Educating Elizabeth

Chapter 14

"I asked you both here to assist me in a matter regarding Mrs. Waterstone." Gervase focused his attention on Sir John and Nicholas, who occupied the chairs in front of his desk. Nicholas lounged at his ease, one foot crossed over the other at the ankle. Sir John sat hunched forward, as if ready to leap to his feet at any moment.

Gervase unlocked his desk drawer and produced the parchments Elizabeth had been working on. "I found these lying on Mrs. Waterstone's desk last night. When I attempted to lock them securely in her desk, I discovered the key was missing."

Sir John frowned and sat up even straighter. "I beg your pardon, Your Grace, but I'm certain I instructed Mrs. Waterstone to lock up the documents when she finished for the night."

Suddenly, he stopped speaking as if Gervase had stabbed him in the chest and buried his head in his hands. "Devil take it! I took the key from Mrs. Waterstone's desk to get a copy made of it! I completely forgot to give it back to her." He flushed an unbecoming shade of red under Gervase's unimpressed stare and fingered his cravat as though it had suddenly become too tight.

"I don't know what to say, Your Grace, although," he hesitated, "It still does not explain why Mrs. Waterstone didn't put the documents away, does it? Even without the key to the drawer, she could have put them out of sight as I told her to."

"Exactly. I intend to have a polite word with her on the matter of security and hope it was just a mistake." He swung around to meet Sir John's mortified gaze. "May I suggest that you repeat your instructions to Mrs. Waterstone as well? I would hate for any further confusion."

Sir John muttered something unintelligible and turned even redder. He dug in his waistcoat pocket and produced two keys that he handed to Gervase. "These are the keys to Mrs. Waterstone's desk, Your Grace. I can only apologize for my irresponsible behavior and promise it will never happen again."

Gervase took the keys and then turned back to Nicholas, who was regarding the crestfallen Sir John with considerable glee.

"You have been accompanying Mrs. Waterstone on her outings, Nick." Gervase asked. "Has anything untoward happened?"

"There was one thing, Your Grace." He gave an embarrassed laugh. "I'm not sure if it is even worth mentioning."

"If it stuck in your mind, Nick, let's hear it." Gervase sat on the edge of the desk, folded his arms and regarded his young relative intently.

"When we were at Hookham's lending library, Mrs. Waterstone was occupied setting up a reading subscription and I left her alone for a while to wander through the shop. When I returned, I noticed her passing a letter and some money across to the counter clerk."

Nicholas shrugged. "Maybe she didn't realize that, as a member of the House of Lords, you are able to frank her letters for her."

Gervase ran a hand through his hair. "Or maybe she didn't wish me to know whom she was writing to." He let out a breath and turned to stare out of the window. "Keep watching her, Nick and let me know if she engages in anything other than shopping, gossiping or visiting her family. I'm still not completely sure of her."

Sir John and Nicholas stood to leave.

"Could you ask Mrs. Waterstone to give me the pleasure of her company, Nick? I assume you will be meeting her over the breakfast table in the next few minutes."

A smile replaced Nicholas's frown. "Of course I will. I hope she has finished her repast. I would hate to be the one to interrupt her."

"Highly amusing, Nick," Gervase said dryly. "But may I suggest that you hurry? If you leave her for too long there might not be anything left for you and you are such a puny fellow." The duke smiled as Nicholas snorted. "If she complains, you may blame my autocratic nature. She will surely agree with you."

While he waited, Gervase occupied himself by attaching a ribbon to one of the keys that Sir John had returned to him. When Elizabeth entered the room and favored him with a brisk curtsey, he rose and took the key over to her.

"This key belongs to your desk. May I suggest that in future you learn to use it? I found the documents you were working on last night strewn around your desk. It is purely by chance that nobody came in and saw them."

Her smile disappeared and was replaced by a frown. She snatched the key from his fingers and busied herself placing it in her pocket.

"Thank you, Your Grace. I wasn't even aware there was a key to the desk, or a drawer to put things in." She glared up at him. "If someone had bothered to inform me of its existence, I would have been more than happy to make use of it."

"Sir John instructed you to put the documents away. Are you saying he didn't?"

She colored. "I must confess that I was so engrossed in the code that Sir John could have told me the house was on fire and I probably wouldn't have heard him."

