The Mystery Woman (Ladies of Lantern Str - By Amanda Quick Page 0,76

his kindness for a stronger, more intimate emotion.”

“You fell in love with him.”

She put her head around the sheet again. “I was sixteen, Joshua. All I knew of love was what I had read in novels and books of poetry. But it was not long before I realized the foolishness of my ways. During the two months that I was concocting romantic fantasies he was occupied with finding himself a suitable wife.”

“You were not aware he planned to marry?”

“No.” Beatrice emerged from behind the sheet, fully dressed. She gave him a rueful smile. “Imagine my surprise when he announced his engagement to a very wealthy, very lovely lady whose family moved in the best circles.”

“I assume you left your post because of his marriage?”

“Well, I would have done so, because I was utterly devastated. I told myself I could not live in the same house with him and his new wife. But as it happened, there was no need for me to take such a drastic step. My employer’s fiancée made it clear that she wanted me dismissed before she would move in. I was let go immediately. My employer was kind to the end, however. He offered to set me up in a small house in a quiet neighborhood.”

“In other words, he intended to make you his mistress.”

“Yes.”

He glanced at the stains on the coverlet. “Obviously you rejected the offer.”

“It was bad enough that he had broken my heart. The insult was too much. I was furious. I hurled the contents of a vase of flowers at him. I quite ruined his jacket, I’m sure. I have something of a temper.”

“You’re a redhead,” Joshua said. “You’re entitled to a temper. You should have cracked the vase over his head.”

“Yes, well, they tend to arrest people for inflicting that sort of bodily damage. I was angry but I’m not a complete idiot.”

He smiled slightly. “A wise decision under the circumstances. Did you ever see the bastard again?”

Beatrice was amused. “He wasn’t a complete bastard, just a wealthy man who was acting in accordance with the conventions of his station. In fairness, I think he was truly fond of me, but naturally he could not marry a governess. He realized that even if I did not at the time. And yes, I did see him again. We passed each other on the street one afternoon about a year later. He was with his new bride. He never noticed me.”

Joshua was stunned. “How could he have failed to see you?”

Beatrice giggled. “You really are a romantic at heart, Joshua Gage. He didn’t notice me because by that time he had forgotten all about me.”

“I find that impossible to believe.”

She gave him a whimsical smile. “Do you?”

“Even if I never saw you again, I would not forget you. And I will always know if you are near.”

Her eyes darkened into fathomless pools. “As I said, you are a true romantic.”

Annoyed, he tightened his grip on the cane. “You did not tell me how you came to land at Dr. Fleming’s Academy of the Occult.”

She blinked. “Oh, right. There really isn’t much more to the story. I changed careers and became a paid companion. Not at the Flint and Marsh Agency, though, a different one. I was fortunate enough to obtain a post in the household of a woman who was fascinated with the study of the paranormal. I shared her interest.”

He smiled. “Naturally.”

“One afternoon I accompanied her to the Academy to observe Dr. Fleming’s demonstrations. My employer booked a private appointment during which Roland recognized that I had some genuine talent and offered to hire me as a paranormal practitioner. My employer urged me to take the position. She said it would give me a far more comfortable life than a career as a companion. She was right, at least until the night that poor Roland was murdered.”

“After which you reinvented yourself as a professional investigator.”

“Well, not immediately,” Beatrice said. “I had no idea that such a profession even existed. However, when I concluded that I had no choice but to return to my former career as a paid companion, I began making the rounds of various agencies. I heard rumors of an exclusive agency in Lantern Street that paid very well. The proprietors were said to be extremely selective when it came to hiring companions. I decided I had nothing to lose so I applied. Mrs. Flint and Mrs. Marsh offered me a position immediately. They said I had a certain talent