Page 32 of A Translation of Desire (The Brazen Curators #2)

R ose smiled as she heard Lisbeth’s children arguing with each other in the grand foyer of Seely House. The duchess had brought them with her and let them explore the building while she worked on the club’s finances. Rose suspected she was regretting it now.

“Let it go!” Alice shrilled.

“No!” Jeremy screeched back.

A loud crash echoed through the massive building.

Rose raced from the research room and glanced down from the mezzanine at the same time as Lisbeth.

A sigh escaped from the duchess, who did not appear pleased at all.

Thank goodness, the object they broke was a standard teacup, likely left there by one of the guards while he did his rounds.

They were all lucky it wasn’t one of the artifacts on display.

Jeremy and Alice stared back at them, their eyes wide with horror. Rose glanced at Lisbeth, who looked more exhausted than angry. She had to stop herself from grinning. The duchess’s children certainly added some excitement to her ducal life.

“Mother, we didn’t mean to break it. We’re sorry,” Jeremy said. “We will clean it up.”

Lisbeth nodded, and then her eyes narrowed in on her daughter—the more defiant of the two. “What do you have to say for yourself, Alice?”

The girl stubbornly tilted her chin up. Alice was indeed a mischief maker, Rose mused. Still, she’d grown close to both of them.

“Alice?” Lisbeth prodded.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

Lisbeth nodded at both of them. “Go ask one of the servants for something to clean it up. Do it yourselves. Understand?”

“Yes, Mother,” they said in unison and dashed off to the kitchen.

Lisbeth turned and sighed. “Those two will be the death of me.”

“They are not what I expected.”

An amused expression flitted across Lisbeth’s face. “What did you expect my children to be like?”

“Little proper, serious humans.”

Sadness filled Lisbeth’s face, and Rose said, “I’m sorry if I said something hurtful.”

“No. It isn’t that. My husband was a very proper man. It was something that was ingrained in him. He wanted something different for Jeremy and Alice. What you said would have been the greatest compliment to him.”

Rose was always surprised by the love that emanated from Lisbeth when she spoke of her husband.

When they’d been traveling and working together years ago, she’d been so devoted to Thomas.

Had it been a young woman’s infatuation?

Rose supposed it didn’t matter. Thomas never planned on returning to London, and Lisbeth certainly wasn’t leaving anytime soon.

Rose said, “Your husband sounds like a good man.”

“He was, and we miss him.”

The children came back out with the broom and made a mess of sweeping it up as a horrified servant fluttered around them, ready to jump in at any time.

Jeremy and Alice didn’t ask for help; they did as they were told.

The maid insisted on taking the remnants of the teacup.

Alice looked up at her mother for approval, and Lisbeth nodded.

“You are a good mother,” Rose said.

“I try. Now, I need to take these two home. Will you join us?”

Rose shook her head. “I’m going to stay a bit longer.”

Lisbeth nodded. “Don’t stay too late.”

The duchess descended the stairs, and Rose waved as they all departed. The guard reentered the room after making his rounds in the building, and she said, “I will have a visitor shortly. Please let him up to the research room when he arrives.”

He nodded, and Rose made her way back to the room. She pulled a missive from her pocket, and hope and trepidation filled her. One of the men from the illicit market had responded to her note, indicating that he might have some information. He asked to meet with her at Seely House alone.

She should have let Addie or Lisbeth know, at a minimum, but she didn’t want to raise their hopes.

Rose would meet with the man first and determine what information he had.

Augustus would be furious if he knew what she was doing.

She frowned at her thoughts. He was out of town, and it had nothing to do with him, she reminded herself.

A knock on the door down below interrupted her thoughts. Rose stood and brushed her skirt. She hoped this man would be able to help her find the tablets.

*

Augustus sat with Derry and Devons at the Den, drinking brandy. He’d finally made it back to London after hours on the train. The mad urge to go straight to Rose and tell her how he felt was coursing through him, but it would not be appropriate at this hour. Instead, he’d come here.

Rumor swirled in London that the Den’s third partner was planning to sell his share of the club soon. Augustus wasn’t surprised; Simon Miller, while just as invested, didn’t live and breathe this place like Devons and Derry.

He asked, “Have you found a new partner?”

His friends shook their heads, both sighing. Devons explained, “Everyone who has made Miller an offer doesn’t suit.”

Augustus nodded. “That matters. You don’t want someone attempting to change things too much.”

Both Derry and Devons nodded. Devons asked, “Any luck on the tablets?”

Augustus sighed. “No, I need to connect with Ros—I mean, Miss Calvert—to determine the next steps.”

His friends glanced at each other, and he sighed. “What is it?”

“You do really like her,” Derry said, grinning like a fool.

Was he truly that transparent to everyone who knew him? Still, Augustus didn’t deny it. “I didn’t realize my friends were so interested in my love life.”

“All of London is interested,” Devons snickered.

“I find Miss Calvert to be exceptional.”

Both men’s eyes widened at his declaration.

“The great Duke of Sinclair will finally claim a bride to be his duchess. I have to tell Sophia,” Derry mused.

“Don’t tell her yet. I’m not sure what will come of it.”

“You do plan to woo her, correct?” Devons pointed out.

“You aren’t getting any younger,” his other friend added to needle him.

He glared at him, causing both men to chuckle.

“Asking someone successful in her own right to take on the responsibilities of becoming a duchess is a very serious request.”

Devons shook his head. “That is complete shit, Sinclair. You are one of the wealthiest men in all of England. You can make it work and hire more staff.”

“I have responsibilities,” he bit out.

“So, you will let her go?” Derry questioned.

“I’m trying to be logical about how it will work.”

Donahue, the loyal butler of the Den, stepped through the door, and Sinclair suspected that trouble was brewing at the gentlemen’s club. His stomach dropped, and his heart began to pound when Addie, Diana, and Lisbeth followed him in. Where was Rose?

He, Devons, and Derry knew almost immediately something was wrong. Augustus demanded, “Where is she?”

“Rose has been taken. She met with someone at Seely House tonight. That man knocked out the guards on duty, and now she is missing.”

Addie handed him a note. “This was found in the research room.”

Miss Calvert,

I have information that may be of interest to you. I ask that we meet privately before sharing the details more broadly. I will visit you at Seely House at seven this evening.

Bradford

Fury and concern flared in him. Why the fuck did she do this alone? She knew he would be back by the end of the week. The reckless and determined woman would be the death of him.

“Bradford is from one of the markets we visited together.”

Lisbeth furrowed her brow. “Do you know how to find him?”

“We should visit the market. He won’t be there, but I have no doubt some of the other sellers will have information about him. He seemed to be a regular,” Augustus provided.

“The guards were beaten horribly,” Addie shared, her face also filled with concern.

“We will find her,” Augustus declared.

He wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure them or himself. Fear clawed at his chest. He couldn’t lose her. They had to find Rose. “I need to go to the market where the man is based.”

Devons nodded. “Go and take some of my guards. While you are gone, we will make plans on what to do next.”

Augustus walked towards the door but was stopped when the duchess placed her hand on his arm.

“Please, find her. She is very dear to me.”

Augustus nodded, stopping himself from roaring that she was his entire world. “I will find her.”