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B eatrice wrinkled her nose as the smell of stale ale and sweat filled her nostrils. She picked up her skirts to step over what she hoped was a sleeping man.

She let out a sigh of relief when the man didn’t stir when her heel landed next to his head.

She didn’t know if she should stop and check on him or if she should continue on her mission.

With a quick look around she noticed the square was becoming more crowded as the night dragged on. She was running out of time.

With one last look at the man she heard a soft snore escape through his lips.

“Oh, thank God, he’s just lost to his cups.” Beatrice gathered her skirts and skittered to darkened alley in between two rows of rundown homes.

She leaned up against one wall to settle her nerves. She tugged at her sleeves and felt the familiar square of paper tucked into her right cuff. Knowing it was there gave her the courage to sneak out during the midnight hours on her journey.

Beatrice peeked around the corner and squinted, trying to read the numbers on the buildings. Her mother always warned her against reading in dim light, she cautioned Beatrice it would lead to bad eye sight.

Beatrice chuckled to herself.

Her mother would lose herself to fits of apoplexy if she knew where her youngest daughter was. She was brought up to be a shining diamond in polite society. Her etiquette and elocution lessons were designed to make her the most desirable and respectful woman a Duke’s money could afford.

She looked down at the dark clothing she wore and her now muddied shoes. Well, at least her late father’s money could afford her new clothes. Hopefully, her brother-in-law, the new Duke of Graynor would allow her a small allowance for new shoes.

After making sure no one was paying attention to her, she slipped back out into the main square to find the building number that was written on the piece of paper safely tucked in her cuff.

She had a moment’s thought to take the paper out and look at it, but it would prove pointless.

She could recite the address under immense duress.

She had no doubt of her memorization of the address, she had been staring at it for the past 48 hours, ever since she caught wind of the party and her plan took shape.

She weaved in and out of the crowd, going with the flow to not cause any unwanted attention to herself. She only lifted her head to quickly look at the numbers on the buildings before she dipped her head again to conceal herself within her hood.

People began filtering through random doors, some had a man standing in front of them, others were unguarded.

Her fingers itched to pull out the paper to look at the address again but she didn’t want to risk losing it. Besides, she knew the address by heart. 112 Water Street.

“108, 110…” she whispered as she passed each door. She came to a stop where 112 should have been, but instead of a building she found an empty lot.

She looked back to the thinning crowd and unease crept up her spine. With a crowded street this area didn’t seem too untoward but as the people dispersed into buildings and the streets emptied, she began to see why the area was known as a part of the slums.

Beatrice shook off the nerves and turned to head further down the street when she rammed into a wall.

A wall with arms.

Beatrice looked up, and up, and up some more, until her eyes finally met the annoyed ones of a man much taller than her.

“My apologies, good sir. I didn’t mean to run into you.”

A corner of the man’s mouth quirked up. He was wearing a mask that covered his eyes leaving a sharp nose and strong jaw on display.

She had seen several masks as she made her way down the road.

Beatrice ran through the directions she was given by her maid, at no time was she told she would need a mask.

Hopefully, he was not going to the same party she was.

“Good man?” The man laughed. His eyes drank her in causing her to blush. “You are obviously in the wrong part of town if you think anyone here is good.”

Beatrice huffed and pulled her coat tighter around her. “My mistake.” She dipped her head and took a step to the side. The brute of a man matched her step.

“Isn’t it a bit late for you to be out? Shouldn’t you be tucked away in your warm bed by now, dreaming of white nights and ivory towers?” The man’s voice teased.

Beatrice rolled her eyes, though she doubted the man could see them with her hood pulled over her.

“I’m of no concern of yours, sir. Now, let me pass or else I shall scream.”

As if called on cue, a scream sounded from behind her startling her. She jumped at the sound and found herself clinging to the man in front of her.

His hands seemed to react on instinct and held her towards his body. The scream had melted into a fit of feminine giggles.

