Page 109 of Notorious

And the hat she wore was a tiny fluff of a thing she never would have purchased for herself. It was not to cover or protect, but to display. The peacock feather that jutted out over one eye made her look sophisticated beyond anything she’d ever worn.

Fletcher appeared in the doorway. “You rang, madam?”

“Yes, we are going for a walk.” Drusilla would tell her maid the true destination once they were away from the house.

What she was doing was . . . well, there was no word for it other than outrageous.

Would Gabriel be angry? She thought back to his irritation about her questions regarding the duel with Visel and grimaced. Surely there was no subject more private than a man’s mistresses?

She should turn around and go back immediately.

Instead, she turned to Fletcher when they were two streets over and stopped. “Will you hail a hackney cab for us?” She felt foolish asking, but she’d never done such a thing. Did one merely stick out one’s arm and wave?

“You want a hackney?” Fletcher said.

“Yes, Fletcher. That is correct. I wish to go somewhere.”

“We are not far from the house—shouldn’t we just—”

“A hackney, Fletcher.”

Her maid’s forehead wrinkled with concern, but she nodded before glancing up the street to where several carriages were approaching. She raised her hand and just as quickly dropped it. An oncoming carriage pulled up a short distance ahead of them.

So that was how it was done. Not so difficult.

The driver, a remarkably handsome young man, grinned down at her, his eyes bouncing from Fletcher to Drusilla. “Where can I take you two lovelies?”

Drusilla’s jaw dropped at his familiar greeting. Before she could speak, Fletcher edged her much smaller body in front of Drusilla.

“You mind your manners or I’ll climb up there and box your ears.”

The driver laughed and touched his cap. “Aye, missus. Where may I take you ladies?” he repeated, mockingly stern.

“Number twelve Alder Street,” Drusilla said.

Fletcher opened the door and lowered the steps, pulling them up once they were both inside.

“Miss Drusilla—”

“I am going to visit the two women who have been taking care of Mr. Marlington’s son.”

Her maid’s face reddened. “But—”

“You won’t dissuade me, Fletcher. But I can understand if you do not wish to visit with me. I can have the driver set you down at the next corner. Do you have money enough to take yourself home?”

Fletcher’s expression settled into martyrish lines. “I shan’t let you go alone, Miss Dru.”

Relief flooded her at her maid’s words, and she sat back against the worn squabs of the carriage, watching the busy afternoon streets flicker past. Discovering where the well-known actresses lived had not been as difficult as she’d feared. But making the decision to visit them had been exceedingly difficult.

She and Gabriel had taken Samir out dozens of times in the preceding weeks, and one of the things she noticed with every visit was how much Samir spoke about his “aunts” Gigi and Maria. He’d only been with the two women for a few months but he’d grown very close to them. He seemed to be a boy with a great capacity for love and had taken Drusilla into his heart without hesitation. She was grateful for that because he very well could have felt threatened to share his precious Jibril with anyone else. Instead he even seemed to look forward to seeing her now.

But that didn’t make this decision to disobey Gabriel and pry into his life any easier.

The carriage rolled along far faster than she would have liked, and it seemed only minutes had passed when they came to a stop.

Fletcher laid a hand on her arm. “Are you sure about this, Miss Dru?”

Was she? If she didn’t meet these women now, she would always wonder.