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Prologue

London

Aphrodite’s Club

1849

“I need you to go back to a tiyptian-style chair, her black silk gown rustling, her long fingers, heavy with rings, gripping the sphinx carvings on the arard face was intent, while her dark gaze was fixed upon Sebastian Thorne “I need your help,” she said hoarsely

“Of course,” Sebastianhe had seen a lot of in the past eight years—but there was so about this one that was different “I will do what I can, Madame”

Aphroditeher hand too openly, exposing her raw feelings, because she leaned back, forcing her clenched fingers to relax, one by one “So you will help me?”

“Yes, if I can”

“You are the best…or so I have been told” She gave a little smile

“I am flattered” Sebastian bowed his head

“Don’t be, erous opponent and give no quarter to those you hunt; that there are those who glance over their shoulders and look for you in the shadows and shiver But I am not one of them, so that does not concern me I want results, and I do not care how they are obtained If you are ruthless, then so much the better”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow “Then explain to me what it is you want, Madame, and I will tell you honestly whether or not I can obtain it for you”

“Very well” She sin”

Beyond the roohter—woh Aphrodite’s Club offered many forh-class brothel Such things did not bother hih the darkest streets in London and seen sohts, so he doubted he could be shocked Besides, Aphrodite’s Club had a better reputation than most The oas the h there were plenty of stories and rumors about her, no one knew the truth Whatever it was she wanted from him, he needed to hear it from her own lips

“You called me here to help you, Madame,” he prompted her now “I am at your disposal”

She looked aoodfar rew serious once more, her eyes full of painful memories

“Twenty-four years ago hters were stolen by a woman called Mrs Slater She was one of those evil creatures known as a baby farht, and bundled my poor children into a coach I was here, in London, and the servants were asleep I do not blame them, for how could they knoas about to happen? How could any of us have known? Besides, it seems likely she had an informant, someone who knehich door would be unlocked, and where the nursery was situated”

For a moment she seemed to brood on the perfidy of that someone, and then she drew a deep breath and went on

“Unknown to hters north, to the Greentree estate in Yorkshire, where she had leased a cottage For a tih they were left very much to fend for theine it, irls—Francesca no more than a baby—left to feed and dress and care for theed a smile “I dread to think ould have happened to the two tiny ones without my sensible and clever Vivianna Then Mrs Slater’s husband cae He was in his cupsat them They were afraid of him—they had never been shouted at before They were left alone htened And then one day the Slaters left, abandoning the cottage…and the children”

“They were left entirely alone?” Sebastian found his jaded senses could still be shocked after all

“Oui, all alone, until Amy Greentree rescued them”

“And you want me to find Mrs Slater and her husband?”

“That is part of it While she was living in the cottage, Mrs Slater would visit the village inn, and she was heard to boast about how clever she had been, and that she was expecting to be well paid for so Of course sheher to do what she did That is why I need you to find that monstrous woman, Mr Thorne

Mrs Slater is the key that will unlock the truth”

Sebastian’s voice was tempered with caution “You don’t know that Mrs Slater is still alive These events happened o She may have drunk herself to death by now”