“There might be to me,” murmured the duke as Marmontel stifled his laughter again.
“This is no laughing matter, monsieur,” Eugenie turned to Marmontel. “That man could have gone much further.”
“I highly doubt it,” the duke muttered, placing his one foot in a buckled shoe.
La Harpe and Marmontel left the room, laughing all the way down the hallway as Eugenie tried to preserve her dignity.
“I am fine, Madame Necker. You should be very careful the sort of people you allow into your home,” she bristled.
The duke snorted and picked up his other shoe. “Good evening, madame,” he said and made a slight bow, holding his shoe in one hand.
Eugenie turned red and pushed him out of her room. “Knave!”
Leila and Etienne left the room, as did Sebastian and Sophie. When Madame Necker had made certain her guest was calm, she left as well.
“Sophie?” Sebastian stopped her before she could go too far.
“Good night, monsieur,” she said briskly.
Sebastian sighed and watched as she walked away. Etienne was quick to return to his room before Leila could say anything. She heard the lock turn as soon as he was inside.
Etienne felt like a haunted schoolboy locking the door against the succubus. Yes, that is exactly what she is, he thought. A female demon who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men. An innocent woman hell bent on “gifting” her virginity to him whilst trying to get him killed. He must find a way to approach Sebastian.
Chapter 13
Sophie also locked her door once she was safely inside her room. She leaned against the door for support as she tried to recall the events of the day. Her grandmother’s embarrassing mishap had been the duke’s fault and assuredly the fault of too much drink on the duke’s behalf.
The alcohol he’d consumed had made him groggy and he had mistaken the room for his. Regardless, there was no harm done and she was not overly concerned. Her grandmother had a tendency to the dramatic.
She pushed away from the door and went over to the desk. The small candle was still on the writing desk next to her sheets of paper and the list she had compiled.
This is a dangerous list, he had said.
She looked over at the sheets that she had written. Now he knew who she was. He had discovered that she was the writer of the pamphlets. He would tell no one, she was certain of that. But it was still yet another person who knew and she didn’t like that. She also didn’t like him telling her what to do. She wanted to educate herself. Surely there was nothing wrong with that.
If, in her findings, something caught her mind and attention, she would write about it. Was he correct? Could such writing get her killed? Was it possible in such a refined and elegant place such as France?
She knew Sebastian would not exaggerate or make things up. He was concerned for her. She took the candle to her bed and set it upon the table. She hugged her knees to her chest.
I can’t stop thinking about you. Those words echoed in her ears. She must stop whatever this was before it was too late. She must distance herself. There was no other option. She would not be a mistress and he would not marry her. There was no other way.
***
Sebastian had followed Sophie and when the lock turned in the door, he turned away. He had not been at all concerned when he had discovered that she was writing the pamphlets. She was writing for equality and about women, and it was something she felt she must do.
The list that she had compiled was something different. He knew better than anyone that France was in turmoil and it was only a matter of time before things took a turn for the worse. The list was all the reasons why France would spin out of control. Sophie had a quick and intelligent mind and she would be excited to write about these new things which concerned him.
He closed the door to his own room and saw the fire had been lit by the servants. He was more than just anxious for her safety should she write about those subjects. He knew then that he was in love with her.
***
Leila was not upset that the evening had not gone as she had planned. She would wait for another opportunity to be alone with Etienne. Her time would come. He would be hers. She would be patient and wait.
She had been irritated and annoyed at the men of Arabia. They seemed to be overbearing and she would not be a woman to kneel and bow before her husband. She wanted someone with whom she could laugh and enjoy life. When she had first spotted Etienne, she had been taken with his handsome face. But the more time they spent together, the more she realized she wanted him as her own. She would have no other.
***
The next morning Madame Necker had planned a picnic not far from the chateau near the river shielded from the sun by large mature trees. She didn’t know if anyone would want to attend as the previous night had been filled with so many strange occurrences.