Beatrice realized her hood had fallen in her haste when she looked back up to the man.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… the scream startled me.” The words tumbled from Beatrice’s lips. She had read many books of midnight dalliances with strange men. She often wondered how she would react if she ever caught herself in a similar situation.

Little did she know she would feel completely out of sorts and woefully unprepared.

The man shrugged. “I’ll never complain about having a beautiful woman in my arms.

When he reached up to brush a stray curl off of her face she noticed a thin scar that ran along the man’s hand.

“So tell me, mistress of the night, what has you out and about in the devil’s hour?”

Beatrice bristled. “If you must know, I’m going to a party.”

The man’s eyes lit up. “A party you say?” A wolfish grin widened on his lips and Beatrice was sure he could hear her swallow.

She could only shake her head. Her nerves were getting the better of her.

The man looked past her to the now empty street.

“Well, I don’t see a mask so you’re not heading to the establishment I am enroute to.

And the houses along this street are particular about their invitees…

” The man took a breath as he looked her over again causing little pricks of electricity to fire off in her blood.

She lowered her head, hoping the dark of the night would hide her blush.

“I assure you, sir, I have an invitation, it’s just my first time at this particular party and I was just making sure I was in the right area. But I am, so you can leave me be.”

Dark eyes narrowed on hers. “I have no doubt this is your first time.”

Beatrice rose an eyebrow in defiance. “Again, just as my plans, my experience is none of your concern. Now, good day, er night.”

Once again she tried to step around the man only for his arm to jut out and stop her from moving.

“Have you even kissed a man before?”

Embarrassment and horror bubbled within her. “How dare you ask a lady such things!”

The stranger’s laugh echoed off the surrounding buildings. “As if I needed any more proof that this is definitely not the place someone like you should be, you just gave it to me.”

Beatrice’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean, someone like me?”

The man gestured to all of Beatrice. “You. All of you. You are far too young, naive, and innocent to be traipsing around Water Street this time of night.” The man looked up into the night sky. “Actually, any time of day to be exact. Come, I’ll see you to the main road.”

He took her by the elbow and started her towards the way she came.

Beatrice pulled from his grip and stood her ground. “No. Thank you for your concern, but I am more than capable of handling myself. I have gotten myself this far haven’t I? I may be new to the area but I am not new to this type of scene.”

Beatrice crossed her fingers beneath her overcoat. She had hoped the fake bravado she mustered was enough for this man to leave her alone.

She didn’t even care about the party any more.

Truth was the more she stood within this man’s presence the more her senses became aware of her surroundings.

Every scrape of litter that skittered across the street raked down her spine.

Her heart beating within her chest sounded like a bass drum between her ears.

Even the curious smell of sweet and smokey infiltrated her nostrils.

What is that smell?

It was much more pleasing than the first smells she encountered when she first reached Water Street.

Beatrice gave herself a little shake to bring herself back to the moment. She could not afford to be mindless on a desolate street with a masked stranger.

She had every intention of leaving after this conversation but her stubbornness would not let it be because a man told her to.

The man tilted his head. “Yes, look at you. All alone, unchaperoned on one of the most dangerous streets in London talking with a masked man twice the size of you. Well done. Your parents should be proud.”

His words dripped with sarcasm. Beatrice rolled her lips and thought of her options.

There was no doubt in her mind this man had the ability to pick her up and sling her over his shoulder and carry her out.

But what if he didn’t carry her back to the main road?

What if he carried her off to a hideout where he planned his nefarious deeds.

Beatrice sighed. She was starting to sound like her older sister. Their mother constantly berated them for reading too much. Once again, her mother proved right twice in one night. This did not bode well for Beatrice.

“What if I just tell you the address of where I’m going and you see me there?”

The masked stranger held up his hand before she could continue. “Because you should not be at any parties that are being held on this street, regardless of what you’ve been told.”

Beatrice scoffed. “How do you know I am not aware of the goings on in these parties.” She lifted her arms. “I’m here, aren’t I? I’m well aware of what I’m walking in to.”

