Lisette, laying her cheek against Charles’s soft black curls.
“Undoubtedly,” agreed the earl, suppressing a shudder.
“Moi, I wish I had a—” she broke off, blushing, and when Nurse entered the room to announce that breakfast was ready, Lisette, in her embarrassment, all but fell on the good woman’s neck. “Ah, c’est prêt! I have promised the children that I will eat with them. Will you join us, milord?”
“I fear I must decline. I should like to have a word with you in private, Lisette.”
Recognizing her cue, Nurse set the tray on the table and bustled away, muttering something about having forgotten the butter for the twins’ bread. Waverly waited until the door closed behind her, then turned to address his betrothed.
“First of all,” he said, choosing his words with care, “it appears my offer of marriage was rather ambiguous. I should have made it plain that the sort of marriage I propose is one in name only—what the French call a mariage blanc.”
“But—but what if I do not wish to have a mariage blanc?"
“My dear child, you must trust me to know what is best for you,” said Waverly with some asperity. “You are far too young to be tied to a man twice your age—particularly a man who has led the sort of life I have lived.”
“But you will want an heir, non?" Lisette persisted, absently running her fingers through Charles’s curls.
“I have a younger brother in the army and another attached to the British embassy in Russia. Surely between the pair of them, they can contrive to save the family from extinction.”
“Voyons!” cried Lisette, all sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks. “You wish to marry me, but still I will live like a nun. For this I might have stayed at Sainte-Marie!”
“Nonsense! You will have the title of Countess and all the privileges that your rank and my name can offer. You shall wear fine clothes and attend parties every night, if that is what you wish.”
Lisette shrugged her slender shoulders. “Très bien, I shall be a very gay and well-dressed nun.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Lord Waverly, who had never been overly burdened by scruples where such matters were concerned, found it unaccountably embarrassing to discuss them with the young lady who was soon to be his wife. “We will speak more of these things when you are rather older. But consider for a moment that by the time you are twenty, I will be almost forty, and you will no doubt prefer a man nearer your own age. For now, suffice it to say that, when the time comes, you will not find me unreasonable, so long as you are discreet. And I, for my part, will conduct my own amours so as to spare you any embarrassment.”
Lisette might have argued the point, but seeing that Lord Waverly’s mind was made up, lapsed into somewhat sulky silence.
“Now that that is settled,” the earl said briskly, “I came up to tell you I must make a brief journey to London.”
“You are going away? But you will take me with you, oui?" asked Lisette, her dark eyes wide with alarm.
Waverly shook his head. “Not this time.”
“Is it because you are angry with me, milord? If so—”
“Angry with you, Lisette?” he echoed, smiling slightly. “I do not think I could be—at least, not for long.”
“Is it because you have compromised me? But I can be once again your Cousin Luc, and no one will ever know!”
The earl shook his head. “I am sorry, child, but Cousin Luc has died an unlamented death. You may join me in London within a fortnight. In the meantime, I will procure a special license, and we may be wed immediately upon your arrival.”
“You would leave me here all alone?”
Waverly had to smile at this description. “Not at all. There are the children to play with, you know, and I believe Lady Helen intends to take you to her dressmaker. I daresay you will enjoy yourself hugely.”
Lisette, fighting tears, could only shake her bowed head.
“Come, ma petite,” he added,
“Undoubtedly,” agreed the earl, suppressing a shudder.
“Moi, I wish I had a—” she broke off, blushing, and when Nurse entered the room to announce that breakfast was ready, Lisette, in her embarrassment, all but fell on the good woman’s neck. “Ah, c’est prêt! I have promised the children that I will eat with them. Will you join us, milord?”
“I fear I must decline. I should like to have a word with you in private, Lisette.”
Recognizing her cue, Nurse set the tray on the table and bustled away, muttering something about having forgotten the butter for the twins’ bread. Waverly waited until the door closed behind her, then turned to address his betrothed.
“First of all,” he said, choosing his words with care, “it appears my offer of marriage was rather ambiguous. I should have made it plain that the sort of marriage I propose is one in name only—what the French call a mariage blanc.”
“But—but what if I do not wish to have a mariage blanc?"
“My dear child, you must trust me to know what is best for you,” said Waverly with some asperity. “You are far too young to be tied to a man twice your age—particularly a man who has led the sort of life I have lived.”
“But you will want an heir, non?" Lisette persisted, absently running her fingers through Charles’s curls.
“I have a younger brother in the army and another attached to the British embassy in Russia. Surely between the pair of them, they can contrive to save the family from extinction.”
“Voyons!” cried Lisette, all sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks. “You wish to marry me, but still I will live like a nun. For this I might have stayed at Sainte-Marie!”
“Nonsense! You will have the title of Countess and all the privileges that your rank and my name can offer. You shall wear fine clothes and attend parties every night, if that is what you wish.”
Lisette shrugged her slender shoulders. “Très bien, I shall be a very gay and well-dressed nun.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Lord Waverly, who had never been overly burdened by scruples where such matters were concerned, found it unaccountably embarrassing to discuss them with the young lady who was soon to be his wife. “We will speak more of these things when you are rather older. But consider for a moment that by the time you are twenty, I will be almost forty, and you will no doubt prefer a man nearer your own age. For now, suffice it to say that, when the time comes, you will not find me unreasonable, so long as you are discreet. And I, for my part, will conduct my own amours so as to spare you any embarrassment.”
Lisette might have argued the point, but seeing that Lord Waverly’s mind was made up, lapsed into somewhat sulky silence.
“Now that that is settled,” the earl said briskly, “I came up to tell you I must make a brief journey to London.”
“You are going away? But you will take me with you, oui?" asked Lisette, her dark eyes wide with alarm.
Waverly shook his head. “Not this time.”
“Is it because you are angry with me, milord? If so—”
“Angry with you, Lisette?” he echoed, smiling slightly. “I do not think I could be—at least, not for long.”
“Is it because you have compromised me? But I can be once again your Cousin Luc, and no one will ever know!”
The earl shook his head. “I am sorry, child, but Cousin Luc has died an unlamented death. You may join me in London within a fortnight. In the meantime, I will procure a special license, and we may be wed immediately upon your arrival.”
“You would leave me here all alone?”
Waverly had to smile at this description. “Not at all. There are the children to play with, you know, and I believe Lady Helen intends to take you to her dressmaker. I daresay you will enjoy yourself hugely.”
Lisette, fighting tears, could only shake her bowed head.
“Come, ma petite,” he added,
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