Linda Skye – The Debutante's Ruse (страница 1)
Isabella Lei Hennessey is the Governor’s daughter, a marriageable debutante…and the most notorious thief of Hong Kong. She has good reason to resort to robbery, though her activities would cause untold scandal if they were ever exposed. A chance encounter with a handsome stranger saves Isabella from discovery…except this notorious rake doesn’t like to play by the rules! A tantalizing game of cat and mouse ensues until Isabella decides she would quite like to be caught…
Author’s Note
When I was five years old, I spent a night in Hong Kong with relatives on the way to the Philippines. I might have been young, but I still remember the towering skyscrapers, the bustling crowds, the overwhelming humidity, and the tantalising smells wafting my way from food stalls. Ever since then, I have been intrigued by the interaction between the East and the West, the struggle between modernity and tradition, and the clash of cultures. This novella is a product of this ongoing interest.
After the Qing Dynasty of China lost the First Opium War in 1841, Hong Kong became a Crown Colony of the British Empire (and remained as such until 1997). Because Hong Kong’s harbour was an ideal trading base, the island quickly attracted many European and Chinese businessmen. But due to colonial attitudes of racial segregation, British merchants mainly occupied the eastern area of Hong Kong (including the elite region of Victoria Peak), while the Chinese were restricted to the western portion (which included Wan Chai and its notorious red light district).
While Isabella Lei Hennessey and Lord Henry James are fictional characters, the world in which they lived was real. Their struggle to see each other past the prejudice and popular attitudes of the time run parallel to the conflicts we still face today in most—if not all—societies. Just as our hero and heroine find love despite their differences, I hope that we too can all look past colour and creed to find joy and friendship.
Linda Skye
The Debutante’s Ruse
Linda Skye
Contents
Chapter One
Isabella Lei Hennessey was tensely coiled, keenly alert and very, very uncomfortable.
She waited with bated breath as she crouched beneath the sill of a large window. Though it was nearly sundown, sunlight still lingered on the walls and in the narrow streets, so she carefully hid herself in the shadows cast by tall ornamental shrubbery. She was clad in black—a skintight outfit made of elastic silk that hugged her every curve and allowed her a maximum range of motion without making the slightest sound. If she were seen, she would scandalize all of Victorian Hong Kong—although she suspected that if anyone knew her reason for donning the sensually cut garment, she’d have much more than a simple scandal to deal with.
But, as practical as her immodest clothing was, it did nothing to ease the cramp developing in her leg.
Of course they’re late, she griped inwardly, on today of all days!
And then, finally, she heard the telltale shuffle of feet that marked the arrival of hired porters carrying sedan chairs. She sank deeper into her hiding spot and watched as the Wilkinson family emerged from their expensive bungalow. Mrs. Wilkinson was a slight, bird-like woman, but Mr. Wilkinson was as round as a man could possibly get. Bemused, Isabella watched the sedan chair sag and creak as he clumsily clambered on, causing the Chinese porters to shift uncomfortably under the unexpected weight.
“Oh, but this simply will not do!”
Isabella slanted her eyes toward the young Miss Wilkinson, whose face was quickly puckering in sour anger. The unattractive twist to her pouting lips was a sharp contrast to the elegant finery of her beautiful evening gown. She’s probably aiming to snag a newly-arrived, rich young bachelor today, Isabella thought.
“What ever is the matter, dear?” Mrs. Wilkinson asked, already comfortably settled into the palanquin with her husband.
With gloved fists perched on her hips, Miss Wilkinson was all but throwing a childish tantrum. She pointed to the sedan chair.
“These stupid coolies have brought up a bamboo chair,” she declared, stamping a booted foot, “A bamboo chair. I can’t be seen arriving in this! Where is the black lacquer chair we normally use?” She paused to cover her breast with her hands. “What if he sees me in this?”
“He, dear?” Her mother looked heavenward. “Oh never mind,” she said sharply, “Just get in the chair, and let’s be off. We’re already late for the governor’s summer ball.”
