‘This is all speculation,’ Lucian said, staring into the depths of his cup as though expecting to read the tea leaves. ‘What do we know for certain? It does not seem much.’

‘Arabella has not been seen in public since Friday the twenty seventh, ten days ago. Her brother refused to allow Sir Clement to propose and he has not discouraged Lord de Forrest’s courtship – if that is what it is. But we must be wrong about that, it seems so improbable,’ I said slowly. ‘And Lord Cottingham seems exceedingly agitated, but not deluded.’

James got up and studied the board. ‘Arabella has flirted with Welney and he is attracted enough to bribe the footmen for information about her movements. We have her maid’s account of what happened, but that is not supported by any other witnesses.’

‘Arabella appears to have left willingly,’ Lucian observed. ‘She may, or may not, have been tricked, but I cannot see how any outsider can have got into the house and removed her without being detected. We got in and out easily enough, but we were not attempting to smuggle out an unwilling adult woman.’

‘So where does that leave us?’ Sir Clement had his head in his hands, his fingers spearing through the thick sandy hair.

‘I think I would like to make the acquaintance of Lord Welney,’ I said. ‘I want to see what he is like and we need to find out who was at that gathering.’

‘He is holding another of his parties tonight,’ James said. ‘I can get you in to that.’

‘No.’ Lucian brought his hand down on the table. The cups clattered and Garrick jumped up to steady the milk jug.

‘Why not? Do you think it might alert him to our suspicions?’

‘Because I am not having you anywhere near that man.’

‘Do I need your permission?’ I asked levelly.

It took a moment, but Lucian seemed to realise that he was on thin ice. Even so, he did not back down. ‘Yes. Yes, you do.’

‘Because why, exactly? And what makes you think you have the right to dictate my movements?’

Garrick cleared his throat, stood up and went out, soft-footed. James also got to his feet. From of the corner of my eye I saw him jerk his head at Sir Clement and when that hint did not work he took him by the arm and steered him towards the door.

‘The man is a rake with an unsavoury reputation.’ Lucian took no notice of the others leaving.

‘That does not answer either of my questions.’

‘You are not safe with him. It is highly likely that he would offer you some insult.’

‘Then he will get insulted right back. Lucian, I can look after myself, I am not some naive, sheltered virgin and Arabella, who is, may be in danger. Welney is hardly likely to be indiscreet about his behaviour with women with you – and certainly not with Sir Clement.’

‘That is true, but, damn it, Cassie, you are a woman.’

‘But not your woman,’ I pointed out, perhaps more gently than I might have done. If Lucian was provoked into swearing in front of me and didn’t even notice and apologise, then he was certainly agitated.

He closed his eyes for a second, then opened them and looked directly at me. ‘But I could wish that you were.’

‘You want an affair?’ He was watching me with an intensity that was both unnerving and arousing. ‘I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to make love with you, Lucian. But if we do, it will not commit me in any way, it will not make me your woman, any more than it would make you my man. It would take a long time to explain the nuances of sexual relationships in my time and I don’t know if you would ever understand them from a distance of two hundred years anyway.’

‘You sleep with many men? You are a courtesan?’ I couldn’t work out whether he was shocked or intrigued.

‘No. When I come from women and men might become lovers for a short period or a long while. Sometimes they will choose to live together for the rest of their lives, sometimes they marry.’ I was not going to try and introduce the concept of the one-night stand. ‘Yes, there are professional sex workers – prostitutes – and the kept women of some rich men, who are courtesans, I suppose.’

‘It seems very… permissive.’

‘In some ways, yes, very. It puts the decision with the individual. But it is illegal to have sexual relationships with anyone under the age of sixteen, male or female. Forced sex is against the law and the definition of rape is far stricter than it is here, now. Domestic violence is unlawful – a man has no right to strike his wife. That doesn’t mean that rape and sexual exploitation of children and domestic violence don’t occur, of course they do. Human nature doesn’t change.’

‘I see.’ It was clear that he was very far from seeing, but at least he did not appear to be judging. ‘You might want us to become lovers?’ he asked after some thought. ‘But you do not want me to protect you.’

‘I do not want you to think you own me in some way,’ I amended. ‘And I do not know whether I want to take that step, to become your lover, not in the situation we are in. I am out of my time, out of my depth.’

We sat in silence for a while. I drank tea, Lucian frowned at the sugar basin. After a bit I said, ‘You trust James to look after me, don’t you?’ The looking after was a concession to his need to protect, even if he could not do it himself.

‘Yes.’ Lucian spoke without hesitation. ‘But do not stray far from James and if anyone attempts anything – ’

Tags: Louise Allen Science Fiction
Source: readsnovelonline.net