“You?” Stasia’s tone was steeped in disbelief. “Do you have a young lady in need of preparing for her debut that I’m unaware of?”
“No.” But he did have need for Eleanora. Rather a great lot of need. “But I do require assistance myself in the finer art of being proper.”
She had the temerity to laugh.
“Do you have any notion of howimproper it would be for you to employ Miss Brett for such a task?” Stasia asked, laughing some more.
He might have said it wouldn’t matter how proper or improper such a circumstance would be, because he fully intended to pay Eleanora enough that she could spend the remainder of her life as she wished instead of working at the behest of others.
“Why should it be improper?” he asked instead. “It isn’t as if I would ask her to be my mistress.”
For the simple reason that he never kept a mistress. He had lovers. They intrigued him until they didn’t, and then he moved on to others. No one had ever held him in her thrall long enough to merit such a complicated arrangement.
“I should hope not,” the princess said in a chastising tone.
“Have you come for a reason other than to upbraid me?” he dared to ask wryly.
“To bring you flowers and open your curtains,” she returned, without a hint of shame. “In addition to warning you that if you trifle with Miss Brett, I’ll blacken your eye.”
Damn it, the woman made it impossiblenotto like her. Even if she was intruding on his plans and questioning him over Eleanora. Threatening him, too.
Nando gave her a crooked grin, eyeing her dainty hands. “Something tells me your threats aren’t as perilous as you would have me believe, Princess Stasia.”
“She’s a good woman, Nando,” Stasia said, her countenance serious now, the levity having fled.
“I know.” Eleanora Brett was nothingbutgood. And he wanted some of that goodness for himself. Even if only for a stolen few moments. He wanted whatever he could have.
“And you’re a very bad man,” his hostess added.
“I’m a bad man with good intentions,” he said, pressing his hand over his heart. “This, I swear to you.”
The princess narrowed her eyes. “Do you give me your word?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Naturally.”
Because his intentionsweregood. Just not honorable. A trifling difference. He intended to make Eleanora Brett a wealthy and satisfied woman. In Nando’s opinion, that was better than good.
Stasia considered him with a searching gaze before finally nodding. “Thank you. I’m sure there are any number of ladies in thetonwho would be more than happy for your attentions.”
There were. But unfortunately, none of them was Eleanora.
It had to be her or no one.
Bruno returned with the plate of honey cakes, and Princess Stasia took her leave, mistakenly assured that he would be leaving her hired companion alone.
But the only way he would be leaving Eleanora alone was when they parted ways after he’d slaked his need for her. And with the alarming manner that need grew by the day, it was fast becoming apparent that his need wouldn’t be satisfied for some time.
CHAPTER 10
“Idon’t think it would be wise for you and the princesses to attend the ball this evening,” Princess Stasia said, taking Eleanora by surprise as she entered the princess’s private salon at her request.
They had been preparing to attend the formal ball honoring the House of St. George for the last fortnight. Eleanora had struggled to convince her charges that their trousers must be left at home for the first time since her arrival. But persuade them, she finally had. And now, for her successes to be so summarily lost…
She couldn’t bear to finish the thought. Working with the headstrong Princess Emmaline and the naïve, but also opinionated, Princess Annalise had proven exhausting. All her frustrated attempts at refining their manners, gowns, dancing, and conversation, only tonotattend the ball being held in their honor, would be a grievous disappointment.
“Their ball gowns are ready,” Eleanora hastened to reassure her employer, praying that the reason for the princess’s words wasn’t displeasure with her performance of her duties. “Neither Princess Emmaline nor Princess Annalise will be wearingtrousers. We’ve been working to perfect their steps in the waltz as well.”
The princess’s eyes narrowed. “I heard about your demonstration with Prince Ferdinando.”