The man’s laugh was getting on her nerves. “What’s so funny?”

“You.” The man said as he picked off a phantom piece of lint from his jacket. His demeanor was cool and collected, as if he were having this conversation in a parlor on a Tuesday afternoon not in a desolate street smelling of piss and ale.

“You nearly choked from swallowing your tongue when I asked if you had ever been kissed by a man and you expect me to believe you are not only aware of what is happening behind those doors but are willing to participate in it?” The man’s snort was adding insult to injury.

“Again, I don’t see how it is any of your concern.” She bit out through gritted teeth.

The man considered her words. “You called me, ‘good sir,’ so it is only right that I act the part.”

Beatrice was unmoved. “So if I called you a dirty scoundrel you would have acted accordingly?”

His eyes sparkled with mischief that had Beatrice taking a step back. Curse her and her loose tongue.

“We’ll never know, will we?” He purred.

Beatrice sucked in a breath before letting it out. He was playing with her.

“What if I offer you a trade?”

Beatrice narrowed her eyes. “A trade?” He was definitely playing with her. “What could you possibly give me that I would want and what would I be trading?”

“You allow me to escort you back to the main road and away from Water Street…”

Beatrice folded her arms over her chest. “And?”

“And I’ll give you a kiss.”

Beatrice let out a laugh. “A kiss. From you?” Her laughs came out in little puffs of air against the cool night. “How is that a trade?”

The man took a step closer effectively stopping her giggles. She tilted her head up to meet his eyes. “Because then you can at least say you got a taste of what one of those parties had in store.”

Beatrice sputtered. Defiance settled at the tip of her tongue, ready to spat a disgusted response in his direction when the tiny square of paper scratched at her wrist.

My list.

“I agree.”

The man’s face matched her own surprise.

“You agree?” The man questioned.

“Are you changing your mind? Is your word not good?” She chided.

The man’s features darkened at her insinuation. “I assure you, little mouse, I say what I mean.”

He towered over her as he stepped into her space. Her eyes trailed up his broad chest, past his well-defined jaw line and stopped when they met his doubting eyes.

“As do I, good sir.” The words barely left her mouth when his lips crashed down onto hers.

She felt the pressure of his tongue pushing against her lips and throwing caution to the wind she opened allowing him in.

Their tongues crashed against each other as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. She moaned into his mouth when he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tighter against his hard body.

She shifted in his grasp, emitting another moan which had the man pulling back from her.

Her heavy lidded eyes blinked up at him, trying to refocus on the world around her. The tips of her toes were brushing the ground beneath her.

His grip began to loosen and she silently slid down his body as he aided her back to earth.

He cleared his throat. “It is time to see you back to safety.”

Beatrice blinked a few more times to settle back into her body. The kiss lasted a mere moment but it had electrified her blood and sent her body careening through the atmosphere. She needed a moment to settle back into her body.

“There is no need. I can see myself to safety. I know the way.” Her voice shook and sounded odd to her own ears.

The man looked around. “Hurry then. I don’t want to read about a young woman being found in a back alley.”

Beatrice tried her best to keep her cool and not giggle like some childish school girl. Energy was pumping through her blood at an alarming rate. She had no doubt she could run home and not feel an ounce of exhaustion when she reached her doorstep.

“I will be fine, I promise.”

The man dipped his head. “Go then.”

Beatrice turned to go. She only got a few steps when he called out to her.

“Oh, and little mouse?”

She turned at the sound of his voice.

“Must you call me ‘little mouse’?” She questioned with confusion.

His head dipped with a sly grin. “You were the one scurrying around where you don’t belong.”

She wrinkled her nose at his description. “What is it then?”

“I don’t want to see you here again.”

She smiled but made no promise. She had a list of things to do and fortunately for her, she just crossed an item off of it.

Unfortunately for her, she was unaware the list had slipped from her cuff when she reached her arms around the stranger’s neck and it was now securely tucked away in his pocket.