Obviously culled by the beautiful Lady Gilbert, the maid gave a reluctant shrug.
“Well, she does insist that no one be allowed to enter the house without her approval. She is quite particular about that.”
“Is that all?” Tristan shot her a cold gaze. He would have the information he desired. “No odd fancies?”
“Odd fancies?”
His desire to do away with the idiotic wench was nearly overwhelming.
“Any secrets that she keeps from society,” he at last bluntly demanded.
“Oh.” She thought for a moment. “None unless you count the fact she makes her own gowns.”
Hardly the shattering secret that Tristan had hoped to discover. He could hardly blackmail the woman just because she happened to make her own gowns.
Still, there was something about the unusual behavior that caught his attention.
“How peculiar. She does not approve of dressmakers?”
The maid ducked her head. “I really couldn’t say, sir.”
Certain that the maid was concealing something, Tristan lightly touched her arm.
“You can confide in me, my dear.”
There was a pause before the maid nervously cleared her throat.
“I ... I think it has something to do with the scars I seen on her back.”
Tristan raised his brows in surprise. “Scars? From a burn?”
“No. It looked more like she had been whipped. Badly whipped. Terrible scars they are.”
A stab of pleasure curled the edges of Tristan’s lips. So, the stubborn woman had been beaten. Not surprising. Her sharp tongue alone should have seen that she was put into her grave long ago.
Still, he knew that such behavior was ridiculously frowned upon by the pathetically weak humans. She obviously would not desire it to be known she had been treated as a common trollop.
“I see. Who do you suppose would have done such a thing to a lady? Her husband?”
The maid nervously twisted her hands together, as if already regretting the fact she had revealed her mistress’s secret.
“I couldn’t say, sir. I fear Lord Gilbert had already cocked up his toes when she came to London.”
He drummed his thin fingers on the cane. “And she never speaks of him?”
“No, sir.”
Tristan narrowed his gaze as he considered the importance of his discovery. Mere scars would not be enough to induce the stubborn wench to hand over the Medallion. But it did reveal there was more to her past than she desired to share with others. Who knew what other secrets she harbored?
Or at least he might discover a relative or friend he could use to force her into giving him what was his by right.
“Where did she live before coming to London?”
“Devonshire. Near the coast, I think.”
“Did she bring any of her old servants with her?”
The maid gave a firm shake of her head. “No, sir. We were all hired in London.”
It was precisely what he suspected, although he was swift to mark the annoyance of having to travel to Devonshire to the list of grievances that he intended to take out of Lady Gilbert’s fine, satin skin.
“Thank you, my dear, you have been quite helpful,” he murmured, coming to a halt several steps away from the large town house. It had come as a nasty surprise to discover that a web had been placed about the property that would swiftly alert Gideon the moment he came close. A reminder that he would have to deal with the interfering vampire sooner rather than later. “I do have one request before I leave you to return home.”
She glanced into his face with wide eyes. “What might that be, sir?”
“I would rather not have anyone realize that I rescued you this evening.”
No doubt presuming that he was about to demand a kiss or even more intimate repayment for his services she heaved a faint sigh.
“If you wish.”
His lips thinned at the mere thought of soiling himself with this pathetic wretch.
“I am certain you understand when I say that a particular gentleman might very well consider it worthy of a duel if he were to discover I were in the neighborhood.”
It took a long moment before she at last gave a sage nod of her head.
“Right. No need to worry. I shan’t say a word.”
Briefly debating whether it would be wiser to trust the girl to keep her word, or risk frightening Lady Gilbert into full flight if she discovered one of her servants murdered, he reluctantly gave a nod of his head.
He might have further need of the maid.
