Beyond Rubies (Daughters of Sin Book 4) by Beverley Oakley

it hard to put away the anger she felt at her conversation with Jennie. Perhaps it was this, combined with the knowledge that she wasn’t being observed tonight by Nash, that made her miss her lines several times. She knew her performance was less than glittering and so was hardly surprised, yet still rather chastened, to be called up to Mr. Lazarus’s sitting room when the show was over.
    “Mrs. Lazarus and I wish to speak to you about tonight,” he told her, drawing her to stand in front of the stuffed mannequin purported to be his late wife. “Three times you had to be prompted. That is not at all like you, Miss La Bijou. We have an understudy eager to step up if you continue such disappointing performances.”
    This was worse than Kitty had feared. Jennie had made it clear she was only too eager to knock her off her perch. “Please, no. I...was very upset when I went on stage. I know my performance left much to be desired, but I’ve not disappointed the audience on every other night. You’ve said so yourself, Mr. Lazarus.”
    He pursed his mouth as he nodded thoughtfully, his thumbs stuck in his waistcoat while he paced around her to stand before the mannequin. “What do you say, Mrs. Lazarus? Should this be a warning only, or is it indeed time to give Jennie an opportunity to play the fair and lovely Juliet?”
    After a moment’s silence, he returned to face Kitty. “Mrs. Lazarus believes in giving everyone a single chance. Her charitable nature was one of the reasons I married the good woman, and it is why I continue to seek her advice. So, Miss La Bijou, ensure you get a good night’s sleep, put your worldly cares aside for they do not belong on stage, and we shall see you at the theater tomorrow when you thrill the audience with another of your exceptional performances.”
    Gulping her relief after gushing thanks to Mr. Lazarus, Kitty hurried down the staircase to the almost deserted theater. With the actors and actresses having left, it felt, and even smelled, strange. Not just empty, but abandoned. A few candles burned from sconces offering a little light, but Kitty had never seen it with such a cold and loveless feeling. Several girls—little more than children—were sweeping the stage, and one of them looked up when they heard Kitty ask into the darkness, “Nash?”
    “If you’s after Lord Nash ’e’s got ’is carriage waitin’ fer yer in the street.”
    With huge relief Kitty hurried toward his Lordship’s handsome equipage, the footman jumping down from the running board to open the door for Kitty and help her inside. She closed her eyes as it rocked gently on its journey, and she imagined the comfort she’d feel from having his Lordship’s arms about her as she poured out her distress. She hoped he wouldn’t be too late home to join her. Tonight was the first time since he’d taken her into his bed that he’d been away from her, and she felt strangely bereft.
    She’d performed each night for two weeks without a break, so it was little wonder she was exhausted and easily upset, she thought upon waking as the carriage drew to a halt. The coachman came around to open the carriage door and she stepped outside, shocked to find herself in front of Mrs. Mobbs’s lowly residence.
    “’Is Lordship says it’s only fer t’night, Miss La Bijou. ’E says ’e will send a carriage ’round to fetch yer jest after noon.”
    To fetch her just after noon? She knew what that meant. Tomorrow he would take her to look at the sweet bower he intended to secure for her. She shivered with excitement, wishing she could curl into his side tonight and be woken by his usual lusty dawn lovemaking before another wonderful day began.
    “Thank you, Jack,” she said when he’d seen her safely to the door, for it was a neighborhood rife with rogues, and she was only too happy to see the last of it. Mrs. Mobbs was more slovenly and bad-tempered than she’d first thought.
    She was certainly bad-tempered when