Evil's Niece (12 page)

His laughter made me giddy, telling me I’d pleased him in many ways. When he pulled me up to kiss away the remains of his come, he made my head spin into a fresh wave of desire. I kissed him back, sharing his exuberance: being with such an exciting man made me feel like a whole different woman.

‘You’re a goddess any man would want, sugah, but you’ve had your share,’ he teased. ‘There’ll be another time. Lots of them, now that I know just how luscious you are.’

Dewel smiled, looking brazen and disreputable with his dark hair falling over his brow and those dimples dancing alongside his mouth. ‘But tell me before I disappear — how are the new maids workin’ out? Monique thinks they show promise, now that she’s…whipped them into shape.’

In an instant my mood changed, for this was the man who’d insisted I needed a ‘niece’ — and Monique had imported the hornet’s nest that would get us all stung soon. ‘Chapin will go through the roof if he —’

‘Because of the spankin’?’ The younger Proffit considered this. ‘He was always one for discipline. Certainly enjoys inflictin’ pain himself.’

‘— finds out what sort of servants Monique brought home,’ I rasped. ‘Not only are they young
men
— who make prettier women than I will ever be! — but their circumstances are unthinkable. Why, one of them’s an accused arsonist, hiding from the law!’

Dewel’s eyes widened, and he pulled me into his lap so we could talk more quietly. ‘And how do you know this, sugah? Honore Delacroix supplies servants for the city’s most persnickety blue-bloods, so I can’t believe —’

‘She — he — told me himself! And then Cleopatra — or Chloe, or whatever his real name is — said his mama
sold
him to the headmistress — in the French Market,’ I rasped, my whispers rising with my frustration, ‘because he was prettier than his sisters. And poor Cinderella —’

At this name, a dark eyebrow arched in disbelief, but Dewel kept listening.

‘— was dumped at the school at a very young age — with a very large donation — simply because he showed a fondness for ladies’ shoes!’ I finished in a fit of disgust. ‘If Chapin finds out Monique has brought such odd ducks into our home, I’m in deep trouble, Dewel.’

He thought for a moment, cradling me like a child yet making me very aware I was a naked lady on the lap of a lecherous man. ‘And why are you tellin’
me
these things?’ he asked quietly. ‘What do you want to happen now?’

It was the tone I recalled from our first encounter by the courtyard gate, when Dewel had defined my discovery that Chapin was cheating: I must navigate another emotional crossroads and never look back. Once again, his primal power acted like a truth serum, making me behave in ways I wouldn’t have dared, before I became involved with him.

‘Well, besides the fact that
you
brought this on — I expect some answers from Honore Delacroix,’ I replied. ‘I’m going to that school, to demand an explanation from the headmistress herself!’

‘Did the spankin’ bother you, Miss Eve?’

I studied the planes of his face; determined that he was more interested in my welfare than in escalating the feud with his half-brother. ‘Not so much as the trickery — the way Miss Delacroix makes these young men live a lie, to meet her own needs.’

Was it the moonlight? Or did Dewel assume the crafty air of a sly old fox? ‘You’re the lady of the house,’ he affirmed with a nod. ‘You should indeed quiz Honore Delacroix about your new servants. An instructor of such prominence and high moral standin’ owes you these answers — and more.’

‘Ooh-la-la, Auntie Evil! You really had Dewel grunting and spurting — responding to your mouth — last night,
oui
?’ Monique laughed as she threw open my curtains. ‘You’re ready to seduce Chapin now.’

‘We need to talk, Monique. Please shut the door.’

Squinting at the sunlight, wishing she weren’t so damn cheerful, I scowled more harshly than I intended to. She and Tommy Jon were probably out later than I last night, yet she looked as fresh as a just-opened rose — albeit a rose in a short maid’s uniform, flashing her bare bottom as she bent over to pick up my clothes.

My maid’s face fell, but then her expression grew more pensive. ‘Did I do something wrong, Miss Eve? I thought you’d
like
playing naked with Tommy Jon and me. Thought bringing Dewel would be a nice surprise — the best way to keep training you for —’

She cocked her head, her smile decidedly conniving. ‘Or has Auntie Evil changed her mind about this husband seduction? You want his brother instead,
non
?’

