“How beautiful,” she said. She looked up at the man who’d given them to her. “I’m partial to golden topaz.”
Marchmont hadn’t known this, but he wasn’t surprised. Lady Tarling’s taste was exquisite. She was a slender brunette, with large, light brown eyes. She knew exactly what became her, and golden topaz, set off with diamonds, suited her perfectly.
His secretary, Osgood, who was in charge of selecting suitable gifts for His Grace’s amours, would know this. Osgood always kept several fine pieces of jewelry on hand, particularly the kind to be used as generous parting gifts, for His Grace was easily bored. This was not a parting gift. It was intended, in fact, to prevent that—until His Grace decided it was time to part.
“I’ve taken on an amusing task that may keep me away for a short time,” Marchmont said.
“Ah,” she said, her smile faltering a little.
“An obligation to an old friend,” he said. “I’ve agreed to bring his daughter into fashion—and perhaps find her a husband before the Season’s end.”
“An old friend. I see.”
“You’ll read something about it in all the papers tomorrow,” he said. “Rumors will be traveling through Almack’s tonight.”
“But you knew I wouldn’t be there to hear them,” she said.
Lord Tarling’s handsome young widow was not on the patronesses’ list. Lady Jersey had taken her in dislike.
“I preferred you not learn about it from one of the cats who will be there,” he said, “or from the newspapers. They were likely to give you the wrong impression altogether.”
“It must be a curious impression, indeed, to result in such a gift.” She gave a little laugh. Her silvery laugh was famous. It was gentler and prettier, many thought, than Lady Jersey’s tinkling laughter. This was but one reason Lady Jersey loathed her.
“I’ve taken Lord Lexham’s daughter under my wing,” he said.
She closed the box. “But all of his daughters are launched and wed—” She broke off, the truth dawning. She was, after all, both intelligent and well informed. “You refer to the…”
He didn’t wait for her to hunt for a more tactful term. “The Harem Girl, yes,” he said.
“My goodness.” She moved away from him to the nearest chair and sat down hard—but tightly clutching the box, he noted.
“There’s going to be a ridiculous uproar tomorrow,” he said. “Completely ridiculous, as the world will soon discover. For the time being, discretion would be in order. Miss Lexham has some prejudice to overcome: Her recent past is not regarded as respectable.”
“And I am not well loved by some who decide who is acceptable and who is not. Your…er…protégée will want the blessing of Almack’s lady patronesses, as well as the Queen.”
Queen Charlotte didn’t like Lady Tarling, either.
“It will not take long,” he said. “By the time she’s presented at court, no one will turn a hair.”
“You are very confident,” she said.
“Oh, Zoe’s intelligent and beautiful,” he said. “I’ve no doubt she’ll take. It’s merely a question of quieting the uproar and retraining her a bit.”
“Intelligent and beautiful,” Lady Tarling murmured. She opened the box again and studied the jewels therein. “I see.”
He didn’t know what she saw, and it didn’t occur to him to be curious. He was not accustomed to explaining himself and had gone as far as this only because their liaison had scarcely begun, and he wasn’t quite finished with her.
It never dawned on him—and why should it?—that she was intelligent enough to perceive this.
Still, he was the Duke of Marchmont, and Lady Tarling was no fool when it came to men. She accepted the gift and pretended it was perfectly normal for him to depart soon thereafter with no other display of affection. She knew as well as anybody that he’d very little of that article to display.
Later that evening
Zoe stood at the window and looked down into the garden. “I could climb down from here,” she said.
“Oh, no, miss, I hope not,” said Jarvis. “And not in your shift—which maybe we could change for your nightdress?” The maid held up the garment.
“I climbed out of the pasha’s palace many times,” Zoe said. “They always caught me and punished me. But I did not stop doing it. Do you know why?”
