Surrender (24 page)

But Victoria was already watching the

bidding frenzy. She had the advantage of

knowing she was undoubtedly wealthier

than anyone else in the room and she

intended to use that fact.

 
Thirty pounds," a man on the other side

of the room shouted.

The brothel mistress regarded him with

acute scorn.
 
For a certified virgin, sir?

 
Come now, you cannot expect me to

listen to such a ridiculous offer. Let us

hear from some more noble sports."

 
Who's to say she's still virgin?" hooted

another. I'll risk fifty pounds and no

more."

 
Interesting" the bawd approved,
 
but

not nearly good enough. Come now, I

expected better from this crowd. You

spend more on a horse."

 
You can ride a horse longer than you can

a virgin," someone called out, snickering.

 
Nonsense. Our Molly will give you a

fine ride, won't you, Molly, dear?" The

madam stroked Molly's blond hair in a

mockingly affectionate gesture. The girl

shuddered.

 
Not pretty enough to go for more than

eighty pounds. And I'll want my money

back if you've lied about her condition."

Molly started to weep and the laughter

in the room grew even more raucous.

Victoria looked straight at the girl, willing

her to stay strong as she bided her time.

The bidding crept higher but not at

a very great rate after the initial rush.

The miserliness of the bids verified

what Victoria had already concluded.

Not everyone in the room was convinced

that poor Molly was worth a huge sum

nor were there any men of great wealth

here tonight. Men of vast wealth preferred

to keep fashionable mistresses and only

ventured into brothels such as this one

for casual entertainment.

Victoria waited a few more minutes until

the bidding stopped at ninety pounds.

Then she casually raised her hand from

behind the screen.
 
Three hundred pounds."

Lucas groaned.

The middle-aged woman turned a beam

ing countenance toward the shadowed

screen.
 
Why, sir, you have excellent

taste, whoever you be. Excellent, indeed.

I do believe little Molly is yours to do

with as you please this evening." She

patted the young girl's hand.
 
What a

lucky girl you are, my dear. Such a nice,

discreet gentleman he is. Run along now

and mind you don't make a fuss or it'll

be the worse for you."

 
You do not have three hundred pounds

on you," Lucas reminded Victoria between

set teeth.
 
You can hardly give the old

bawd your personal marker, can you?

She'll realize who you are."

Victoria blinked.
 
You are quite right.

Very well, you will have to pay the woman.

Say it is on my behalf as I am rather shy.

Hurry, Lucas."

 
Bloody, hell," Lucas murmured as he

got slowly to his feet.
 
Don't think I won't

collect from you for this."

 
I assure you, I'm good for the blunt,"

Victoria said sharply.

He stood up and strode toward the bawd,

ignoring the shouts and ribald comments.

When he reached the center of the room,

he gave Molly a small push toward the

screen where Victoria hovered.
 
Go on,

girl. Move."

Molly looked up at him in terror and

then responded automatically to the tone of

command. She made her way through the

laughing crowd to where Victoria waited.

 
Hush, now, and all will be well,"

Victoria murmured as she took the girl's

shaking hand and led her toward the door,

cramming her hat down low over her eyes

as she tugged the girl out into the hall.

Molly was too frightened to even protest.

Perhaps being led out into the night

appeared a better alternative to being taken

up the stairs. The girl staggered a bit and

Victoria realized she had undoubtedly been

given several glasses of wine or perhaps an

opium concoction to keep her dazed.

 
Well, well, and just where d'ye think

ye be goin" with the new piece? Ye ain't

allowed t" take the merchandise off the

premises." A very big, coarse-faced man

loomed in Victoria's path. He was supposed

to be the brothel's butler, but Victoria

could see he had another job as well.

 
My walking stick, if you please," she

said imperiously.

 
I just told ye, ye cannot be takin" the

girl off the premises," the man boomed.

 
I'm not going to take her off the

premises," Victoria said in an utterly

bored tone. She remembered what one

of the prostitutes had said about rods

and whips.
 
