Lucien looked over as the nearest carriage pulled even with them. “Lady Howard,” he acknowledged, “Lady Alice. Good afternoon. Have you met my cousin’s companion, Miss Gallant? Miss Gallant, Lady Howard and Lady Alice Howard.” From their expressions he was being more pleasant than usual, but their interruption had given him a moment to consider whether his new plan was brilliant or merely insane. Brilliant, he hoped.
Alexandra curtsied prettily. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Howard, Lady Alice.”
“Miss Gallant.” Lady Howard eyed her, then returned her attention to Lucien. “Lord Howard and I will be holding a small dinner party at our home on Thursday. I would be delighted if you and your aunt and cousin—and your cousin’s companion, of course—could attend.”
It was too soon to spring Rose on the unsuspectington;but on the other hand, the Howards were fairly low in their social circle, with no prospective mates likely to be in attendance to see his cousin’s bumbling. “We would be pleased to attend. Thank you for the invitation, my lady.”
As the carriage drove off, Lucien began walking faster. “We’d best make our escape before we get invited anywhere else,” he muttered.
“Miss Delacroix is not ready,” Alexandra stated stiffly, obviously still angry with him.
“I know that. But the Howards and their circle are fairly forgiving. Instruct her in specific dinner-party etiquette.”
“I will not continue to work for you under these circumstances.”
He slowed again. “Under what circumstances?”
She blushed again. “You must stop saying such things to me.”
“What things?”
“You know very well. Improper and ungentlemanly things.”
Lucien smiled. “That’s why you’ll be instructing me—and Fiona, while you’re at it—in propriety, as well. I’ll require a great deal of your time and personal tutoring, I’m certain.”
“I will do no such thing!”
“Yes, you will. I’ve just increased your salary to twenty-five quid a month as compensation for your added duties. In addition, I am giving you a generous clothing allowance.”
Miss Gallant uttered a very unladylike curse. Lucien grinned, turning his head to hide it.Ah, victory.
“I will not be responsible for your success or failure.”
“Fair enough.” For the moment, anyway. “Anything else?”
She glanced up at him, her expression the odd, distant one he had noticed when he’d rescued her from Aunt Fiona. Immediately his curiosity rose another notch, but she said nothing.
“I will take your silence to mean you are utterly ecstatic in regards to all other aspects of your employment,” he prompted as they neared his home.
“You should be nicer to your aunt and your cousin,” she said in a quiet voice. “They’ve lost a husband and a father.”
“My first lesson?”
“If you wish to call it that.”
“Don’t feel too sorry for them,” he replied, unable to keep well-honed cynicism from touching his voice. “As my sole relations, their family line is likely to become extremely well off in the future.”
“Do you think a promise of future wealth makes up for losing a loved one?”
“Do you speak from personal experience?” he asked, rather disturbed to realize that her mood affected him.
Alexandra looked up. “Of course not, my lord. I have no prospects at all.”
That hadn’t quite answered his question, but it was an intriguing beginning to a number of new ones.
As they strolled up the drive, he noted that Vincent had fallen far behind them again, as he’d been instructed to do in the first place. Though Lucien hadn’t been able to spend as much time with Miss Gallant as he wanted, he felt quite satisfied. He’d learned a little more about her, though not nearly enough to quell his curiosity or his desires. And he’d begun to advertise to thetonthat he was willing to spend a proper afternoon in the company of a proper young lady. That should make things easier when he began his own spousal hunt in earnest.
In addition, he now had a legitimate excuse to spend more time with Miss Gallant. And if she could improve his manners and demeanor, he would gladly proclaim her a damned miracle worker.
