Lessons in French (4 page)

dear—" She turned and gave Callie a wistful look. "You have been such a friend to us

these years."

Callie lowered her face. "It's my pleasure to do what I can."

"The whole town has felt your kindness. But my family—you have been good to us

beyond any hope that we… can repay you."

"Indeed, no, ma'am. Don't speak of repayment. Please do eat a little more!"

"I know your father did not approve of—any intimacy, may God bless him," Madame

said. "I didn't blame him."

Callie had been fifteen when the émigré family moved into Dove House. Her father had

been willing enough for her to take lessons to improve her French with Madame and her

daughter, but in his curt summation, whatever wealth and rank the Monceaux had held

before the Revolution, by the time they reached Shelford they were living upon little but

pride and thin air, however refined it might be. And when her papa had discovered,

somewhat belatedly, that a handsome son of Callie's own age had returned from school to

live with his grandfather and mother and sisters, the earl's coolness congealed to ice. The

French lessons at Dove House had ceased.

At least to her father's knowledge. Callie had taken some further lessons at Dove

House—if not entirely in French.

"That was long ago," she said. She sat down on the chair beside the bed and locked her

fingers together nervously.

Madame took several slow bites, pausing for breath between each one. "I thought

once—" She gazed down at her tray. "I thought—perhaps—I detected an attachment

between you and Trevelyan."

"Oh no!" Callie said instinctively. She held herself rigid. Madame had never mentioned

such a thing before.

"Ah—I am full of nonsense in my head tonight." She smiled a little. "It was long ago,

as you say."

Callie sat mute, unable to steer between the treacherous shoals of conversation she

perceived threatening on each side. She wondered if taking recourse to the sal volatile

and burned feathers on the nightstand would help.

"I do think he has matured well, do you not?" Madame said faintly. "Though he took a

fall from a horse, he told me—such a shame, that it has marked his face. He was always a

perfect Adonis." She drew a hoarse breath. "So says his doting maman!"

"Is the pudding sweetened to your taste, ma'am?" Callie said in a stifled voice. "It's

from Mrs. Adam. Tomorrow we'll see into procuring a woman to cook."

"So good she is, Mrs. Adam! She has warned me again and again against Mrs. Easley,

but—you know— she is not such a bad woman, after all." Her voice trailed off into a

small cough.

Callie did not need to be told that Mrs. Easley had been all the cook that Dove House

could afford. "I'm sure that we can find someone more suitable, now that your son has

returned." She was a little vexed that every subject seemed to lead back to Trev, but it

was hard not to be glad at the look of relief on Madame's pale countenance.

"Oh yes—everything is so much better now!" the duchesse said.

"I'll make inquiries directly. And until we locate someone, we can very well spare the

undercook and a maid from the Hall." Callie paused. "If Lady Shelford approves," she

added belatedly, recalling that she no longer had charge of the housekeeping staff at

Shelford Hall.

"Do not trouble yourselves at Shelford! Trevelyan will—" Madame lost her sentence in

a fit of coughing. It grew worse, lasting so long that the tray shook and the Frenchwoman

struggled for air.

Callie finally took the tray and helped Madame to lie down, keeping her own

countenance calm with an effort. Hardly a spoonful of the pudding had been eaten, and

every gasp seemed weaker. Madame lifted her lashes when the spell at last diminished,

clutching the coverlet.

"Oh, Callie," she whispered with a faint sound of despair. "I don't want to leave him all

alone."

"Rest now," Callie said, stroking her forehead gently.

The duchesse closed her eyes. She breathed shallowly, her lips working as if she would

say more. But she sighed instead, holding on to Callie's hand. A single tear slid down the

side of her face.

Callie stopped in the kitchen door, still startled at the sight of him, even though she

should have been perfectly prepared. He sat at the kitchen table, watching Lilly measure

tea into the pot, but he sprang up as Callie entered.

"Jacques! The tray." He glanced at a mountainous man who stood wedged between the

table and a sideboard. "She didn't eat well?"

"Not very well," Callie admitted quietly, surrendering the tray to the scarred and

gnarled hands of his hulking servant. "Lilly, you needn't carry up the tea after all. She's

lain down to sleep now."

"Bring it to the parlor," Trevelyan said. "There's a fire started there."

Callie had been about to see if she might discover some supper for him, but he was

already at her elbow with a light touch that had resolve in it. She glanced about quickly

for Lilly as she found herself propelled up the short stairs and across the dark hall to the

parlor. She did not really think he was going to despoil and plunder her person, or

anything nearly so interesting, but the town of Shelford would be honor-bound to assume

so, having exhausted the latest volumes of
The Lady's Magazine
and
La Belle Assemblée,

and being in grave want of a fresh topic of conversation.

