Morgana was more interested in watching how easily Sloane conversed with the musician, as at ease as if he were talking with a gentleman at Almack’s. It was a quality she greatly admired in him.
Rose and her father stepped away to watch the rest of the performance, and Sloane leaned in to whisper in Morgana’s ear, ‘What possessed you to bring those girls here? Do you not know what happens in this place? You are noticed, believe me. You look like a group of harlots.’
She knew this scold was forthcoming. ‘We are a group of harlots,’ she replied, her voice unapologetic. He must reconcile himself to the life they were training these young women to lead. So must she. ‘Madame Bisou said some practice would be beneficial.’
The performance ended to another burst of applause and cheers and the crowd began to disperse.
Rose came up to her again. ‘May I spend some more time with my father, Miss Hart? He will bring me back to the box.’
‘I think that would be very nice for you.’ Morgana smiled. She watched Mr O’Brien escort his daughter to the two-storey gazebo, from where the orchestra played high above the crowd. ‘Rose’s father. Imagine that.’
‘Gainfully employed, as well,’ Sloane added. ‘What the devil is she doing in your courtesan school?’
His scold seemed to be over, and he seemed more her friend again. It made her want to dance the night away with him.
‘I was wondering the very same thing.’ She took a breath to steady herself. ‘I should go back to the supper box.’
He took her arm more cordially than before. ‘That puts me of a mind to tell you that the gentleman cosying up to Penny is no man you should know.’
That puffy man with the exaggerated manners? Morgana could see no harm in him. She gave Sloane a saucy glance. ‘Oh, is he scandalous? As scandalous as you?’
He dipped down to her ear. ‘You have no idea how scandalous I can be.’ His voice was low and his breath on her skin warm.
She swallowed.
They passed under the arch near the supper box. Mary rushed up to them, Robert Duprey at her side. ‘Miss Hart! Miss Hart!’
Morgana was about to beg her to stop calling out her name, when Mary cried, ‘Lucy has run off!’
‘What?’ Morgana stopped.
Mary saw Sloane and gave a quick curtsy. ‘Good evening, sir.’
Duprey nodded. ‘Oddest thing. Standing happy as you please. Calls out, “He’s here!”, then takes off.’
Mary added, ‘Mr Elliot ran after her, but we thought we should find you right away. Or at least that is the advice Mr Duprey gave, which I thought was excellent.’
‘Elliot?’ exclaimed Sloane. ‘What the devil is he doing here?’
Morgana held up her hand to silence him. ‘Where did she go?’
‘Ran down the Dark Walk. Worst place. Dangerous,’ Duprey responded.
Lucy had been doing so well. She’d even seemed happy sometimes, blossoming, like her garden. Morgana could not bear it if someone had frightened her.
She turned to Sloane. ‘Will you take me to look for them? I dare not go alone.’
Sloane hesitated only a moment. ‘Come along.’
The Dark Walk was not totally without light, but the lamps were fewer and dark alcoves and small private rooms were dotted along the path. Some sounds of revelry could be heard from the shadows, and Morgana was glad Sloane was at her side.
‘I wonder if she saw the man from Hyde Park,’ Morgana said. ‘I cannot think anyone else would frighten her so. She wore a mask, for goodness’ sake. He would not have known her.’
‘I recognised you,’ Sloane reminded her.
‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘But only after Katy made her silly comment.’
He stopped her for a moment and made her face him. ‘Morgana, when will you realise that you cannot truly hide behind a mask or a hat with netting? If you are where you should not be, it is always possible for someone to discover it.’
She averted her eyes. She knew he spoke the truth. She had come to accept the likelihood of ruining herself over the courtesan school.
He took her chin in his fingers and turned her face back to his. ‘You greatly risk your reputation with activities such as this. Already your name has been called out.’
‘By you, as well,’ she protested.
He nodded, but it only brought his face closer. ‘I am sorry for it,’ he murmured, his voice as soft as the orchestra’s music drifting in from the distance. ‘Forgive me.’
She lifted her face to his, remembering how easy it had been to stretch just a little farther and taste his lips.
The sound of giggles reached them, and Sloane pulled her aside so that they were shuttered by the bushes. A young couple walked by laughing and kissing. Morgana was shocked to see the lady was Athenia Poltrop and her companion Morgana’s cousin Varney.
Sloane recognised them as well. ‘Well, at least now I know what she and Hannah were whispering about.’
Recalling Hannah always returned Morgana to her senses. ‘You must need to return to your party.’
He wrapped his arm around her back and squeezed her against his side. ‘Let us find Lucy first.’
They walked all the way to the hermitage before they found her. Lucy, racked with sobs, sat on a bench with Mr Elliot holding and rocking her.
‘Lucy.’ Morgana wanted to rush to her, but Mr Elliot shook his head. ‘What is it, Mr Elliot? What has happened to her? Has someone hurt her?’
She felt Sloane stiffen beside her, felt him as ready as she to fly to Lucy’s defence.
Elliot’s expression was pained. He turned to Lucy. ‘Shall I tell them?’
Lucy gave them a miserable glance and nodded to Elliot, who did not release her from the circle of his arms.
‘She’s been hurt, all right, but it was a long time ago…’
In his precise, methodical voice, Elliot explained what Lucy had shared with him a little at a time in their quiet talks together pulling weeds and planting seeds. Lucy had been seduced at the shocking age of fourteen. The man next door, a family friend, seduced her and gave her to think it was her fault, that she’d been the one to entice him. The man found time for her often, Elliot went on, and Lucy in her naïveté came to believe it meant he loved her. He gave her money and other presents.
‘But right before you hired her, Miss Hart, something else happened.’ Lucy buried her face against Elliot’s chest. ‘This man took her to a place with two other men. They all had their way with her, and the men paid her for it. A few days later, the man took her to be with other men. She protested
