Page 70 of The Courtship Trap
“Still, ’tis good advice, m’lady,” Jem said with a shrug, like it was nothing remarkable. “Ain’t no man gonna chase ye proper with a knife stuck in ’is thigh.”
Finch gave an emphatic nod of agreement.
Harriet exhaled, pressing a kiss to Jem’s knuckles before releasing her hand.
If only all wounds could be healed so easily. Harriet found she was regretting how she had run off from Sebastian in the park. He had a right to his anger, and perhaps she should have stayed and explained herself. Perhaps he had deserved some answers after all the secrets.
Sophia grimaced,shaking her head as she looked to her husband. “And then there is Belinda Cooper,” she reminded him.
Sebastian, who had been pressing the bridge of his nose between his fingers, froze at the name.
Cooper.
A chill ran through him as a memory stirred.
He had heard that name before. Recently.
His mind revisited the afternoon when Bertram Hargreaves had been waiting for them at Harriet’s house, standing in her painted room with his hands clasped behind his back, his face carved into a mask of barely restrained fury. There had been a cryptic exchange. Harriet had been composed but dismissive, but Hargreaves—he had been searching for someone.
Cooper.
Then another memory surfaced. The remark about naughty novels that must not be found by a Miss Bélise Coupier, and his mind made the connection. Sebastian lifted his head slowly.
“You mean to tell me,” he said, “that when Hargreaves came sniffing around Harriet’s house, looking for Cooper, he was unknowingly looking for her lady’s maid?”
Richard hesitated before giving a firm nod.
Sebastian absorbed this revelation, tension thrumming through his veins.
“Explain.”
Richard sighed and leaned forward, rubbing his palms together before speaking.
“I was able to locate an address for Belinda after some effort—some rooms Lowe kept near St. James’s Market,” he admitted. “As soon as Lady Slight had it, she was determined to visit her.”
Sebastian arched a brow. “Personally?”
Richard gave him a look. “Of course personally.”
Sophia smiled faintly, shaking her head. “Once she sets her mind on something, there is no talking her down.”
Sebastian resisted the urge to curse. That must have been the night he had followed her after visiting the museum. When he had thought perhaps she was meeting with another man. “What exactly did Hargreaves do to this woman?”
Richard’s jaw tightened. “Belinda Cooper was a lady’s maid who was acting as a chaperon for two girls when she met him. He seduced her, promised her security. For years, she was his faithful mistress. By all accounts, she genuinely loved the man.”
Sebastian snorted, crossing his arms. “A rake like Hargreaves? I doubt he returned the sentiment.”
Richard nodded grimly. “Indeed. When she aged out of his interest, he discarded her without a second thought. But it was not just that.” His voice hardened. “He took back everything. The townhouse he had installed her in, the gifts, the furnishings, all of it. Even reneging over the modest settlement he had once promised her. One day, she was living comfortably, and the next, she was destitute.”
Sebastian let out a sharp breath, anger prickling over his skin. He had never had much regard for Bertram Hargreaves, but this …
“What did she do?”
Richard’s mouth pressed into a grim line. “With nowhere to go and no means of support, at her age, and with her reputation, there were not many options open to her. She was with Lord Lowe and one step away from ending up in a bawdy house.”
Sebastian’s stomach turned.
“And Harriet?”
