He knew that half the men in the House of Lords and in the king’s cabinet had mistresses who were political. In some places, it was far more intense, but in London, these women often held salons in which the great philosophers and political thinkers of the day came. They had opinions. They expressed them in ways that many ladies could not, and they facilitated secret meetings and dinners, which allowed backdoor dealings to occur that were important to the continuation of the government.
After all, sometimes one had to have a conversation in private because they were afraid of losing face in public. They could say things in the dining room of a mistress that they could not say in the dining room of their own home.
And so, as he led her into the great house in the West of London that was adjacent to many aristocrats’ abodes, he wondered what she would do when she realized how deep this sea was.
Could she swim? He rather thought she would.
As they entered the crush of people dressed to the height of fashion—come straight over from Paris, for though they were at war with Napoleon, they were not at war with seamstresses—he watched her.
Her eyes were wide, her breasts were rising and falling quickly as she breathed, showing her astonishment at the room. There were generals, there were politicians, there were lords, there were cabinet ministers, and the prime minister himself had just entered.
Her head was veritably spinning.
“Now now,” he warned. “You must look as cool as a cucumber. It is not the fashion of the day to be passionate any longer. You must be witty instead.”
She arched a brow at him. “How can one be witty when one realizes that everyone in power is in this room at this particular moment and none of them seem to care that much about propriety?”
It was true. Several of the gentlemen had ladies on their arms who were barely dressed at all. Several of the gentlemen were already embracing those ladies and drinking wine as they entered the ballroom.
“I don’t understand this world at all,” she said without judgment. “In many ways, it’s exactly like a ball that I’ve been to, and yet it’s quite different.”
“Even the world of Cyprians and mistresses still has its rules,” he tried to explain. “We still have that which guides us, but here everyone is simplymore. The gentlemen don’t need to be afraid that they are overeducating ladies who are going to bear them children with things they feel those ladies should not know. The men can be themselves with their mistresses.”
“How terrible,” she said, her lip curling.
He cocked his head to the side, inviting further commentary.
She continued, “Think of all those women who must marry men who will not tell them the truth about this world. Who protect them as if somehow that’s going to make them better. When, in fact, it just limits their choices and makes them miserable.”
He applauded softly. “Well said. Now, what will you do about it?”
“What do you mean, what will I do about it?” she challenged.
He looked to the crowded room. “I can tell you which lords are most likely to support ladies’ rights, and they might be wonderful choices for you to take up. Several of them have kept mistresses in the past on very good incomes, and you might be able to whisper in their ear that it is a good idea to improve the education of young ladies and their ability to have a voice in society.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “I could do such a thing?”
“Of course,” he said. “You’re going to be a woman of power. Are you not? Best start behaving like it.”
“I feel as if you’ve ripped the cloth from my eyes.”
“Have I?” He queried.
She nodded, and he felt a moment of hope. This was what she wanted. That sort of freedom. The ability to persuade politicians that only a few wives of great lords had ever managed. He could count them on his hands. Those women were the kind of women who ruled even though they were supposed to merely be vessels for breeding.
They were the great powers of society, maneuvering people wherever they went, and he felt certain that Cat could do the same thing.
Did she need to be a courtesan? Couldn’t she do more if she was a duch—
He stopped himself. He would not think such a thing. Besides, bringing her here absolutely made it certain that she would enter the demimondaine and remain there.
“My goodness,” she exclaimed. “That is the actress Caroline Hart.”
He laughed, enjoying her enthusiasm. “Indeed, it is. You shall see many great performers here. Whether they be opera singers, actors, dancers, or musicians. This is a place where the ton can mingle with the geniuses of the world.”
She sighed. “That is most fortunate. We ladies rarely ever get to meet with genius.”
“Touché my dear, touché. It is true, isn’t it? Ladies are rarely allowed to meet the great people of the day.”