Chapter 16

I kept my appointment two days later. We were sitting in her conservatory during the afternoon. The sun was out this day making the glass shine and the flowers quite radiant. I was about to bite into a biscuit when my hostess asked me, "So, which of the girls do you plan to bed?"

I spilled my tea and biscuit all over my vest. She was up and laughing as she helped my wipe off my vest. "Lady Warren," I gasped. "What sort of question is that?"

"An honest one, Lord Northam. Simply an honest one," she replied. "Come come, Lord Northam. I have been watching. Here you are, having lived most your life in America, just in from the country and dressed in the latest fashions of London. You seem so conventional, yet I perceive that you subtly disapprove, no, make sport of the conventional."

"You seem to have watched me closely, Lady Warren, and I have not noticed your eye on me," I said.

"Ah, you would have soon or later. I am simply hurrying the inevitable. For you would seek guidance sooner or later on breaching the walls of innocence in society," she said.

"Innocence?" I asked. "Does such really exist?"

She laughed, "You see, that is why I noticed you. You know the real question to ask. Perhaps I should have said the walls protecting virginity?"

"I have noticed that such seem to be guarded most jealously here in London, at least, among society," I said.

"Was it not so in America?" Lady Warren asked.

"More in the saying than the practice," I answered.

"Ah, an accomplished broacher of walls, I would guess," she said.

I let that pass still uncertain of the Lady's intent. "And what is your interest? You have no marriageable daughters."

"Tis true. My own are long married and settled into stuffy respectability," she said sadly. "More's the pity. My interest is now for its own sake. I love watching the chase and experiencing the battle vicariously. I remember it well, but a girl can only experience such a battle a few times," she said.

"Not just once?" I asked.

"No, no. Two, three maybe even four times if the girl is sufficiently creative and talented," Lady Warren said laughing. She turned serious. "I think your first conquest should be the young Lady Sussex."

I laughed, for the girl was beautiful. Seventeen, she had lustrous black hair and green eyes, her skin was pale and looked flawless as the finest Carrara marble. Her breasts were full, and her waist narrow. All eyes followed her when she came into a room. Her father, Lord Sussex, had married a Greek princess and the girl had an exotic cast from the marriage of Greek and Saxon.

"Lady Warren, while your idea has merit, her father jealousy guards her as if she were the Suez Canal and he the commanding general," I said.

"Ah, true. But no father guards his daughter against others of the fair sex. Why Lady Sussex even now comes to my house for tea several times a week. We converse on the most surprising subjects. One would never think that a lady of such qualities is overcome with the most degrading passion, just as a strumpet in Whitechapel. Of course, I have been guiding her to realize that all of us feel these passions and how best to, shall we say, scratch the itch while keeping the appearance of virtue, appearance being more essential than fact."

"Let me guess. You have already spoken to Lady Sussex about me," I said. She nodded, a subtle smile on her face. "And the dear girl has shown some interest in meeting me."

"Lord Northam, you are a rugged good-looking man, not too old, not too young, acceptable in society, though probably not as a marriage partner for the lady, so she need not worry that she is obstructing any possible alliance in her future. And last, dear sir, I know you are practiced in the art, though I have not told the girl this. After all, young girls want a man of some experience, but they do not wish to be just one more notch on the bedpost. They want to be special. In short, you are perfect," she said.

I was stunned. The woman had pegged me almost exactly. All she was unaware of was my power residing in the ring, at least, I prayed she was unaware of it.

She caught me off guard with her next question as I pondered if she knew of the ring.

"Would you join me for tea tomorrow at two? Lady Sussex will be dropping by at three so that no one will notice the coincidence of your arrival," she said.

"Well, I'll be damned," I blurted out.

She laughed gaily. "Oh good. I see I have surprised you with my efficiency," she said.

"Indeed, my Lady. Well, seeing how you have done such good work, I would hate to put it all to naught. Two it is," I said.

"Partners," she said. "And please, call me Vivian. I think we should be on a first name basis, partners as we are."

I nodded. "Vivian, please call me Jeremy."

She stood and led me to the front, "Tomorrow, my dear Jeremy." I took her hand before departing, my head a bit in a whirl. Lady Sussex. What a prize catch she would be. I must admit that my thoughts for the rest of the day and into the next morning were almost entirely of the beautiful Lady Sussex and the surprising Lady Vivian Warren.

I arrived the next day punctually. The servant saw me upstairs to Lady Warren's boudoir. "My dear, Vivian, unconventional indeed. Tea in the boudoir?"

"Tea, oh yes, tea. I almost forgot we were to have tea," she said. "Come have a seat and let us talk of Lady Sussex," she said pointing to a table by the window. She told me of the Lady, her preferences and dreams about men. It seems the Lady had taken Vivian into her confidence because her own mother had such rigid views that she would not even discuss the facts of life with the girl, something which was becoming ever more common in the modern era. And a terrible thing it is that mothers leave their daughters so ignorant when they should be equipping the girl with every knowledge of sex and men. They leave the poor girl defenseless. And so I was prepared to conquer the lady by her confidant.

At three, the Lady was escorted up. I stood aside as Vivian welcomed her. When the girl saw me, she blanched. "Vivian," she said quite nonplussed.

"Oh piffle, my dear. Come, meet Lord Northam. Jeremy, Lady Sussex. Annie, Jeremy Lord Northam."