Red Cloak of Abandon (8 page)

wealth was an advantage. Although, all her friends knew that Brevity

would trade all the money she inherited simply to have her parents by her

side, or even one kindly relative at her young age.

Suddenly, all their heads came up at the sound of a carriage arriving

outside.
This was it then,
Affinity thought, brushing nonexistent wrinkles

out of the peacock-blue morning gown that she wore. It had been decided

that she should be the principal spokesperson as she was the unofficial

leader and the one with the most eminent need of knowledge. So she rose,

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smiling brightly at her friends and went to the front door to take up the

unusual position of greeting an expected guest. Able and all the other

servants had been ordered away on lengthy tasks this afternoon.

The knocker sounded firmly and quick with no hesitations, so

Affinity forced herself to react similarly. She placed a welcoming half-

smile on her lips, and she tugged open the door decisively. Her smile

immediately fell into disconcertion as she gazed upon a man and not a

woman standing before her. He was tall and more dark-complected than

anyone she had happened upon before. His brown eyes were at once

seductive and held a depth that combined with his handsome features was

totally compelling and exotic.

“Senorita Hope?”

Spanish?
His dialect was saturated with Latin accents and the pieces

of his longer black-tinged hair, curling on the ends, and his features fell

into place.

“Yes?” Affinity answered to the false name she had used in the

missives to Madame DeJonge.

“My mistress, requests funding, before she enters, my lady.”

Your mistress?
Was
he
a prostitute? Did they have male lovers, of .

. .
who–?
Women? Men?

“Your mistress is Madame DeJonge?” Affinity asked, watching him

nod with his sensualistic brown eyes gazing into her very soul it seemed.

“Ah . . . yes.” Affinity turned her head, trying to catch her thoughts, as

she said, “Brevity, bring the packet please.”

Affinity thought that being paid first seemed logical, however, it did

not seem intelligent to simply hand the entire packet of money promised

over to this man and a waiting carriage beyond. When Brevity ap-

proached, the Spanish courier’s eyes turned directly to her and Affinity

heard Brevity’s catch of breath. Affinity did not blame Brevity, because

the Spaniard was a man that women had to adore looking upon. Affinity

quickly took the packet from Brevity, but before she handed it to Ma-

dame DeJonge’s handsome-Spanish-courier-possible-male-prostitute,

she quickly opened the packet and removed roughly half of the contents.

“Tell your mistress that we offer her half in good faith, and to please

come in and join us for tea,” Affinity said firmly.

The handsome Spaniard took the money, with a respectful half bow,

and then both she and Brevity watched his tall and well-made form stride

back to the waiting carriage. His physical form was one to sigh upon, it

was lean and muscular, yet not so well turned as Law’s, Affinity decided.

“A
man?”
both Diversity and Caprice exclaimed from their position

standing at the entrance to the parlor.

Brevity turned to them nodding, as she conspiratorially whispered,

“But, the madame is with him, waiting in the carriage . . . ?”

“Here
she comes,” Affinity said quickly as she watched a somber

dressed and completely veiled figure alight from the carriage. “At least

she appears discreet,” Affinity added hopefully.

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“SShould I wait or go back?” Brevity asked, sounding as anxious as

Affinity felt.

“Wait in the parlor with the others. I will bring her in if all proceeds

well,” Affinity advised Brevity, but she did not turn to look at her, instead

keeping her eyes on the approaching Madame DeJonge and the hand-

some Spaniard as they approached. It seemed they were to have two

guest, and Affinity wondered frivolously if the Spanish courier could

overtake she and her friends for nefarious reasons at the madame’s

orders. He was likely brought for Madame DeJonge’s own protection,

Affinity chided herself, and this was the
daring
part of being daring.

Madame DeJonge was a petite and well-rounded woman and as she

drew near, Affinity saw that her gown was very expensively made in

deep midnight purple and not black. Not knowing how to proceed,

especially since ladies did not normally meet visitors on their doorstep,

Affinity held out her hand in welcome. It was best to be forthright, she

thought. “Madame DeJonge, I am Affinity and I want to welcome you.”

Madame DeJonge stopped before her with the handsome Spaniard

at her side. Affinity could not make out much of Madame DeJonge’s

features through the shadowy veil that she wore. However, her voice

when she spoke was light and airy with a French accent. “Lady Affinity,

I simply
had
to meet zee woman of zee most unusual request.”

Affinity nodded and said, “But sincere request, Madame DeJonge.”

“Oh,
I think I like you,” Madame DeJonge declared, with her gloved

hand reaching forward to take Affinity’s hand. “Perhaps honest, appear-

ing sincere,” Madame DeJonge continued as though adding up a list of

Affinity’s qualities. “Yet mature. All would be lost, if you were ziss silly

girl, I would throw up my hands and leave. I must say I feared ziss.”

Affinity released Madame DeJonge’s hand. “I am honored for the

compliment, madame. Would you like to come inside and have tea with

my friends and me?”

“Oh,
Sebastian, she has invited me to tea. How cultured you are
mon

Lady Affinity. Ziss ess good . . . all good.” Madame DeJonge proceeded

through the door with the handsome Spaniard named Sebastian directly

behind her, as she advised, “Sebastian will accompany me,
oui?
”

“Of course,” Affinity offered, feeling on the one hand that she did

not wish to upset the “deal” as it were, however on the other hand

wondering how forthright the discussion could become with a man

present.

Affinity stared forward to guide Madame DeJonge and Sebastian

toward the parlor, but it was then that she noticed that Sebastian was

carrying a small leather satchel. How she had missed it in all the excite-

ment, she did not know, and the sudden knowledge of it now made her

very nervous. Thieves surely carried satchels such as this filled with the

underhanded tools of their trade.

