A 19th century London courtesan agrees to a phony courtship with a navy captain and finds herself negotiating uncharted territory outside the boudoir.
*****
The year is eighteen-t...
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Alice used a cane to move from her bedroom upstairs to the sitting room, where she chatted with me and Jules over tea service. The admiral had chosen that afternoon to leave his residence for the first time since his wife passed, which we were all pleased about. But it extended the amount of time I had to fight the growing unease in my gut.
Fortunately, the late dinner Jules and I took at McCaffrey's put the captain in an agreeable mood. I had made a point to keep our conversation on nonthreatening topics, like the first chamber concert
by the Philharmonic Society and the rigorous profiling one had to endure prior to being granted audience with royalty.
"I still can't believe I'm courting a lord," Alice said as she sipped her tea. "Did you see the roses in the hall?"
"Yes, I did. They're exquisite," I said without a hint of mockery.
"The worst part was writing the missive to Ben about my decision. I hated to hurt him that way. Please, don't ever tell Albert, but it was a difficult choice. If Ben had asked first, I may have said yes to him."
"As long as your choice was made for yourself and not for anyone else, that's the important bit," I offered.
"I'm happy with my choice. Besides, it's not like he's asked for my hand."
I glanced at Jules just as his eyes found mine, and I felt the sting of our circumstance like a fresh burn. But there was nothing to be done about it. "You should probably know that your brother and I will be telling your father the truth about our ruse when he returns home. We've already waited too long, and now that you're courting Lord Kingsley, the risk is even greater that he'll discover it on his own."
She bobbed her head soberly. "I agree. It's not going to be pleasant for any of us. But it will be better that we go to him rather than the other way around. I'm surprised you were able to last this long with my brother, even in a fictional courtship."
She caught Jules's attention and fluttered her eyelashes playfully. He responded with a snort of derision, which only made her giggle. Alice's high spirits kept the conversation sailing along pleasantly until the admiral returned. His mood did not quite match his daughter's. In fact, he seemed a touch miffed as he insisted we share a round of brandy. Was he feeling anxious about Lord Kingsley's proposal? The man was looking at a matrimonial union to the House of Oxford.
"Father, we all wish to speak with you about something of import." Jules followed up his announcement with a large swallow from his glass. He had done the same with the port I had offered him earlier, and I wondered how he was able to stomach more alcohol after his night of overindulgence.
"Speak freely." The admiral's eyes held a flicker of uncertainty as they landed on Alice.
"We have not been completely forthcoming with you...Rose and I...about our courtship."
