making small adjustments here and there. He couldn't tell what she was doing, but she looked a little better once she was done. She really was quite fetching. "For requiring any assistance in the first place. I apologize for making such a ridiculous scene."
"Think nothing of it," he said. "I'm glad I was there to help." With the sunlight shining into the carriage, Lucien could see that her eyes were green, just as he'd guessed. Green with little flecks of gold. "Our mutual friend highly recommends you, and I trust her judgment."
"You can't know how much that relieves me. You've been quite kind."
He waved her continued apologies away. "I didn't know where you lived, so my coachman is taking us to my casino. Would you prefer an alternate destination?"
"I'd prefer my own home," she said, and then rattled off her street name.
As soon as she said it, Lucien realized he'd already known where she'd lived. Everyone knew about the Bliss residence and the enormous statue of a train that Mr. Bliss had erected in the green space across from it.
Lucien opened the small window and leaned his head out. "Higgs, we'll take the young lady home." After repeating the location, he pulled his head back inside and closed the window. "We'll have you there in five minutes. I didn't realize you lived in Mayfair. Your street is in a nice area."
"Yes. I've always found it so." She shifted in her seat to look out her window, and he watched her profile as she chewed at her bottom lip. She frowned and glanced at him. "Why do men cheat?"
"What?"
"I said, why do men cheat?" She stared at him, clearly expecting an answer.
"Because they like to win, and because they are greedy. Is that what your article is about?"
She looked at him blankly. "What? No. Not that kind of cheating. The other kind."
The other kind? "You mean, men whose affections wander?"
She nodded.
"Ah. I suspect this has something to do with that letter you snatched from the table yesterday. Is that what brought you to the docks today? A man who you believe cheated you?"
She looked away and turned a deep shade of pink. "No! It has nothing to do with any of that." A haughty look curled her upper lip into a charming sneer, as though her face was unaccustomed to making that sort of expression. She couldn't maintain the look for long, however, and her features soon smoothed out. "I need you to answer my question. I'd like a man's point of view."
Lucien shrugged in that Gallic way he'd perfected. It had never failed to annoy his grandfather. With fingers splayed, eyebrows raised, and lower lip jutting out just slightly, he communicated his disavowal of any knowledge regarding the subject at hand. "Perhaps he was bored. Perhaps he wanted to feel better about himself. I don't know the man."
"There is no man. This is purely an academic question."
"Ah." It was obvious that she was lying, but Lucien saw no reason to argue the point.
Miss Bliss leaned closer to the window. "We're almost there. I recognize this street." She noticed her reticule on the seat and picked it up, giving him a grateful smile as she slid its string handle around her wrist. "I didn't get to thank you for allowing me to visit your casino."
"Think nothing of it," he said, pleased that he could offer her this bit of assistance. "As I explained to Millicent, it's no problem to have you visit and interview the staff when we're closed."
"Closed?" Miss Bliss's voice squeaked. "But that won't do at all. I need to observe your patrons. How can I do that if I come in when you're closed?"
He shook his head. "That's as far as I'm willing to bend. I can't allow you to bother my patrons. They come to Hamlin House to relax and enjoy themselves and I don't want a reporter vexing them."
"Oh, but Mr. Hamlin. It isn't like that at all," she said, twisting the fabric of her reticule with white-gloved hands. "If you'd allow me to explain, I'm sure you'd change your mind."
Lucien didn't like the expression on Miss Bliss's face. She
"Think nothing of it," he said. "I'm glad I was there to help." With the sunlight shining into the carriage, Lucien could see that her eyes were green, just as he'd guessed. Green with little flecks of gold. "Our mutual friend highly recommends you, and I trust her judgment."
"You can't know how much that relieves me. You've been quite kind."
He waved her continued apologies away. "I didn't know where you lived, so my coachman is taking us to my casino. Would you prefer an alternate destination?"
"I'd prefer my own home," she said, and then rattled off her street name.
As soon as she said it, Lucien realized he'd already known where she'd lived. Everyone knew about the Bliss residence and the enormous statue of a train that Mr. Bliss had erected in the green space across from it.
Lucien opened the small window and leaned his head out. "Higgs, we'll take the young lady home." After repeating the location, he pulled his head back inside and closed the window. "We'll have you there in five minutes. I didn't realize you lived in Mayfair. Your street is in a nice area."
"Yes. I've always found it so." She shifted in her seat to look out her window, and he watched her profile as she chewed at her bottom lip. She frowned and glanced at him. "Why do men cheat?"
"What?"
"I said, why do men cheat?" She stared at him, clearly expecting an answer.
"Because they like to win, and because they are greedy. Is that what your article is about?"
She looked at him blankly. "What? No. Not that kind of cheating. The other kind."
The other kind? "You mean, men whose affections wander?"
She nodded.
"Ah. I suspect this has something to do with that letter you snatched from the table yesterday. Is that what brought you to the docks today? A man who you believe cheated you?"
She looked away and turned a deep shade of pink. "No! It has nothing to do with any of that." A haughty look curled her upper lip into a charming sneer, as though her face was unaccustomed to making that sort of expression. She couldn't maintain the look for long, however, and her features soon smoothed out. "I need you to answer my question. I'd like a man's point of view."
Lucien shrugged in that Gallic way he'd perfected. It had never failed to annoy his grandfather. With fingers splayed, eyebrows raised, and lower lip jutting out just slightly, he communicated his disavowal of any knowledge regarding the subject at hand. "Perhaps he was bored. Perhaps he wanted to feel better about himself. I don't know the man."
"There is no man. This is purely an academic question."
"Ah." It was obvious that she was lying, but Lucien saw no reason to argue the point.
Miss Bliss leaned closer to the window. "We're almost there. I recognize this street." She noticed her reticule on the seat and picked it up, giving him a grateful smile as she slid its string handle around her wrist. "I didn't get to thank you for allowing me to visit your casino."
"Think nothing of it," he said, pleased that he could offer her this bit of assistance. "As I explained to Millicent, it's no problem to have you visit and interview the staff when we're closed."
"Closed?" Miss Bliss's voice squeaked. "But that won't do at all. I need to observe your patrons. How can I do that if I come in when you're closed?"
He shook his head. "That's as far as I'm willing to bend. I can't allow you to bother my patrons. They come to Hamlin House to relax and enjoy themselves and I don't want a reporter vexing them."
"Oh, but Mr. Hamlin. It isn't like that at all," she said, twisting the fabric of her reticule with white-gloved hands. "If you'd allow me to explain, I'm sure you'd change your mind."
Lucien didn't like the expression on Miss Bliss's face. She
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