Page 37 of The Duke of Daring (The Untouchables)
“That isn’t entirely true,” Ivy, who’d sat down beside her, said quietly. “You just haven’t met the right one yet.”
Aquilla smiled brightly. “Just so.”
They caught up on Society nonsense while they drank tea and ate cakes. Lucy dismissed the elderly butler and went to close the door after he left.
Aquilla leaned forward on the settee. “Are we to be secretive today?”
Lucy sat back down on the chair angled toward the settee that held Aquilla and Ivy. “I have a matter of importance, and yes, secrecy, I need to discuss with you.” She didn’t want any of the small staff to overhear, with the exception of her maid, who was, of course, a key player in Lucy’s deception. She was upstairs keeping Lucy’s grandmother busy in her sitting room answering correspondence from a friend in Bath.
Aquilla’s bright blue eyes sparkled. “How intriguing.”
Lucy smoothed her palm over her skirt and straightened her spine. “You both asked what I was doing about our financial woes, and I’m now prepared to share all of it with you.” She took a deep breath, uncertain of how they would react. She knew they would support her, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be shocked or scandalized. “I’ve been dressing up as a man and visiting gaming hells in order to increase our coffers.”
Aquilla’s jaw dropped. Ivy’s eyes widened. Lucy worried the fabric of her dress between her thumb and forefinger.
Aquilla finally spoke. She shook her head, the curls framing her face bobbing with her movement. “I can’t imagine it. A man?”
“Yes.”
“No one has seen through your disguise?” Ivy asked.
Lucy allowed a small smile. “I’m quite convincing actually. I wear padding beneath the costume to hide what few curves I have.” She was not as tall and womanly as Ivy or as attractively formed as Aquilla. “However, there is one person who paid close enough attention to puzzle it out.”
Aquilla gasped. “What happened? This sounds terribly dangerous.”
“It isn’t.” Or it wasn’t until two nights ago. But that had been a riskier hell, and she wouldn’t make that mistake again. “Besides, I have a…guide who looks after me. The person who suspected I was a woman.”
Ivy frowned. “You seem to be dancing around this person’s identity. It has to be a gentleman, but who?”
Aquilla, who was closer to Lucy than Ivy, scooted to the edge of the settee. “Yes, who?”
She’d known she had to tell them. “Dartford.”
“Oh, this is better than flowers,” Aquilla said in a low, appreciative tone that was the aural equivalent of rubbing one’s hands together. Or so it sounded to Lucy.
Ivy pressed her lips together. “I should have known. That is why he danced with you at the ball.”
Lucy could take that assumption as an insult—as though Lucy couldn’t expect a man like Dartford to want to dance with her—but she didn’t. She and Ivy were as pragmatic and honest as the Season was monotonous. “Yes.”
Aquilla sat back now, her gaze turning speculative. “How extraordinary. And you say he knew you were a woman right away?”
“Notrightaway.” Though ithadbeen fairly quick.
Aquilla gave her a sly look, her mouth curving up. “He took an interest in you.”
Ivy smiled at her with pride. “Well, I think this is just wonderful. Have you been doing well?”
“Yes, until my most recent outing. We visited a more raucous hell and had to leave before I could collect my winnings.” That still stung.
Aquilla’s brow creased, and her demeanor changed. “Even with Dartford along, I’m not convinced this isn’t dangerous.”
Neither was Lucy, but not for the reasons they did. She’d thought far too much of Dartford’s kisses and, worse, considered kissing him again. “As it happens, we will be doing less of that. Dartford came up with the brilliant idea of me attending some gentlemanly pursuits with him and wagering on them as his set does. It’s a far easier and safer way to generate the money I need.”
“You say Dartford came up with this?” Ivy asked. She sounded skeptical, as if she couldn’t quite believe he’d been helpful. But then Ivy’s opinion of men was fairly low.
“Yes, after we had an impromptu shooting exhibition at Manton’s one night.”
Aquilla lurched forward again, laughing. “You did what?”
