Free Simply Shameless by Kate Pearce Page A

himself into a chair and looked up at her. "Dammit, Helene, you're not my conscience. Of course I'll go and see Amanda. She's the only reason I stay married." He glanced at her under his long eyelashes. "Of course, if you wanted to marry me, I'd be out of this chair and pounding on the door of my solicitor's office in a second."
    "I don't intend to marry anyone."
    He sighed. "I know, but it doesn't stop me hoping."
    Helene tried not to smile as she rang for some refreshments, then sat at her neat desk. Her leather journal lay on the blotter. She opened it at the correct date and read through the already lengthy list of tasks she needed to accomplish before the day ended. A notation on the following page caught her eye. Tomorrow was the twins' eighteenth birthday. She had sent them a substantial sum of money and her usual letter full of lies.
    With a sigh, she shut the book and returned her attention to
    Lord George. Of all the original founders, George was the one who had the most to do with the day-to-day running of the business. He dealt with the bank and relayed Helene's monthly reports to the other partners, who no longer wished to attend the meetings. He was one of the few men in London she hadn't slept with and actually trusted. Since Philip Ross, she'd learned never to bed men she genuinely liked. Friendship was far too precious to mix with the uncertainties of sex.
    A knock on the door brought not only their tea but also the morning post. Helene smiled as Oliver, her newest footman, managed not to spill the tea or drop the letters. He'd been with them for only a few weeks, but he was already starting to put on weight and regain his confidence. One of the other servants had found him starving and beaten in the street after being thrown out by a brothel catering to men and had brought him to Helene.
    George accepted a cup of tea and sipped at it, his expression thoughtful. Helene sorted through her mail, pausing when something caught her interest.
    "There is a letter from Sudbury Court. Isn't that Lord Derek's country house?"
    "Aye, it is." George sat up. "I wonder what the old goat wants." Helene frowned at him, broke the black wax seal, and scanned the single sheet. Her hand flew to her cheek. "Mon Dieu, this is horrible." "What?"
    "It is from Lord Derek's solicitor." Helene stared at George. "They are both dead from the smallpox. Lord Derek died quickly. Angelique seemed to have recovered but succumbed to S an infection of the lungs." She managed to pass him the letter. "Here, read it for yourself."
    Lord Derek had always been a staunch supporter of hers. His wife had been Helene's friend. Images of the vibrant woman she had helped rescue from the Bastille crowded her mind. Despite the harsh rules of society, Angelique had insisted on claiming Helene as her friend. They'd spent many hours together speaking their native tongue, sharing secrets and happier memories. Most women tended not to like Helene.
    "It seems the whole house caught the smallpox from the new kitchen maid." Lord George gave a disgusted sigh. "You would've thought they would have tried out Jenner's vaccine."
    Helene dabbed at the tears on her cheeks. "Lord Derek was always a little skeptical of science, wasn't he? He preferred to place his trust in God." She swallowed hard. "At least they are together. At least neither of them is left to mourn alone."
    George studied the letter. "It seems they were buried in some haste as well."
    "Not that I would have been welcome at the funeral anyway." Helene tried to smile. "But I would've liked to have paid my respects. Perhaps we can go and visit their graves. I would love to say good-bye properly."
    He met her gaze, his expression serious. "Of course we will go. I'd be delighted to escort you." He frowned. "I wonder who will inherit his property and his title. They had no children, and he is the heir presumptive of his uncle, the Earl of Swansford."
    "Trust you to be thinking such mercenary thoughts on such a