Evie had work to do.
So, she waited until the captain was fast asleep, then slipped from the bed and out into the dark Paris streets.
* * *
Anthony
Inner alarms were sounding in Anthony’s head as he came awake, which meant he came to with a rush, though he kept his eyes closed. Feigning sleep rarely hurt anything, and sometimes, one could learn something. It took him a moment to realize what had alerted him was the stillness of the room, not the sounds of someone else.
He was alone.
And he should not be alone.
With a growl, he sat up, opening his eyes.
The room was empty, with no sign of Yvette anywhere.
Which put him in a foul mood. Where had she gone? Why had she fled? He had offered her everything she could have wanted, should have needed. Had she not enjoyed herself the way he thought she had? He immediately dismissed the notion. There had been nothing fake about her pleasure. He would have been able to tell.
Yanking on his clothing, he stomped downstairs to find the room occupied by a single woman. Older than any of the other women he’d seen last night, she was still handsome with a commanding bearing. She was dressed modestly in a dress of green and dark yellow, with her greying hair pulled up into a bun.
“Good morning, Sir. I hope you had a pleasant evening,” she said in lilting French.
Anthony scowled at her. He was in no mood for pleasantries.
“Where is Yvette?” If she was going to spurn his offer, the least she could do was tell him why. She had seemed interested.
The woman raised her eyebrows.
“Gone, I presume, once she completed the task she came here for.”
He opened his mouth to retort, then closed it. Something was wrong. Something wasoff. No Madame would be so casual about one of her ladies going off on her own without knowing where they were going and why.
“You are Madame Dupont?” he asked, wanting to confirm his supposition.
“I am.”
“Yvette works here?”
“No.” Madame Dupont smiled, apparently enjoying his discomfiture. “I owed Yvette a favor. That favor has now been repaid.” Her gaze sharpened. “I suggest you go on your way before I have to think too hard about that favor. I love my country dearly.”
With that warning ringing in his ears, Anthony nodded curtly and quickly departed.
Yvette had said she owed Madame Dupont much. Madame Dupont seemed to feel she owed Yvette.
Going back and questioning the madame was impossible. Hopefully, she would forget his face. His position now compromised, he should return to London and report in. Somehow, General Moreau had known he would be at that particular brothel and exactly what he would be wearing.
Without knowing who to trust, Anthony needed to make his way back to London.
He took the day to put his affairs in order and search for Yvette, but she had disappeared as if she’d never existed.
PartThree
3 Years Later
Anthony
The Society of Sin. A fitting name for the debauchery on display at Lady Greywood’s townhome. Anthony felt right at home amidst the moans, whimpers, and the sound of leather slapping against flesh. These were his people. There was a mix of aristocracy and middle classes, all of them led by the Marquess of Hartford, known to most as Rex.