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Lady Chesterton grabbed Falcone’s hand and dragged him to the door. After peeking out to see if anyone stood guard, she led him along the hallway.
“Where are you taking me now? It best not be another trap,” Falcone warned.
“Shh. You will see.” She led them along a darkened corridor. Lady Chesterton trailed her hand along the wall, counting the doors as they passed them. Once they reached the middle of the hallway, she dropped his hand and opened the door. She crept in and moved toward the fireplace, where she lit a candle.
Falcone followed her inside, closing the door behind him. After his eyes adjusted to the barely lit room, he saw someone lying underneath a quilt. Lady Chesterton rushed to the bed and tended to the person. Falcone drew closer, curious about why she had brought him here. As he stood at the foot of the bed, he saw a girl badly beaten, uttering soft moans from the pain she suffered. Who was she? Why would anyone have harmed her to this degree?
“Why have you brought me in here?” Falcone whispered.
Lady Chesterton wiped a wet cloth over the girl’s forehead. “’Tis your Melody.”
“Oh, hell!” Falcone swallowed the bile rising in his throat.
“They learned how she planted information for your cause and beat her to send a message to any other girl who you might seduce for the same reason,” Lady Chesterton explained.
“Damn. Does her evilness hold no bounds?” Falcone muttered.
He strode away, dragging his hands through his hair. Another innocent girl ruined by his hands. He couldn’t escape his past; now it bled into his present and would forever haunt his future. He paced back and forth. If Lady L would deliver this message, then she had no intention of trusting him. He was just another pawn in her game of destruction.
“What was her purpose for this evening, to toy with me?”
Lady Chesterton nodded. “She wanted you to believe you had her help for your revenge. Then you will supply her with information she will use against you. She will never trust you, my lord. It is all a ploy.”
“Why should I trust you? It is more than obvious you are a key player in her organization,” Falcone accused.
“She trusts me no more than she trusts you, my lord,” Lady Chesterton hissed.
“Yet you do her bidding.”
“We all play an act to make others believe what we want them to. But I am not a fool. She watches me closely, waiting for her moment to strike,” Lady Chesterton explained.
“Explain your purpose in her organization and what act you play,” Falcone ordered.
“I play the act of a besotted bride who indulges in my husband’s decadent lifestyle. My assignment is to lure the gentlemen that frequent these establishments to my husband’s parties, where Lady L fleeces them to keep her organization afloat while she hides. She then gathers information to blackmail them with later. I am unsure of the details, but when she strikes against the ton, it will play a ripple effect with those who she will blackmail, securing her freedom.”
Falcone whistled. “Quite brilliant of her. We never thought she would operate along those lines.”
“She tried it on the Continent until she crossed the wrong peer, forcing her back to England. Since then, she has perfected her method. After a few successful attempts while we stayed in Edinburgh, she set out for London to put her plan into action.”
Falcone regarded her shrewdly. “You still have not answered why I should trust you.”
“Because I want her destroyed,” Lady Chesterton spat.
“Why?”
“Because I learned she had my husband killed. She believes I am ignorant of her crime, but I am not.”
Falcone lost his patience with her. “Sorry, I do not believe you.” He turned away from her.
“Colebourne said I would struggle to convince you differently,” Lady Chesterton threw at his back.
Falcone slowly turned back around. “Excuse me?”
“The duke and Lord Chesterton told me you would never believe me.”
Falcone barked out a sarcastic laugh. “You are under the opinion I should trust you because you throw out the duke’s name. When Lady L is aware of my association with Colebourne.”
Lady Chesterton sighed. “He said to mention, ‘Sins are but a redemption of our souls.’”
Falcone closed his eyes, dragging his hand along his face. She spoke the truth. It was a code Colebourne insisted on to trust the person who uttered it. No one knew of this unless the duke or he confided in the person.
“Do you believe me now?” Lady Chesterton whispered.
“Aye. What now?” Falcone asked.
“We return to the chamber and pretend to be in the throes of passion when Lady Ravencroft returns. I will leave with the lady, and we will report to Lady Langdale. Then I will return to the safety of my husband. Will you promise to take Melody to safety? I fear they will return and kill her for her betrayal.”
“I neglected to offer Melody my protection. I will rectify it this evening and secure her safety,” Falcone swore.
Lady Chesterton nodded and blew out the candle. She returned to Melody’s side to whisper in her ear. Then she grabbed Falcone’s hand and led him back to the bedchamber. “You must undress to make it believable,” she ordered.
Falcone undressed and slid under the bedsheets. Lady Chesterton walked around yanking at the bedding. She gave it the appearance they had spent the past hour rolling around on the bed. Then she spread his clothes around on the floor. She dropped her robe and climbed on top of him, staring down at him with a pensive expression.
“Whatever your past may be, I believe Lady Eden will still love you.” She ran her hands up his chest.
He grabbed at her wrists, squeezing them to stop her caress. “Never speak her name. Especially at this moment,” Falcone growled.
Lady Chesterton’s eyes widened, and she nodded in understanding. Falcone dropped her wrists. He didn’t mean to scare her, but he didn’t need a reminder of how he betrayed Eden by lying naked in bed with Lady Chesterton. They might not engage in a tryst, but it still placed them in a scandalous situation. Even though he shared no promises of fidelity with Eden, his heart had declared itself when they made love. He prayed she would forgive him for this indiscretion.
A noise in the hallway alerted them to Lady Ravencroft’s return. Lady Chesterton released a moan of pleasure while moving against him, followed by screaming his name.
With a loud grunt declaring his satisfaction, he slapped Lady Chesterton on the buttocks. “Yes, you ride my cock as well as you suck it.”
