Page 64 of Lady Louisa and the Carriage Clock
“We are. Are you a devotee of Wilkie?” Louisa asked. “His paintings are in the next room.”
“I like what I’ve seen of his work very much. Shall we?” He held out his arm to the lady.
She took it, and Edith followed them into the next room. Cecil held himself stiffly, determined not to be affected by the lovely, sweet-smelling lady beside him. Their party came to stand in front of the painting The Bag-Piper.
Once alone in the room, Louisa whispered, “I discovered who Cupid is. My father says that when she was young, Lady Cairs was known by that moniker.”
“That makes sense,” he whispered back, his head close to hers, the musky undertones of her signature citrus perfume enveloping his senses.
“We still have no idea who Venus is.”
A couple entered the room, and he led Louisa to the other side of the chamber. After finishing their viewing of the Wilkie collection, they moved on to a room with a placard pronouncing the works included as part of the Bourgeois Bequest of 1811, stopping in front of a work titled Venus and Adonis.
“Adonis...” Edith stepped closer to look at the painting. “I was recently told someone calls their husband Adonis. I can’t remember where I heard it. If we find Adonis, we might find our Venus.”
“Try to remember who told you about Adonis,” he replied quietly.
The lady was silent for a few moments before she shook her head. “It’s not coming to me. I’m sorry.”
“The identity of Adonis may occur to you later if you don’t think too much about it, Edith,” Louisa replied.
Their party moved on and viewed every room. After they returned to the vestibule of the building, Cecil felt at a loss for words. He was in unknown territory as he felt a strange reluctance to part from Louisa.
“Cecil, if we determine the identities of Venus and Adonis, we will let you know through Nathaniel,” Edith said quietly. “You shouldn’t visit Carstairs for the time being.”
He looked to Louisa.
The lady nodded. “My father and Leopold are concerned for my safety after the burglary and all the talk about you and the Rogue’s Alliance.”
“I understand. You ladies have been extremely helpful. I would not wish either of you to suffer for helping me. I should leave you now. It may have been a terrible idea to seek you ladies out.” In his desire to see Lady Louisa, he might have put her in danger. “Good day.”
Cecil exited the building and entered his waiting coach, the day not seeming as bright as it was mere moments ago.
* * * * *
Lord Wycliffe was right. If her father or Leopold heard she’d walked the gallery with the viscount, they would be upset with her. The coach ride back to Grosvenor Square was a quiet one, her thoughts full of Lord Wycliffe. It might be her imagination, but she thought he'd looked happy to see her today.
“Don’t forget my dinner party is at eight o’clock,” Edith called as Louisa exited Nathaniel’s carriage in front of Carstairs.
“I won’t forget.”
Once in her bedchamber, Louisa sat at her writing desk, unsure of what to do next. She couldn’t stop thinking about the viscount. He had listened to her at the gallery and hadn’t been rude or condescending. And it had felt nice to be escorted around the gallery holding his arm.
She didn’t know how long she’d been sitting at her desk when a knock came at her door, and Lucy peeked in. “Lady Louisa, your mother wants to speak to you in the drawing room.”
“Mother!” Louisa swept into the room and dropped onto a settee across from her mother. “Lucy said you wished to speak with me.”
“Leopold informed me you were seen at the Dulwich Gallery with Lord Wycliffe today.” Her mother cocked her head to one side, waiting for a reply.
She shrugged in response. “I was at the gallery with Edith. Lord Wycliffe was there as well. We did not arrange to meet.”
“Very well. I believe you. In future, you will leave any venue where he appears.” She paused. “I don’t wish to upset your father with this news.”
Nor did she. There was no telling how long it would take Lord Wycliffe to bring down the RA. If he ever did. She was fooling herself if she thought he would consider a future with her or any woman before he dismantled the criminal organization.
“My dear, the viscount is handsome but dangerous. He’s just not what we want for you, Louisa.”
“I understand, Mother.” She rose to her feet listlessly, a smile pasted on her face. “I’m going up to my room to sketch a bit.”