Gervase couldn't help but believe her rueful smile and a small tense part of him relaxed. Her explanation was not only plausible but also possible. Standish, his butler, had informed him in shocked tones that Elizabeth had missed her dinner on the previous evening and had made do with a late supper.

He kissed her hand. "Promise me to lock the documents away in future? They are too valuable to be neglected. I would hate for them to fall into the wrong hands."

"I am truly sorry, Your Grace. It was foolish of me to be so careless. I promise you it will not happen again."

"Thank you, my dear." He strolled over to his desk and picked up the sheaf of parchments. "Take these and lock them up now, whilst I watch you."

Elizabeth locked the drawer and replaced the key in her pocket under the duke's gaze. "Will you run upstairs and put on your bonnet and cloak? As I mentioned last night, I've arranged for us to meet with Angelique this morning."

In her absence he donned his hat and a dove-gray driving coat with several shoulder capes. She met him in the hall and he offered her his arm. He was pleased to see that the deep lilac bonnet she had chosen framed her face most charmingly and made the most of her gray eyes.

His top boots shone in the sunlight, as did her hair, as they descended the steps and approached his carriage. The duke glanced at his tiger, who was perched on the back of the vehicle.

"I shan't need you, Joe. You may get down."

Gervase flipped a coin in the boy's direction and he descended with the agility of a monkey. Elizabeth waited until the duke assisted her into the high carriage, then settled her skirts as he walked around to the other side. He retrieved the reins, and they set off at a spanking pace through the busy thoroughfares of London.

After a while, it seemed as if Elizabeth felt able to relax, assured of his competence with the reins. He gave her a sideways glance and concentrated on threading the carriage between a slow-moving brewer's cart and a herd of sheep being driven in from the countryside to market.

"Your Grace, may I ask you something?" Elizabeth inquired as they quit the busier streets and turned down toward the river. The duke gave her a brief nod, his attention on his horses and the steep downward curve of the cobbled street.

"I understand why you need to disguise your work for the government from society, but why do you choose to live as a rake? Surely you don't need to be so, so notorious."

"Ah, does that bother you, Elizabeth? Just think. If I had not been playing cards with your stepfather on that fateful night, we would never have met." He curled his whip and touched the back of the lead horse, correcting his stride. "Do you think I should masquerade as a librarian, an antiquarian, or something more seemly?"

He searched her face. "I can see that you do. Unfortunately, the life of a rake gives me the best access to the type of person I'm trying to capture. And, it suits me very well."

Elizabeth held onto her bonnet as the wind tugged at the ribbons. "Why would the lowest and filthiest scum interest you? Surely they don't possess the ability to make or break code."

Gervase glanced over his shoulder to ensure they were unobserved, pulled over to the side of the road and drew the horses to a halt. They sat looking out over the River Thames where low tide had revealed the mud banks and hidden shallows of the busy river.

"You are correct, my dear, but have you ever considered how information and secrets are passed along, sometimes quite innocently? Think about your own recent experiences. One wrong whisper as to your presence in my house and your reputation would be ruined."

She frowned and he continued speaking. "Let me give you an example," Gervase said. "Imagine that you are a parlor maid in the house of a government minister. In the course of your daily work you will probably hear things of a delicate nature. Gossip about the family, about the minister's job, an endless stream of information that would probably not make much sense to you."

The horses moved restlessly and the duke tightened his grip on the reins. "But what if you told those pieces of information to someone who did have the ability and the desire to make sense of them? Can you not see the possibilities for blackmail or treason?"

"Yes, of course, but how does what a parlor maid might or might not know have anything to do with you?"

The duke smiled. "I gamble, Elizabeth because people who lose to me are often prepared to offer me snippets of information in exchange for handing over their money." He shrugged. "Most of these people consider the gossip and innuendo they so readily reveal to be meaningless and harmless."

A gull swooped low over the carriage and the lead horse tossed his head. Gervase steadied the horse with a soft command in French before turning back to Elizabeth. "And remember, my dear, the ton gamble harder and deeper than any other class of society. Fortunes are won and lost every night. Imagine the harm a cabinet minister or an army colonel could do if he decided to offer up information in place of coin. I've the ability to make sense of the scraps and bring them together into a coherent message."

Elizabeth sucked in a breath. "And if you can do it, so can the French."

"Exactly." The duke squeezed her gloved hand. "Recently the French have been gathering a lot of new information and I think it is through the gambling tables. I believe they are using crooked dealers and gaming houses to lure the unsuspecting into their nets, then frightening them into revealing classified information.

