Page 9 of Benefactor to the Baroness (The Seductive Sleuths #3)

R osemary was lightheaded from the force of the sensation pulsing through her. She had never shared a moment of such intensity with anyone. She had never known such feelings were possible . It left her scattered, but even in such a state, she knew they could not continue, and not simply because of their reputations. Lady Kerry seemed to care little about what society thought of her, as evidenced by her hosting the ladies’ group, wearing bloomers, and venturing into Whitechapel.

She had intended to lecture Lady Kerry on the proper way for a titled woman to achieve one’s ambitions—through careful maneuvering and manipulation, not direct action—but had ended up nearly swooning into the woman’s arms. The change in plans left her rattled, uncertain what to do next. It was a very unpleasant feeling. She shoved her hands in her skirts and stared determinedly out the window. Only after several minutes had passed did she realize something was wrong. That bobbing light in the distance, barely visible through the fog that had settled over London. She’d seen it before. Several times, in fact.

“I believe we are being followed,” she said.

“What?” Lady Kerry pressed herself to the window. “Who?”

Rosemary pointed to the light. “See that? It’s been behind us since we left the workhouse.”

Lady Kerry cursed like a sailor, making Rosemary gasp. It was easy to forget that the dowager baroness had not always been a lady, that she had started her life on the streets. She should have chastised her, but she felt a secret thrill. Was this how Saffron and Angelica had felt when they had engaged in their own adventures?

It was quite addictive.

“No need for concern,” Rosemary said. “They won’t be able to follow us for long. See?” She tapped on the window. “The traffic is as busy as ever.”

“I can’t see them anymore.” Lady Kerry tilted her body back and forth. “Are they still out there?”

She shifted over. “Look from here.”

Lady Kerry rose shakily to her feet and lurched across the small space to fall beside Rosemary. Unfortunately, the carriage was so tight that even with the other woman leaning toward the small circle of glass, their bodies were in close contact. She felt every inch of Lady Kerry’s thigh and hip pressed against hers, despite the many layers separating them.

“Do you see it?” Rosemary asked. Her voice was raspier than it should have been, but Lady Kerry did not appear to notice.

“Yes,” Lady Kerry said tightly.

“I suppose they might not be following us,” Rosemary said, forcing herself to consider more reasonable possibilities. “It might be a coincidence.”

“No, it’s us they are after,” Lady Kerry said. She leaned further out the window, giving Rosemary a lovely view of her rear. After more than a minute of staring, imagining what might lie beneath the soft layers of Lady Kerry’s silk and cambric gown, Rosemary forced her gaze to her feet.

Lady Kerry hissed in a breath. “There’s something on the door… A crest, I think.”

“What does it look like?” Rosemary asked before almost smacking herself. There was no need to ask, as she could see for herself. She peered out her own window, but it was too late. Their pursuer had vanished.

“Do you think it was Mr. Newton?” Lady Kerry asked.

“Why would he follow us?” Rosemary asked, trying not to think about how Lady Kerry’s waist and arm were tucked close to hers. If Rosemary adjusted her hand, she could twine their fingers together…

“Maybe it was the blackguards who have been kidnapping children from the street,” Lady Kerry said. She bit her bottom lip. “My ship leaves tomorrow afternoon. How am I going to get the children out of the workhouse before then? The criminals might already have taken them.”

Rosemary shoved her hand into her pocket before she could do something unwise. “As for that, I might have an idea.”

*

A rap at her cottage door had Rosemary rising from her seat and wiping away the tears of mirth that had sprung at the corners of her eyes. Lady Kerry, it turned out, was an entertaining guest. Neither of them had mentioned what had happened in the carriage, which was perfectly fine with her. The less she thought about kissing Lady Kerry, the better.

When she entered the hallway, Nelly was already opening the door to several guests. There was her niece Saffron, wearing a very proper pink-and-cream day dress embroidered with white flowers. Saffron’s husband, Leo, stepped into the cottage behind her, his hands shoved into his pockets. He was dressed in all black, as was his usual style, and had tied his long, golden hair back with a strip of leather. He flashed a rakish grin that would have sent many society ladies swooning but had no impact on Rosemary.

“Move, Leo,” a feminine voice said. “Some of us would like to be out of the rain while the sun is still in the sky.”

Leo took Saffron’s elbow and stepped away from the door to reveal another pair of guests.

“Lord and Lady Lowell,” Rosemary said, dipping into a curtsey. “It is an honor.”

“I will have none of that formality,” the raven-haired Marchioness of Lowell said, with a swish of her scarlet, cambric skirts. “It is ‘Olivia,’ for you, as always. Saffron described your situation in such terms that I could simply not resist joining. The Summersby family certainly gets into all manner of fantastic situations.”

“We are here to assist,” the Marquess of Lowell said as he stepped behind his wife and clasped his hands on her shoulders. “Forgive my wife, Mrs. Summersby. She sometimes forgets she is forbidden to seek adventure without me.” His eyes twinkled, although she couldn’t see much of his face beneath his wiry, black beard.

