A Woman of Honour

Chapter 19

Late November 1819

London

Helen stood in front of the full-length mirror in her dressing-room, studying her reflection. But all she saw was a stranger in a blood-red gown made from the most expensive satin. The scandalously low neckline framed the ostentatious ruby and diamond necklace that Lavorel had bought her in Paris. The satin clung to her body accentuating every curve, leaving very little of what lay underneath to the imagination.

After she had left Belmont Hall, in the middle of the night with Haverstock and Deveraux, she had been taken to a large country house in Kent. Haverstock had immediately begun to school her in all the information she needed to take up her new identity as the dashing widow, Helena, Countess de Aquileia. He had employed an Italian tutor, who was an expert in the region of Italy where she would have come from, to teach her everything she needed to know. She had to remember places, names and even learn the complex dialect that was unique to the region. It had all been relatively easy for her. Helen had an excellent memory that was second to none. And in less than a month, Haverstock was convinced that she was ready to go to Paris to play her part.

At the end of September, just four weeks after leaving Belmont Hall, she had travelled to Paris with Deveraux. He was going to be her footman and accompany her whenever he could. Helen had voiced her concerns to Haverstock about Deveraux. In her opinion, he looked far too young and inexperienced to be of any use, but Haverstock had insisted that he was there to protect her.

Within a week of arriving in Paris, she had found Lavorel, and it had not taken her long to renew their former intimacies. He had always had a reputation of being an experienced and accomplished lover, and over the years that had not changed. However, their sexual encounters had ultimately left her feeling empty. They lacked the closeness, the joining of two souls, that she had felt with Ralph.

There was something else that was beginning to nag at her conscience. Since leaving Belmont Hall, she had missed three of her monthly courses. Initially, she had thought that it was due to the stress caused by the prospect of working for Haverstock again. She had skipped them before during stressful times in her life. However, when she missed her second one, and she noticed that her breasts were starting to enlarge and become more sensitive to the touch, she began to suspect that she was with child; Ralph's child.

When she had lain with him, she had thought that begetting a child was impossible. She had been told by the Portuguese midwife after her complicated birth with Georgie, that it was unlikely that she would be able to have children anymore. However, the unthinkable had happened. She put her hands on her abdomen, where her precious baby was growing. She could already feel the gentle swell of her stomach, and she knew that it would not be long before Lavorel would notice.

Tonight, they were going to the theatre. Lavorel liked to be the centre of attention. He had hired a box in the most prominent part of the theatre just right of the stage, where everyone would be able to see them. He had asked her to wear the red satin dress and the ruby necklace, especially for tonight's performance. By the end of the evening, everyone in the theatre would be talking about Lavorel and his scandalous mistress the mysterious Countessa de Aquileia.

Later that evening, as they entered the box, every eye in the theatre fell upon them. Helen knew how to play her part. Tonight, she was the beautiful Helena, Countess de Aquileia, the outrageously scandalous mistress of the handsome French diplomat, Monsieur Lavorel.

She sat close to him and laughed at his observations. He was a clever man, and she usually found his chatter amusing, but tonight, in this public setting, she felt a little distracted. They were not alone in the box. A few of Lavorel's associates had joined them for the evening, and they were sitting slightly behind them joining in on the conversation. Even though there were others present, it did not stop Lavorel from touching her. It was the part of being Lavorel's mistress she disliked the most. It made her feel cheap and tawdry, but she could not complain. If she let him know she did not like it, he would only ask another woman to join him, and she was far from fulfilling her mission and reclaiming her son.