“Might I take that for you, Mr. Sebastian?” Affinity offered lamely,

as she halted right before the parlor entryway.

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“Non-Non, Lady Affinity,” Madame DeJonge said, sailing past

Affinity as she was removing her veil and bonnet. “I must have zee

satchel. These things we will be needing.”

Oh my.
But Affinity lost her immediate concern for the next few

moments over the possible nefarious reasons for the satchel’s presence,

as more important events came to light, like the first view of Madame

DeJonge’s face and the introduction to her friends. Madam DeJonge was

an attractive older woman with rich auburn hair and dark eyebrows,

perhaps wearing a bit too much lavender coloring over her eyes and red

rouge on her slightly plump cheeks. But her smile appeared genuine and

her manner was forthright. Introductions were made quickly, and

Affinity’s friends all sent questioning looks at her, and then at the Span-

iard.

Madame DeJonge broke the awkwardness, as she said, “
Mon
Lady

Brevity, Lady Caprice, and Lady Diversity, this is Sebastian and he will

be helping us in ziss most unusual instructions today.” Then, Madame

DeJonge added, “Oh, you are all so
bravura!
I am impressed and I might

try to convince you to come work for me as Sebastian does.”

The tea cup Affinity was handing to Madame DeJonge rattled

noticeably, then Sebastian chuckled, sitting beside Madame DeJonge on

the settee with the satchel at his feet. Brevity beside her, at the intimate

sound coming from the handsome exotic, nearly spilled the tea out of the

cup she was handing to Sebastian.

Madame DeJonge was clearly pleased at being served tea. “Ladies,

there are none of zee parents about that would set zee Bow Street Runner

on Madame DeJonge ess there?”

“No, none at all,” Affinity said, as they all shook their heads solemn-

ly. “We are completely private.”

“Very good then,” Madame DeJonge said, sitting forward and set-

ting her teacup and saucer on the table between them. “Now what ess it

you young ladies wish to know from Madame DeJonge?”

The moment had arrived, and Affinity glanced uncomfortably at

Sebastian. She had stated quite clearly in her missive to Madame De-

Jonge that they wished instruction to the fullest extent on intimate

relations between a man and a woman. However, Affinity understood if

this conversation were to be open and the least bit comfortable, it must

begin now.

“We desire, Madame DeJonge, that you would share with us all

things sexual,” Affinity stated briskly, with as unaffected manner as she

was able. “Ah, from the very beginning that is,” she added

“And zee purpose, ladies?” Madame DeJonge paused expectantly.

“You will tell me zee purpose.”

“To
catch husbandsss,” Brevity blurted, with long edges to her lisp.

“Oh, how clever of you!” Madame DeJonge exclaimed. “And ziss

sound that you have, Lady Brevity, when you speak, ess very seductive

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and foreign. Men will love ziss. Just as Sebastian’s and mine. It will, how

you say, intrigue . . .
oui,
Sebastian?”

“Titillate, Madame DeJonge,” Sebastian practically purred with his

rolling tenor accent.
“Captura,
completely.” Sebastian’s suggestive

gaze, filled with darkening brown heat was all for Brevity, whose cheeks

washed pink beneath his scrutiny.

Every one of the Lady Rogues felt instantly relieved and then

burgeoning with confidence that they had made the right choice, after

Madame DeJonge’s generous compliment of Brevity.

“Oui,”
Madame DeJonge agreed with Sebastian, then she turned her

dark eyes on all of them. “And ziss ess why we have Sebastian with us

today. Have any of you ladies seen zee male body before?” Madame

DeJonge paused . . . then she said slowly. “Naked?”

“P-Perhaps parts,” Affinity stuttered, reprimanding herself for her

wavering words. The rest of her friends shifted in their seats trying to

remain blasé in their appearance, however, the excited energy newly

formed in the room could not be denied. Then, Sebastian stood suddenly,

taking off his jacket as he did so, and Affinity lately thought to add, “But,

we do not want sex here and now, just to learn about it.”

Sebastian’s answering chuckle shivered down all of their spines, as

Madame DeJonge said, “I would not be, how do you say, a good business

woman, if I did not offer zee services of zee handsome gentleman. So I

say, that should any of you lovely ladies change your mind, Sebastian can

be enjoyed intimately for another fee.” By then, Sebastian had continued

untying his shirt and had just pulled it off as Madame DeJonge added,

“Even so, ladies, I think it ess best for you to become familiar with zee

naked skin on a man.”

All of them sat in varying degrees of appreciation, curiosity, and

embarrassment, over the spectacular view of Sebastian’s naked upper

torso. A torso that was lean, but physically roped with muscle made of

warmly browned flesh.

Yet they boldly kept their seats, every one of them, as the bare-

chested Sebastian walked forward and paused in front of each of them,

taking one hand and bowing over it for a moment, while he placed their

hand briefly on his bare chest. Steadfastly, causing a bit of serious

blushing among her friends. Affinity noticed that when Sebastian came

to Brevity last, he added a kiss to her hand as well.

“Men desire to be touched as much as women. Ess ziss not so,

Sebastian?” Madame DeJonge asked, as she looked at each of them.

Sebastian responded with a sensuous grin, but said nothing. “They love

for their lovers to be adventurous and playful. No pouts. Ziss ess most

important, to not say ‘no’ to your man. There ess nothing a good man

can do with his woman that she will not enjoy to try,
oui.”

Sebastian returned to Madame DeJonge’s side and she reached up

stroking her hand over the bronzed-skin and dark hair on his muscular

chest. “They in turn appreciate a woman who ess open and receptive. She

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must be willing to give zee pleasure as well as receive it. Have you ever