Intimate 02 - Intimate Surrender (28 page)

R
afe could feel the excitement the minute he stepped into the room. The anticipation was as palpable as anything he’d ever experienced. The noise level was so intense he knew he could roar his frustration as loudly as he wanted and not be heard.

And that’s exactly what he wanted to do—bellow his anger until everyone in the room knew how furious he was at what was about to happen. Then he wanted to grab Hannah by the arm and drag her from the room.

He was desperate to stop her from allowing this to go any further. He knew she was selling herself simply to prove how far beneath him she was, and he wanted to forbid it.

He understood why she’d turned to prostitution after she’d been raped, and he accepted that part of her life. He also knew that she’d repented of what she’d done because of her refusal to sell herself the minute she’d earned enough money to buy Madam Genevieve’s. Because she hadn’t turned to prostitution since.

And tonight he wanted to forbid her to return to that lifestyle because she felt she needed to convince him how unworthy she was of his love.

She was more than worthy. She’d done more good than he could hope to do in ten lifetimes. She’d affected the
lives of more children and young men and women than he would ever be able to claim to influence. She’d rescued more children from a life of prostitution than anyone could count. He couldn’t let her do this.

He wouldn’t.

He looked around and found her at the front of the room talking to three men. Two of them he knew, but not the third.

“If those are the men Hannah invited to bid for her tonight,” Thomas said from behind him, “she chose wisely. They are three of the wealthiest men in London. As well as three of the most sought-after bachelors in Society.”

Rafe reached for a glass of champagne an elegantly gowned young beauty offered him and took a sip. “I recognize Lord Balderford and Referley, but not the third. Who is he?”

“The Earl of Masey. He belongs to one of the oldest families in England. Very influential. Very wealthy.”

Rafe studied the three men talking to Hannah, and his blood heated. She’d handpicked these men with the intention of giving her body to one of them.

He studied each of them, then shifted his gaze to look at Hannah. Their gazes locked.

Rafe had imagined the emotions that would surface when he saw Hannah tonight, but he was unprepared for the riotous reaction that engulfed him. He wanted to place a wrap around her shoulders to cover the flesh that her gown exposed. He wanted to hide her exquisite beauty so that every man in the room stopped lusting over her. He wanted to whisk her from the room and save her from debasing herself.

He wanted to forbid her from taking part in this fiasco and be assured she would honor his wishes. But he knew
she wouldn’t. For some reason he didn’t completely understand, she was so desperate to separate herself from him that she’d chosen to sell herself.

He kept his gaze riveted to hers as she slowly made her way to where he and Thomas stood.

“Lord Wedgewood,” she said, extending her hand to Thomas. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“Madam Genevieve. Yes, I happened to be in town and thought I’d accompany Lord Rafe, since he was one of the lucky four chosen to bid for your favors.”

Rafe thought he noticed a flash of embarrassment on Hannah’s face, but it disappeared as quickly as it emerged.

“I’m certain he’ll appreciate your advice. Maybe you’ll even suggest that there’s no need for him to risk his money. As you can see from the men he’ll be bidding against, he will undoubtedly be forced to drop out of the game soon after it starts.”

“Is that what
you
are hoping happens, Madam Genevieve?” Rafe asked.

He enjoyed watching her cheeks darken with a blushing rose.

“If you knew me better, Lord Rafe, you’d realize it hardly matters to me which of the four men bidding for my favors wins. The winner of the prize is of little significance. Just as the prize is of little value.”

The knot that formed in Rafe’s gut nearly made him ill. How dare she play the part of a slut? How dare she attempt to make him believe that letting one of them use her body meant nothing to her? How dare she try to make him believe that she wasn’t humiliated by what she was doing?

A long pause made the tension in the room even more unbearable. Thankfully, Thomas eased the situation. He looked around the room, then turned his attention back to Hannah. “Your event has attracted quite a crowd.”

She smiled. “Yes, it has. It’s been a long time since I’ve offered my services to anyone. Obviously, London’s male population is interested in who the winner will be.”

Rafe couldn’t listen to Hannah degrade herself any longer. He leaned closer to her. “Stop this madness now, Hannah. You don’t need to prove anything to me. If I could take back my words from the other night, I would. I didn’t mean to insult you like I did.”

For a fleeting moment, Rafe thought he saw a flash of regret in her eyes, followed by dark remorse, but he must have been mistaken. Before he could identify with certainty what he saw, Hannah tipped her head back and released a hearty feminine laugh.

“Oh, Vicar! Do you truly believe that you are the reason I am offering my services? Do you think I am taking a lover tonight because I believe I need to
prove
something to you? Oh, no. Nothing could be further from the truth.” She stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. “No, Vicar. I am taking a lover tonight because I am a whore and I enjoy what I do.”

Hannah’s stomach clenched the second the words left her mouth. What she’d said had a visible effect on Rafe. He blanched as if she’d physically struck him.

Hannah struggled to keep the proud expression on her face, even though pride was the last emotion she felt. “Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me. It’s nearly nine o’clock. The bidding will commence in moments.”

She turned, grateful for the chance to escape. Rafe was not the only one who disapproved of what she was doing. Wedgewood did too. The dark frown on his face told her he did.

She had taken two shaky steps away from them when Wedgewood’s voice stopped her.

“Madam Genevieve. A moment, please.”

She turned.

“May I have a few words with you?”

“I don’t think—”

“Please.”

Hannah filled her lungs with air. “Of course, Lord Wedgewood. If you’ll follow me.”

