Educating Elizabeth (5 page)

"From my salary as your daughter's companion?"

The duke smiled down at his immaculately polished boots. "I'm supposed to be paying you, now, am I?" He paused, "I can think of much better ways for you to reimburse me."

Even Elizabeth recognized the implication behind his words. "I will do what ever you wish me to, Your Grace."

"Excellent," he said, seemingly unperturbed by the reluctance in her voice. "Then before you get dressed you can try this on for me." He leaned back over the couch and pulled out a large box stuffed with tissue paper. Elizabeth watched in consternation as his fingers hooked into a flimsy cream and lace garment and shook it free.

"This, you will wear only for me."

He tossed the insubstantial scrap of lace at her and she caught it on reflex. He nodded at the red curtain in the corner of the room. "Go and try it on. I will wait for you here." He settled back against the curve of the couch, one arm behind his head, and smiled.

Elizabeth clenched her fingers into the butter-soft silk and headed toward the curtain at a snail's pace. The duke's voice reached her just as she parted the drapes.

"This garment doesn't require underthings so you have no need to be embarrassed."

Elizabeth swallowed hard. The slip of silk would barely cover her and was split up both sides almost to the waist. She stared at her white-faced reflection in the mirror. Was this another of the duke's tests? If she refused, would he walk out and leave her to the mercy of her family? She choked down a sob as her fingers fought to undo the slippery pearl buttons on her bodice.

As she worked the buttons free, she struggled against the sense of being sucked into a nightmare from which she couldn't wake. Ever since she had set eyes on the Duke of Diable Delamere her world had been in an uproar. Somehow she knew that he would offer her no comfort, no place to hide even if she begged. She had promised him her obedience and now she had to prove her worth.

She opened her eyes and stared at herself in the mirror, stifling a gasp. Her hair tumbled down her back and her bodice gaped open. A man awaited her appearance in a garment that would leave him in no doubt as to the shape of her body.

"Elizabeth?"

The duke's voice held a trace of impatience and she hurried to finish dressing. She avoided looking in the mirror as she pulled the flimsy silk over her head and attempted to settle it over her hips. She flinched when his hand came down on her shoulder and turned her around.

Elizabeth forced herself to meet his gaze. He was utterly still as he perused the length of her body. With the instinct of one hunted, she knew if she ran now he would capture her in an instant.

He took her hand and led her out into the well-lit room where a triple full-length mirror dominated one wall.

"Have you actually looked at yourself?" he murmured as he turned her toward the light. She shook her head and he chuckled. "I didn't think you would."

He was so close that his breath brushed her cheek and she shivered. She made herself look. The duke gave a soft laugh. "Innocence captured by lust. We would make a fine painting of Hades dragging Persephone down into the underworld."

His arm slid around her waist and drew her against him. The contrast between the fragile cream silk of her gown and his harsher tones of gray and black merged uneasily in the lamplight. Elizabeth tried to ease away a fraction but the duke held her close.

"Ah, no, Miss Waterstone. You need to get used to the effect you have on a man." He lowered his arm and dragged her hips into even closer union with his. "I've been aroused since you first confessed your lack of underwear to me earlier." He dropped a kiss on the side of her neck. "If I didn't know you better I might think you a tease."

His hands skimmed over the gown in a businesslike manner, making her arch against him. "The fit is excellent. I will have Madame make up some bed gowns for you. If you find one on your bed, I wish you to wear it for me; otherwise, you will wear nothing."

Elizabeth stared at her reflection. His warm hands lingered on her hips as he continued to caress her. She repressed an urge to lean back and close her eyes.

"Your Grace, that is scarcely decent. I've some perfectly good nightgowns of my own. I would hate to catch a chill."

"
Cherie
, in my house there are plenty of fires. And I will keep you warm. I'm reputed to give off a lot of heat at night."

Elizabeth almost choked as a picture of the duke wrapped around her naked body flooded her mind. She tried to think of a way to change the subject and cursed the breathlessness of her voice.

"Do you think Madame Charles will return? She has left us alone for a remarkably long time."