How I wished I could grin at her playful suggestion — or at that topknot of midnight hair bobbing untidily behind her white ruffled maid’s cap. But this was no game, dammit. I didn’t know if Mrs Frike had spotted us frolicking naked in the fountain, nor could I postpone speaking to Honore Delacroix about the new servants.

Not so much what Dewel had said, but how he’d said it, suggested things that were going on behind my back; things he and his zany maid remained deeply involved in. It was no secret he wanted me, but I couldn’t just toss aside discretion and common sense, now could I? After all, the bastard heir to the cane plantation had nothing to lose from these little scenarios he and Monique created.

‘I can’t go charging over to confront Honor Delacroix about these three maids,’ I explained in a low voice. ‘But I can’t waste time getting answers either. Chapin came home late last night.’

Her chocolate eyes widened. ‘But he wasn’t gone long enough to —’

‘I don’t know what his story is. I just don’t want him to overhear ours.’

Nodding, Monique fetched the breakfast tray Fanny had brought up earlier, and quietly shut my door. ‘Let me fix your café au lait,
ma tante
,’ she murmured, ‘while you tell me about this. Did something go wrong with our two queens and the princess yesterday? Did Chapin
see
us in the garden?’

Her sincere concern settled some of my suspicions about strings she might be pulling — even with the best intentions. ‘He didn’t get home until after I came upstairs. But if Mrs Frike happened to see us, who knows what she might have told him about that — and about the new, uh,
girls
?’

I took a large bite of the pecan roll beneath the lid she lifted, and gratefully gulped half the cup of the milk-laced chicory coffee. It was best to address one issue at a time; to lead her along with questions and watch her reactions. ‘First of all, did you know that Chloe —’

‘Cleopatra,’ Monique insisted. ‘We must maintain his new image and expectations, now that he’s away from the school.’

I bit into my roll, forcing myself to remain patient. ‘Did you know Cleopatra’s mother
sold
him to Miss Delacroix? At the French Market, no less? He was only a child, and she palmed him off like he was —’

‘It is that way in poor families, Miss Eve,’ she cut in with a slightly resentful flash of her long lashes. ‘I myself went to work very young.’

‘But Chlo — Cleopatra — didn’t take a job, although he was the
son
and he could logically have done so,’ I countered. ‘His mama sold him because he was prettier than his sisters.’

‘And Miss Delacroix paid her well, no doubt. That doesn’t make him unsuitable as a servant on your staff.’

‘And did you know that Cinderella’s family
gave
him to Honore? With a large donation?’ I continued grilling her. ‘His family was very wealthy. They could’ve sent him away to boarding school if his taste for ladies’ shoes offended them. I find this intolerable!’

My maid, perched on the side of the bed so she could pinch off a bite of my breakfast, paused to chew thoughtfully. She didn’t want to abandon her plan, and her Cajun pride wouldn’t let her admit a mistake. ‘If their work is not satisfactory to —’

‘And did you know Toinette is hiding from the law?’ I pressed on, leaning over the tray to make my point. ‘You recall the fire he mentioned, where he lost his family? He might have
set
it, Monique! He wouldn’t give me a straight answer.’

The Cajun blanched, and then returned the last bite she’d snitched back to my plate. I’d seen what I needed: my well-meaning Monique couldn’t have known these more sordid background details when she acquired our three unusual maids. Which meant her interview process might not have been as thorough as she’d claimed.

‘It’s not the maids’ abilities I’m questioning here,’ I went on more gently, ‘it’s Miss Delacroix’s scruples. Her basic sense of decency. And I’m more concerned about our safety — and what I’ll tell Chapin, because he’s sure to quiz me about them — than about how you came to choose these three. Did you get them from Honore herself? Because she recommended them for our household?’

