Page 27 of The Secret of Flirting
Lady Ursula’s expression grew troubled. “I shouldn’t have done that. The count was most displeased at me for it.”
“But I’m glad you did.” She squeezed Lady Ursula’s hand. “You made sure that the men kept me dancing so he could never come near. I was so grateful.”
The lady-in-waiting eyed her suspiciously. “You told me that Lord Fulkham did nothing wrong when you were alone with him.”
Oh, dear. Playing a set role as an actress was far easier than juggling who she was with who she was supposed to be. And it was allhisfault. She could escape fully into the role if not for him lobbing questions at her every moment.
Unfortunately, if she warned the count of Lord Fulkham’s suspicions, he might send her back to the Continent, ending their bargain. She couldn’t take that chance.
“Lord Fulkham didn’t do anything he shouldn’t have,” she lied. “I just don’t like him. He makes me nervous.”
“As well he should, since he has a very important part in making the decision for or against you.” Lady Ursula leaned close. “That’s why you must spend time with him, reassure him of your worth. Can’t you just put your feelings aside for a bit? Aurore needs you.”
And so did Grand-maman. “He’s very clever. I’m afraid he’ll find me out.”Has already found me out.
“Nonsense.” Lady Ursula patted her arm. “You have been amazing. I confess I was skeptical when the count proposed this solution, but you are a quick study and good at improvising when you’re uncertain.” She smiled faintly. “I only wish I could see you on the stage. I know you must be magnificent.”
The compliment caught Monique off guard. “Thank you. It isn’t exactly a royal occupation.”To put it mildly.
“Will you miss it?” the lady-in-waiting surprised her by asking. She seemed genuinely interested, too. “I mean, when you and your grandmother move to Chanay for good.”
“Ifwe move for good. I must bring this to a successful conclusion first.”
“And I have faith that you will,” Lady Ursula said kindly. “Still, when you move to Chanay, there will be no more applause every night, no more adventures on the stage... and off the stage.” She cast Monique a wistful look. “No more freedom to do as you please.”
If any other woman had said such things, Monique would have assumed she was making insinuations about supposed promiscuity. All actresses were believed to be promiscuous. But something in Lady Ursula’s manner said that she didn’t mean it that way.
“I haven’t had much of that freedom anyway,” she said softly, “not with Grand-maman ill.”
Her life had revolved around her grandmother’s care for so long that she’d forgotten what it was like to go for a walk alone or meet a gentleman at a café. Lord Fulkham would probably be shocked to hear that she was as chaste as her cousin Aurore probably was.
Her grandmother had been very rigid about gentleman callers. Monique’s father had seduced Monique’s mother, and Grandpapa had made the fellow marry. But shortly before Monique’s birth, he had run off, proving his low character. So Grand-maman had been stricter with Monique, not wanting her granddaughter to be seduced.
Grand-maman had always said she’d been lucky that her own actor husband had proved a gentleman, but there were too many men out there who would take advantage of a pretty young thing.
By the time Monique had grown old enough to rebel at such restrictions, her grandmother had needed restrictions of her own. Then it had seemed impossible to add a beau into their lives.
Which was why once Grand-maman passed on, Monique would not stay in Chanay. She craved her freedom. She loved her grandmother and would miss her terribly, but she wanted to be young and alive again. So while she could live without the excitement of the theater, she could never live within the confines of royalty.
Not be able to say what she thought and go where she wished? Be forced to marry someone handpicked for political reasons? No, thank you. That was not for her.
Apparently it was not for Lady Ursula either, judging from her remarks. “Do you miss not being ‘free to do as you please’?” Monique asked, partly to take her mind off Grand-maman’s uncertain future, and partly because she was simply curious. “Do you wish you were not a lady-in-waiting to royalty?”
“Oh no, not one bit! I love being helpful to Aurore.”
When her face clouded over, Monique asked, “Have you heard how my cousin is doing? Is there any word of her condition?”
Were those tears glistening in Lady Ursula’s eyes as she shook her head? Poor woman.
Then she seemed to gather her composure. “The count says it’s too soon to have received any message from Calais, and I daresay he’s right. It’s just that I was never as close to my family as you seem to be to your grandmother, so Aurore is all the family I—” She stiffened, then pasted a tight smile to her lips as she glanced beyond Monique. “Why, good evening, Lord Fulkham. How lovely to see you again.”
Monique fought the urge to bolt. Smoothing her features into nonchalance, she turned to face him. “Yes, how nice to see you, monsieur.”
It was a lie. It had to be a lie, even though he was dressed to impress. His perfectly tailored suit of black superfine heightened the crystalline blue of his eyes and the casually disordered waves of his dark hair, making her want to reach up and smooth the strands into place. Worse yet, his delicious brown silk waistcoat of some checked design made her think of chocolate wafers, which was apt, because she wanted to eat him up.
Mon Dieu.
His gaze seemed to take her in and like what it saw, too, judging from the sharp interest flaring in it. “You look luscious this evening, Your Serene Highness. That gown suits you.”
