which to catch her breath.
She was not granted them. Liliane swept into the supper room, eye-catching in a crimson gown so low-cut that in comparison Kate felt positively demure.
Liliane pulled up another chair to the small table. “Aren’t you fine as fivepence? Mme Dubois makes all our gowns. Which brings to mind what I wish to say to you. Gentlemen are predictable creatures, in the nature of asses and geese. If one doesn’t want you, another will; and once the second does, the first will follow suit. And as to that, his lordship has many enemies.”
Kate didn’t doubt Quin had enemies. How could he not, after the life he’d lived? But she was not among them. “What’s that to do with me?”
“You can’t be so beetle-headed,” scolded Liliane. “It’s everything to do with you. I’ll admit I cast my eyes in his direction, but that was only cream-pot love.”
“You cast more than your eyes,” Kate retorted drily. “Or my eyes played me false.”
“His lordship probably will play you false, if he hasn’t already, but I’ll say as shouldn’t that you have the wrong sow by the ear.” The conversation degenerated into an incomprehensible jumble of ladybirds and lickspittles and females who tried to suicide themselves, interspersed with an occasional Zut and Mon Dieu!
The sound of a throat clearing brought Liliane abruptly to her feet. “Me, I was just taking a breather,” she explained to Samson, who stood scowling in the doorway. “Until the contretemps died down.”
“Mr. Loversall has departed, and the ladies with him.” Samson jerked his head toward the door. Liliane muttered, “You’ll remember what I said.”
Alone again, Kate tried to decide what, precisely, Lilianne had said. That Quin clothed a harem? That he had enemies?
And how on earth were they to convince the world she was Beau’s latest flirt when he was always off flirting with some other female?
Or, in the current instance, more than flirting, she conjectured.
“Excuse me, miss!” came a voice from behind her. Kate turned to see a gaunt grey-haired woman hovering in the servants’ doorway. She was wearing a dark dress of the sort favored by upper servants.
Kate hadn’t known Quin had a housekeeper.
Obviously, she didn’t know a great many things about Quin.
“If you please, miss, his lordship says—” The woman’s words were slightly imprecise, as if she wore an ill-fitting set of false teeth. Her hands twisted in the fabric of her skirts. “Would you mind coming closer? Himself wouldn’t want this to be overheard.”
Kate wondered who might overhear conversation held in a deserted room. Still, the woman was clearly anxious, and so she stepped out into the passageway. “What is it his lordship says?”
“It’s not what he says now, but what he will.” The woman raised her hands. With one, she beckoned. In the other, she held a gun.
Chapter Fourteen
“What do you mean, Kate is missing?” demanded Quin.
Samson didn’t gulp, exactly, but he did swallow hard. “No one has seen Miss Manvers since she went into the supper room.”
Quin surveyed the supper room — filled with diners sitting down to the second serving — and cursed himself for not keeping closer watch on Kate. He had removed himself from her vicinity after discovering that watching patrons gape at her décolletage made him all out-of-reason cross. The owner of a successful gambling establishment didn’t go about breaking his customers’ heads.
He really was quite spoilt. So accustomed to females pursuing him that it put him out of sorts when one did not.
But this was no moment in which to ponder his numerous deficiencies of character. “You’re certain she’s not in the house?”
Samson remained a prudent distance from his employer. “Aye.”
“And she didn’t leave by the front door?”
Samson shook his head.
“Then,” said Quin, through gritted teeth, “she must have gone out through another. Which she would
She was not granted them. Liliane swept into the supper room, eye-catching in a crimson gown so low-cut that in comparison Kate felt positively demure.
Liliane pulled up another chair to the small table. “Aren’t you fine as fivepence? Mme Dubois makes all our gowns. Which brings to mind what I wish to say to you. Gentlemen are predictable creatures, in the nature of asses and geese. If one doesn’t want you, another will; and once the second does, the first will follow suit. And as to that, his lordship has many enemies.”
Kate didn’t doubt Quin had enemies. How could he not, after the life he’d lived? But she was not among them. “What’s that to do with me?”
“You can’t be so beetle-headed,” scolded Liliane. “It’s everything to do with you. I’ll admit I cast my eyes in his direction, but that was only cream-pot love.”
“You cast more than your eyes,” Kate retorted drily. “Or my eyes played me false.”
“His lordship probably will play you false, if he hasn’t already, but I’ll say as shouldn’t that you have the wrong sow by the ear.” The conversation degenerated into an incomprehensible jumble of ladybirds and lickspittles and females who tried to suicide themselves, interspersed with an occasional Zut and Mon Dieu!
The sound of a throat clearing brought Liliane abruptly to her feet. “Me, I was just taking a breather,” she explained to Samson, who stood scowling in the doorway. “Until the contretemps died down.”
“Mr. Loversall has departed, and the ladies with him.” Samson jerked his head toward the door. Liliane muttered, “You’ll remember what I said.”
Alone again, Kate tried to decide what, precisely, Lilianne had said. That Quin clothed a harem? That he had enemies?
And how on earth were they to convince the world she was Beau’s latest flirt when he was always off flirting with some other female?
Or, in the current instance, more than flirting, she conjectured.
“Excuse me, miss!” came a voice from behind her. Kate turned to see a gaunt grey-haired woman hovering in the servants’ doorway. She was wearing a dark dress of the sort favored by upper servants.
Kate hadn’t known Quin had a housekeeper.
Obviously, she didn’t know a great many things about Quin.
“If you please, miss, his lordship says—” The woman’s words were slightly imprecise, as if she wore an ill-fitting set of false teeth. Her hands twisted in the fabric of her skirts. “Would you mind coming closer? Himself wouldn’t want this to be overheard.”
Kate wondered who might overhear conversation held in a deserted room. Still, the woman was clearly anxious, and so she stepped out into the passageway. “What is it his lordship says?”
“It’s not what he says now, but what he will.” The woman raised her hands. With one, she beckoned. In the other, she held a gun.
Chapter Fourteen
“What do you mean, Kate is missing?” demanded Quin.
Samson didn’t gulp, exactly, but he did swallow hard. “No one has seen Miss Manvers since she went into the supper room.”
Quin surveyed the supper room — filled with diners sitting down to the second serving — and cursed himself for not keeping closer watch on Kate. He had removed himself from her vicinity after discovering that watching patrons gape at her décolletage made him all out-of-reason cross. The owner of a successful gambling establishment didn’t go about breaking his customers’ heads.
He really was quite spoilt. So accustomed to females pursuing him that it put him out of sorts when one did not.
But this was no moment in which to ponder his numerous deficiencies of character. “You’re certain she’s not in the house?”
Samson remained a prudent distance from his employer. “Aye.”
“And she didn’t leave by the front door?”
Samson shook his head.
“Then,” said Quin, through gritted teeth, “she must have gone out through another. Which she would
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