Their Virgin Secretary (Masters of Ménage #6)(121)

There was something about the face. He'd seen those eyes somewhere. They were an odd color, almost turquoise. She was pretty, but there was something hard about her that he couldn't define. She would be in her late fifties today.

The name finally hit him. He'd been watching her picture on the television for weeks. He'd seen her as an older woman, the victim of a vicious murder and a whole lot of gossip.

"Holy shit. This is the madam. This is Karen Ehlers." So much fell into place. All the pictures Belle had found of her grandmother and the groups of beautiful women. He finally understood how her grandmother had really afforded this place. Marie had been a madam, then when she'd decided to retire, she'd sold the business to Ehlers. He opened his mouth, but Eric, who'd obviously just made the connection too, shook his head, his eyes wide with warning.

He and Eric had been best friends so long they sometimes didn't have to talk to communicate. That look on Eric's face was a stop sign. Do not pass go. Do not tell the secret.

Belle had never guessed her grandmother's past.

Eric had a point. Maybe telling Belle that her grandmother had been a prostitute wasn't the right move at this juncture. Their fiancée was just settling in and getting comfortable with her past. She was under a lot of stress and anxiety about the house, and now they were getting married. More stress. She didn't need to know anything except that her grandmother had loved her. He closed his mouth, and Eric gave him a supportive pat on the shoulder.

"That's very interesting. I suppose they were neighbors. I bet she had a lot of stories to tell," Eric said. "Why don't you put on some pants, buddy?"

He didn't want to. Eric was just going to have to get used to that because they had a girl now. It was perfectly normal for him to be naked around a girl. Sort of. He did sometimes struggle with social niceties.

Belle took the frame from his hands. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at the picture. "Oh, my god. That is her. That's the woman they're talking about on the news." 

Tate shrugged it off. "Looks like your grandmother had some interesting friends."

And a whole bunch of employees who had specialized in giving dudes head. As family histories went, having a grandmother with a background in prostitution made her unique. He didn't really see a problem with it, but it might not be something they shared with their kids.

He thought back to the picture in the living room of Marie and all those gorgeous women. Who were prostitutes. When he really thought about it, those women spread joy. They performed a service. They were almost like ambassadors for goodwill.

Belle's eyes went wide. "Oh my god. They weren't just neighbors or friends. This explains everything. My father wasn't mad at my grandmother. He was embarrassed."

"What do you mean, Belle?" Eric asked benignly.

Tate thought that was a good ploy. Make sure Belle had reached the same conclusion they had before they opened their big mouths.

She ignored them both, shaking her head as she looked at the picture. "Grandma said she sold the business to one of the girls. Obviously, that girl was Karen Ehlers. Oh, my gosh. My grandmother was a madam. She just never stated that in her letters to my dad. She always talked about irritating clients or the ones who were kind to her. My dad grew up in a brothel. Wait. Do you think she just, like, ran the place? Or … ?"

Belle looked a little shocked. Tate didn't want her upset.

"Absolutely," he and Eric said at the same time.

Belle rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I wasn't born yesterday. You don't apply to be the manager of a brothel. You work your way up from the bottom, so to speak. She was a call girl. Clearly, a high-class call girl. Wow. I'm really shocked. Grandma was a bad, bad girl."

Belle bowed her head and her shoulders shook. Tate lunged at her, certain she was crying. Damn it, he shouldn't have said anything, just kept his big mouth shut. Belle hadn't needed this truth about her grandmother. They couldn't change it, and the knowledge didn't negate the fact that Marie Wright had adored her family.

She snapped her head up. Tate saw her laughing, her gorgeous body moving with the force of her amusement. God, she looked beautiful. "My grandma was a lady of the night. Holy crap."

Tate relaxed slightly. "Honey, it's obvious she loved you."

Belle met his gaze, her eyes soft. "I know she did. I've read her journals. She and my dad were estranged for years, but she loved him too. So very much. I think Grandma did the best she could. From what I can tell, she was an orphan herself. She got pregnant young, and my grandfather didn't want a family. So he left her alone and pregnant and she wanted to make the best life she could for her kid. And she did. He never went hungry or homeless. In fact, he went to the best schools. I loved my dad, but he was wrong to shut her out. I guess he wanted to distance himself from his upbringing and live a reputable life."