"Bessie?" The voice was sweet, sickeningly so, with an underlying note of malice. "He's here. And as soon as I find the key I'm coming to prepare ye for him. And don't get yer hopes up that I won't find it neither. 'Cause I'll just have one o' the men break down the door if I don't. He's paying me enough to replace a thousand doors."

Silence greeted those words. When it drew out with no response from inside the room, all sweetness left Aggie's voice.

"Bessie! Did ye hear me, girl?"

"A-aye," Bessie gasped in reply when Charlie nudged her.

Grunting in satisfaction at what sounded like fear in the quavering voice, Aggie muttered, "Maybe I should interrupt Maisey and Lord Seguin after all.

Himself doesn't like to be kept waiting, and I doubt the chit is like to cooperate."

"Do as ye like, but he's been in there with Maisey for five minutes or so already. A couple more minutes and he'll be coming out on his own anyway."

"Aye." Aggie gave a harsh chuckle. "Maisey says he's faster than a cook crackin'

eggs."

The voices faded as they moved off, and Charlie and Bessie both sighed in relief.

"Charles!"

Muttering under her breath, Charlie turned and peered out the window.

"What?!"

she hissed back.

"What the devil are you doing?!"

"I shall explain later. Go fetch the carriage to the mouth of the alley."

Radcliffe hesitated, then opened his mouth to say something, but Charlie interrupted him. "Please," she hissed.

Sighing, the man turned away and moved up the alley muttering to himself.

"Who is he?"

Charlie shook her head at the would-be-maid's question. "Later," was all she said, then she tossed the girl a reassuring smile, slid her second leg out the window to join the first, turned so that she lay on her stomach across the ledge, and lowered herself carefully out. Once she was hanging by her hands only, she let go and dropped to the ground, wincing at the jolting of her bones as she landed.

The grass outside the inn window several days previous had made for a much softer landing than the cobblestone here. The drop also hadn't been quite as far, she saw as she peered up through the darkness at the oval that was Bessie's pale face. She was already seated on the ledge.

Offering her a reassuring smile, Charlie stepped forward to stand directly beneath the window and waved at her, telling her to get a move on.

However, the girl either forgot the instructions or misunderstood the wave, for rather than turn and rest on her tummy to lower herself carefully out, she suddenly plunged off the ledge, plummeting straight at the horrified Charlie.

Before she could get out of the way or even move, the full impact of the girl's body was clobbering her over the head and tumbling them both to the ground.

Chapter Seven.

"Oh, Lord! I'm ever so sorry!"

Charlie heard those words through a sort of haze and a ringing in her ears.

Not only had she broken Bessie's fall with her body, she had also conked her head rather nastily on the cobblestone ground as she had collapsed beneath the girl's weight. Most painful. Horrendous really. Was she seeing double?

"Oh, gad! Oh, please say yer a'right? I'm sorry. I slipped. I was turnin' to lower mesel' out the window just like ye said, but my hand slipped and I fell and I hit you and"

"Shhh," Charlie hissed, pressing her hands to either side of her head a bit desperately.

"Oh, o' course. I'll be drawin' attention I will and we'll be caught am I not quiet."

Charlie grimaced She had not even considered being overheard. Her shushing had more to do with the way the girl's voice was adding to her pain than any other concerns she should have. Shifting her legs carefully, Charlie began to rise, grateful for Bessie's efforts to assist as the young girl caught her arm.

"Yer none too steady on yer feet, me lord," Bessie murmured with concern, dragging Charlie's arm over her shoulder and taking most of her weight as she steered her to the wall. Leaning her there, the girl peered at her worriedly.

"Yer pale as a ghost too. Ye took a nasty knock."

"Aye," Charlie sighed, raising a hand to probe tentatively at the back of her head. "There is a bump but no blood," she announced as she found the area.

The other girl's face relaxed somewhat. "Thank goodness for that."

"Aye," Charlie murmured, the clip-clop of horses hooves drawing her gaze to the mouth of the alley in time to see Radcliffe's carriage pull up. Straightening her shoulders determinedly, she eased away from the wall. "We had better go."