The duke released her with a shrug. "Madame knows when to mind her own business. Many of her clients take advantage of her facilities to pleasure their ladies or their lovers."

He patted her cheek. "You need not worry, my dear. You have suffered enough new experiences for one night and I intend to take you to Grillon's hotel now." He passed a black traveling dress and matching pelisse to her. "Madame gave me these for you to wear tonight as well as a few other necessary pieces of baggage. It would not do for you to arrive at a respectable hotel with nothing but me on your arm."

Elizabeth headed back toward the dressing area with as much speed as she could muster without appearing to run. She would be away from him within the hour. She could sleep alone, at least for the night.

The duke cleared his throat. "I realize you are anxious to get away, but there is something I need from you before you change out of that tempting gown."

Elizabeth stood still as he came up behind her and placed a hand on her bare shoulder.

"There is nothing to fear. I just wish you to give me a goodnight kiss. I will be unable to take you up to your hotel bedroom without causing comment, and I know how you abhor scandal."

She turned to face him and placed her palms flat on his waistcoat, as if she stood a chance of holding him back, or preventing him doing anything he wanted with her.

"I've never kissed a man before, Your Grace."

"Gervase. When we are alone together I wish you to call me Gervase." He pronounced it in the French way with a soft 'g' and a long 'a' sound. He settled an arm around her waist. "Come, it is quite simple. I will not bite."

Elizabeth placed her hands on his broad shoulders and rose onto her tiptoes. She focused on the curve of his lower lip and brought her mouth into trembling contact with his. The softness and warmth of his flesh surprised her.

She hesitated until he whispered, "Touch me with your tongue,
cherie
, see how I taste."

Elizabeth obeyed, amazed at how sensitive her tongue was to the nuances of his lips and the rasp of his unshaven skin. She faltered when he parted his lips and she allowed her tongue to touch his in a shy dance. He made a noise of approval deep in his throat as she continued to explore his mouth and the rough texture of his teeth. She began to relax when he made no move to conquer her mouth or pull her closer.

She ended the kiss as she became aware of a painful crick in her neck and sank back onto the firm ground beneath her new kid slippers. After a deep breath she managed to look up at him. He remained perfectly still and made no effort to hide his arousal. She sensed he wanted her to see it, for her to know that he could control it.

He brought her fingers to his mouth and kissed them.

"I congratulate you on completing your first lesson. And now, you need to get changed and make your appearance at Grillons."

Elizabeth was unprepared for her first sight of the duke's daughter. Somehow, despite her knowledge of Eloise's parentage, she had imagined the girl would be a mirror image of the duke. To her surprise, Eloise appeared French to her very fingertips. Her skin was tinted olive and her brown eyes were so dark that they seemed jet-black. Although her figure tended toward plumpness, her vivacious personality gave her a liveliness hard to resist.

Eloise accepted the duke's explanation for Elizabeth's presence without question. She soon engaged Elizabeth in conversation, eager to practice her broken English and learn about the delights of London. For Elizabeth, sore at heart from losing her half-sister's companionship, Eloise was a joy.

The duke lingered only long enough to make the necessary introductions before leaving the two women with Eloise's French nurse, the motherly Madame Bonnet.

Eloise smiled at Elizabeth as Madame Bonnet rang for some tea. "My papa is very kind, is he not? He has promised me the most magnificent London Season if I complete a year at Miss Granger's in Bath." She leaned forward and pressed Elizabeth's hand. "It is sad that you are a widow, but my papa will take care of you."

For the next few days, Elizabeth explored London with Eloise and her liking for the girl deepened. She suffered a few qualms of conscience, however, when Eloise tentatively inquired about her supposedly deceased "husband." The duke, true to his word, had provided Elizabeth with all the salient details pertaining to her supposed spouse. When Eloise expressed her sympathy, Elizabeth felt like a traitor and redoubled her efforts to please the duke's daughter.

A week after Eloise's arrival, they arrived back from a shopping expedition laden down with packages to find a note from the duke.

"It is from my papa. He asks us to the theater this evening." Eloise clasped her hands to her ample bosom and spun around. "Oh whatever shall I wear? Madame Bonnet, come and 'elp me."

