“You must be more careful,ma chere.And is it not good news about the battle? Perhaps mypoor France can finally know peace.”
Talk over the meal was all of the battle. Lucien joined in amiably andsaid nothing of Lord Darius or his other friends. Beth decided she hatedthis cool-headed courtesy of his.
Afterwards the duke and duchess had a number of separate engagements.Lucien and Beth said they were spending the evening at home. The duchessclearly thought this very romantic.
Lucien accompanied Beth to her rooms. “Dress simply and I’ll escortyou.”
Beth frowned at his cold manner but went into her dressing room anddressed again in her darkest old clothes. When she was ready she walkedthrough into his dressing room with only the briefest of knocks. He wasbare-chested and just about to pull on a shirt. Beth looked wistfully athis splendid torso and thought how they could be spending the evening. Butno, he would still be going out.
“How would you like it if I just walked in on you?” he asked as hepulled the shirt over his head.
“I wouldn’t mind.”
Something warm flashed in his eyes, but then he concealed it. Beth washeartened, though. He wasn’t as cold as he was pretending. She went tohand him his jacket. “It’s rather fine though, isn’t it?”
“Unlike you,” he said, “I don’t possess any plebeian clothes. We’lljust have to hope anyone who sees us thinks me a swell out slumming withthe upstairs maid.”
“Lucien,” said Beth, “this really isn’t fair.”
He looked at her. “I beg your pardon?”
“You may not be hitting me, but you’re punishing me all the same fornot doing exactly as you wish.”
He turned away to arrange his cravat. “I’m supposed to turn a blind eyeto any foolishness that enters your overeducated head?”
“There, see,” snapped Beth, sinking into anger again. “How can anyhuman being be overeducated?”
He turned to look at her. “Very well, then. Undereducated. Which isdoubtless going to be corrected tonight.”
Beth sighed. “I have a right to make my own mistakes, my dear.”
“Do you?” he asked coldly, facing the mirror again and finishing anelegant knot with a few deft movements. “You might have a thought to thoseaffected by them. I didn’t join the army, because my death would be theend of our line, in law if not in fact. Your death would be just asdisastrous.”
“I hardly think our lives are at risk. And if they are you’re riskingyours tonight. You just don’t want me involved in anythingunpleasant.”
He sighed and looked at her, then pulled her roughly against him.“Right. I don’t want you involved in anything unpleasant. I don’t want anyother man mauling you, even for a moment. Don’t do this, Beth.”
Beth snuggled against him. Marriage was a funny business. Endlesscompromises. “I want to come,” she said at last. “But if Blanche canhandle the men on her own, I’ll let her.”
He pushed her back to study her. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
He smiled. “Thank you. I confess, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss thiseither.” He gave her a steamy, ravaging kiss. “I must admit, too, I’mquite curious to see what you look like as a whore.”
* * *
Later, when she looked at herself in the mirror in Blanche’s temporarydressing room at Tom Holloway’s rooms, Beth wondered what Lucien wouldthink. She was sure he’d blow up again. Certainly Aunt Emma would have afit of the vapors if she saw Beth now.
A brassy blond wig flowed over her shoulders and her face was sovividly painted there was no question of anyone seeing her bruise. Herskirts were halfway up her calves and her bodice was so low it barelyskimmed her nipples.
“Lord above,” she muttered.
Blanche, who was still in a wrap and beginning to apply her own makeup,grinned. “Getting stage fright?”
“A little.”
“You don’t have to come. I can manage.”
