Heath regarded Lily another moment before repeating slowly, as if in disbelief, “You wish to ask me a favor.”
“Yes, although it isn’t for myself.”
The corner of his mouth curved dryly. “It never is.”
“Would you care to have a seat?”
“I prefer to stand. Why don’t you just come out with it, Lily? What favor do you need?”
Deciding it would be easier to explain if she was seated, Lily moved over to a wing chair and perched on the edge. “The thing is…one of our boarders is facing a difficult dilemma. Do you remember Betty Dunst?”
“Petite, dark hair, blue eyes?”
Lily wasn’t surprised that as a connoisseur of women, Heath recalled the pretty lightskirt. “Yes, that is Betty. Unfortunately she is expecting a child.”
When Lily briefly told him about Betty’s circumstances, she grew angry all over again at the injustice of it all-a young woman being thrown onto the streets and forced to work in a brothel, and then being gotten with child by one of her many customers.
“It is hardly her fault that she is enceinte,” Lily said in a tight voice. “But now that she is, she wants to have the baby-although only if she can provide him a decent future.”
Thankfully, Heath seemed to take her request very seriously. “Does Betty want a marriage arranged for her, so the child won’t be born out of wedlock?” he asked. “Securing a husband for her would be the customary course.”
The question made Lily hesitate, since she hadn’t even considered that option. “I don’t know, actually. But I don’t believe she wants to marry-and she should not be forced to wed if she doesn’t choose to,” she added adamantly. “Being trapped in an unwanted marriage could be nearly as bad as her current situation, possibly even worse.”
Her fierceness brought a faint smile to Heath’s lips. “I am well aware of your feelings on the subject of matrimony, sweeting. But Betty may hold a different opinion from yours.”
“She told me she wants to work for her living. Her father was a chief gardener on a la
rge estate, and she claims to be good at growing things. I was thinking that you might find a place for her on one of your estates, where she might raise her child in safety. A baby would fare better in the country than in London.”
To her relief, Heath nodded. “The housekeeper at my family seat may be amenable to taking her in, but I want to speak to Betty first, to ascertain her true wishes.”
“Thank you!” Lily said, rising to her feet. “I will fetch Betty at once-”
Heath held up a hand. “There is no need to interview her this late at night. But you needn’t worry. I will take care of the matter.” He cocked his head at Lily. “You realize this will likely earn me another point in our game?”
“I expect so, but it is worth the price if Betty can be free of a life she despises.”
“Very well, then,” he murmured. “If that is all you require of me…?”
Heath glanced over his shoulder toward the door, as if impatient to leave, but Lily found herself wanting him to stay. She hadn’t planned on mentioning Peg’s troubles to him, yet she found herself blurting out a request for him to wait.
“There is one more thing,” Lily said, taking a step toward him.
He regarded her expectantly. “Yes?”
“It concerns one of our other boarders…but the matter is somewhat indelicate.”
When Heath merely waited politely for her to explain, Lily rushed on. “You said you have had several mistresses in the past, so I hoped you might know the modistes they frequented.”
“I beg your pardon?” His eyebrow had shot up, and he was looking at her as if he had misheard.
She felt color rise to her cheeks. “Well, you see…Peg Wallace is dreadfully unhappy having to work as a courtesan. And even though her new patron could improve her circumstances significantly, she wants out of that life. So I promised I would try to find her employment as a modiste’s apprentice. And I thought that if you had spent a fortune on clothing for your former mistresses, you might have some sway with their modistes, and you could persuade one of them to consider Peg for a position.”
When Heath remained silent, simply gazing at her, Lily added hastily, “I cannot ask Marcus about his former mistresses now that he is married to my sister.”
“But you can ask me? Should I be honored?”
Lily flashed him a reluctant smile. “I don’t think so. I just would rather spare Arabella the discomfort of bringing up her new husband’s rakish past. And you are the only other gentleman with experience in such matters whom I know well enough to approach with such an improper request.”