With a huff and a sulk, Miss Wilkinson climbed into the chair and crossed her arms. And finally—oh, finally—the porters were carrying them up the narrow, winding paths to the Mountain Lodge at the summit of Victoria Peak. Isabella breathed a sigh of relief, and then pivoted to inspect the window above her. With a deft flick of her wrist, she produced a short, sharp knife. Carefully sliding the blade in between the wooden window frame and its stone casing, she began to whittle away at the rotting wood. It was a minor miracle in her favor that the Wilkinsons did not know to keep up with the effects of tropical humidity on Victorian houses. Within minutes, she had carved out just enough to begin levering it open. With the barest of creaks, the window turned on its hinges and swung open. Quick and silent as a shadow, Isabella slipped into the house.
With all the stealth and grace of a cat, she padded across the dimly lit room to the door, where she paused to listen. The house servants were chatting in the kitchens, obviously relaxed since their masters had left for the evening. Wary of creaky floorboards, Isabella eased into the hall, crept up the stairs and tiptoed into Miss Wilkinson’s rooms.
She saw what she was after immediately.
The rich, golden silk robe had been slung casually over the back of a chair, its hand-embroidered edges trailing on the tatty carpet. Isabella greeted it as an old friend, and gathered the silk into her arms. The luxurious cloth was heavy and thick with an unmistakable luster; it had obviously been the garment of an ancient emperor. As she let the silk slide over her skin, Isabella imagined that it was the caress of a lover—for surely a lover’s hands would feel as splendidly smooth.
And then, with the slightest whisper of silk, Isabella—the most notorious thief of Hong Kong—slipped away, vanishing into the shadows.
Chapter Two
The summer ball was already in full swing when Isabella reached the grounds of Mountain Lodge, the British Governor of Hong Kong’s summer residence. Light from the ballroom spilled from tall sash windows, casting rectangles of light onto manicured lawns. Isabella picked her way up the hill, darting from shadow to shadow, until she reached the edge of the manor house. Pressed up against the stone outer wall, she tugged carefully at the silky gauze that concealed the lower half of her face, gently checking that the knots were tight. It simply would not do to be caught so close to the end of her mission.
Choosing the dark window of a guest room she knew to be unoccupied, she slipped into the great house silently. She carefully adjusted the precious bundle at her side and crept stealthily toward the corridor. But when she pushed the heavy oak door open, sudden and unexpected light from the corridor spilled across her face, and her eyes squinted immediately in response. Silently cursing her luck, she slid out of the guest room and into the guest-wing hallway, quietly padding toward the family wing. Just as she was about the turn the corner, the sound of voices reached her ears. They were yet far off, but she still crouched and tensed, straining to hear.
“They say the Lord Henry James is a wild and unapologetic womanizer.” It was a deep bass voice, easily recognized as the voice of the governor.
“Yes, that is the rumor,” his son, Arthur, answered with a chuckle, “But his father, the good duke, has threatened to disinherit him if he catches word of one more scandal. In fact, I have it on good authority that Lord James has been tasked to find a suitably marriageable debutante while here in Hong Kong.”
“And you think he would be interested in our family?” The governor asked doubtfully.
“Why not? We’re of decent lineage, and securing ties with us would give the duke a foothold in the East.” Arthur rejoined, “And let’s not forget; my sister is an uncommon beauty.”
“A profitable match for both parties, no doubt,” the governor agreed. “Shall we see if the young Lord James can be roused from his sleep to join our ball?”
Their voices grew louder as their footfalls approached, and Isabella could hesitate no longer. Heart hammering at the grave possibility of being discovered, she took off at a run in the opposite direction, going deeper into the guest wing of the manor. Her feet slid on the plush carpet as she rounded another corner—and into the chest of a man. Isabella staggered backward, thoughts of the men behind her completely forgotten as she took in the unexpected sight of the man in front of her.