Sapphire. Rosemary Rogers

one? I heard that Lady Thorngrove had lost three thousand pounds sterling at whist, that Baron Birdsley’s wife had run off with the Italian he’d hired to paint her portrait, and that eighty-year-old Lord Einestower’s son and heir had been born with hair as red as his Scots gardener’s when both Einestower and his nineteen-year-old bride had hair as black as any chimney sweep.”

      “You know very well which one,” Lady Carlisle said haughtily. “Your goddaughter, Miss Fabergine, was seen in a compromising situation with Lord Wessex.”

      Lucia shrugged, spreading jam on one of her toast points. “She kissed Lord Wessex. Rather, he kissed her. I’ll guess you did as much when you were nineteen, Edith. I wouldn’t put it past you to have done so since.”

      “How dare you!”

      Lucia took a bite of her toast. “It was a kiss, nothing more.”

      “She was seen, alone, in the billiards room with a man.”

      “For heaven’s sake, Edith, if you want to evoke these preposterous unwritten rules of London society, one could say Lord Wessex is a distant cousin.”

      Lady Carlisle patted the corners of her lips with her napkin. “We have absolutely no proof of that. I never heard a word last night at the party about your goddaughter having any connection whatsoever to the Wessex family.”

      Lucia tossed her toast on her plate. “Edith Carlisle, are you calling me a liar?”

      “I am Lady Carlisle to you and I would not presume to say who speaks the truth and who does not. I’m simply stating that there is no proof that Sapphire Fabergine is related to the Thixton family in any way, and now that she has been caught in an unfortunate situation that could reflect badly on Lord Carlisle and me…”

      Lucia could feel her face beginning to burn with anger. “Because we’re staying here?”

      “I have no issue with you or Miss Angelique. She’s quite sweet, but…”

      “But what, Edith?” Lucia demanded. “What are you trying to say? That Sapphire is no longer welcome in your household?”

      “I asked Lord Carlisle to handle this unfortunate situation, but he was unable to—” she gulped water from a crystal glass “—remain here this morning to discuss the matter with you.”

      “So you are putting us out, then?” Lucia exclaimed. “Simply come out and say it why don’t you.”

      “As I said, I have no issue with you or—”

      “So you would put out a girl not yet twenty years old?” Lucia leaned forward, pressing her hands on the polished table. “And where would you have Sapphire go? What would you have her do?”

      Lady Carlisle leaned back in her chair as if unsure what her houseguest might do. “That really isn’t my concern. I suppose if she needs finances, she could set herself up as a woman in need of a protector. Obviously she’s that kind of young woman, as I suspected when we first met in Martinique.”

      Lucia shoved her chair under the table. Armand hadn’t sent them with enough money to live on their own; such a need hadn’t been anticipated. But she didn’t care about the money. She’d prostituted herself once and she could do it again if she had to. She’d do that before she would allow Sapphire to be treated this way. “How dare you! We shall leave by noon.”

      “You understand, she left us with no other recourse,” Lady Carlisle said.

      “What I understand is that you, Edith, are not fit to wash Sapphire Thixton’s underclothing.” She whipped around to walk out, and then thinking better of her exit on an empty stomach, turned back, grabbed a toast point covered with jam and walked out of the dining room.

      8

      “What else can I do for you, Auntie?” Sapphire asked, a leather valise in her arms. “This is the last of our belongings from the Carlisles’.”

      “You can’t do a thing but sit here and have a cup of coffee with me and some of these divine pastries from Mrs. Partridge’s shop on the corner, ma chère.” Lucia patted the floral settee.

      The apartments Lucia had located to rent were in Charing Cross, only a few blocks from the Carlisles’ town house. Though located on the second floor, which forced them to walk up a narrow flight of stairs, the residence was large. It had two bedrooms, a parlor, small drawing room, kitchen and dining room and it came with kitchen staff. Set as it was over a dressmaker’s shop, the soft hum of voices could be heard from below during business hours, but Sapphire adored the large casement windows that ran the length of the apartments and opened up onto the street where she could see the activity of the day. They’d only been here four days, after staying in a rooming house for two nights, but it already felt like home to her.

      “Just let me put this away and I’ll join you,” Sapphire said.

      “Put it down, you’ve done enough—too much,” Lucia insisted, waving her arm. “We must have a personal maid and I intend to see to it directly. I won’t see you running up and down those stairs as if you’re one of the servants.”

      Sapphire lowered the valise to the floor. “I blame myself for everything.”

      “Pish!” Lucia tapped the seat beside her again. “I was sick to death of that Edith Carlisle. You simply provided the perfect excuse to get us out of that house.”

      Sapphire lowered herself onto the soft piece of furniture and made herself more comfortable. “No coffee for me, but I’ll sit while you have yours. Did you send Papa a note informing him we’ve moved?”

      “I did.”

      “Do you think he’ll be angry? He arranged for us to stay with Lord and Lady Carlisle thinking it would be the best for us. I hate to disappoint him.”

      “Armand has a good heart but he’s still a man, dove.” Lucia sipped her coffee served in a tiny china cup. “How was he to know Edith was such a poor hostess and a gossip to top it off? No, he would never want you to remain in that household.”

      Sapphire’s eyes flashed. “That horrible man—”

      “I don’t want to hear it,” Lucia interrupted, sweeping one graceful hand. “Coffee beans already on the floor. What we need to do now is decide how to proceed from here.” She glanced at her goddaughter. “What you need to decide, dear, is if you would still like to pursue the matter of your birth.”

      “Of course I would! Just because that man was rude, and coarse—” Sapphire rose and began to pace in front of the table set out with the coffee service “—that doesn’t mean he’s frightened me off. I am not about to be bested by some…some American upstart! Mr. Blake Thixton may be the legal heir to my father’s title and possessions, but he has no authority over me, and if he won’t listen to me then I’ll…I’ll take my cause elsewhere. I will be heard and I will be acknowledged!”

      Lucia smiled slyly. “Which was my thinking precisely. I just wanted to hear you say it.”

      The door opened at that moment and Angelique blew in like a fluttering leaf from the park. “What in heaven’s name are you two doing sitting here like two old spinsters?” she demanded, sweeping off her bonnet and patting her wind-blown hair. “I’ve just had the most pleasant carriage ride through the park.”

      “With whom?” Sapphire rested her hands on her hips.

      “Just a gentleman.” Tossing her bonnet on a chair, Angelique sashayed to the table and picked up a small, round cherry-topped cake from the china platter. “What have you two been up to?” She glanced around. “Settling in, I see.”

      “You could have stayed and helped,” Sapphire offered.

      “And you could have gone to the park with me. There’s a Mr. Krum who’s been inquiring of you all about town.”