Page 6 of Mayfair Madame
“Assume nothing, Ellie. Something always comes along to fuck it up. We need to find this Clement Winthrop and find outwhat was said. Can you find Lady Hartlebury? Maybe she knows where he is.”
“What else did he say? I believe her over him, but I think she’s hiding something.”
“He keeps calling her a whore. Is she that, do you think? I’ll go see if he needs to go to the hospital. If not, I’ll get his address and send him home. Same for her. Is she injured?”
“No, just her pride, I think. She says he caught her off guard, and that’s how he got the drop on her. She might seem nervous now, but I sense a strong character underneath. I’ll go find Lady Hartlebury, and we can reconvene.”
“Sounds good.” Josh went back into the lounge, while I went back down the stairs. I found Lady Hartlebury in the bathroom.
“Is this where it happened?” A bottle lay on the floor, but there was nothing else out of place that I could see.
“Yes, poor Naomi. I should never have invited that pig of a man. This isn’t the first time he’s done this, but no one else will stand up to him or talk against him. He has the ear of the assistant commissioner, so I expect nothing Naomi says to be held against him. Especially in her line of work.”
“What line of work is that?” What did she know?
“Oh dear. I probably shouldn’t have said anything. You’ll have to ask her.”
“What of Clement Winthrop? What happened to him?”
“Ah, well, he was a bit of a coward and left, but I can give you his number. He’s something big in the City. Naomi would never lie. I’ve known her for a while. She’s usually such a strong-willed woman.”
“Is he her boyfriend?” There was something here. I knew it in my gut.
“You’ll have to ask her. I’ll not betray her confidence. If you’ll excuse me, I need to find some clothes for her. I said she couldstay here, but she prefers to go home. My driver will take her, but her poor dress is ruined.”
As she left, I found my way back to the bedroom. Naomi was sitting up in bed, a cup in her hand.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a fucking fool.”
She was incredibly beautiful, her skin dark and smooth. She had the biggest brown eyes I’d ever seen; the lids coated in gold. Long legs stretched out in front of her, elegant bare feet with red painted toenails.
“Your dress is really beautiful. Such a pity it got ruined.”
She put the cup on the bedside table and pulled the robe off her shoulder. The gown had fallen away, revealing a full breast, the areola dark and puckered, the nipple erect.
I swallowed hard and averted my eyes. I wasn’t embarrassed. The female form was a wonderful thing, one I was more than happy to explore, but it wasn’t right for me to stare.
“That fucker. Look at this bruise.”
She was holding her breast in her hand. “Does it hurt?” I looked closer at the four finger marks that marred her skin. He had indeed bruised her.
“I’ve had worse. Do they look terrible?” She stroked her skin, her nipples hardening more.
I closed my eyes and gulped. Why was this so difficult to do? Better me than Josh, but it still made me uncomfortable.
“The bruises don’t look terrible. They’ll be gone in a few days.” But the image of her perfect breast would stick in my mind for a long time.
Jesus, Ellie. You’re at work. Put these thoughts out of your head.
As if sensing my discomfort, she pulled the dress up and wrapped the robe around her. “What did he say? Is he still wanting to press charges?”
“I’m afraid so. He said you led him on, that you asked him to join you in the bathroom.”
“I swear to God. I hate men like him, always thinking they can do whatever the fuck they like to women. I’ll bet no one has ever stood up to him, and when they do, we’re the ones in the wrong. If he wants to carry on this path, then I will too. I’m not backing down. What did you say your name was again?”
I wasn’t sure I’d told her. “I’m Detective Sergeant Sharpe.”