Rosemary’s throat grew. She hadn’t expected all of them to respond to her call for help.

“Glad to see you again, Thel,” Leo said as he clasped arms with the marquess. The two men were nearly the same height, towering over everyone else in the room. Lord Lowell’s hair was as dark, whereas Leo’s was light, a pattern echoed in reverse in their suits.

“Likewise,” Lord Lowell said with a grin. “You must bring Lily to visit Charmaine. My youngest daughter is nearly too much for her governess to handle without a playmate to tire her out.”

“You can reacquaint yourselves later,” Olivia said as she ushered the two men inside. They had to duck beneath a beam in the ceiling, and in doing so nudged a bookshelf full of figurines Rosemary’s husband had given her throughout their three-year marriage. She lunged forward, arms outstretched, but Olivia beat her, catching a delicate, white ceramic fox in her palm before setting it back in place.

“Thank you,” Rosemary said.

“Of course,” Olivia said. Then she tugged off her glove and swatted her husband and Leo with it. “Brutes, the both of you! You must have more care in a lady’s home.”

They wore matching expressions of chagrin, like children having been reprimanded by their mother for coming home caked in mud. They reminded Rosemary so much of Basil. The boy had been a bundle of trouble, even drawing his sisters into his antics. She had struggled to contain their collective energy and had often resorted to convincing their governess to chase them up and down the stairs to tire them out.

The sound of footfalls drew Rosemary out of her bittersweet memories. She turned to find Lady Kerry standing in the entrance to the drawing room, her hands clasped at her waist.

Rosemary walked to stand beside the baroness and gestured toward the new arrivals. “Lord and Lady Lowell, and Lord and Lady Briarwood, may I introduce the Dowager Lady Kerry. Lady Kerry, it is my pleasure to introduce the Marquess and Marchioness of Lowell, and Viscount and Viscountess Briarwood.”

Lady Kerry curtsied. “My lords, my ladies.”

Lord Lowell snorted. “Don’t ‘lord’ me. It’s just ‘Thel.’”

Rosemary sniffed. She was willing to accept that level of familiarity with Leo as her niece’s husband, but not with Lord Lowell.

Lady Kerry rose from her curtsey with flushed cheeks.

Olivia placed her hand on her husband’s arm. “We mustn’t make Lady Kerry uncomfortable, my dear.”

Lord Lowell bowed slightly. “My apologies. You can call me whatever you wish, Lady Kerry.”

Leo flicked open the first button of his suit jacket. “Any friend of Rosemary’s is a friend of mine. Tell us what you need, and we will help you.”

Saffron stepped forward and took Lady Kerry’s hands. “My husband is correct. I am very pleased to meet you.”

Lady Kerry’s eyes went so huge, she resembled an owl. “Y-Yes, of course. Thank you. I-I…”

The shine in Lady Kerry’s eyes coupled with the way her throat worked made butterflies take wing in Rosemary’s chest. She smiled at her guests. “Please take a seat. My maid will bring out refreshments.”

Saffron and the men exited the room quickly, but Olivia remained for a moment longer. Her eyebrows lifted and lips quirked in a manner that made heat rise to Rosemary’s cheeks. But before she could say anything, Olivia followed the others.

“Thank you,” Lady Kerry whispered. Her face was splotched with red, and tears dripped down her cheeks. “We can save the children.”

Presented with such emotion, Rosemary’s words of reassurance vanished. Lady Kerry was so much like Saffron, caring more about others than herself. The two of them would make great friends.

Lady Kerry wiped her tears away with a flick of her wrist, then said in a much steadier voice. “Thank you, Mrs. Summersby.”

“Of course,” Rosemary whispered. She wanted to say more, to reassure Lady Kerry that everything would be fine, to draw the woman into her arms and—

Where had that thought come from? She had told Saffron she intended to convince Lady Kerry to consider more logical paths to accomplish her goals, not become emotionally involved.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.

“What alternative do we have?” Lady Kerry sighed. “I will not abandon Annie and the others.”

“You could focus your attention somewhere else,” Rosemary said. “Between Lord Lowell and Leo, we could—”

Lady Kerry shook her head. “No. Going through the proper channels would take too long. I have to leave for Halifax tomorrow and I… I know what it’s like to be abandoned.” She straightened. “We should join the others.”

Rosemary obediently followed Lady Kerry to join the rest of the group, who were lounging around Rosemary’s oak dining room table. Leo stretched his legs, but Lord Lowell was not so lucky. He sat with his knees coming nearly up to his waist. This earned a giggle from Saffron until Olivia swatted her.

“What manner of difficulty are we facing, then?” Olivia asked. “I do not want to remain away from home for too long.”

Saffron touched her arm. “I understand. They are hard to leave at such a young age.”

