Page 27 of The Assassin and the Libertine
“Of course, Madame, of course! I am at your disposal. What sort of piece do you have in mind? A necklace? Some new earrings? A new brooch for your bodice, perhaps?” He licked his lips and stared at her breasts. Anger and a fierce possessiveness crept through my veins.
“Oh, la! No, I have all of those things. A ring, I think. A ring with a pink pearl at the center. I will be just like Madame de Pompadour; God rest her soul. Pearls—they come in pink, do they not? I have seen them in every other color at court. Have you ever done something like that before? With pink pearls, I mean?” She ran her fingertips along the black pearls of her necklace, drawing his attention—and mine.
“Pink pearls? Yes, yes. They come in pink. They are rare, though, Madame. It would take me some time to acquire the necessary?—”
“Oh, but I don’t have the time, Monsieur. I simply must have it as soon as possible. I will, of course, be happy to pay for any trouble you have in trying to find the very best materials. In fact, I will double your usual fee. My husband, the Duc de Duras, is rather generous with both his pocketbook and his oversight.” She arched a brow suggestively and leaned forward. I’m certain both Georges and I cursed the high neckline of her dress.
“Perhaps, Georges, you might find the gems at a more ready source,” I offered. “I know that Madame de Duras is—shall we say—less than particular about the provenance of her jewels.”
Daphne nodded emphatically. “You must understand how important it is for me to present myself at court in the height of fashion. And I will do anything to get what I want.” Her long lashes fluttered, and a coy smile spread across her lips.God, she was magnificent.My cock twitched in the duc’s too-tight breeches.
Georges’ attention was fixed on Daphne’s mouth. I had a sudden urge to remove his eyes from his skull.
“I have employed such methods before, Madame,” he oozed. “Don’t you worry your pretty head over that. I understand you perfectly. I have—perhaps—heard of something that may helpexpeditethe process. But it is not yet in my possession. Give me seventy-two hours to attempt to acquire it,” he rasped, clutching at her hand. He was beginning to sweat, and his breath was coming in heated pants.
“You have thirty-six,” Daphne snapped icily, breaking the spell of sensuality. “Or I shall take my custom to another jeweler. Oh—and this should go without saying, but this arrangement is entirely confidential. I shall remain anonymous. If I find out you’ve told anyone about this, I will deny everything and have your tongue cut out for slander. Do you understand?”
Georges nodded vigorously and bowed.
“Of course, Your Grace. Of course. You may trust Georges!”
Daphne smiled coldly at him and left. I tipped my hat to the quivering man and followed her out.
When we were alone in the carriage, I let out a bark of laughter.
“You did not need to be so rough with him at the end, Duchesse.”
She bristled. “He does not have it, and yet he will try and sell it to me! The ring of my brutally murdered friend. Without a thought to her memory, he will try to find someone to dig her up and take it, and then sell me something that was once so precious to her. I do not regret dashing his ill-mannered hopes. Besides, he was entirely inappropriate to a lady in mourning attire.”
I knocked on the carriage roof to signal our driver.
“He’s just trying to earn a living, not an easy thing to do in these times. I’m sure if he had the meager luxury of not worrying about feeding himself or his family, he would leave a dead woman’s jewelry alone.”
“Perhaps,” she said stiffly. “It’s still wrong.”
“So, in your estimation, it is wrong to take from a dead woman in order to feed oneself, and it is wrong for the peasants to become vampires so they do not need to eat. What do you suggest they do, Duchesse? Wait for the scraps from your table?”
“It cannot be so dire,” she insisted. “I refuse to believe that there are no alternatives to surviving than to rob graves and drink the blood of the living. I myself have had to think laterally in order to avoid destitution.”
I could not help but laugh.
“As the emissary between a largely impoverished vampire class and the declining human nobility, let me assure you, Duchesse, that the destitution of the aristocracy is very different from the destitution of everyone else.”
“An empty belly is an empty belly regardless of the body’s social status.”
“The difference is that you had the opportunity to marry a wealthy, titled duc. Most other women do not.”
She continued to stare out the window, but I saw a flash of anguish in her eyes. She was quiet for long moments, and when she spoke, it was so low I almost missed it beneath the noise of the street.
“Had I known what kind of man was saving me from hunger, I would have starved to death a thousand times.”
CHAPTER TEN
DAPHNE
October 19, 1765
Château de Champs-sur-Marne