She led Wedgewood to the far side of the room, then opened a door and stepped into an empty room. Wedgewood followed her, and she closed the door behind them. He spoke before she could turn to face him.

“Perhaps you’d care to explain what’s going on, Hannah. Because none of this makes sense.”

“There’s nothing to explain, Lord Wedgewood. I decided to offer my favors—”

“No, you can use that excuse to Rafe and hope he believes it. And maybe he will. He’s so desperately in love with you he can’t see beyond the hurt you’re causing him. But I am not that affected. Why are you doing this?”

Hannah squeezed her eyes shut while she thought of what to tell her friend’s husband.

“You might as well tell me the truth, Hannah. I’d like to be able to tell Caroline the real reason you’re doing this when she asks.”

Hannah’s gaze darted to his face. “Caroline doesn’t need to know about tonight.”

Wedgewood laughed. “Do you think that’s remotely possible? With six sisters and their connections to London Society, someone’s bound to mention it. I can name a half dozen men out there right now who will relish repeating tonight’s events, including Viscount Carmody’s father and the Earl of Baldwin’s brother. How long do you think it will take Lady Josalyn or Lady Frances to hear the news and tell Caroline? Or Grace?”

Hannah swallowed hard. She had no choice. She would have to tell Wedgewood the reason she was offering herself. Perhaps she could even enlist his help to make sure Rafe left London immediately.

She walked to the sideboard and poured them each a drink. “Please sit down,” she said as she handed him his brandy. The trembling in her fingers felt foreign, strange, unlike her. She was nervous. More nervous tonight than she’d been in years. But tonight was different. Yes, tonight was very different.

Wedgewood walked to the chair she pointed to, then waited for her to sit first.

“Sit, please,” she repeated. “I prefer to stand.”

She walked to the window and left him behind her. She stared out into the darkness, even though she could see very little. “I’m sure Caroline has told you part of what I do here—my attempt to rescue as many young girls from a life on the street as possible.”

“Yes,” he said from behind her. “She’s explained your mission. I find it admirable.”

“Well, not everyone does. Particularly a man named Skinner.”

“I’ve heard of him. And what I’ve heard isn’t good.”

Hannah turned her head and looked over her shoulder. “Whatever you heard was no doubt a compliment compared to his true nature.”

“How is he involved in this?”

“Several…” She paused. “No,
most
of the girls I’ve rescued are very young. Many of his clients prefer young virgins. That shouldn’t shock you.”

“No,” Wedgewood replied. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t.”

“Those are the girls I try hardest to rescue, before they are ruined. Skinner, as you can well understand, has taken exception to my interference. In fact, when your brother first arrived in London, he followed me when I went to rescue one of the girls I’d heard was arriving. Skinner took note of Rafe’s intrusion and ordered his men to teach your brother a lesson.”

Hannah turned to face Wedgewood. She wanted him to realize how dangerous Skinner was and how at-risk Rafe was. “They shot him in the back, then beat him.”

The expression in Wedgewood’s eyes turned deadly.

“He could have died, my lord. More than once I thought he might lose his battle to survive.”

Wedgewood rose. “That’s why you’re doing this. Because you are worried over his safety. You intend to disgust him so completely that he’ll leave you and never return.”

Hannah breathed a heavy sigh. “There’s more.” Hannah walked to a chair near Wedgewood’s and sat.
“Unfortunately, Skinner knows that Rafe is very important to me. To retaliate against me and to stop me from interfering in his business, he has put a marker on Rafe’s head. A significant marker.”

Wedgewood sat forward in his chair. “A price? On Rafe’s head? That bastard.”

“Yes. Word is just spreading about the marker, but in time, every lowlife in London will be hunting your brother. It’s not only important that Rafe leave London, but that he leaves London tonight.”

“That’s the real reason you’re doing this—to distance yourself from my brother. To save him.”

“Don’t make what I’m doing sound noble. There’s nothing honorable about being a whore.”

“Sacrificing your future happiness for my brother’s safety is one of the most magnanimous acts imaginable. Thank you, Hannah. I am in your debt.”

“You owe me nothing. If not for me, Rafe would never have gotten into this situation.”

“You didn’t get him into this situation. Love did. If he didn’t love you so desperately, things may have been different. And if you didn’t love him so unconditionally, you wouldn’t be doing something so self-sacrificing.”

“Don’t give me too much credit, Wedgewood. My plan hasn’t worked yet. The rest will undoubtedly be up to you.”

Wedgewood frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“There’s no way Rafe will win the auction.” Hannah stopped short. “Unless, of course, you backed him.”

“I loaned him ten thousand pounds.”

Hannah breathed a sigh of relief. “That won’t be enough. Masey will no doubt go that high, if not higher. Needless
to say, your brother cannot win. When he loses, it will be your responsibility to take him from London. Preferably tonight. If not tonight, first thing in the morning.”

Wedgewood listened, then nodded. “I’ll tell him I’ve been called home and make him go with me.”

“Good,” Hannah said. Then she smiled and walked to the door. “It’s nine o’clock. It’s time to begin.”

Wedgewood crossed the room and stopped in front of her. “I owe you, Hannah. More than I’ll ever be able to repay. I don’t know how I’d manage if I lost Rafe. He means the world to me—along with Caroline and the children.”

Hannah tried to smile. “I know. He means the world to me too. Saving him is the only thing that will enable me to survive losing him.”

Hannah opened to door and left the room before Wedgewood saw the tears that had formed in her eyes.