“Too late,” Tony drawled, walking into the office and straddling a wooden chair.
Savage nodded to Sloane. “Leave us.”
The moment the door was closed, Savage lashed into her. “I paid out good money last night, why didn’t you fuck her?”
Tony was stunned. “How the hell do you know I didn’t?”
“Because I paid the girl for information.”
“You bastard!” Tony spat, feeling cornered.
His ice-blue eyes froze her with a look of contempt.
“What did she say?”
“She told me you had no interest in females. She told me you only fancied men. She told me you were a bum-boy.”
“I’ve been too embarrassed to confess my ignorance. Other than kissing, I don’t really know what a man does to a woman.”
It finally dawned on Savage just how much the boy’s upbringing had insulated him against the real world. He’d been brought up by his grandmother with only a twin sister for companion. No wonder he seemed effeminate. He had never had the benefit of a father’s influence or that of any other male. He’d never had the companionship of brothers who would have boasted who could pee the farthest. or shown him the best way to masturbate, or who had the longest cock.
“Youareattracted to girls? I don’t necessarily mean the soiled doves on theFolly,I mean other females?”
“Of course I am,” Tony improvised, knowing it was what he wanted to hear and realizing Lord Lamb would have a healthy interest in the opposite sex. “Actually that little actress I met backstage at the Olympian was the prettiest little thing I’ve seen in ages. Dolly … that was her name! I’ve been trying to think of it all night.”
Adam didn’t have time right now to sit him down and explain the infinite details of sexuality. The minutiae involved in awakening desire, in arousal and foreplay. The nuances and differences between men and women, their tastes, their likes and dislikes. It would fill hours, if not days.
Savage ran his hand along the volumes in his bookcase. A lot of his books were at Edenwood, but he took out two bound volumes he had acquired in India.
One was theKama Sutra,the other was the story of a concubine named Jemdanee and what went on behind the closed doors of the harem.
“Try to keep an open mind when you read these books. There are likely things in here that will shock you at first.” He put a fatherly hand on Tony’s shoulder. “If there is anything in here you want to ask me about, anything at all, don’t hesitate.” He smiled. “I’m quite willing to share any knowledge I’ve acquired about the mysteries of the opposite sex, and I’m certain Dolly wouldn’t reject the advances of a Lord of the Realm, despite your lack of experience.”
Savage walked to the door with him. “I don’t mean to chuck you out, Tony, but I am expecting someone on business.”
Tony tucked the books under her arm and walked down Half-Moon Street. Before she had taken a dozen steps, a black carriage drew up with its noble crest upon the door. Tony felt her stomach knot as the elegant female was handed down from the coach. Then her mouth fell open. It wasn’t the lady who had visited him previously. It was another beautiful countess entirely. “Funny business,” she muttered, “bloody funny business.”
Lady Randolph’s face lit up as Tony entered the room. “Ah, you’ve been to the lending library, I see.” She patted the love seat. “Come and sit with me, darling, and we’ll both have a quiet read.”
Tony said, “Uh … is thatThe Ladies’ Quarterly?”She firmly pushed the two volumes beneath her buttocks as she sat down. “Read me the funny bits.”
“Well, let’s see. There’s a very strange new wig style called the she-dragon. It’s quite hideous. I shall talk Frances Jersey into buying one. And speaking of wigs, did you know that the ladies of Rome have created a rage for red perukes? Would you believe there are several hundred shades to choose from? The French and English, however, still have a passion for white.”
Roz turned the page. “The latest fashions in Paris are scandalous. Hoops are said to be going out of style and gowns have begun to follow the lines of the female form.”
“Hoops are a damned nuisance anyway,” Tony said. “After breeches and trousers I don’t think I could ever go back to them.”
“Hoops cover a multitude of sins. They disguise some frightfully lumpy figures.”
For a moment Antonia felt sorry for herself. Sometimes she absolutely lusted for frills and ribbons. She recalled with envy the fashion plate who had an appointment with Savage. Appointment? Ha! Assignation!
“Good God, listen to this. Here’s a recipe for ophthalmic lotion for sore eyes. Mix together white vitriol and bay salt. When the detonation is over, pour on a pint of rosewater. I presume they mean if you are not blinded by the detonation! Mix in refined sugar and apply.”
“Doesn’t sound too refined to me!” Tony grimaced.
“Ah, darling, when I was a girl, animal excrement figured prominently in most medicine. Cat dung was a particular favorite for removing a low hairline.”
“Daubing cat caca on one’s face sounds hazardous to me.”