Page 22 of The Wallflower Manifesto
Freddy crossed his arms over his chest and raised his brows, doing his best to maintain a stern facial expression.
Abe took one more breath, brushing the tears from his eyes and shaking his head. “I have some updates on your mother togo over with you, but it’s been brought to my attention that I can only collect so much information hovering outside garden windows. Perhaps you ought to make an introduction or two if you want me any closer.”
“To whom?”
“How should I know? Someone to get me into the correct rooms if you want me to eavesdrop. I can’t just stroll in with everyone on high alert for imposters, anyhow.”
“Imposters?” Freddy repeated.
“Yes. Someone was stealing jewels from rich women all last Season. I happen to be investigating that as well as the good dowager. It’s a ‘two birds, one hand’ situation.”
“You mean one stone,” Freddy corrected.
“Lots of stones, actually,” Abe replied with a shrug, winning a roll of the eyes from the other man. “Diamonds, sapphires …”
“Yes, I understand,” he said with an impatient wave of his hand. “You do know I ampersona non gratawith thetonafter those gossip sheets that went out while I was in the Netherlands, don’t you? Even if I knew who to introduce you to, no one would agree to see me, and your association with me would only hurt your chances of opening any doors at all.”
“Come now, you must knowsomeone,” Abe pressed. “If not, then I may soon reach my limit on what I can gather for you.”
Freddy frowned. “Maybe someone who owes me money, I suppose. But you had a rule about that, didn’t you? I’m not to gamble if we cohabitate.”
Abe paused. That was true.
“You’re right,” he said. “Forget it. I will find my way. You focus on your housekeeping.”
“I shall focus on what serves me best.” He said this with airs, as though it weren’t blatantly offensive. “What about my mother?”
“Sit back down and I’ll tell you what little I know,” Abe said, gesturing to the chair as though it were their own private olive branch. “It isn’t much, but it’s a start. And I’ve a lead on something a bit scandalous that should be occurring in the next couple of days as well.”
Freddy looked at the chair and sighed before sitting. “Oh, all right,” he said, “but make it quick. I don’t want to lose Mrs. Harrison again, and she did say she’d leave if I didn’t keep my side of the bargain.”
“Bentley, no one wants you to make good on that deal more than I do,” Abe assured him.
And he meant it.
CHAPTER 9
“Not that I’m looking a gift horse in the mouth,” Ember Donnelly was saying as she surveyed the cold finger foods being arranged along her bar for tonight’s festivities, “but I can’t fathom renting out a whole gambling house for five players when you could just as easily have a private salon in your townhouse—for free, I mean.”
“Eight players, if we participate,” Millie corrected, ushering the floral arrangements through the door of Brigid’s Forge. “Lady Bentley wanted the full experience of being in a gambling hell. You know, I can’t believe I’ve never seen inside this place before.”
“Well, it isn’t customarily an appropriate place for ladies,” Ember said with a chuckle. “Though I think that’s rubbish, naturally. Perhaps tonight will change things here at the Forge.”
“You’re a lady,” Millie pointed out, nudging the door shut behind the florists.
“I’m a woman,” Ember replied, “which is a different thing entirely.”
“Oh,” said Millie, pausing. She turned to look at her friend. “I suppose that is true, isn’t it?”
“Of course it is.”
Millie allowed a wry smile to spread over her face. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been surprised already this Season at the many facets of being a woman. I feel as though I’m an entirely different species now than I was as a debutante or even as my family’s unmarried burden. Each era is like embodying a different animal, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” said Ember without hesitation. “It goes so far beyond maiden, mother, and crone. They never tell you that. The rules are different for widows, too, as your patroness has no doubt expressed to you a fair few times. I heard about the gown she wore to the Wharton ball.”
“Did you? You must tell her. She will be chuffed.”
Ember laughed again. “I expect I will like this woman, her son notwithstanding.”
