A Duke of Her Own(35)

"Children are not dogs," Eleanor pointed out.

"Of course not. They're a good deal easier to take care of. One never sees children when they're at the stage of peeing on the floor, for instance. Whereas everyone seems to think that dogs can't be hidden in a nursery and trained by servants, the way offspring are.' She started tweaking Eleanor's curls.

What are you doing now?"

Making you look more rumpled."

Rumpled? I don't want to look rumpled!"

Yes, you do. If Lisette's appeal is that of the fragile young maiden, yours is going to be pure sensuality. And the lovely thing about that, Eleanor, is that you actually have an appetite for the bed.

Many women don't, you know."

"All this advice assumes that I want to be a duchess," Eleanor noted.

"I'm assuming that you'd like the choice," Anne retorted. "There! Let's go."

Eleanor started to turn toward the glass but her sister grabbed her shoulder. "No, don't look."

"What have you done to me?" Eleanor asked with a wave of misgiving.

"You are absolutely beautiful," Anne said. "But if you see yourself, you'll want to pin your hair back like a shepherdess in a bad play."

"Are you saying that I normally look as if I'm tending sheep? With straw in my hair? As if I might yodel?"

"You spend a lot of time looking like a virgin," Anne said. "And may I point out that you haven't had claim to that title since you were, what... fifteen?"

"Sixteen. And in fact I stopped dressing like a debutante long ago. You're being unfair. I don't believe I even own a white gown."

"And yet you cling to clean-scrubbed modesty, as if you were going to fall in love with the evil landlord and end up throwing yourself off a cliff."

Eleanor thought about the implications of Anne's description."! have not been wandering around in a melancholy daze," she stated.

"It's as if Gideon stole all the life out of you, those years ago." Anne reached in her net bag and brought out a thin silver box, flicked it open and displayed a row of cigarillos.

"I can't think that tobacco is good for you," Eleanor observed.

"This isn't for me, but for you."

"Me?"

"You. You're going to offset Lisette's pallid brand of perfect Englishwoman by appearing absolutely wicked. Lusciously licentious." "Wicked? Me?"

"The only way to stay young is to try new things," Anne said. "God knows virtue never shaved off anyone's years. On second thought, I'll wait to give you a cigarillo until after supper. But then you, Lady Eleanor, are going to have a glass of wine and smoke tobacco. I shall tutor you myself."

"Pah!"

"You don't have to smoke it. I've found that merely holding a cigarillo catapults one from tedious virgin to something far more interesting. Here's my point, Eleanor. Gideon the Godless stole more than your virginity when he turned his back and married Ada instead. Now could we please go downstairs? I need something to drink, and so do you."



"Mother believes drinking spirits before meals causes mental instability," Eleanor said, following her.

"Ratafia promotes mental instability: that's why there are so many silly women in the ton. Rum is what you need," Anne said. She breezed into the drawing room, paused for a moment on the threshold so as to draw all eyes, and then moved to the side, pulling Eleanor forward.

Lisette beamed at them, of course. Lisette was always happy to see her friends. Their mother opened her mouth and snapped it shut, for all the world like a beached fish. Villiers said nothing, nor did his face change.

Anne tucked her arm through Eleanor's. "Good evening, everyone." She turned to Popper, who was proffering a silver tray. "Is that ratafia, Popper? And orgeat? Absolutely not. We know exactly what we'd like. Rum punch, if you please."

Lisette came to her feet as if she had just remembered she was their hostess. She was wearing a charming gown of cream silk, embroidered with tiny forget-me-nots. Her bosom was chastely covered, and her panniers equally modest. Eleanor felt like the Whore of Babylon by comparison, dressed in crimson and painted to match.

Her mother appeared at her side. "Why?" the duchess whispered, horror in her voice. "Why?"

"I am wearing Anne's gown, precisely as you bade me," Eleanor said to her, sacrificing her sister without guilt. "You instructed me to listen to her advice as regards men, Mother. You said that I must learn from her experience." "But—But—"

"Doesn't Eleanor look absolutely ravishing?" Anne put in.

"She does!" Lisette crowed, joining them. Lisette had never expressed a stick of jealousy, as far as Eleanor knew. "I wish that we had more visitors to admire you." The smile fell from her face. "We never seem to have visitors anymore. My aunt, Lady Marguerite, tends to discourage our neighbors from joining us for dinner. Oh, I know!" She waved madly at Popper.