Kate Pearce - Educating Elizabeth

Elizabeth sank back into her chair, her mind in disarray. Was the duke suggesting she stopped learning how to become a courtesan? Of course, he didn't know she needed a constant supply of money for Michael's care for the foreseeable future.

"I will gladly accept any money the government sees fit to pay me, but I don't think that code breaking will be enough to sustain me for the rest of my life. I would like to have another source of income."

"Are you sure, my dear? I told you the bargain could be broken."

She brought her chin up and tried to outstare him. "I would like to continue as we are, Your Grace."

He brushed at the sleeve of his coat, avoiding her gaze. "Of course, Miss Waterstone. I would be devastated if I was forced to break off your lessons at this point."

Elizabeth stood up and curtsied. "Thank you, Your Grace, I will not take up any more of your time." She hesitated, her fingers on the door handle. "Is it still acceptable for me to go and visit my mother and sister this afternoon?"

"Yes, of course. I've already asked Nicholas to accompany you. I'm sure I don't need to impress upon you the need for silence in this matter? You may spin any tale for your mother's ears that you like in order to explain your presence in my house. But on no account will you mention a word of our more unusual activities. Our national security might depend on it."

"Of course, Your Grace. Despite my recent conduct, I'm not a fool."

"Are we speaking of your recent prowess in my bed, or about your ability as a code breaker?" He tutted under his breath. "Now that you have two jobs you will have to be more specific, my dear."

An idea gleamed in Elizabeth's mind and she opened her mouth.

The duke raised his hand. "Yes, Elizabeth, before you ask, I will also pay you for your time. I'm well aware that these new duties were not part of our original contract. Thank you for pointing it out to me."

Elizabeth shut her mouth with a snap. How had he known what she intended to say? Sometimes she feared he really could read her mind. She gave him her most gracious smile as she sailed from the room and decided it was worth enduring the duke's attempts at humor. The extra income to help Michael would be more than welcome.

The handle on Elizabeth's teacup gave a betraying rattle as she placed it back in its saucer. The drawing room was as shabby as Elizabeth remembered it. She had spent many unprofitable hours trying to improve its dismal furnishings and dreary aspect. The silk wall coverings were frayed and the carpet threadbare. Unlike Elizabeth, Mrs. Forester always seemed able to ignore her surroundings and rise above her circumstances.

Mrs. Forester wore a plum-colored gown of fashionable cut and a delicate lace cap atop her guinea-fair hair. She didn't seem to have altered her attitude toward Elizabeth since they had met in the perfumery. Her gray eyes, a mirror of Elizabeth's own, held no hint of welcome.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Will Mary be joining us, mother? I've a gift for her."

The lavender water Elizabeth had chosen with such care for her mother had been tossed aside without thanks and lay forgotten on the floor.

"I sent Mary for a walk with her father." Her mother glanced at the clock. "She will be returning shortly."

When she was a little girl, Elizabeth had longed to look like her mother, but nature had blessed her with her father's more robust frame and disposition. As she grew up she had reluctantly conceded that she would never achieve the sylph-like fragility of her mother and sister.

"I wished to speak with you alone. I would have preferred it if we had dropped our acquaintance completely, but Mr. Forester," she sniffed, "Mr. Forester insisted I receive you and I'm honor-bound to obey him."

Looking at her mother's unhappy face, Elizabeth wondered if Mr. Forester had explained exactly why he was compelled to accept her presence and immediately doubted it. She sent up a fervent prayer of thanks to the duke.

"I assure you that I have no intention of spoiling Mary's London Season." Elizabeth hesitated, as her mother showed no reaction to her conciliatory words. "I'm more concerned with providing continuing care for Michael."

"Michael is not your concern. I had hoped that by lowering yourself to occupy the duke's bed, you might have adopted a little humility and respect for your elders." She flapped her lace handkerchief in Elizabeth's direction. "Instead, you still pretend to be better than us. I can only wonder how the duke puts up with you."

Elizabeth clamped down on her anger. "Mother, I'm not the duke's mistress. We have come to a mutually acceptable business arrangement. It's true that I'm living in his house and working for him, but not in the capacity of his mistress."

"Ha! I'm not a fool. Do you expect me to believe that the notorious Duke of Diable Delamere can keep his hands off you?" Mrs. Forester snorted. "I grant that you are not much to look at, Elizabeth, but the duke is not known for being particularly fastidious."

Elizabeth pressed her lips firmly together and exhaled through her nose. "May we get back to the subject of Michael? With my salary from the duke, I will be able to pay for his care."

Elizabeth opened her reticule and withdrew a small purse of money. She had reluctantly decided to squander a small part of her earnings to bribe her mother. Mrs. Forester's eyes gleamed, her fingers uncurled, and she attempted to snatch the money from Elizabeth's grasp.

Elizabeth refused to release the purse until her mother looked her in the eye. "I've engaged a nurse to come in during the day and care for Michael." She passed a sheaf of papers across with the money. "The man I hired, Sergeant Jack Llewelyn, is an ex-army man and his references are excellent."

She closed her bag with a decisive snap. "Understand me, mother. I will pay Jack Llewelyn's salary and he will report to me. I would hate to think that any money I gave him to aid Michael would be used for any other purpose."

Mrs. Forester returned the papers she hadn't bothered to read. As she watched her mother secrete the money in her pocket with all the care of a squirrel storing nuts, it occurred to Elizabeth that, if her mother caused trouble, she could also threaten the woman with the duke's intervention. Emboldened by this thought, she gave her mother a brilliant smile.

"I promise not to sully Mary's ears with any details of my supposedly degenerate life. I will simply tell her the truth: that I'm employed by the duke and need to reside at his house. She is used to my being away helping Mr. Forester's acquaintances, so why let her think this is any different?"

Mrs. Forester sipped at her tea. "All right, Elizabeth, I will make Jack Llewelyn welcome and ensure that no one interferes with his duties." She brought her napkin to her pursed lips and dabbed at them. "Although why you should feel it necessary to waste your ill-gotten money on a helpless cripple is beyond me. But you have never been rational on that subject now, have you?"

Elizabeth's hands clenched into fists. "That helpless cripple is your son. How can you speak of Michael like that when he has served his King and his country?"

"I tell anyone who inquires that he is dead. Better that he had died than come back as he did."

Her mother's callousness shocked her, but she refused to let it ruin her sense of achievement. For the first time in her life she had a modicum of control over her mother. It was an exhilarating feeling and one she refused to relinquish even as her mother set about her favorite occupation of bewailing her fate and belittling Elizabeth.

Elizabeth's patience was rewarded when Mary arrived back from her walk, a becoming color on her cheeks and a warm welcome for Elizabeth despite her mother's dark looks. Mrs. Forester revived sufficiently to order more tea and Elizabeth settled down for a comfortable coze with her half-sister, who was full of stories about her upcoming debut.