“Because they are so rare, and now you have blessed me with ten in three hours.”Charity held up three fingers.“You also said please and thank you to the modiste and her assistant.”
“Can I not be kind?”Florentia pressed her gloved hand against her chest.
“No, you’re never kind.You’re you, and I love you as you are, but in three years, I have never heard you say please or thank you to anyone.Ever.”Charity leaned forward.“Something has happened.Tell me now, Florentia Vaughn.”
She laughed at her friend, really laughed at Charity and her antics.It was impossible to hide the fact that she was happy.She, Florentia Evelyn Vaughn, was happy.
“You shagged the new duke!”Charity leaned over and hit Florentia on the leg.
Unable to hold it in any longer, she said, “What if I did?”She shrugged her shoulder, feeling her age for the first time in her life.
“You bedded him, and you like him.”Charity rose and quickly deposited herself next to Florentia.
“Yes, I like him.,” she whispered.“My God, I like him so much, Charity, it scares me.Things like this madness don’t happen to me.”
Her friend took her by the hand and squeezed.“Florentia, it’s happening.You must let it sweep you away.Anyone that has you smiling like this is worth it in my opinion.”
“He’s ill mannered,” Florentia said, listing his faults.
“I like ill mannered.”
“He curses like the devil, and his tongue is wicked…” She trailed off, remembering just what that tongue had done to her that morning.
They were lounging in bed, eating meat and cheese, when he trailed that wicked tongue down her body, creating a path of fire down to her sex, where he devoured her until she could barely speak.
“I see,” Charity said, rearing back, her hazel eyes wide.“Are you in love with him?”
Love?
Dear God, Charity had finally gone mad.
Love?
She couldn’t be in love with him.She’d just met him.You couldn’t fall in love with someone you just met, could you?
Before she could answer, the carriage jerked to the side, tilting them into each other.“What is going on?”she asked, looking out the window.
They were going away from Mayfair, not toward.
“What’s wrong?”Charity asked, peeping out her own window.“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know.”Florentia knocked on the ceiling of the carriage, trying to get the coachman’s attention.
They increased their speed, the scenery changing rapidly to the London docks.
Why the hell would they be at the docks?
When the carriage came to a stop, she pushed the door open.“I insist you take us back to Summerset House now!”she shouted as Thomas, a man that was clearly not Jake, stepped down and peered down at her.“Thomas, what is going on?”
“Why in bloody hell are we here?”Charity asked, stepping out of the carriage.
Around them were warehouses, all sitting in front of the River Thames.
“You’re here because I’ve been paid to hand you over.Good riddance,” Thomas said, as a large man with a crooked nose and missing teeth walked up to them.
“Two for one, aye,” he said, looking from her to Charity.
“Florentia,” Charity whispered, “tell me you know what is going on.”