Lady Chesterton collapsed on his chest. “I have many more tricks to show you this evening.”
Lady Ravencroft laughed from the doorway. “Not tonight, lovely. We must make our return before Lady L sends back her reinforcements. Perhaps you can convince your groom to invite Lord Falcone to his next soiree.”
“Mmm, sounds like an excellent idea.” She kissed his neck and whispered, “Please send word when you have secured Melody’s safety.” She rose and drew on her robe.
Falcone laced his hands behind his head, appearing like a man well satisfied. His gaze followed Lady Chesterton as if he couldn’t take his eyes off her. “No need to convince Chesterton of anything. There are other ways we can enjoy each other’s company without him having any knowledge. Your husband can be quite possessive. He only allows others to play with his toys when he desires. No need to strike his wrath.”
Lady Ravencroft watched their exchange. Falcone knew she looked for any signs of deception. Once she seemed convinced, a wicked smile spread across her face at the damning evidence she held against them. One he must deflect if she ever spoke with Eden. As for Lady Chesterton, Colebourne had offered her refuge in return for information on Lady Langdale. Her marriage was a sham to where she never had to worry over a jealous husband. However, he supplied the bait of Chesterton’s possessive nature, and Lady Ravencroft snatched it up to use for her benefit.
“Thank you, Lady Ravencroft, for your discretion. I shall wait to hear of when I can escort you to our first event together.” Falcone smiled charmingly at her.
“Thank you, my lord. By securing your promise, you have made my evening enjoyable.”
After her comment, they left him alone with a sense of doom hovering over him. In case they returned, he waited before rising to dress. Once he did, he strolled to the window and saw them enter the carriage that waited behind the brothel. It struck him as odd how none of Lady L’s guards returned with the ladies. That meant one of two things. Either they waited for him to leave so they could follow him or she trusted Lady Ravencroft. He found the latter hard to believe. Barbara Langdale didn’t strike him as a lady who trusted anyone, which meant her guards stayed behind to learn of his activities. How would he avoid their notice when he left to secure Melody in a safe location?
A knock sounded, followed by a timid voice asking, “Lord Falcone?”
Falcone opened the door to find a maid quivering. She kept glancing over her shoulder at another girl down the hallway. “Yes.”
“Can you help my mistress?”
“What is the trouble?” Falcone asked.
She shook, too afraid to answer. The other girl rushed over to them. “They have beaten her too and have threatened her life. She has a request for you. But you must hurry. We can only keep Lady L’s guards occupied for so long before they grow suspicious.”
“Take me to her,” he ordered.
“Take him to the Madame, Sadie. I will continue to stand watch,” the girl directed the maid.
Falcone followed the maid along the same darkened corridor where Melody rested and to another room nearby. When he entered, he found the Madame’s guards standing next to her as she curled up in a chair near the fireplace. They had beaten her too but not as severely.
“A warning to you too?” Falcone asked.
“Yes. Also, they delivered the same message in the other haunts you visit,” Madame Tabitha stated.
Falcone grimaced. “I never intended for this destruction.”
“An evil we must contend with when dealing with the devil herself.”
Falcone scoffed. “Devil is too kind of a word to describe her.”
“You may be right, my lord.” Tabitha winced when attempting a smile.
“What is your request?” Falcone asked.
“Take Melody away from here before they return to kill her,” Tabitha pleaded.
Falcone nodded. “I had already planned to. Can your men load her in my carriage while I distract Lady L’s guards?”
“Yes, but be careful.” Tabitha gasped for air when she tried to move.
“Will you allow me to send a doctor to see to your injuries?”
“You are too kind, Lord Falcone. But no, I cannot show any signs of weakness. I will heal in time, but I fear Melody will not. She is a dear girl, forced into whoring her body because of the unfortunate circumstances of poverty. Melody never deserved this treatment.”
Falcone lowered to squat in front of her chair, drawing her hands into his. “I promise she will never have to worry over coin again in her lifetime.”
“Thank you. Now hurry along before they search for you.”
Falcone left, and her guards followed him to Melody’s room. “Take her to my carriage. My driver will know what to do. Then return to the parlor. I will cause a distraction, and you will keep them occupied until I can make my escape with Melody.”
They nodded their approval of his plan, and he wandered back down to the parlor and resumed his previous seat. He ordered the servant to bring him a drink and relaxed with a lazy expression, watching the girls display their wares. When Lady L’s guards turned their gazes away, he poured the liquor into the plant at his side and ordered another drink. He proceeded with this until the Madame’s guards returned and gave him the signal to cause a scene.
He stumbled to his feet, swaying back and forth, and knocked into the furniture. “I say, have you two blokes sampled the charms of these enticing ladies yet this evening? Which one would you suggest I try?”
He splashed his drink across one of them when he tripped over the rug. The guard roared his disapproval, and he spun away, trying to wipe his shirt clean.
“Sorry, mate,” he muttered and spun around, slamming his elbow into the other guard.
Tabitha’s guards rushed over, mumbling about drunken lords who couldn’t hold their liquor, blocking him from Lady L’s guards. They gave him the perfect opportunity to make his escape. Tabitha’s girls must have learned of the escape attempt and rushed over to the guards, preening all over them. He hurried out the door and slipped into his carriage, ordering his driver to their next destination.
Falcone sat back in the seat, catching his breath. He stared at the victim across him, and the heavy weight of guilt tugged at his conscience. Would this nightmare ever end? Or would the evilness that grew out of control forever plague them?
For Melody’s sake and others like her, he made it his mission to destroy Lady Langdale.