expect he will be too scandalized to discover me living with lightskirts to want me for his future marchioness.”

Tess shook her head in exasperation. “You could be asking for trouble.”

That comment made Lily laugh. “I wouldn’t mind a bit of trouble to enliven my life. Indeed, that is part of my plan’s charm. I mean to look upon it as an adventure…the first of many, I hope.”

“You couldn’t find another adventure besides taking up with Fanny’s notorious friends?”

Lily arched an eyebrow. “You don’t expect me to keep away from them because of any prudish notions I ought to have?”

“I suspect,” Tess said dryly, “there isn’t a prudish bone in your body. But aren’t you the least concerned about your reputation?”

“Not overmuch. I doubt I will be recognized, since I know few people in London. And I intend to remain as inconspicuous as possible.”

“I should hope so. Advertising your presence there would not be good for your sisters-or for your continued career at the Academy, either.”

“Indeed. So I must keep my location a secret. I will take refuge there and tell the world I have gone to visit my former home in Hampshire. Only you and Roslyn will know where I truly am. Certainly I don’t want Winifred to know.”

“You intend to deceive her?” Tess asked in surprise.

Lily’s smile turned rueful. “I fear I have no choice. Otherwise she will doubtless tell the marquess I am in London, and then he will likely call on me there, and I don’t want to have to deal with him. So you must help Winifred misdirect him and throw him off my trail.”

Tess finally laughed. “Very well, if you insist. But just remember, I warned you. Is there anything I may do to help you prepare?”

“No, thank you. But you and Roslyn could handle my few classes at the Academy, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course I don’t mind. You have done the same for me numerous times.”

Lily smiled, glad that her obligations would be taken care of. And their elderly butler, Simpkin, could be trusted to look after Boots and the kittens. She would say farewell to the felines before she set out for London this afternoon.

At the thought, Lily felt a swell of anticipation bubble up inside her. Living with Fanny’s Cyprian friends should indeed prove an interesting adventure.

And in the meantime, she wouldn’t be bedeviled by a handsome, devastatingly charming nobleman or have to worry about fending off his unwanted, thoroughly bewildering desire to court her.

Chapter Three

I cannot believe that Lord Claybourne found me, and worse-that he still means to court me!

– Lily to Fanny

London, two days later

“I wish we could send that dastardly villain to Hades,” Chantel Amour muttered as she daintily sipped her tea.

“He is not quite a villain,” Fanny replied dryly. “He is simply a keen businessman. And he wants payment for the debt you and Fleur incurred in his gaming hell.”

Fleur Delee gave an elegant sniff. “You cannot believe Mick O’Rourke is anything less than odious, Fanny. Not when he is coercing you to pay or else he will lay charges against us to send us to debtor’s prison.”

“I never said he isn’t odious. Just that we are in this fix because you gambled away a fortune you didn’t have.”

“But O’Rourke plied us with brandy and encouraged us to play deep at the Faro table,” Chantel complained. “I have no doubt he arranged the entire episode because of you, Fanny. He wants you to agree to be his chere amie.

Fanny pressed her lips together. “I know what Mick wants, but he won’t get it. We will just have to think of another way to repay him.”

Lily looked on as the three friends argued. When she’d shown up unexpectedly on the doorstep of Fanny’s London home two days ago, she had been welcomed without much protest once she explained about needing to escape Lord Claybourne’s unwanted attentions. An hour later she was settled here in the boardinghouse run by Fleur and Chantel.

To Lily’s surprise, the mansion was quite large and unexpectedly elegant. She’d been given her own bedchamber on the third floor and invited to use the owners’ private sitting room on the floor below, as well as the communal drawing room and the two small parlors on the main floor.

This afternoon the four of them had gathered in Fleur and Chantel’s private sitting room in order to discuss possible ways of earning enough money to repay the enormous gaming debt they owed.

Watching the women together, Lily had no trouble seeing the tremendous affection Fanny bore the aging courtesans. Reportedly they had taught Fanny everything they knew when she first entered the trade eight years ago, so she was determined to help them now.

Lily could also understand why the former Cyprians were once considered the toast of London. Though Fleur’s auburn locks were now unnaturally aided by henna dye, and Chantel’s blond tresses somewhat concealed the liberal strands of gray, they were still fascinating women, despite their faded beauty. Lily found them exceedingly warm and charming, although a trifle dreamy-eyed and scatterbrained. It seemed to her that they spent most of their time lamenting their lost allure and reminiscing about their bygone glory when they had reigned over the London demimonde.

In the past two days, Lily had heard countless stories about their long-ago conquests, as well as the details of how they had come to be in such dire straits now: They’d spent a disastrous night at the Faro tables at Mick O’Rourke’s gaming club and lost nearly forty thousand pounds.

Fanny, of course, had come to their rescue and paid off a quarter of the debt-ten thousand pounds, almost every penny she had saved-but they still owed the enormous sum of thirty thousand pounds. And they were exceedingly worried now, since O’Rourke was threatening to send them to prison.

He had offered to forgo the debt in exchange for Fanny’s exclusive services as his mistress, but she was loath to accept. Fanny had a history with O’Rourke, since he’d been one of her first patrons when she set out on her career as a courtesan. But even though they once were lovers and he had since made a vast fortune by pulling himself up from his harsh, low-class origins and making a success of his gaming club, he refused to show leniency toward her friends.

Which was an unforgivable sin, to Chantel’s mind. She had always viewed O’Rourke as uncouth and loutish, but now she considered him downright dastardly.

“I should think,” Chantel mused aloud, “that you could apply to one of your current protectors for the funds.”

Fanny shook her head. “Even if one of my gentlemen were inclined to such munificence-which I very much doubt-it would leave me uncomfortably obliged to him.”

Lily had heard Fanny’s rationale before this. She never allowed any of her patrons exclusive privileges, since she didn’t want anyone having such power over her; for if her lover abruptly decided to end their arrangement, he could cut her off without a penny and leave her scrambling for her livelihood.

Lily could sympathize with her friend, since she herself was adamant about never giving any man control over her own fate.

“There is another possibility, Fanny,” Fleur said, biting into a biscuit. “You could sell your memoirs.”

“No, that is not possible.”

“What memoirs?” Lily asked curiously.

Fanny gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “I don’t even wish to discuss it.”

Fleur leaned forward and whispered in a conspiratorial tone to Lily, “A publisher has offered to pay dearly for Fanny’s memoirs if she will share titillating tales about her illustrious clientele.”

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