Kate Pearce - Educating Elizabeth

Elizabeth tried to think of what to say. All her available money was already being spent on Michael. "I agree with you, Mr. Llewelyn, but..."

"Please call me Jack. I can't get used to being plain mister again."

"Jack, then, I'm not sure how I will be able to find the money, but I will certainly try." She cleared her throat. "As Michael has probably told you, I work for the Duke of Diable Delamere. I could ask him for an advance on my salary."

Jack frowned. "Don't do any such thing. Once he has a hold over you, you might find yourself performing far more than administrative duties. That man is as cold and ruthless as a shark."

Elizabeth was glad Jack Llewellyn couldn't see the betraying flush of color on her cheeks.

He finished his coffee and his report and got to his feet. "I'm sorry, Miss Waterstone, I have to get back to Michael. No one else will answer his bell."

Elizabeth nodded, accepted his hand, and made her way toward the door. Jack smiled down at her and the sun gilded his hair like an angel's halo. "May I escort you somewhere, Miss Waterstone?"

She pressed his arm. "No thank you. I'm supposed to be shopping and arriving back with you might complicate matters."

He gave her a careless salute and strode off along the road. Elizabeth hastened back to the shop to find Madame Isabelle awaiting her.

"Your young man did inquire about you, but I think I managed to reassure him. Did you accomplish your purpose?"

Elizabeth glanced in the mirror and rubbed a smudge of hot chocolate from her top lip. "Yes, thank you, Madame." She glanced at the huge pile of garments Madame and her assistants were eagerly wrapping up and sighed. "You will have to send the bill to the Duke of Diable Delamere. I certainly cannot afford to pay for all of these myself."

Madame Isabelle gasped and clasped her hands to her bosom. "You are so lucky, my dear. The duke is one of my best customers. He will be delighted with your choices." She frowned and shook her finger at Elizabeth. "A word of advice. If I had known that you were attempting to deceive the Duke of Diable Delamere I would never had aided you. He is far too clever to be misled."

With this last piece of unfortunately true and sage advice, Elizabeth was escorted firmly from the shop, her bags deposited with Nicholas and sent home.

"Can you describe the man to me, Nicholas?"

"He was about your age and had striking blond hair. He had the bearing of an ex-military man. I couldn't get very close to them for fear Mrs. Waterstone might see me. As it was, I barely made it back to the shop before she did."

"You did well, Nick." Gervase frowned down at his gleaming boots. "Return to the coffee house and see if you can find out who this person is. I suspect he is the same man Mrs. Waterstone met in the park a week or two ago."

"Yes, of course, Your Grace. I will go at once."

Nicholas grabbed his hat and coat and rushed into the hall, nearly colliding with Elizabeth as she reached the bottom of the stairs. With a shouted apology, Nicholas sped out the door.

Half-laughing, Elizabeth caught Gervase's eye and shrugged.

He straightened and removed all expression from his face as she came toward him. The slight frown between her brows heightened his concern and tightened his gut.

"Your Grace, may I have a moment of your time?"

At his nod, she sank gracefully into the chair in front of his desk. She wore a soft lilac gown, high to the neck, and her spectacles adorned her nose. His tension mounted as she bit her lip.

"I was wondering if you might give me an advance on my wages."

He stared at her for a full minute before he could bring himself to speak. Of all the things he expected, a plea for money had not been one of them.

"Why do you need money so badly? Your costs cannot be heavy living here, as you do, at my expense."

Her bosom rose and fell as she drew in an agitated breath. "I cannot tell you what the money is for, Your Grace. Can't you just accept that I need it? That I only ask because it is completely necessary?"

Gervase's thoughts flew to the mysterious blond man. Was she being blackmailed? Was that why she was afraid to tell him? He frowned. If she truly worked for Mr. Forester and the French, surely she would be receiving money rather than asking to borrow it.

"Are you in need of my assistance, Miss Waterstone? There is nothing you could tell me that would shock me and I promise to act in the strictest of confidence." Gervase sank into the chair behind his desk and smiled encouragingly.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth glared back at him.

"I will not be manipulated, Your Grace. I'm sure if I were a man you would lend me the money without question, without even asking for repayment. I'm just as capable of sorting out my finances and making my own decisions as you are!"

"If you were a man," Gervase said softly, "You would not be in my employ and we would not be having this conversation." He admired the militant sparkle in her gray eyes and the sharp edge of her temper grazing his will as she shot to her feet. He waved her back to her chair and she subsided with an indignant huffing sound.

"I will think about what you have asked me, Elizabeth, and give you my decision before the week is out." He hoped this would give him enough time to find out exactly what she was up to.

"I suppose that will have to do, Your Grace." She sighed. "Thank you."

"Before you disappear, my dear, it behooves me to remind you of our agreement." She went still and he smiled. "You are not entirely responsible for your own actions are you? You promised to obey me."

"I promised to be directed by you in matters of the flesh , Your Grace. Not in all spheres of my life."

He sat back and placed his hands behind his head, keeping her in view as he stretched. Her gaze followed the flex of his muscled arms and she swallowed.

"Well then, Miss Waterstone, has it occurred to you that there is another way to earn your money? I've had several interested inquiries as to your identity since you appeared by my side. I'm sure that if we put our heads together we could discover a tolerable man to take you on as his mistress. Maybe you could ask him for a sum of money as a gift of good faith to tie the bargain?"

Despite his words, the thought of her with another man caused an uncontrollable jolt of pure possessiveness to uncurl and ripple throughout his large frame. He flexed his fingers in an effort not to reach out and take the words back.

She rose to her feet, her face rigid. She stalked toward him, placed her hands flat on the top of his desk and leaned forward. "You are truly a devil, Your Grace. There is no need to rip up at me because you regret sharing your secrets. I've no intention of using them against you."

Gervase let out his breath as she turned on her heel and marched from the room. Her remarks were ridiculous. He had to find out what she was hiding. It was fast becoming more important to him than the code.

Elizabeth stormed up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door with a satisfying crash. She threw her spectacles to the floor and resisted the urge to grind them into the carpet. How dare the duke sit there with that irritating smile on his face and refuse to give her the money? How dare he insinuate that she should look around for a rich protector? Jack Llewelyn had been right. She should never have gone cap in hand to the devil. Exposing her brother's plight to the duke was unthinkable.

She crawled onto her bed and a rush of unwanted tears overwhelmed her, leaving her gasping and shuddering. But as anger departed, cold logic took its place. The duke was correct. He did have a perfect right to inquire as to why she required a large advance on her salary.