Page 51 of Wicked Designs
His client huffed and tossed a leather bag at him. “Here’s a hundred up front as your note required.”
Tanner caught the bag and tested the weight. “Good. Here is what you must do for me. I need to have someone access the inside of Essex’s estate, a friend, a confidant, a servant, anyone you can buy off to enter the house and give me details of schedules of watches and habits. These are things I cannot learn but need to know in order to acquire yourpossession.”
Blankenship shifted on his feet and then nodded. “I know of someone.”
“Excellent, send it to the address you sent your previous note and it will find its way to me.” He waited, curious to see what the client would do. The man obviously didn’t like to take orders, but for the money he was paying, it was better to leave Tanner to do his job without interference.
“Very well. I will write to you when I have details.”
Neither man shook hands, they simply met gazes, sealing the deal with a nod. With a soft little chuckle, Tanner pocketed his money and slithered into the darkness of the secret alleys of St. Giles.
Emily turned from the window.“When will Ashton and Godric return from London?”
“Sometime late tonight,” Lucien said. “He guessed they would miss dinner.”
Emily’s heart pitched south in disappointment.
She missed Godric, missed the heated glances, the tenderness of his lips, the rough weight of his body, those hands that drove her to madness. But she also missed the rich timbre of his voice, the way he saw to her every need. She even missed his desire to sleep beside her, just to hear her breathe.
“Looking forward to his return?”
Emily nodded. A dark, vast emptiness had rooted itself inside her heart. Despite the pleasant time these men were providing her, the same darkness to her future remained. A tremor shook her body as panic and dread threatened to overtake her.
“Cheer up, my sweet.” Lucien brushed a hand on her waist, tickling her just a little.
Unable to help it, a little laugh escaped her. She glowered. “It is ungentlemanly to use my weaknesses against me like that.”
“Then it is fortunate that I don’t often count myself a gentleman.”
Simkins entered the room and announced dinner.
Emily settled down in the dining room between Lucien and Charles with Cedric across from her. “May I ask a question?”
“That depends.” Lucien’s eyes glinted. “We are notabout to regale you with tales of our legendary adventures in the arms of our lovers. We do not kiss and tell.”
Charles shot him a glance. “I thought that’s all we did.”
“Well, not to other women.” Lucien rolled his eyes.
Cedric shrugged. “My mistresses always ask about my past…er…indiscretions with an avid curiosity.”
“I cannot believe I am the voice of reason for once,” said Lucien. “Emily is a proper lady. Neither of you will share one word or I’ll box your ears.”
Emily’s giggled. “I only meant to ask, how is it that you all came to be friends? Surely that does not include tales of your lovers?”
Cedric and Charles exchanged an amused glance.
“No, no, our meeting is more adventure than romance,” Lucien said.
“Will you tell it to me?”
Charles answered. “The tale is best told when all of us are here, but perhaps we can tell you how we each first met Godric. Those are stories in themselves.”
“That would be wonderful!” There was nothing she loved better than a good story, and these five men had been at the center of many.
“Then I ought to go first.” Cedric finished his plate and looked about the table for approval to proceed. “I was the first one to meet Godric, in 1807, when he and I were seventeen. I convinced him to sneak out of the dormitories of Magdalene College. We had dinner at a local pub and got into a brawl with an upper year named Hugo Waverly over a woman. I beat Waverly to a bloody pulp and took his cane as a matter of honor.”Cedric’s fingers gently twined about the stem of his wineglass.
Emily’s gaze fell onto the silver lion’s head of the cane that was propped up against the table. “Is that his cane you carry now?”