Nodding, Bessie rushed off to collect her bag from where it had landed when Charlie had thrown it out the window. When she returned, Charlie took her arm and they made a mad dash for the carriage.

Radcliffe threw the door open as they reached it, and Charlie nearly stuffed the poor girl inside. Clambering in behind her, she tugged the door closed with a snap and collapsed onto the bench seat beside Bessie with a relieved sigh. When several moments passed in silence without the carriage moving, she opened one eye to peer at Radcliffe.

"Can we go now, please?" she asked politely.

Radcliffe's response was to cast a suspicious glance toward Bessie, then turn back to arch an eyebrow at Charlie.

Sighing, she sat up and murmured politely, "Bessie, this is Lord Radcliffe.

Radcliffe, this is Bessie Beth's lady's maid," the last came on an inspiration.

She and Beth did need a lady's maid. They also needed one they could be sure would not give away their secret should it accidentally be uncovered. And Charlie was pretty sure that Bessie was grateful enough for her assistance this night that she would keep the secret should she accidentally discover it. It seemed a perfect arrangement Radcliffe didn't seem quite as enthusiastic with this orchestration of events, however. "Lady's maid?" he asked archly.

Charlie turned wary at his tone. "Aye."

"Charles, I brought you here tonight to sample some of Aggie's offerings.

Here.

On the premises. Not to drag one of her girls home to sample her at your leisure."

"It is nothing like that," Charlie snapped, aware of the way Bessie had stiffened beside her in suspicion.

"She is one of Aggie's girls, is she not?"

"Nay."

"Charles," he growled in a warning tone, and Charlie shifted impatiently.

"Does she look like a prostitute to you?"

Radcliffe glanced reluctantly at the girl, taking in her plain dress, fresh face, and long, undressed hair.

"She is a country girl," Charlie said when he remained silent. "She is from Oxfordshire. She came to London to find a job as a lady's maid."

"How did she end up at Aggie's, then?"

"Because your dear friend Aggie lured her back to that brothel of hers under the pretext that it was a home for runaways. She fed her, offered her a bed for the night, then locked her up in a room to force her to work for her."

Radcliffe frowned at that but had the good grace not to claim that Aggie would not do such a thing. Instead, he rapped on the roof of the carriage, signaling the driver that he was ready to leave. Charlie and Bessie both relaxed somewhat as the carriage started to move,taking them away from the possibility of the carriage door suddenly opening to reveal a furious Aggie, eager to snatch back her victim.

Charlie cast one last reassuring smile at the girl, then leaned her head back on the carriage seat and turned her face to the window to peer out at the passing night. They had ridden in silence for some time when Radcliffe finally shifted and muttered, "She is not my friend."

Charlie sniffed at that. "You could have fooled me."

"She is not. I have never even been in that establishment before," he said irritably. "Though I don't know why I'm bothering to say so."

She glared at him. "Well, then why the devil would you go there tonight?

And why drag me along with you?"

"I thought you would enjoy it," he snapped.

Charlie snorted. "Oh, aye. I have always fancied the idea of being tied to a bed and whipped." When Bessie gasped, her eyes going round, Charlie managed a stiff smile and reassured her quickly, "It did not go so far. She tied me to the bed, but Radcliffe came ere she used her whip."

"Oh, blessed saint, she is a wicked woman."

"She is a spongy, swag-bellied bawd," Charlie replied with disgust, then bent a glare on Radcliffe. "I notice that while you stuck me with her, you managed to lance yourself a lovely little bit of fluff. I suppose that Glory person was just your way of passing the time while I enjoyed myself?"

Before he could deny it she went on, "Next time you wish to take me somewhere I might enjoy myself, my lord, might I suggest you try one of the clubs or coffee houses? I only tell you this so that I do not find myself somewhere equally enjoyable next time, like oh, I do not know say a castle dungeon or bedlam."

"I take your point," Radcliffe growled.

