Kate Pearce - Educating Elizabeth

She scarcely bothered to raise her head when Sir John said something to her about dinner. His departure registered in the subtle lightening of the room's atmosphere. She had discovered that Sir John's intense interest in her attempts to break the code could be a little oppressive.

When he returned, smelling strongly of the brandy he had enjoyed with his dinner, he dangled a beribboned letter in front of her nose. She recoiled from the sickly scent of attar of roses.

"Mrs. Waterstone, I have an appointment this evening. Would you be so good as to draw the duke's attention to this urgent missive when he returns? It is a letter from his current mistress, Angelique." He winked broadly. "I'm sure the duke will be eager to hear from her." He leaned in closer. "You are a woman of the world, Mrs. Waterstone and thus understand that a man has his??needs. Thank God Angelique has the ability to satisfy the duke's."

Elizabeth managed a tight smile, and wondered again how a man as self-righteous as Sir John could bear to work for the duke. She picked up the letter between her finger and thumb and tossed it onto the furthest corner of her desk.

"Of course I'll see that the duke receives this."

As time passed, the cloying scent of the letter seemed to leach all of the fresh air from the darkening room. Elizabeth tried to breathe through her mouth and ignore the growing buzz of indignation in her head. The duke had told her that she was the only woman in his life. Why had he neglected to mention that he had a permanent mistress stashed away somewhere?

With a low growl, Elizabeth gave into temptation, snatched up the letter and read its direction. The mysterious, and no doubt beautiful, Angelique appeared to live in Mayfair. Elizabeth imagined a blonde, petite temptress flinging her arms around Gervase's neck and providing him with all the sensuality Elizabeth lacked. She took in a deep breath, unclenched her jaw and glanced from the letter to the fire. What if the letter 'accidentally' wafted from her desk and was consumed in the blaze? Would the duke need to know, or would Angelique keep sending letters until she received a reply?

Elizabeth dropped the letter back onto the desk as though it had already been set on fire. She couldn't quite bring herself to destroy it. She decided to wait and see the duke's reaction when she handed it to him. With this satisfying thought, she reapplied herself to the code until a sound from the duke's library informed her of his return.

The duke looked up as she appeared in the doorway and inclined his head toward her before finishing off the contents of his brandy glass. He had discarded his coat and stood by the fire, his cravat loosened and his dark hair in some disorder. His waistcoat appeared to shimmer when he turned toward her as the appliquéd jet beads caught the light. To Elizabeth's jaundiced eyes, he looked as if he had just crawled out of some other woman's bed.

He raised an eyebrow at her continued silence and placed his empty glass on the mantelpiece. She forced herself to speak although the effort to be civil almost choked her.

"You appear a little disheveled, Your Grace. Can I be of assistance?"

He shook his head and continued to gaze at her, his posture relaxed, his expression faintly inquiring. Elizabeth clenched her hands into fists as an urge to run to him almost overcame her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to smooth back the lock of hair that had fallen over his brow or slap his face.

"Don't look at me like that, Elizabeth, you remind me of my mother. I spent the evening in a new gaming house and barely escaped with my life when I pointed out that the bank was cheating." He strolled over to his coat and removed a pack of cards from his pocket. With expert ease, he shuffled the deck and presented them to Elizabeth face down in a fan shape with a flick of his wrist.

"Pick a card, my dear. Examine it closely, and then tell me what is wrong with it."

Elizabeth, her interest piqued, chose a card and considered it from every angle. To her disappointment, she could see nothing amiss with it. She looked up at the duke, and frowned, hating to be bested. "I see nothing, Your Grace. It appears to be just as it should."

"Really?" The duke purred. "Then will you be surprised when I tell you that the card you picked is the eight of diamonds?"

Elizabeth could only nod, her mouth open with astonishment. The duke walked across, put his arms around her and then placed his hands over hers. "Examine the back of the card. Do you feel anything?"

Elizabeth ran her fingertip over the patterned side of the card and detected something on the top left corner. "There appears to be an indentation on the surface," she breathed. "Do they all have it? Is it some kind of code?"

The duke brushed a kiss across the nape of her neck. "You are correct. The cards have been marked with a pin giving the advantage to the dealer and to whoever else is in on the scheme." He produced the rest of the pack and fanned them out for Elizabeth's inspection. She took her time touching each card and commenting on the differences to the duke who remained behind her, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist.

"Your stepfather introduced me to your mother at this gaming hell. I didn't realize your mother gambled as well."

Elizabeth gathered the cards together into her fist and stared blindly down at them. "My mother has always gambled, Your Grace. That is how she met Mr. Forester."

He accepted the cards back with a cool nod. With a start, she endeavored to change the subject, aware of his ability to extract her secrets without apparent effort.

The letter crackled in her pocket, presenting her with the perfect diversion.

With a flourish, she withdrew Angelique's letter and held it out to the duke. His nose wrinkled as a waft of perfume floated toward him. He took the letter and glanced at the address.

"Ah, thank you, my dear. I'm not quite sure how you came to be the deliverer of this fragrant missive, but I'm grateful anyway."

"Sir John asked me to give it to you, Your Grace."

"I wonder why he found it necessary to do that? Anyone might think he was trying to blacken my reputation. Do you think Sir John is developing a tendre for you?" He frowned. "I must ask Nicholas."

Before Elizabeth could reply, he walked toward his desk and took up a silver letter opener to break the lurid pink seal embossed with a heart. "Unfortunately, Angelique's use of perfume escalates in proportion to her state of agitation." He carefully shook out the single sheet. "I wonder what the devil she is worried about now?"

Elizabeth marched across the carpet in the duke's wake and waited, arms crossed over her bosom as the duke unfolded the letter and began to read. She scowled at his oblivious face when he apparently found the contents amusing.

His inscrutable gray gaze met hers as he scrunched up the parchment and threw it over his shoulder into the fire. "You will like Angelique, Elizabeth. In fact, I think we should take the time tomorrow to pay her a visit."

"If you wish to go and visit your mistress, Your Grace, you can scarcely expect me to accompany you."

"Why ever not?" the duke said simply.

"Because," Elizabeth retreated a step and found herself up against the book lined wall, "It is not a suitable place for you to take me."

The duke came even closer and Elizabeth wondered if he could hear the irregular beat of her heart and the shortness of her breath.

"I don't understand, my dear. Do you fear for your reputation or consider yourself too high in the instep to enter a courtesan's home?"

"No, I..."

"Then you will do as I ask."

"Why on earth do you wish me to be there? Am I expected to watch and take notes? I will not do it!"

The duke pulled her into his arms and drew her head down onto his shoulder. His whole frame seemed to vibrate. It took Elizabeth a long moment to realize that he shook with laughter. With rising indignation, she tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let her.