Olivia shook her head. “Between my stepdaughter, nieces, nephews, and now Charmaine, our house is so full of children, I can hardly descend a single set of stairs without tripping over some toy or bauble.” But the glimmer in her eyes suggested this was not something that bothered her. Then she smiled at Lady Kerry. “I apologize for my impatience. Please, tell us what we can do to help.”

“Oh, I understand completely,” Lady Kerry said, all in a rush. She glanced at Rosemary, gulped, then continued. “You see, there is a, well, a business that I’ve been visiting for months using—I mean acting on behalf of the foundation, and…”

Lady Kerry’s bumbling attempt at describing their problem in socially acceptable terms was both adorable and frustrating. Adorable because every time the baroness tripped over a word, she waved her hands around in increasingly frantic motions. Frustrating because this awkward Lady Kerry was entirely different from the confident woman who had spoken at the charity group, and they didn’t have time to navigate such trivial issues as manners. So, when Lady Kerry paused, Rosemary said, “The Whitechapel workhouse is holding four orphans hostage.”

Lady Kerry’s jaw dropped open. Olivia squealed. Saffron gave a resigned sigh.

“I will spare you a description of the place.” Rosemary shuddered. “You do not want to know the conditions those children are kept in. All you need to know is that Mr. Newton refuses to give them up.”

“Can we not just pay the man?” Leo asked, reaching into his pocket. “If it is only a matter of money…”

“I tried that,” Lady Kerry said. “He threw my money back at me. I believe someone is putting pressure on him.” Her shoulders slumped. “As much as I don’t want to believe the foundation is involved, I’ve proof that unrecorded children are being shipped to the foundation’s branch in Halifax. It must be one of the city’s gangs. I fear they are getting paid per child, much like the foundation pays me to secure orphans, although I have no idea why.”

“Ah,” Leo said. He cracked his neck. “We could track down the blackguards. It’s been an age since I had a chance to fight.”

“A fight?” Lord Lowell perked up.

Saffron put a hand on her husband’s arm. “Absolutely not.”

“We can sort out the mystery later,” Rosemary said. “For now, we have to concentrate on getting the orphans away from the workhouse. You have a place to bring them, do you not, Lady Kerry?”

She was willing to play her part in the rescue, but she was not a nursemaid or a governess. She was not interested in revisiting her past and taking responsibility for children, especially ones who likely required far more care than she could provide. Basil’s rebellious nature and eventual accidental death had proved that she lacked the tender touch required to be a proper guardian.

“The foundation keeps a well-guarded house by the docks,” Lady Kerry said. “That is where the orphans we collect for the relocation scheme stay until they are deemed ready to make the journey to Halifax.” She looked at her clasped hands on the table. “But Mr. Newton might not let them go easily.”

“So, we break in and take them,” Leo said.

Olivia grinned. “A midnight escapade? Yes, I would very much enjoy that.”

“We will do what we can,” Lord Lowell said. He met Leo’s gaze, and the other man nodded.

“Ideas?” Leo asked. “How shall we retrieve these children without tipping off the fiendish Mr. Newton?”

Lady Kerry blinked rapidly. “You really mean to help?”

“Of course,” Olivia said. “What did you expect? That is why we came.”

Rosemary stepped closer to Lady Kerry, who seemed to be on the brink of bursting into tears again. “Tell us what to do.”

As if the words had flicked a toggle inside her, Lady Kerry’s expression cleared. “Mr. Newton knows Mrs. Summersby and me, but if someone else were to distract them, we might be able to sneak in and retrieve the children.” She paced the room. “We would need a large, and discreet, carriage. Perhaps two. And we’ll have to wear clothing that won’t slow us down.”

“This is marvelous!” Olivia said. She bounced to her feet, raised her arms, and twirled. “For one night, we become common thieves.”

Lord Lowell grasped his wife’s hands in his own, then spun her into his arms and dipped her. The sight was terribly romantic and made Rosemary smile. She had rarely met a couple who were so open with their affection.

“We can use the Briarwood carriage,” Saffron said. She took her husband’s outstretched hand and rose unsteadily to her feet. “It is less conspicuous than that gold monstrosity of yours, Olivia.”

Lord Lowell and Leo both laughed as they led their wives back to the entrance. Lady Kerry made several more attempts at thanking the assembled group, even following them outside. At last, it was only Rosemary and Saffron standing in the doorway.

“I was pleased when you told me you had made a friend in Lady Kerry,” Saffron said. “But are you certain that is all this is?”

Her raised eyebrows made Rosemary wonder if she hadn’t been as discreet in her previous relationships with women as she’d thought. But the lack of censure in her niece’s voice was reassuring. She hadn’t been sure how Saffron would react until that moment, nor had she understood how much relief it would give her to know Saffron didn’t disapprove.

Rosemary swallowed past a lump in her throat and smiled. “We are friends, nothing more.”

Even if she wished otherwise.