Page 16 of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal
Millie almost fumbled her cup. ‘Dear Lord. A wedding gift.’ It all suddenly felt very real.
Philippa stood and walked to the bell pull, ringing for Stokes. Several minutes later, he appeared.
‘Shall I call for a doctor, madame? I’ve heard insomnia is an early sign of your mental faculties failing.’
Philippa arched her brow. ‘I’m quite well, thank you, Stokes. If you feel my hours are too exhausting for you, I’m more than prepared to pension you off to a nice cottage in the country where you can eat your supper at noon and retire to bed before the sun descends.’
‘On the contrary, madame. I’m invigorated by your complete disregard of social rules.’
‘Wonderful. Why don’t you use that vigour to fetch the package on my dresser.’
Twenty minutes later, Stokes returned, a leather pouch in his hands.
‘Finally. I thought you’d succumbed to your excessive age and expired on your way back here.’ Philippa took the gift from Stokes, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.
The butler’s stiff posture tightened further as he turned and exited.
Millie stood and approached Philippa. The duchess handed her the soft pouch dyed the colour of fresh fern leaves in spring.
‘It’s beautiful.’ Millie brushed her fingers over the supple leather.
Philippa’s lips twitched. ‘You haven’t opened it yet. The real gift is inside. Go on.’
‘Your Grace, you really shouldn’t have.’
‘Stop with the “Your Grace” nonsense and open the damn gift. You might not even like it.’
Millie ducked her head to hide her smile. She carefully unbound the leather ties and flipped open the soft case to reveal a set of five dangerously sharp throwing knives. Mother of pearl was inlaid into each hilt. They must have cost a small fortune. Millie gasped as she carefully removed one from where it was secured in the leather case.
‘Phillipa. They’re gorgeous! And far too dear to give me as a gift.’
‘I’m the Duchess of Dorsett. I’m lousy with money and can do whatever the hell I please.’ Philippa lifted her chin and sniffed. She pointed to the case. ‘There are straps and sheaths for each of them in the pocket there. You can strap them on your thighs or wrists. But be careful. I have no desire to see you cut yourself to ribbons.’
Millie nodded, her eyes still on the knives as she put the blade back and looked in the pocket.
‘Your skill at throwing blades is impressive. You should have weapons worthy of your abilities.’
Millie’s throat ached, and she swallowed hard. It was such a thoughtful gift. But the real prize was Philippa thinking her worthy of such beautiful weapons.
‘Hannah trained with me for ten years before I felt comfortable letting her take on men as dangerous and deadly as the bastards we are inviting to your wedding. Their secret society is powerful, Millie. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who stands in their way. And if we aim to expose them – as we do – we pose an even greater threat. You are talented, but you are also new to this. I won’t have you racing into a dangerous situation unarmed and unprepared.’
Fear tightened Millie’s chest. In the weeks of training with Phillipa, she appreciated her skills improving, her body becoming stronger, and her confidence growing. However, she had always viewed the actual task of investigating as somewhat of a lark. But Philippa was correct. This wasn’t a game. Real girls were being sold, some of them killed. The men responsible stood to lose everything if they were discovered. She mustn’t let her newfound confidence lead her into a situation where she might be out of her depth.
‘I’ll be careful, Phillipa.’
‘We have some time. We must practise even harder to prepare.’
Millie took an unsteady breath. ‘Patricia won’t let me come. I’m sure of it. She’s so angry with me for thwarting her plans with Viscount Tread. I had to pick the lock to my door to come here tonight.’
Philippa hissed out a breath. ‘Fine. Then you must train on your own until we reunite at the wedding.’
‘I will. I promise. I should go before anyone notices I’m gone.’
‘You’ll take my carriage.’ Philippa walked back to the bell pull. ‘Stokes will have to rouse the stable boys. A task I’m sure he’ll love.’ Her wicked smile told a different tale.
Millie’s trip home was much faster and more comfortable than her journey to Philippa’s.
She carefully opened the door to the servants’ entrance. Davies was as good as his word, making sure it was unlocked. He had even put a candle stub on the kitchen counter.