But I do have certain tastes

I like to indulge. And I have found that

my walking stick makes a very fine rod for

my purposes. It has just the right heft and

balance, if you take my meaning."

Little Molly stifled a scream but the

big man looked somewhat mollified. It

was obvious he was accustomed to such

bizarre things.

 
So that's the way of it, is it?" He leered

at Molly.
 
Yer in for a fine time tonight,

Molly, my girl."

Victoria waited tensely, glancing back

over her shoulder once more for Lucas.

He was still nowhere in sight. When the

butler appeared with her walking stick, she

decided she had to act on her own and

find a way to the door directly behind the

big man.

 
Now, I believe I would prefer the

comfort of my own carriage for what I

have in mind," she said coolly. She started

forward, yanking Molly with her.

The man narrowed his eyes and crossed

his beefy arms across his chest.
 
I told

ye, ye ain't takin" the little piece off the

premises."

Victoria did the only thing she could

think of. She lunged forward suddenly,

ramming the end of the walking stick

straight at the large man's crotch.

The butler shrieked and fell back, cursing

and clutching himself. Victoria raced for

the door, hauling Molly along in her wake.

 
Hell," said Lucas from somewhere

behind her.
 
I should have guessed some

thing like this would happen."

There was a roar from the butler and

then a solid, sickening thud. Victoria

looked back from the doorway and saw

the big man sprawled on the floor and

Lucas calmly reaching for his coat and

gloves.

 
Go on," he ordered.
 
Get into the

carriage."

In all the commotion Molly had clung

to Victoria, and now pale and nervous, she

began to babble in fear.

Victoria patted her shoulder as she

steered her out into the night.
 
Do be

quiet, dear. No one's going to hurt you."

The dozing coachman who had driven

Lucas and Victoria to the brothel flapped

the reins on the horses" rumps and moved

the vehicle into position when he saw his

customers emerge. He leered at poor Molly

as Victoria thrust her up into the cab.

 
I want t" go home," Molly wailed as

Victoria climbed in behind her. The girl

threw herself, sobbing, against Victoria's

shoulder.
 
Please sir, just let me go home

to Lower Burryton. My ma will be ever so

scared. I should never
 
ave left but I was

told there were plenty o" good jobs
 
ere in

Town and my family needs the money so."

 
Hush, hush,
 
tis all right. You will

go home, I promise." Victoria was still

comforting the sobbing girl when Lucas

emerged through the carriage door. He

eyed the crying Molly.

 
Well, she's yours now, what do you

propose to do with her?" Lucas asked as he

signaled the coachman to pull away.
 
You

can hardly take her to your aunt's house.

You cannot possibly explain her presence.

Everyone will know what you've been up

to tonight."

 
Once again you have the right of it,

Lucas. How very perceptive of you. She

cannot go home with me, so we must send

her home with you. Your housekeeper can

see to her welfare tonight and get her on

the northbound stage in the morning."

 
Bloody hell," said Lucas. But he looked

resigned to the inevitable.

Silence, broken only by Molly's sobs,

reigned for a few minutes.

 
Had enough of brothels?" Lucas finally

inquired calmly.

Victoria shuddered.
 
Quite enough. I

never want to see such a place again

as long as I live. It was sickening,

Lucas. That those poor women should

be reduced to being forced to survive by

selling themselves to those awful men goes

against all decent sensibility."

 
Allowing you to witness such a scene

goes against all decent sensibility, too,"

said Lucas.
 
I have only myself to blame

for having indulged you in such a foolish

fashion. I begin to think our night games

have gone far enough."

Victoria was suddenly alarmed by his

unexpectedly grim tone.
 
Surely you do not

mean to put a halt to our adventures."

Lucas glanced meaningfully at the still

sobbing Molly.
 
We had best discuss this

at another time."

 
But, Lucas
 
."

 
By the bye, you owe me three hundred

pounds." Lucas leaned his head back

against the seat cushions and closed his

eyes.
 
Plus whatever it costs to get her out

of town tomorrow morning."

Victoria sniffed.
 
Really, Lucas. If you're

going to be that way about it, I shall see

that you are repaid immediately."