a little way behind his cousin. It would have given her great pleasure to tell Gerald that she would not release him. He would stay, she was sure of it from his look and the warm note in his voice. But that might raise his hopes that she felt something stronger for him than friendship, and she would not serve him such a trick. Instead she contented herself with giving him her warmest smile as he bowed over her fingers, and a murmur—loud enough for the viscount to hear—that she hoped to see him again very soon.
‘I saw the viscount take you off to supper.’ Mrs Logan came up as Susannah watched the two men leave the room. ‘Another conquest, do you think?’
‘Hardly.’ She chuckled. ‘The viscount is more inclined to think me a gold-digger. I have no doubt that he will warn his cousin off.’
‘Pity. He would have been a rich pigeon for the plucking.’
‘I wish you wouldn’t use such cant terms, Kate.’
‘I am a soldier’s widow, love. I know a lot worse than that.’
‘I am sure you do, and I am pleased you have left that life behind.’
‘Aye, and with it the need for a husband.’
‘Come, Kate. You are still young, and I have seen how the men flock to you—are you sure you do not wish to marry again?’
‘Put myself in the power of one man, when as a widow I can flirt and enjoy myself with anyone I wish?’ Kate shook her head. ‘Never. Never again. You know as well as I what monsters men can be, if one allows them dominance.’
Susannah shivered.
‘Let us not think of that, Kate. It is all in the past.’ She gave her friend a quick hug. ‘Now, let us see what we can do to hurry these few remaining guests on their way. I need to get to bed since I have to be up early in the morning.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Odesse sent me a note. We have another client.’
Kate’s eyes widened. ‘Word is spreading,’ she murmured.
Susannah nodded. ‘As we knew it would. I shall drive out tomorrow to make sure she is settled in.’
‘That is not necessary,’ said Kate. ‘Mrs Gifford—’
‘Is a dear soul, but I like to talk to each of our—er—clients myself, it reassures them.’ She laughed. ‘Pray do not look so disapproving, Kate. This was as much your idea as mine.’
‘I know, but it was never my intention that you should be so personally involved.’
Susannah’s laughter deserted her.
‘Why not? It is my reason for living, Kate.’
The walk back to George Street was not a long one, but the icy blast that hit them as they stepped out on to the Crescent prompted Gerald to ask Jasper if they would not be better to go back indoors and send a servant for a cab.
‘By no means,’ he replied. ‘The fresh air will do us good. Unless you mean to imply I am too old for such a journey …’
Gerald laughed.
‘I would not dare. Let us walk, by all means.’ He tucked his hand into Jasper’s arm as they set off at a good pace towards the Circus. ‘Tell me what you thought of Susannah.’
‘Miss Prentess? At first glance, a beauty.’
‘She is beautiful, isn’t she? A golden goddess! But it is not just her looks, Jasper, it is her spirit, too. She is so good, so charitable.’
‘Not so charitable that she won’t take your money at the card table.’
‘No, no, a mere trifle. She will not countenance anyone losing more than fifty guineas at a sitting.’
‘That is not what I have heard.’
‘Ah.’ Gerald gave a self-conscious laugh. ‘You said you had called upon my mother. I suppose she told you I had lost more, and asked you to come and rescue me.’
‘Not in so many words.’
Gerald swore under his breath.
‘Damn the Bath tabbies that report my every move! That was a single occurrence, and entirely my own doing. Susannah did not wish to take my money, I assure you—I had to almost beg her to do so. And I had thought hard beforehand. It was money I could afford to lose.’
‘That is what all gamesters will tell you.’
Gerald stopped and pulled away.
‘I am no gambler, Jasper. If I was I would be sporting my blunt in some hell, rather than in Mrs Wilby’s drawing room!’
The flare of a nearby street lamp showed the boy’s face to be serious. Jasper put a hand on his shoulder.
‘No, I had not thought it of you, until now. I take it that Miss Prentess is the attraction, rather than the cards?’
‘Of course. You must have noticed how many young bucks were there tonight.’
‘And old roués,’ added Jasper.
‘It is all the rage to be in love with her.’ Gerald began to walk on, his good humour quite restored. ‘She is beautiful, and an heiress.’
‘Indeed?’
‘Aye. She is old Middlemass’s heir, don’t you know.’
‘What, the nabob?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Well, that explains the house in Royal Crescent.’
‘Aye, the old man bought it when he returned from India, but rarely used it. Susannah was his only relative. She was living with him at his place in Westbury when he died, and he left everything to her in trust until she is five-and-twenty.’
‘Then I am no longer surprised all Bath is at her feet. Yet why should Gloriana call it a disastrous attachment?’
‘Not everyone in Bath is enamoured of Miss Prentess.’
‘I would have thought her fortune would make her universally admired.’
‘Yes, well, Bath is not London, Jasper. Respectability is everything here, don’t you know. And there are some high sticklers in Bath, including those who write to my mother. And Miss Prentess does not go out of her way to flatter them.’
‘So what do they have against the lady?’
‘For one thing they do not approve of her setting herself up in Royal Crescent with her aunt—if the truth were told I suspect they are jealous that she can afford to do so. Then there is her birth. Her father was a soldier and her mother an officer’s daughter. Perfectly respectable,’ he added quickly. ‘I ascertained as much before I—’
‘Yes?’ Jasper prompted him.
‘I offered her
