the dear face of her husband, William. He was asleep, his full lips slightly parted, his brilliant green eyes closed. Fine white lines radiated from the corners of his eyes, in contrast to the sunburned skin of his face. His nightcap sat slightly ajar over his freshly shaven head. A light dusting of reddish stubble on his jaw glinted in the morning sunlight. Red curls shot with gray peeked at the top of his white nightshirt in delicious contrast to the strong column of his throat. She clenched internally at the sight. She wished she could push aside the nightshirt collar, kiss the base of his neck, and perhaps trail her tongue over his lovely, clean skin.
She blushed at the wanton thought. William preferred their bedsport at night after the candles had been put out, and he was quite right. Only a lustful creature would want to make love in the light of day on the morning after she’d been so thoroughly satisfied by her husband’s enthusiastic efforts the night before.
So she rose, careful to not wake William. She refreshed herself with the pitcher of water on a chest of drawers and dressed quickly before quietly moving into the next room.
The rooms that William had found for them were not very big, but they were quite nicely appointed. Besides the tiny bedroom, they had a sitting room with a hearth on which Silence could cook. In the two years that she and William had been married, she’d made their rooms cozy with small touches: a china shepherdess holding a pink lamb on the mantel, a lidded jar in the shape of an artichoke beside it—Silence liked to hide pennies in there—and curtains on the one window, scrimped and saved for and sewn herself. True, the curtains were a bit lopsided and didn’t altogether close in the middle, but they were a lovely shade of peachy orange that always made her feel like sitting down to tea.
It was a nice home and she was proud of it.
Humming to herself, Silence built the fire up again and set a kettle of water on to make tea. By the time William emerged, yawning, from the bedroom, she had their little table laid out with hot tea and warmed buns and butter.
“Good morning,” William said, sitting at the table.
“Good morning to you, my husband.” Silence placed a kiss on one bristly cheek before pouring him a cup of tea. “Did you sleep well?”
“Indeed I did,” he replied as he broke apart one of the buns. They were only a little burned, and she had scraped off the worst bits. “Amazing how much more pleasant it is to sleep on a bed that isn’t rocking.”
His grin was quick and flashed white teeth, and he looked so handsome it made her breath catch.
Silence looked down at her own bun, realizing she was squashing it between her fingers. She hastily set it on her plate. “What will you do today?”
“I have to oversee the unloading of the Finch. We’ll lose half our cargo to mudlarks if I don’t.”
“Oh. Oh, of course.” Silence took a sip of her tea, trying to hide her disappointment. She’d hoped that he could spend the day with her after so many months at sea, but that was a silly wish. William was the captain of a merchant ship, an important man. Naturally his responsibilities to his ship should come first.
Still, she couldn’t completely tamp down a twinge of disappointment.
He must’ve seen it. William caught her hand in a rare show of open tenderness. “I should have started unloading last night. Had I not such a beautiful young wife, I would have too.”
She could feel the slow heating of her cheeks. “Really?”
“Indeed.” He nodded solemnly, but there was a twinkle in his green eyes. “I’m afraid I was quite unable to withstand your temptation.”
“Oh, William.” She couldn’t keep a silly grin from spreading over her face. They may’ve been married for two years now, but over half that time her husband had been at sea. Each time he returned, it was like a honeymoon anew. Would that ever change? She certainly hoped not.
William squeezed her hand. “The quicker I’m done with my duties, the quicker I can escort you to a park or a fair or even perhaps to a pleasure garden.”
“Truly?”
“Yes, indeed. I quite look forward to spending a day with my lovely wife.”
She smiled into his eyes, feeling her heart flutter with happiness. “Then you’d better eat your breakfast, hadn’t you?”
He laughed and set to the bun and tea. Too soon he rose and finished dressing, donning a white wig in the process that gave him an air of stern authority. William kissed Silence on the cheek and then he was gone.
She sighed and looked about the room. There were dishes to wash and other chores to be done if she were to dally with her husband for a day. She set to work with determination.
Two hours later, Silence was darning a hole in one of William’s white stockings and wondering if yellow yarn had been really the right color to use even if she had run out of white, when she heard running footsteps in the hall outside. She glanced up, frowning.
She’d already risen by the time the pounding came at their doors. Silence hurried over and unlatched the door, pulling it open. William stood in the doorway, but she’d never seen her husband in such a state. He was pale beneath his sunburn, his eyes stark.
“What?” she cried, her heart in her throat. “What has happened?”
“The Finch…” He staggered into the room, but then stood, his hands by his sides, staring wildly as if he knew not what to do. “I’m ruined.”
“VERY GOOD, MARY Whitsun,” Temperance said as she watched the girl place a careful stitch in her embroidery. They sat together in a corner of the kitchen while some of the other children made dinner. Mary’s needlework was exquisite, and Temperance loved to help her with it when she had time. Unfortunately, there was rarely time. “Perhaps we can place you with a mantua maker. Would you like that?”
Mary bent her head lower over her work—the decoration on the edge of an apron. “I’d rather stay here with you, ma’am.”
Temperance felt a familiar pang at the girl’s whispered words. Her hand rose to stroke Mary’s hair, but she caught herself in time and folded her fingers into a ball before withdrawing her hand. It was wrong to give false hope to the girl.
“You know that’s not possible,” she said briskly. “If we kept every child at the home, we’d soon overflow.”
Mary nodded, her face hidden by her down-bent head, but her shoulders trembled.
Temperance watched helplessly. She’d always felt closer to Mary Whitsun than the other girls, though she knew she should not. Temperance had come to help work at the home after the death of Benjamin, her husband. She’d saved Mary Whitsun not long after. The little girl had climbed into her lap that day, sitting there, warm and soft and comforting. At the time Temperance had needed someone to hold. Ever since then, she’d known Mary Whitsun was special, no matter how Temperance tried to fight the feeling.
“Oh, ma’am, you’ll never guess,” Nell cried, panting as she entered the kitchen.
Temperance looked up and arched an eyebrow at the maidservant. “No, I probably won’t, so you had better tell me.”
Nell held out a folded square of paper that she’d obviously already read. “Lord Caire is escorting you to a musicale this evening!”
“What?” Temperance took the paper, opening it blindly. She hadn’t heard from Lord Caire since the night of his injury, and while she’d been terribly worried for his health, at the same time she hadn’t been entirely sure if sending a letter to inquire would be quite the thing. “I don’t…” She trailed off as she read the elegant handwriting.
He was calling for her at four this afternoon. Temperance’s gaze flew to the old clock on the kitchen mantel. The hands read just past noon. She was conscious that the kitchen had become suddenly silent, all the children staring at her.
“Dear God.” For a moment, she was frozen, the missive crumpled in her hand. “I have nothing to wear.” She thought she’d have at least a week to find a new dress!
Nell blinked and straightened like a soldier called to arms. “Mary Evening, you are in charge of the kitchen. Mary Whitsun, Mary St. Paul, and Mary Little, come with me. And you”—Nell pointed a stern finger at Temperance—“go to your little sitting room and take off your dress.”
Nell left with her minions marching behind her.
Temperance looked down at the sheet of paper in her hands, carefully smoothing it straight. Lord Caire’s words jumped out at her, bold and firm. She would see him tonight. She’d accompany him to a respectable entertainment. She’d be on his arm. Oh. Oh, goodness. She felt her cheeks flush at just the thought, and while the majority of her emotions were fear and trepidation, there was a small but very definite part that leapt in excitement.