Two bright patches of pink appeared beneath the big brown eyes she was batting. She pulled a cheroot from the bosom of her uniform and bit off both ends. ‘Miss Delacroix’s a very busy lady, so —’

‘Have you even
met
her, Monique?’

Resentment flared with her match, and then she swatted away my question with the hand that held her cigar. ‘
Oui
, we meet — months ago — but she wouldn’t recall little Monique Picabou. Brushed me off like a housefly! She was out of the school when I went to hire the maids yesterday, so I just
handled
it, Auntie.’

What she hadn’t said spoke volumes: my maid hated to be ignored, so she was repaying the headmistress’s offense in her own inimitable way. ‘So you didn’t pay my fee,’ I said, which answered my question from yesterday and gave me a very solid reason for visiting the school. ‘If Miss Delacroix didn’t recommend these three maids, how were they selected?’

The maid’s eyes brightened slyly. ‘I conducted a very extensive interview —’

‘May I see your list of questions? The written references you got from each one?’

‘— by testing each student, and inspecting…’ She sighed like a deflating balloon. ‘Oh, all right! I had all of Miss Delacroix’s students stand in a line and lean over.’

Only Monique would conduct such an interview! As this picture ran through my mind, I had to stifle a giggle in spite of my serious situation. ‘You chose the ones with the best butts? Monique, I’ve tried to impress upon you —’

‘Chloe, Annabelle and Sylvia were the most
motivated
,’ she insisted. ‘They’re ready for the challenge of serving in a household. And now that we gave them new names — a whole new life — those three will not only serve you, Auntie Evil, but they’ll love you so much they’ll risk their reputations — their
lives
— for you! This is much more important than good answers to interview questions,
non
?’

She blew smoke out her nose, eyeing me like a dragon who might well be the one to test their loyalty — and mine — although I couldn’t see it becoming a life-or-death matter.

You didn’t foresee Chapin taking you in anger either.

A sobering thought. One that reminded me the time was passing, and that I had many proverbial fires to put out. Not the least of which might be set by the husband lurking somewhere in this house.

‘Thank you for telling me,’ I said, placing the cover over my breakfast plate. ‘I’ll visit the illustrious Miss Delacroix this morning, and pay my fee for these fine maids you’ve hired. I want to see what sort of woman I’m dealing with here, so choose me a dress that’s suitable for such a visit, Monique. Something elegant, yet —’

‘Powerful,’ the little Cajun whispered. ‘Honore Delacroix is another name for
power
.’

*  *  *

An hour later I went downstairs feeling ready to face the city’s most formidable headmistress. I wore my new suit of forest green with a pleated cream-coloured blouse, and a fashionable hat that didn’t diminish me to the frilliness of a debutante. A final check in the hall mirror bolstered my resolve: I would retain the maids Monique had chosen, for I trusted her instincts. But I would also question Honore Delacroix closely: I suspected an inexplicable
something
about a woman who would acquire three young boys under such dubious circumstances.

‘Going out, my dear?’

Chapin’s genteel tone couched his suspicions about my destination — and the company I would keep. I turned to him, biting back my resentment — and wondering what things
he
hid as well. He was nattily dressed in a frock coat of brown and gold houndstooth that brought out the blonder highlights of his swept-back hair.

‘How handsome you look,’ I remarked, for he cut a stylish figure even when he didn’t leave the house. ‘And how nice to have you home. What changed your travel plans?’

He smiled tightly, and remained in the doorway of the dining room. ‘My platform committee called a lunch meeting at the Beau Monde Club today, to plan our campaign strategies. And
you
, dear heart?’

Deer heart.
Yes, that’s how mine was beating — like the pulse of a doe in a hunter’s gun scope. I’d caught his scent, but wasn’t sure which escape route was safest.

I didn’t dare quiz him about the inconsistencies of his story, as he could certainly ask questions I didn’t want to answer.

‘I’m going in to pay the acquisition fee for our three new maids,’ I replied carefully. ‘Now that I’ve seen them work and we’ve acquainted ourselves, I’m sure they’ll perform quite well.’