I offer some of my debtors a chance to tell me their secrets rather than pay me back. If they offer me information that should be kept secret, I will often warn them of the consequences of their actions. People are shocked to realize that they can betray their country so easily."

Elizabeth lifted her head and stared into the duke's gray eyes. It occurred to him that his easy, matter of fact tone wouldn't disguise the danger of his work from her intelligent appraisal. Gervase gave a soft laugh. "My dear, I see the beginnings of hero worship in your beautiful eyes. I've told you on several occasions I'm not a good man. Please endeavor to remember it."

Elizabeth blinked and lowered her head but not before he caught the hint of a blush on her cheeks. On impulse, he bent his head and kissed her hard on the mouth. The horses jerked forward for a fraction of a second before he brought them back under his control.

When the duke reluctantly raised his head, Elizabeth sat back and straightened her bonnet before glancing up and down the wide street. The streets were clear of people at such an unfashionable hour. Gervase had checked earlier, although he still suspected they were being followed.

He clicked his teeth at the horses and the carriage started again. Elizabeth pretended to observe the scenery whilst Gervase enjoyed the warmth of her thigh pressed against his own.

"I apologize, my dear. A carriage, such as this, is not a good place to kiss a lady. I will endeavor to make it up to you later."

The horses slowed to a walk in a residential street and the duke pointed to one of the houses. "This is where Angelique lives. We will drive around to the mews and leave the carriage there."

Elizabeth's first impression of Angelique only served to increase her trepidation. As she feared, Angelique was blonde and petite and her delight in seeing the duke was obvious. She flew into his arms, chattering in such rapid French that Elizabeth could not decide whether she was scolding or praising him. A pair of miniature fluffy white dogs yapped and jumped up at the duke, adding to the confusion.

Elizabeth waited by the door, her hands clenched into fists as a most unladylike rage swept through her. She wanted to grab Angelique by the hair and pull her away from the duke. Gervase told her he disliked women who clung, but he seemed quite happy to allow Angelique to wrinkle his coat sleeve and stroke his cheek without complaint.

Determined not to be ignored for a moment longer, Elizabeth cleared her throat. Angelique stopped speaking long enough to look around at Elizabeth and fire a quick question at the duke. To Elizabeth's relief, the duke disengaged himself from Angelique and came back to her.

"May I present Miss Elizabeth Waterstone, Angelique? I'm certain the two of you will have a lot in common."

Angelique gasped and her hand flew to her cheek. "You are the lady who knocked him out with the clock?" Her French accent was far more pronounced than the duke's. Her face wreathed in smiles as she skipped forward and gave Elizabeth a warm scented hug. "I only wish I had been there to see it. The mighty Duke of Diable Delamere stopped in his tracks by a slip of a girl."

Elizabeth could not help but join in Angelique's laughter and her antagonism faded. Any woman who could make fun of the duke was certainly worth knowing. She glanced across at Gervase, who seemed unperturbed by their shared laughter, and found herself smiling at him. He gave her a lazy wink as Angelique linked her arm through Elizabeth's and walked through to a prettily decorated sitting room.

Tea arrived and Elizabeth accepted a cup from Angelique and allowed her gaze to wander over her surroundings. It was, perhaps, a trifle cluttered for her taste. Every surface bore several ornaments or pictures or lace bows. The walls were papered with overblown pink roses and the elaborately swagged and tailed curtains were striped rose and white satin. It was just how she had imagined a courtesan's house would be and Angelique fit perfectly into the gilded, feminine setting.

On that thought she glanced sharply at the duke, who sat at his ease, a cup balanced on his buckskin-clad knee, the two dogs fawning at his feet. In her experience, nothing was ever quite as it seemed when it came to the Duke of Diable Delamere.

"Gervase, darling, you have to do something."

Angelique's worried voice intruded on Elizabeth's thoughts and she turned to listen.

The duke bent to stroke one of the dogs. "What do you suggest I do, Angelique? I can't stop you from gambling. If you choose to pledge something that is valuable to you, then you must be prepared to lose it."

Angelique heaved a dramatic sigh and her bosom threatened to spill out of her low-cut bodice. "You are being deliberately unhelpful. I never gamble for the fun of it. I did it for you. The man, that pig, who relieved me of my bracelet was cheating, I know it."

