A Seditious Affair(45)

“Oh, sir,” Zoë said. “It’s all about Lord Richard’s business. How do you think you two met?”

“Through Jon,” Silas said. “Jon said to me—”

“Foxy told me, find me a bully to do Mr. Frey as he likes it, someone who won’t hurt him. I talked to Jon, and he said why not you, and what that means, Silas Mason, is if you ruin the gentleman here, it’s our fault. We brought the pair of you together, and now look.” Zoë was intent on Silas, whose face was slack with shock. “Foxy’s already livid over that shiner you gave him. You think I’m going to lose everything we’ve worked for, me and Jon and Will, to give you a tupping-station?”

“You knew who he was, all along,” Silas said. “You could have told me, you damned sow.”

“We all knew who he was except you,” Zoë hissed, “and we all knew who you was except him, and how the fuck was anyone to know that you two was too stupid to ask each other?”

“Excuse me,” Dominic said.

Zoë pressed her lips together. “I beg your pardon for speaking out of turn, sir. But this is my house, and I want it to stay that way. I don’t want raids, and I don’t want to stand in the pillory for running a disorderly house, and I don’t want Foxy calling in the mortgage and me finding myself without a place at all because you’re bent on showing I can’t be trusted to run it right!”

“I will not have that,” Dominic said. “Absolutely not. I shall have words to speak with Richard. I am not governed by his damned spy of a valet.” He jerked his breeches shut with angry hands. “You have done nothing but your duty, and I shall not see you suffer for it.”

“You say that, sir—”

“Yes, I do. Nor is it contingent on whether we use this house, which I agree we should no longer do anyway. Whatever happens, mistress, you will not bear the consequences.” He sat on the bed to pull on his boots.

“Then what?” Silas demanded. “If we can’t meet here—”

“My rooms—”

“Don’t be a fool.”

“My rooms, I was going to say, would be indiscreet. So would your blasted bookshop. Uh, mistress?” Dominic looked up. “If you have any advice…”

“I do, yes, sir,” she said, in a very patient voice that reminded Dominic of his old nurse. “Have you considered maybe finding someone else to serve you that isn’t liable to be arrested any moment? I could—”

“No. No, that is not the advice I seek.”

“Maybe she’s right,” Silas said, voice full of grit. “You just lied to your own men. If they’d caught me here, they’d have had you twice over, for conspiracy as well as sodomy. Did you even think about that?”

He hadn’t thought about any of it except the urgent need to put the law off both their tails. “It could hardly have made things worse.”

“Yes, it could. I don’t want to be your ruin, Dom.”

“It’s too late for that.” Dominic tried a smile. It didn’t quite work, because Silas was looking at him.

Zoë glanced between them. “Uh, gentlemen? This is a house of assignation, remember? You’re meant to come here to fuck, that’s all. Oh, bollocks, I can’t bear lovebirds. All right.” She sounded thoroughly put-upon. “I’ll find another address, but it ain’t going to be anywhere grand, and you, Silas Mason, if you get followed again, you can do for yourself from then on. And, sir, if you can let it be known I’m doing my best—”

“You won’t suffer through my act, or my neglect, mistress.”

She gave a long sigh. “Oh, I’ve got something to say to that brother of mine. Him and his ideas. You two stay here now, and I’ll let you know when the coast is clear.”

Dominic looked after the closed door, then back at Silas. “Well. That was exciting.”

“Aye. Going to bring you trouble?”

Dominic shrugged. “No laws against a man seeking paid company. I doubt I’ve improved my moral standing at the office, but under the circumstances, I shan’t complain.”

“True. Good girl, Zoë. Thinks fast, and she don’t let you down.”

“I will make sure she doesn’t suffer,” Dominic said. “I had no idea of this interference of Richard’s, you know.” He wondered briefly if Richard had given that outrageous instruction to find his friend a suitable lover or if it had been one of Cyprian’s manipulations, carrying out his master’s assumed will rather than his orders. Either way, Dominic felt a dark satisfaction at how very much Richard would be regretting it now.