‘Excellent. I look forward to meeting them.’ He reached inside his coat then, his expression getting edgier. ‘Before you go, perhaps you can explain this. The greengrocer’s delivery boy tripped over it this morning.’

The blood raced from my face as he pulled out a long object of black leather, and then nailed me with his knowing gaze. Laced with red cross-stitching in strategic places beneath its mushroom-shaped head, the custom-made dildo looked even more incriminating by light of day than when Tommy Jon had brandished it in the fountain. ‘I have no idea —’

‘Oh, I think you do, Miss Eve,’ he whispered, advancing towards me with the toy extended from his fist. ‘But for propriety’s sake, we’ll say you’re going to ask that Cajun maid of yours to keep better track of her personal possessions. Mrs Frike grew rather agitated when the boy asked her what it was.’

Chapin slapped the dildo into my hand and left with a smirk, donning his derby as though he’d once again proven me a wanton and incompetent liar. Damn that man! Playing cat and mouse with me. Talking of
propriety
, while making his silent accusations about how I’d spent my time.

Why hadn’t he just lifted my skirts and rammed the leather shaft inside me? At least I would’ve felt something besides a cold, growing resentment as the door slammed behind him.

*  *  *

My visit to the School of Domestic Endeavor was as disheartening as my chat with Chapin: Honore Delacroix wasn’t there. And her secretary wasn’t any more inclined to give me a tour of the school than to answer my questions.

‘When do you expect her return?’ I asked, masking my impatience. The girl behind the desk was an insipid spinsterish sort decked out in a flouncy gown of yellow, with a disposition that sucked lemons.

She slammed her desk drawer, as though I might try to peek at her files. ‘I don’t expect Miss Delacroix any time today. She’s making home visits, to ensure the suitability of the positions our girls are being hired into.’

‘What an excellent practice. Might I find out when she expects to visit the Proffit home? I’m sure the three…girls we’ve procured will be pleased to see her.’

‘And you would be…?’

‘Eve Proffit — Mr Chapin Proffit’s wife. He’ll soon be hosting campaign parties, and —’

She stopped riffling through her ledger to stare up at me, above the thick lenses of her spectacles. ‘And why have I not met you before, Mrs Proffit? I never forget a face.’

Once again my credibility was called into question — and I was damn tired of it! I placed my gloved hands on either side of her account book, so she would get a good look at whom she was dealing with. ‘My assistant came here yesterday and procured three domestics, Miss…?’

‘Sully,’ she replied with a rancour matching mine.

Quite sure no one would sully
this
unpleasant woman, I reached into my reticule. ‘I’ve come to pay my fee. And to make an appointment for a home visit from Miss Delacroix, please.’

‘Oh, I’m sure you’ll be seeing her soon. She’s not at
all
pleased with the way your
assistant
sashayed out of here with three of her own domestics!’

I arched an eyebrow, and then scribbled out a cheque for one hundred dollars. Probably not enough, for a deposit covering three maids, but I was beyond caring what this twit in yellow dimity thought. ‘Tell Miss Delacroix we can’t wait to see her.’

I left the old brick building then, sensing an atmosphere of decay and disrepair about the surrounding neighbourhood that I hadn’t noted when I’d gone inside. Perhaps it was the proximity to the courtyard where I’d seen Chapin and Savanna that held such unpleasant associations, or perhaps it was simply the way this morning had been going. The carriage ride home had me stewing over events and details sent spinning out of my control. I kicked myself for getting caught in so many seemingly careless mistakes — most of them made by Monique! I just wanted to be left alone in my room.

I had gotten no further than the table in the vestibule, however, when I heard the swish of short skirts and the quick clatter of boots on the parquet flooring. ‘Auntie Eve! It’s your big day,’ she announced. ‘The perfect time for —’

I peeled off my gloves without looking at her.

‘— your next step into white-hot marital bliss.’

I raised my eyebrow. The fact that ‘marital’ and ‘bliss’ came side-by-side in Monique’s sentence, and that it involved Chapin Proffit, proved another ironic thorn in my side. Why had I gotten caught in this seduction scheme, the victim of everyone else’s imaginations?