Keeping Faith (Fair Cyprians of London 3)

“Where else might I find her?” Amusement swept away his discomfort. She seemed horrified to be in the company of a gentleman he hoped Faith had painted as not using women in such a cavalier fashion.

“Certainly not here!”

“But this is the only address I have for her.”

“She’s not lived here for a year. And before that, she never lived as one of us. You do know that, of course.”

Before he could make any remark to this, she indicated the bed. “Faith lived in the attic like one of the servants. She didn’t have a bed for entertaining.”

“But she lived here for…how long? Three years?” He didn’t care what she made of his scepticism.

“Yes, Madame had instructions to teach her how to entice a gentleman, but Madame was instructed that she was to be kept pure.” Charity sighed. “It was difficult for Faith. Some of the girls were resentful of her because she was so beautiful, and because she didn’t have to do the things they had to do for money. They saw that she had lovely clothes, and that she was given learning from a tutor, and that she went to tea at the Dorchester once a month. She didn’t have many friends.”

Crispin held up his hand. “Who made these instructions concerning Faith?”

“Mrs Gedge. I remember the name only because Faith made up the saying that rhymed, “Working for Mrs Gedge was like living on a knife edge.”

“Mrs Gedge.” Crispin rolled the name over his tongue as a bitter taste filled his mouth. “What did she look like?”

Charity shrugged. “I never saw her. I only heard that she had bright-red hair. One of the girls saw her when she came in her carriage with Lady Vernon.”

“Lady Vernon came here?”

“Often. Though she always came in disguise. Sometimes she’d bring girls to Madame Chambon.”

“Good lord.” He looked about him, horrified. “Lady Vernon brought girls here?” He couldn’t begin to imagine the humpbacked dowager stepping foot in a place like this. “And one of these girls was Faith? When was this? When did Lady Vernon bring her here the first time?”

“About three years ago. I wasn’t here, then.”

“But why was Faith brought here?” Crispin stared at the counterpane which must have seen so much action, then through the windows at the church spire outside, and tried to assimilate his thoughts. “If she wasn’t one of you, and if she lived in the attic, what possible reason did she have for being here?”

Charity settled herself more comfortably on the end of the bed, tucking her knees beneath her chin as she looked at him. “You do ask a lot of questions. I hope they’re going to help Faith.” She raised her eyebrows and went on, “Faith had been a servant for Mrs Gedge, who accused her of stealing. She hadn’t, of course. Faith was always honest; I hope you know that. Always true to her word. But when a fine lady accuses a servant of something, whose word is going to be believed? So, after Mrs Gedge accused Faith of taking her daughter’s bracelet, she brought Faith here because she said Faith had to work off her debt to her.”

“What proof did this Mrs Gedge have against Faith?”

“None, of course. She simply found Faith holding her daughter’s bracelet in her daughter’s bedchamber, and when Mrs Gedge challenged her, Faith said the young lady had promised it to her for showing her a secret passage into a gentleman’s bedchamber.“ Charity shrugged again. “Being here wasn’t all bad, of course. Faith got a good education, and she loved her lessons in art and in history and politics. She used to teach some of us more interested girls, both because we liked to learn, but also because it helps pass the time with the gentlemen who don’t always want to do things in bed. And, then Faith got to go smart places. Like I said, sometimes she’d take tea at the Dorchester with Mrs Gedge.”

“Tell me, was Mrs Gedge American?”

Charity nodded. “It’s hard not to miss an accent like that. I never heard her but Grace, one of the girls here, said she heard an American accent coming from the carriage the night Faith was brought here. And Faith said the lady she’d worked for was an American.”

“Do you remember Faith ever talking about Mrs Gedge’s daughter?” Crispin felt a tingle of apprehension run all the way down his legs as he realised the life of indenture Faith must have lived within these walls.

“Yes, but the girl died. Killed herself, Faith said. Not that she knew her well as Faith had only been working for Mrs Gedge, or rather, Miss Constancia, for a little while before this grand house party.”

“So, Miss Constancia asked Faith about a secret doorway?” He’d always wondered how the young woman could have slipped into his room without him knowing it.

/> Then slipped into his bed.

Lord, he’d never forget his horror. He’d overreacted though. He saw that, now. But to find a young woman, naked in his bed in the middle of the night in her own house, had been beyond traumatic.

Charity sighed. “And then the young lady did herself in with the young gentleman’s razor in his bathtub. They found her in the bath. Not a sight one would forget, I imagine.”

No, it had not been. Crispin’s stomach churned even now at the memory. But he’d hardly known the girl. Met her on one or two occasions only, before she’d set her cap at him.

Crispin rose. It was too difficult to have to think about, though the vision of a young woman floating dead in his bathtub, her red-gold hair spread out about her, her face serene and deathly white in contrast with the blood-red water, often returned to haunt him.

“Mrs Gedge was not only Faith’s benefactress; she was the anonymous benefactress of the grand art prize.”