Eloise disappeared into her bedroom and Elizabeth turned to enter her own. To her surprise, a new black evening gown lay on her bed. With trembling hands, she picked up a small beribboned box and a note beside the dress. Elizabeth held the gown against her body and marveled at its excellent cut and subdued elegance. The bodice was covered with jet beads, which were also scattered around the skirts of the gown, catching the light when she moved. It was the perfect dress for a society widow.

She opened the note and read the short message aloud: "Wear this dress for me tonight and only what is in the box. I don't intend to sit through another evening without knowing exactly what you are wearing beneath your skirts."

Intrigued and slightly apprehensive, she hurried to open the box. She pulled out a neatly folded black corset, a pair of black stockings, garters, and nothing else. She bit her lip and upended the box in a hopeless search for petticoats or the newfangled and scandalous drawers but there were none. She stuffed everything back into the box and sat down at her dressing table.

Given the innocent companionship of his daughter, she had almost forgotten her more base agreement with the duke. Thoughts swirled through her mind as she unpinned her hair and brushed out the tight braids. Could she ask the duke for a reprieve? Could she avoid his bed by offering to stay on as Eloise's companion and remaining disguised as a widow?

She pictured the duke's face. She had made a bargain with him and it behooved her to stick to it. She would hate it if the duke thought her a coward. Her future was as a courtesan. It was the only way to support herself and her brother. Maybe the duke was testing her obedience. They would be in a public place, with his daughter. He was hardly likely to seduce her there!

*** *** ***

The duke came up to their suite well before the appointed hour for the play and spent some time with Eloise and Madame Bonnet. Elizabeth was relieved to see that there appeared to be genuine affection between father and daughter despite the duke's animosity toward the girl's mother. She was glad for, Eloise's sake, and surprised to see the softness of the duke's face as he humored her many requests.

He barely glanced her way and she was glad of it. He wore a pewter-colored coat with a black embroidered waistcoat beneath. His pantaloons were pale satin and fit him without a wrinkle. Elizabeth found herself crossing her legs and worrying at her lower lip as he finally looked up and studied her.

With an abrupt movement he rose to his feet and spoke in rapid French. Eloise and Madame Bonnet disappeared to find their cloaks and Elizabeth was left alone with the duke. He strolled toward her and she immediately sat up straight.

"Well, my dear?" He took her hand and helped her rise. "Do you like your dress?"

"Yes, thank you, Your Grace. It is beautiful."

"Good," he murmured and she shivered as he ran the tip of his finger along the edge of her beaded bodice, outlining the uppermost curves of her breasts. Her nipples tightened as she fought for breath. Eloise's excited chatter flowed in through the open door.

The duke didn't pull away and Elizabeth realized she was hidden from Eloise's sight by the duke's broad shoulders. To her horror, she found it impossible to do anything but stare up at his face like a besotted lap dog being petted as his finger stroked back and forth.

"Beautiful..." he breathed before brushing her cheek with his lips. He turned away to help Eloise with her cloak and Elizabeth hurried to find her own, more flustered than she cared to admit and more confused than ever.

The theater was already crowded when the duke ushered his party into the luxurious confines of his private box. Eloise, dressed in a primrose muslin gown that complimented her olive complexion, chattered unceasingly in a mixture of broken English and rapid French that Elizabeth tried to follow.

She watched the duke survey the swirling mass of humanity below them. Numerous women from all the social classes attempted to catch his attention, but to Elizabeth's relief, he seemed oblivious. Occasionally, he would honor some male acquaintance with a slight nod of his head.

Elizabeth sank into the nearest velvet chair and allowed the magnificence of the view to overwhelm her senses. She had not been to the theater for several years and had missed it badly. Raucous shouts rose from the lower levels in sharp counterpoint to the discreet rustles and whispers from the tiered seats and boxes. In the pit, candlelight glinted off raised bottles and the quizzing glasses of the young bloods that lounged close to the stage waiting to ogle the actresses. In the boxes above, the same light caught the brilliance of diamonds and fine crystal.