Grunting in response, Charlie turned to peer out the window again, determined not to say another word to the man tonight. A brothel for God's sake! Wait until Beth heard about this. Her eyes were slipping closed, her mind beginning to drift as she heard Radcliffe ask Bessie where she came from. Already knowing the answer, Charlie allowed their voices to combine with the gentle jostling of the carriage to lull her to sleep.

"Wake up, Charles. We are here."

Opening her eyes, Charlie peered dully at Radcliffe. Her brain was throbbing painfully and it took her a moment to recall even who Charles was. Sighing wearily as recollection returned, she waited as Radcliffe disembarked, then helped Bessie out of the carriage, before stumbling after them and up the path to the front door, which was even now opening to reveal Radcliffe's butler.

"Good evening, m'lords. You had a good night, I hope?"

"Barrels of fun. Stokes. Just barrels," Charlie commented dryly when Radcliffe merely grunted at the question. Ignoring the man's obvious curiosity, she gestured toward the young maid, preparing to explain her presence, but Radcliffe beat her to it.

'This is Bessie, Stokes. She is" He hesitated, a frown tugging at his lips as he debated what to say, then finished simply with, "Lady Elizabeth's maid."

When the old man raised one questioning eyebrow at the girl's sudden and late arrival, Radcliffe added, "She came in by carriage today, and had some difficulty on the journey. No doubt she is hungry and tired. See that she has a nice meal and give her a comfortable room."

Nodding, the old savant turned away, leading Bessie down the hall as the door to the library opened and Beth stepped out.

"I thought you would be asleep by now," Charlie murmured with surprise.

"I was asleep," Beth admitted wryly, then held up a book. "I fell asleep reading." Lowering the book, she glanced curiously about the hall. "Did I hear something about a maid?"

"Aye." Charlie glanced at Radcliffe, then whispered, "I shall explain as I walk you to your room."

Nodding, Beth closed the library door and crossed the hall to lead the way upstairs with Charlie trailing behind her.

"Charles."

They both paused on the steps to turn back at Radcliffe's weary voice.

"I apologize for giving you grief over Bessie. You showed great compassion in involving yourself in her troubles. You er your father would be proud of you, I am sure." On that note, he turned and strode into the library, closing the door quietly behind him.

Beth managed to contain her curiosity all the way up the stairs and along the hall to Charles's room. Once in the bedchamber, however, she turned on her questioningly. Charlie dropped onto the bed and told her everything. The tale sounded somehow more amusing and less frightful as she told it, so much so that they were both rolling on the bed with laughter as she regaled her with her tussle with the whip-wielding Aggie. Beth showed some dismay over Lord Seguin's behavior, however, then anger at Aggie's attempt to force Bessie into such a dishonorable business.

Once Charlie fell silent, Beth sighed and rolled onto her stomach upon the bed to prop her chin in her hands. "You always seem to be the one to have the adventures."

"You could have gone," Charlie reminded her unsympathetically, relaxing upon her back, her hands beneath her head. "I did make the offer."

"Aye, well in truth, I am glad it was you. I should have been terrified in your position." When Charlie remained silent, she asked, "You do not think he really did anything with that girl, do you?"

"Radcliffe? And that prostitute?" Charlie frowned at the thought, finding the very idea troublesome. "Nay," she said at last. "He would not have had the chance."

"Hmm." Beth began to pluck at the coverlet of the bed. "Do you think he was telling the truth when he claimed never to have been there before?"

Charlie shifted irritably and sat up. This was an uncomfortable subject. "I do not know. Are you going to be Charles tomorrow, or am I?"

"Me, please," Beth answered at once, then sat up as Charlie nodded and moved toward the connecting door between bedrooms. "What are you doing?"

"Going to bed."

"But you should sleep in here tonight. You are to be me tomorrow, after all."

"Aye. And we have switched rooms, remember?"

"Oh, yes," she smiled wryly. "I moved my things into your room and yours into here, but forgot about it while I was in the library." Her expression became curious. "What did he say about walking in on your bath?"

"Nothing much. Just that he would apologize," Charlie murmured as she opened the door. "I suppose he forgot tonight."