The duke sat up and placed his cup on the table. "Ah, now you begin to interest me."

Angelique went to speak and then glanced at Elizabeth.

"You don't need to worry about Elizabeth, Angelique. She is already involved. She has broken Le Fleur's code."

Angelique clasped her hands together and gazed at Elizabeth as though she had discovered the Holy Grail.

"Oh my goodness, you are indeed a prize." Angelique said. "How ever did Gervase find you?"

"We have no time to go into that now. Tell me what happened when you lost your bracelet."

"I went to that new gaming house on Pall Mall as you instructed and spent most of the evening playing picquet." She frowned and fingered her wrist as though she still missed her bracelet. "I knew fairly soon that I was being fleeced, but I allowed it in the hope that I would be able to work out how it was being done."

She sighed. "Before I knew it, I had pledged my bracelet and lost it. I decided at that point it would be wise to stop."

"What else did they want from you?"

"A night in my bed and the opportunity to enrage you, I suspect." She turned to Elizabeth. "I'm the duke's acknowledged mistress. This is not the first time they have tried to injure him through me."

"Was there anyone else there whom you recognized?"

Angelique considered, her fingertip tapping her lower lip. "I saw Sir John and Nicholas, but I assumed you had sent them."

Despite Angelique's admission, Elizabeth was now sure that the duke was not Angelique's lover. It seemed to her as though Angelique was yet another of the duke's grand illusions, a convenience necessary to establish him as a rake and another useful way for him to gather information.

Angelique's next remark recalled Elizabeth to the conversation. "The man who won my bracelet, was called..." Angelique frowned and paused as though searching for the right word. She snapped her fingers. "Ah, these silly English names. It was something to do with trees. Mr. Bush, Mr. Fir?" She got to her feet and headed for her desk. "I have it here, Gervase."

She opened a drawer and pulled out the top voucher. The duke glanced at the note and put the crumpled parchment into his pocket.

"Describe the bracelet to me, please."

Angelique heaved an exasperated sigh and put her hands on her hips. "Gervase, can you not remember anything? It was made of gold with rubies and diamonds fashioned into the shapes of hearts. You gave it to me when I first arrived in England." She smiled and blew the duke a kiss. "That is why it is so special to me."

The duke's hard face softened as he crossed to Angelique's side. "You must forgive me. I just wanted to be sure. I will never forget why I gave you the bracelet and I promise I will get it back for you." He dropped a chaste kiss on Angelique's cheek and handed her back into a chair.

"Now, before we depart, I wish to offer Elizabeth the opportunity to talk with you alone." The duke headed for the door. "I'll take the dogs into the garden. They obviously need some exercise.

Angelique frowned. "Whatever for, Gervase? I cannot help her with the code, I'm far too stupid."

The duke bowed. "Angelique, you are far from stupid, you are a jewel. Elizabeth hopes to become a courtesan and I thought you might be able to advise her." He gave Elizabeth a wicked grin and left the room, the two dogs yapping at his heels.

Angelique stared at Elizabeth, opened-mouthed, before she remembered to put her cup down. "Gervase is making fun of me again. Why would you wish to become a courtesan? You are a lady."

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed. "Perhaps the duke feels I should have another woman to talk to when he is unable to explain matters to me."

Angelique's mouth opened even wider and then she emitted a small squeak. "You are Gervase's mistress?"

"It is a little more complicated than that. He insists he won't bed me and that my job breaking code will support me instead, but how long will this war last? I need an occupation and I still believe the duke is the best person to teach me how to become an excellent courtesan." Angelique leapt up from her chair and gave Elizabeth a crushing hug. "Of course I'll help you. If Gervase thinks you are worthy of his trust, I will trust you too." She planted a kiss on Elizabeth's cheek. "I had already decided I would like you for outwitting him and now I think we might be friends." She paused and sought Elizabeth's hand.

"You understand that Gervase and I are no longer lovers? He gave me the bracelet many years ago as a thank you gift for helping his daughter Eloise escape from France. He and I are almost exactly the same age. My mother was his wet nurse and I've known him for most of my life. My family worked on one of his estates and we remained loyal to him through the revolution."

A curious sensation of relief flooded through Elizabeth as she realized she had nothing to fear from Angelique. She allowed the courtesan to pour her another cup of tea and they enjoyed a comfortable coze until the duke reappeared from the garden and took Elizabeth home.