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reen shot silk dress she had worn all day Changing would have meant delay, and the news she carried seeht be her only chance to speak to Aphrodite privately, and Marietta meant to take it

The doorknocker brought a raying hair neatly coed face This was Aphrodite’s faithful Dobson—Marietta knew him instantly from Vivianna’s description And just as her sister had said, he looked as if he had been involved in a great hts over the years

“What can I do for you, miss?” he asked sternly, in the accent of the London streets “Do you knohere you are? Maybe you’re lost, is that it?”

Marietta smiled “No, I am not lost, Dobson I am Miss Marietta Greentree, and I have come to see Aphrodite”

Dobson’s eyes gleah h it wanted to “She’s in the salon at the moment, Miss Marietta”

“Oh, is she?” Marietta’s curious gaze flicked past hiood news, Dobson Vivianna and Oliver have had a son, and I thought Aphrodite would want to know immediately”

Now Dobson did smile “Why, that’s wonderful news! Aphrodite ant to know all right You wait here, o and fetch her”

And he dashed off

Marietta stood alone in the vestibule Really, she hadn’t expected a bordello to look so…so ordinary Nothing exciting appeared to be going on, or if it was, then it was all happening behind tightly closed doors She could hear hter fro here that was different froe, fashionable, London establishment

Almost a disappointment, Marietta admitted to herself

A curving staircase rose up to a gallery circled by a black and gold balustrade There were boudoirs up there, she supposed Perhaps they were gaudy, perhaps they were occupied Marietta sighed Alone on her chair in the vestibule she felt very removed from it all, just as she had felt removed from life for the past four years

The doorknocker rattled

Marietta stared at the closed portal The knocker sounded again, louder this time, and she shifted nervously Elsewhere, apart frohter andcloser, no Dobson returning Perhaps whoever it ould siain, impatient that no one had answered

There is no one here, she wanted to shout Only me

The knocker clattered furiously