Unless she were to offer her services in some other way.
‘I do not have need of a mistress,’ Christian bit out between gritted teeth.
‘Well, certainly not now, when you are incapacitated—’
‘Ever!’
‘There is no need to shout, Christian—’
‘No need to—!’ His arms moved from about her before he stood up to glower down at her even more darkly. ‘There is every reason to shout when you have just offered to become my mistress.’
‘An offer you have clearly refused.’ Lisette stood up, chin raised proudly. ‘Which means I will have to find some other acceptable gentleman to whom I might—’
‘You will do no such thing!’
She gave a wince. ‘You are still shouting, Christian.’
‘I am about to put you over my knee and administer that spanking we discussed earlier if you do not cease talking of this subject—’ He broke off as Evans appeared in the open doorway, accompanied by a wide-eyed maid carrying a pitcher and several towels.
Lisette was unsure who was the most embarrassed: herself for having had Christian’s threat to spank her bottom overheard—and possibly some of the conversation leading up to that threat?—or the two shocked servants at being the ones to have overheard that threat.
Christian glared furiously.
‘I... I thought Miss Duprée might care for some hot water and towels with which to refresh herself after your journey, Your Grace.’ Evans was the first to recover, his expression once again respectfully deadpan.
The situation was so ludicrous, Lisette acknowledged as her initial dismay began to recede, that it was all she could now do to stop herself from laughing. Her efforts not to do so were not helped by the continuing look of outrage on Christian’s face.
He breathed in deeply—fighting for control?—before answering his butler tautly. ‘Leave them and go.’
‘Thank you, Evans,’ Lisette managed to add in heavily accented English, with the addition of a smile, in the hope of making up for Christian’s abruptness; it was very kind of the butler to have thought of her comfort in that way.
‘Close the door on your way out,’ Christian instructed stiffly once the pitcher of water and towels had been placed on the washstand.
Christian considered it shocking enough that Lisette had offered to become his mistress, but the idea that she might so much as think of making that same scandalous offer to another gentleman was even more unacceptable.
He would rather accept the offer himself than—
No!
He was not going to take Lisette as his mistress or anything else. Once the situation with Maystone had been settled then Christian would do everything in his considerable power to help Lisette to find gainful employment. Legitimate gainful employment. In a respectable household. Many women in English society now had French maids, emigrées from the years of upheaval in France, and although Lisette might be a little outspoken for such a post, he was sure that Julianna, if she had no need of her services herself, might at least be able to advise the younger woman on how best to behave.
And maybe, from time to time, the two of them might meet, have luncheon or afternoon tea together, so that Christian might see Lisette, talk with her and ascertain that she was happy and being well cared for—
A duke did not have luncheon or afternoon tea with a lady’s maid.
Well. No. Perhaps not.
There was no perhaps about it; it simply was not done.
Then perhaps Julianna might be persuaded to invite the two of them—
He was taking himself round and round in circles, Christian realised. And Lisette stood at the centre of all of them.
If—when Lisette eventually left his household and became a lady’s maid, or perhaps just a maid, then he must accept that he would not be able to see her again.
The thought did not sit well with him.
He could not imagine being unable to look into those beautiful blue eyes or to see the spark of anger that so often lit them. Or to listen to her outrageous conversation; even her scoldings were so much more entertaining than anything any other woman had ever said to him.
As for the effect she had upon him physically...
She had, Christian realised, made a place for herself in his life these past few days. A place that no other woman ever had.
A place that would gape like an open wound once Lisette was no longer there to fill it.
Meaning what?
That he had to be suffering a fever of some kind—perhaps his wound had become infected after all?—if he was once again considering doing the unthinkable!
He straightened. ‘I am sure we will both feel...calmer, more able to discuss your future, once we have rested after our journey.’