My eyes searched the periphery of the dance floor to the collection of wallflowers who gripped their fans and empty dance cards, their eyes painfully seeking a man’s attentions. And then to the gentlemen engaging in conversation—the gentlemen who were too shy to approach a lady, to those who were not interested in the dancing at all, and those men who were covertly more interested in perusing other gentlemen!
And there, across the large ballroom, I spied a tall, willowy nobleman, his head of blond curls shining as if he were a heavenly being. A gap in the crowd allowed me to take his measure from head to toe. The young Baron had the most pleasing and dignified countenance. In fact, Leopold Von Leibenstein was prettier by far and more elegant than any of the women I had yet seen. His suit was emerald silk and he was clearly here to dance as his footwear was the finest John Lobb leather dancing pumps. He unconsciously swayed in time to the music and looked on longingly, as if he ached to join in.
The last time I had set eyes on the German noble he was being defiled by a group of sexual scavengers and seemed to take great pleasure from it. Leopold began clapping merrily to the music, while occasionally sharing conspiratorial words with a female companion whose back was toward me. The lady turned and I saw that she was pretty as a peach and with the cut of her frock, she was not English. The lady looked my way and as our gazes collided, her eyes widened. She held my gaze for longer than necessary, then opened and fluttered her fan and placed her lace gloved hand upon Leopold’s. She spoke into his ear. This directed the angel-haired man to look in my direction. And as dancers spun and twirled on the dance floor between us, our eyes met and fixed on one another. I fasten my features dourly so that I did not give the impression that I was at all interested or impressed by what I saw, but the other man could not repress a smile. Heat rushed from my head to my toes at the power of those flirtatious glances.
“Quite distracting, isn’t he!” Benjamin Cavendish drawled in his cut-glass society accent. He clapped a broad manly hand on my shoulders and squeezed. I was shocked at his sudden approach and my immediate reaction was to shrink away from his unwanted touch. It appeared that no one had thought to inform the Tory that I did not wish to be manhandled, or touched in any way. I stepped back to release myself from his grasp and noticed that he too wore the same ring as Lawrence Blake.
“I’m glad he’s found a pretty cunt to play with—” Cavendish said his voice full of malice.
“Poor boy’s been rather homesick, you know. We had to keep him sequestered at my country house in Oxfordshire for months—didn’t want to dilute the influence we have over him, you see.”
So, that was why Leopold vanished from London. The cabal kept the Baron in Oxfordshire away from the many temptations of London.
“He’s been desperate to have a little fun. Leo is always so much more open with his affections when he’s indulged in dancing and frivolity.” The man mused as if forgetting that he was in company.
I locked my jaw with disgust. I found the Tory MP to be rather objectionable, but I needed to remain on good terms with him if I was to find out who had put my name forward for Fratres Seminis.
“Thank you for your generous invitation; it’s a rather grander affair than I expected”, I said conversationally. “Devonshire House is indeed a spectacular venue.”
“My wife insisted on no less than three hundred guests. I am relieved Devonshire House was available as we would all have been crushed like tinned sardines if we had attempted to squeeze into my London townhouse.”
“It appears that the great and good are in attendance,” I observed.
”Indeed. You are one of us now, old chap—the great and the good.” Cavendish paused for a moment and then leaned to my ear.
“Your offering was… gratefully received.”
“Offering?” My brows narrowed in confusion. He leaned to my ear again and in a lurid whisper said, “Bless-ed is the seed.”
My guts curdled and I felt my blood ice in my veins at the implication of those words. While the cabal indulged in their orgy of sin I had foolishly given into my lust and… much to my shame I’d finished on the wall of the secret passageway. Had they devoured my leavings? If they had consumed my gentleman’s relish they must believe that I had left it for them purposely, as a ritual offering. Oh Gods!
