A Duke of Her Own(94)

She came twice more before he finally conceded that perhaps she might, just might, achieve some modicum of skill such as a real courtesan had.

But she didn't care what he said, because he cried out when he came, cried her name in such a way that she threw away all those fears. She was no Whore of Babylon.

"Eleanor," he said again, afterwards. And held her very tightly. Just that: "Eleanor." It was enough.





Chapter Twenty-four


That night at supper Lisette talked of nothing but the treasure hunt to take place two days hence. Her plate looked like a small boat adrift in a sea of foolscap, on which were scrawled notes and lists. For the most part Villiers, Eleanor, Anne, and the duchess simply allowed the monologue to burble forth. There was unspoken agreement in the room that Lisette's enthusiasm was like a fever, and should be treated with extreme caution.

"Everyone in the county will be here, of course. You will have a particularly enjoyable time, Eleanor," Lisette said, beaming. "Not only will Sir Roland and his parents attend, but I invited the Duke of Astley to return and he said that he may well do it. His late wife's great-aunt is only an hour's ride from here, and he thought to return for the treasure hunt."

Eleanor's mother frowned. "That is a remarkably inappropriate idea. It has been barely a week since his wife died."

"It's for charity," Lisette said blithely. "No one expects him to stay in the house weeping."

"They may not expect tears, but they expect a modicum of observance," the duchess said acidly. But her comment didn't have the usual force to which she normally gave even the smallest impropriety.

The surgeon had pulled her tooth, but the pain lingered, and she was treating it with laudanum.

Which had the pleasant effect of making her lose about half of what made her a duchess, as Eleanor saw it.

Her Grace was a far more agreeable companion in her current state.

Lisette ignored her, simply plucking a paper from the mess in front of her. "I wrote all the clues for the treasure hunt last night. Shall I read them aloud to you?"

"Absolutely not," Anne said without particular inflection. "Are the children meant to read the clues to themselves? I very much doubt that they are literate."

"Of course they can read," Lisette said. "They receive classes in reading, writing, and deportment every day except Sunday."

"How do you know?" Eleanor asked.

"I'm on the Ladies' Committee of the orphanage," Lisette said, glancing at her with a trace of irritation. "I've been reading the schedule of their activities for years. The Committee insists that all the girls learn to read. I myself have urged the acquisition of a musical education, though to this point they do little more than sing."

"Mrs. Minchem may have claimed the children were being taught reading, but did they learn, or did they spend all their time making buttons?" Eleanor asked.

"Please," Lisette said with a little shudder. "I can't bear such disagreeable subjects. Mrs. Minchem is gone, and I hope we can simply forget these unpleasant events."

Eleanor found herself looking at Lisette with real dislike, and bit her tongue. Certainly Lisette should have made those tours of the orphanage. But likely, Mrs. Minchem would have kept the disturbing truth out of sight anyway.

"How are the orphans doing now?" Villiers asked, breaking into the cool little silence that followed Lisette's speech. Not that Lisette had even noticed; she kept scribbling on the pieces of paper spread around her plate.

"Oh, very well!" Lisette replied. "The baker's wife from the village has moved in temporarily. The Ladies' Committee is going to hire a new headmistress. In the meantime, I'm arranging everything myself. It will be just fine, I'm sure."

Eleanor hated to be such a doubting Thomas. But it seemed to her that someone energetic and truly directed was needed to head up the orphanage. Whereas Lisette was energetic in bursts, generally only when she became obsessed with a project, as she was now. The treasure hunt was all she could speak of.

"Do you think that fifty pounds is enough?" Lisette was asking.

"Fifty pounds?" the duchess asked. "What for?"

"The first child to bring back all four items will win fifty pounds," Lisette explained. "It's enough to set her up in an apprenticeship."

"That's a very generous thought," Villiers said.

Lisette beamed at him. "I would love to fund all of the orphans, but I don't have enough pin money.

Luckily, I rarely spend it, so I have enough for one orphan this time."

The worst of it was that she meant it. Lisette would readily give all her money to the orphans.