Page 1 of The Secrets He Keeps

Chapter One

London, December 1817

Callista Hale stepped gracefully from her stylish barouche to the cobblestone street in Soho. A winter gale kicked up and swirled around her feet, sending gusts of icy air up her skirts. Ignoring the cold, she peered through the black netting of her hat, which had been drawn down to conceal her features, and assessed the building in front of her.

It was not as grand as she’d expected.

Her own establishment near St. James was a veritable mansion built of red brick with ivy crawling up one wall, black shutters on every window, and a black-painted door possessing a gleaming brass knocker in the shape of a dragon’s head. This place was nearly its exactly opposite. Built in the romantic neo-classical style, it was three stories high but remained rather modest in size. It was all white with solid white pillars framing the entrance and marble steps that led up to double doors painted a conservative navy blue.

Smoothing her hands over the fur-lined black velvet of her winter pelisse, she started forward. Anyone observing would have seen a mysterious woman of obvious wealth and consequence. They’d have no idea the black veil concealed a shrewd and focused gaze. Or that such graceful, languid steps were grounded in determination and ire.

Because she was about to infiltrate the enemy’s lair.

Whispers and rumors about London’s newest gentleman’s club had been flying about town for months. At first, Callista had brushed off the news of a new place opening up. No club, brothel, or otherwise had ever been able to compete with Pendragon’s Pleasure House.

Callista should have easily been able to put any possible concerns about the new gentleman’s club to rest. And she would have, if she hadn’t started to notice that for all the talk it inspired, no one really seemed to know exactly what went on behind the establishment’s blue doors.

Even after months of using her rather extensive resources to learn more about the establishment in Soho, Callista had confirmed very little that proved to be useful or concrete beyond the fact that the place was owned and operated by one Erik Maxwell of unknown origins. And for a woman who’d been the primary custodian for the sexual secrets of England’s most prominent aristocrats, politicians, and businessmen for more than a decade, the lack of information was infuriating.

She did not tolerate competition, and though she doubted this new club could possibly be considered as such, she’d had enough with the bloody mystery. The fact that the club catered to the same pool of extremely wealthy and influential gentlemen as Pendragon’s was enough to place the establishment in her line of fire. It was time to discover exactly what secrets Maxwell’s contained. Personally.

As she ascended the pristine steps to the front doors, she put an extra sway in her hips and curved her reddened lips. Poor Mr. Maxwell had no idea what he was up against.

Lifting a hand gloved in the finest black leather, she ignored the gleaming gold knocker to rap her knuckles smartly on the wood. The door opened immediately to reveal a man who possessed the appearance and manner of an aged butler. Stiff spine, hooked nose, disapproving glare and all.

“May I help you, madam?”

Though the pompous servant was not what she’d expected, she replied with smooth command. “I desire an audience with the proprietor of this establishment.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

She laughed—a rich, husky, sensual sound. Assuming the man would continue his butler charade and refrain from physically stopping her, she swept past him into the building and began unbuttoning her pelisse. Though she probably shouldn’t have been, she was surprised to see that the attempt at mimicking an aristocratic home had not been limited to the doorman. The entryway was set up to give a visitor the impression they were entering a gentleman’s townhouse rather than a high-class brothel.

“Pardon me, madam, but all visitations are by appointment only.”

Lifting the small velvet reticule looped over her wrist, she slipped her hand in to withdraw a calling card printed in red ink on black. With a graceful turn of her elbow, she handed the card to the butler. “Take this to your master. He’ll receive me. With pleasure, I’m sure.”

Then she turned and strode toward one of the open doors leading off the hall. She had no doubt the butler would do as she said and even less doubt the man she wished to speak with would see her immediately upon receiving her card. She had only about five minutes or so to snoop around a bit.

As she listened to the butler’s steps crossing the gleaming marble floor behind her, she entered what proved to be a small library.

She scoffed. Who the hell featured a library in a blasted brothel?

Although she had one at Pendragon’s, it was for her own personal use. Men did not come to a pleasure house to read. Yet this was clearly intended for the club’s guests. For a moment, she wondered if she had the wrong address.

But her information had been confirmed. This was definitely Maxwell’s.

The floor was covered in thick Persian rugs and a grand fireplace occupied nearly the entire wall to her right. Leather chairs and sofas offered comfortable seating while books lined the opposite wall from floor to ceiling. The room felt like a quiet and studious sanctuary.

Callista laughed as she removed her pelisse and draped it over her arm. It was all so...lord-of-the-manor. So pretentious and arrogant and aristocratic.

She was all about discretion and keeping the specific activities at her brothel private and protected for the sake of her patrons. But no one walked into her place and didn’t immediately know it existed for the expression and enjoyment of sin, sex, and all manners of wickedness. There was no shame in it.

Annoyance seared her blood as she looked about the room, judging it harshly for its attempt at elevating the establishment above its purpose. It was a brothel. Nothing more. One of many that had tried to pilfer some of her elite clientele. All the others eventually perished from a failure to replicate the kind of service Pendragon’s provided.

This place would do the same.

“Pardon, madam,” the butler intoned from the doorway. “Mr. Maxwell will see you. This way, if you please.”

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