Page 21 of The Paid Companion

“Thank you for the advice.”

Bennett shook his head. “I do not know why I bother.”

“I apologize if I do not seem to be suitably grateful. The thing is, I have other matters on my mind at the moment. I am about to proceed to the next step of my plan.”

Once Arthur set one of his convoluted schemes in motion, there was no known force that could halt it, Bennett reminded himself. Usually his friend’s elaborate machinations concerned financial investments. But occasionally he applied his talents toward other types of strategies, invariably with the same degree of success. A smart man did not get between Arthur and his goal, whatever it happened to be.

“The word has gone out that your mysterious new fiancée is in town to enjoy the pleasures of the Season for a few weeks,” Bennett said. “There is a good deal of speculation about her, of course. As you instructed, I let it be known in certain quarters that she is from a wealthy, landholding family in the North.”

“There are no rumors going around to the effect that I obtained her from an agency?”

“Of course not,” Bennett snorted. “Everyone remembers the vow you made last year, naturally, but they all assumed at the time that it was a great joke. No one believed then and no one believes now that a man in your position would actually go through with such a nonsensical notion.”

“Excellent. Then all is going according to my plan in that direction.”

“I still cannot believe that you intend to use a paid companion to aid you in this bizarre scheme.” Bennett frowned. “What is she like?”

“You will meet Miss Lodge soon enough.” Arthur lowered the paper, smiling a little with satisfaction. “She is quite intelligent, and she has been out in the world long enough to have acquired some useful experience.”

“I see,” Bennett murmured. In other words, Miss Lodge was no blushing virgin.

“She is rather striking in her looks,” Arthur continued, warming to his topic. “Extremely self-possessed. She has a certain air of authority that will cause people to think twice before they ask impertinent questions. In addition, her grandmother was an actress. I am hoping that the talent runs in the blood. All in all, she is quite perfect.”

Hell’s teeth, Bennett thought, stunned by the long list of Miss Lodge’s accomplishments, which had rolled so freely off Arthur’s tongue. What was going on here? He had not heard his friend speak this enthusiastically about any woman in years. No, that was not right. He was quite certain that in the entire time he had known him, he hadneverheard Arthur speak of any lady with such glowing approval.

Of course, Bennett thought, Arthur, with his unusual perspective on such things, was the only man he knew who would view such qualities asworldly experienceand atalent for actingas desirable attributes in a well-bred lady. Any other man would consider them more suited to a courtesan or a lover.

“Just the woman you were looking for,” Bennett muttered.

“Indeed.”

Bennett tapped his fingers together twice. “I still say that you should tell her what this is all about.”

“Absolutely not. The less she knows, the less chance that she might inadvertently allow the truth to slip out at the wrong moment.”

“I understand your concerns, but I do not think that it is fair to keep her in the dark.” Bennett paused a beat before firing his last, most convincing argument. “Furthermore, have you considered that if you were to tell her the entire tale she might be able to assist you in your inquiries?”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “That is the very last thing I want. It is none of her affair.”

“I can see it is no use arguing the point with you.” Bennett exhaled deeply. “Did your chaperone arrive?”

“Yes.” Arthur stretched out his legs and rested his arms on the sides of the chair. “To tell you the truth I had a moment or two of doubt about Margaret this afternoon.”

“Thought you said she was the only one of your female relatives you could tolerate having under your roof for an extended period of time.”

“She is. But when I told her that I expected her to handle all of the arcane matters associated with introducing my fiancée into Society, I could see that she knew nothing about the business. Indeed, I am quite certain that I saw outright panic in her eyes.”

“That is hardly surprising. You did tell me that other than a brief Season several years ago, Mrs. Lancaster has never lived in town.”

“True.” Arthur grimaced. “I suppose I just assumed a lady who had been married for fourteen years would know how to handle that sort of thing. But today I realized immediately that it is Margaret who is the innocent from the country, not Miss Lodge.”

Bennett frowned, thinking of the elaborate preparations his long-dead wife had made before every ball and soirée. “You will need someone who can deal with all the details,” he warned. “A fashionable lady must have the right gowns, gloves, dancing slippers and such. She must have a hairdresser or a maid who can manage her headdress. She must shop at the most stylish shops.”

“I am aware of that.”

“See here, Arthur, if Mrs. Lancaster is not capable of organizing the venture, you must find another relative who can handle it. Otherwise you will be facing a social disaster. Trust me on this matter. I have some experience, if you will recall.”

“There is no need to bring anyone else into this affair.” Arthur looked quietly pleased. “Margaret will remain because I must have another woman in the household for propriety’s sake. I know who is who in the ton, thanks to my business dealings, so I will select the invitations that I want Miss Lodge to accept. You will escort the pair to the first couple of affairs and introduce my fiancée to a few of the right people. I do not want her to become a complete wallflower.”

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