Of Profit & Pleasure

Disclaimer: I do not own The Libertine.

A/N: Thanks to LinaLove, dionne dance, Marie and Bree for their reviews!

Chapter Six

The Lion's Den

1684

She walked to the Earl's house that morning. She knew she should have called around the carriage since his manor was a good hour's walk from her home but the last thing she wanted was for the footman to see her wearing a morning dress without any sort of adornment. It was unseemly for a woman of her status to go out in public as such.

It had been a long time since Charlotte had been up this early. Between her duties at court and her nights at the theater, the mornings she took as time for herself. And the servants never questioned it. She figured they probably enjoyed the time off as well.

As she walked through the streets of London on this exceedingly warm spring day, she took in everything around her. The sights of grocers selling their wares and men returning home after a night at the inn, probably hoping to sneak in before their wives found them missing; the feeling of the warm breeze upon her face as the sun peaked over the bridge, it all seemed to warm her heart. Even the reek of the gutter refreshed her.

Except for the nights she was able to sneak away to perform, Charlotte was always accompanied by a servant, a suitor or a chaperone anywhere she went. For Charlotte, the theater was her escape. It was her chance to be anyone but herself. She could bask in the glow of Romeo's affections or exert her power of her people as Dido, the Queen of Carthage. And the emotions that swept over her as she embodied Desdemona and Ophelia were overwhelming. It was cathartic for her.

On stage her possibilities were endless. At home, her possibilities were to marry well and produce children.

She strode purposefully up to the front door of the Earl's manor and knocked forcefully. After her third attempt a rather tall but odd looking butler opened the door. He immediately noticed her state of undress and cleared his throat.

"And who might you be?" he leered.

She blanked. Should she give her real name, or her stage name? Which one would the Earl have given to his butler?

"I am Miss Katherine Parker. Lord Rochester is expecting me."

"Ahhh, I know who you are," he said slyly, "'fraid the Earl isn't home yet."

So he hadn't come home last night, she noted.

"May I wait for him inside?" she asked.

"Of course," he said but as she made to step through the door he blocked her way.

"But you must enter through the servants quarters," he smiled nastily.

"Pardon?"

"Master's orders," he shrugged his shoulders.

She had half a mind to turn around and leave the house and never see the Earl again. But she knew that she could not. Not now that he knew her dirty little secret.

She let out a sigh and with a roll of her eyes made her way around the back of the manor.

The butler met her at the servants' entrance and led her into a small parlor that looked as if it was used very little. Dust covered the tables and chairs. He left her without a word, without even offering her a cup of tea. However it was too hot for tea. And with only one small window, she found herself becoming a bit stifled.

She sat on a chair in the corner of the room facing the door. She had a feeling that when it came to Lord Rochester, she always had to watch her back.

2005

Olivia had just finished helping Becca fill out the police report when she got the text:

Where the fuck are you?

It was the fourth text that she had missed from Will, her boss whom she had forgot to inform that she would be late to work that day.

After Becca had come home that night Olivia had immediately taken her to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to be examined. When she told the ER nurse that the young woman had been raped, the nurse immediately phoned the police.

Olivia held Becca's hand as the doctor explained to her that she had not suffered any lasting physical damage, but that obviously she would call in counseling to help Becca with the emotional trauma she was no doubt experiencing.

For Olivia the whole situation was rather frightening. Becca was an out-going, flirtatious yet intelligent woman who always had a smile and a kind thought on her lips. But now as she sat in the hospital bed in the drafty gown she looked numb and frail. Her hands would not stop shaking and they were clammy.

Olivia had called Becca's parents who lived just east of Cambridge. They told her they were on their way immediately but they didn't get their before the police so Olivia had to inform them of what had happened to her friend.

But now that Becca's family had arrived and the police report was all made out, Olivia figured it was time to get out of there.

She looked down at herself. She was still wearing the pajama shorts and tee shirt she had had on when Becca had come home. She'd have to change before going into work.

She took out her phone and texted Will back.

Going to visit Elizabeth.

1684

The Earl stood over Charlotte's sleeping form. Alcock had immediately brought his master to the back parlor after informing him that the woman had arrived an hour and a half ago.

And though the Earl had not planned on returning home this late in the morning, he was glad for this moment of silence in her presence. He was always so distracted by that delicious mouth and sharp tongue of hers that he rarely saw past her wit. Now he could examine her physical characteristics.

She had cheekbones as sharp and graceful as her wit, with a button nose. Her eye lashes were a thick fringe that rested upon rosy cheeks. And her pink plump lips were slightly parted to reveal just the front white teeth.

Her hair was a chocolate hue, with a natural curl that she had pinned atop her head. He could see there was a sheen of sweat upon her long neck and in the heat of the day a few tendrils of hair had become lose and wet and now stuck to her chest that was rising and falling with each breath. He reached out, a greedy smirk upon his lips, to brush the hair away from her bosom when suddenly –

SMACK!

He had been so distracted by the white mounds hiding beneath the rather plain material of her dress that he hadn't notice she'd awoken.

He laughed bitterly and looked into her irate face.

"The last time I encountered your mother she too assaulted my person. The only reason she wasn't locked away in jail was because the king lived between her thighs."

SMACK!

"I may not agree with my mother's choices in life, but I never thought I would need remind you that when our King demands something, he is not denied it," her words were fierce and succinct.

"Especially when what the King wants is accomplished by simply lying on your back and the profits are so easily reaped," he bit back.

"You speak as if you have experience sir. I wonder if the king has had you bow for him in his private chambers?" she stood up carefully, aware her words were harsh, and walked to the window.

He approached her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"For our King there are many different kinds of servitude. I would beware of spending too much time with him, my dear, for who knows what purpose he has in mind for someone as precious as you," he warned.

She turned her head and caught the serious gaze upon his face.

"Why did you request my presence at your manor, Lord Rochester?"

The gaze faded to be replaced by the knowing smirk she had come to despise.

"Well, my Katherina, I always thought an actress' duty was to dance around the truth. But if we are past the niceties, let acting class," he clapped his hands twice, "commence."

She let a confident smirk play on her lips but she couldn't help but feel she had just entered the lion's den.

A/N: I apologize for being so long in updating. I have three words that will explain my absence: work, flu, blizzard.

Thank you so much for sticking with me! Updates will come more regularly now. Promise!

Please R&R?

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