In the firelit room, he set the chairs back from the hearth. "I beg your pardon. I hope

you may draw a breath in here," he said. "I don't remember that the chimney used to

smoke this way." He placed a chair for her. "I won't keep you long, I promise. Miss Lilly,

you'll remain with us after you pour out the tea."

"Yes, sir." Lilly curtsied willingly. Mrs. Adam's pert maidservant was not always so

eager to oblige, but she was clearly enthralled by a handsome gentleman who called her

"Miss."

Callie was fully conscious of the master stroke he delivered in complimenting the maid

and openly ordering her to remain as chaperone. Lilly was sure to portray it in a positive

light to Mrs. Adam. From there it would be passed to all the society of Shelford who

might be supposed to have any business to comment upon Lady Callista's concerns. This

comprised a large circle, even discounting the goats.

His manners could be faultless when he cared to exercise them—a strict grandfather of

the ancien régime and a gracious mother had seen to that. He perfectly comprehended the

most arcane demands of courtesy, even if he had always been equally pleased to

disregard them at his whim.

"Lady Callista—tell me—what do you think?" he asked bluntly as he sat down.

Callie bit her lip. "She's very happy that you're here."

He made a sound in his throat, a half-angry laugh. "Overdue as I am, you mean. God

forgive me." He closed his hands on the arms of the chair for an instant and then said, "I'll

summon a medical man from London tomorrow. What can some country surgeon know?"

Callie only nodded, watching Lilly pour the tea. She feared that another physician could

do no more than ease the way a little, but she did not wish to say so.

"Please, if you can aid me in finding some staff— the expense is no object," he said. "A

housekeeper and cook and some maids. And someone who can coax this abominable

chimney to draw. Whatever is required. I wish the best that can be had, but I have no

notion how to discover them."

"Of course. I'll commence to look directly in the morning. We can find a temporary

cook and a maid in a few days, I think," Callie said. "But the neighborhood is thin of

help, I fear. A good housekeeper may take some weeks to procure."

"Weeks!" he said.

"In the meantime, I'll make certain that things are managed better here."

He looked up at her. Callie met his eyes for just an instant. She saw the same f lash of

knowledge and despair that she had seen in his mother's face. "I would be grateful," he

said. "What an insufficient word."

"I'm truly glad if I can be of use," she said. "I haven't many duties to engage me at

home now."

"No? But surely you're busy at Shelford Hall."

She gave a small shrug. "Lady Shelford wishes me to have more leisure since my father

died, and not fatigue myself with concerns about the staff."

"I see." His mouth flattened. "She's jealous of you there."

As ever, he said outright what Callie kept concealed and shrouded in her heart. It was

like a lifting of a burden she had not realized she carried, to have someone who

understood. She could not agree with him openly, not in front of Lilly, but she gave him

an appreciative glance.

"I can't conceive of anyone who could manage Shelford better than you, my lady," he

said. "But doubtless that's what vexes her."

Callie felt the splotches coming to her cheeks. "I don't fault her. Truly, it's confusing for

the servants, to have two mistresses."

"I suppose. Still, if she feels that she can spare you, then her foolishness is our gain, if

you'll turn your excellent talents to us."

"I'll be glad to do all I can," she said. She lifted her eyes long enough for a quick smile

and lowered them before he could perceive the rush of gratification that she felt at his

words.

They sat for a moment without looking at one another. Callie sipped her tea. She was

vividly aware of Lilly in the chair behind her. She suddenly found a hundred things she

wished to say to him, questions to ask, where he had been and what he done. She

struggled for a commonplace to fill the silence, but commonplaces always eluded her.

"You remain at Shelford, then?" he asked at last.

"Only until my sister marries. Then I'll go with her, to keep her company."

He stood up suddenly. "Forgive me, but that is a precious waste."

She shook her head. "It's what I wish."

"To leave Shelford Hall? But, Callie—"

"It is what I wish," she said firmly. "And Hermione has promised she will not marry

any gentleman who won't allow me to bring my bulls." She paused, realizing how

unseemly that had no doubt sounded, and felt the red splotches bloom brighter on her

cheeks. "Pardon me," she said. "But—you know what I mean." She blinked and averted

her gaze in embarrassment, seizing the opportunity to stare into the dregs of her teacup

and wonder what the scenery would be like in the outer reaches of Mongolia, if God

would only answer her prayer and transport her there at once.

"Yes, I know what you mean," he said. His voice held a hint of a smile. "Tell me, how

does the magnificent Monsieur Rupert go on these days?"

"Rupert has passed away," she said, on firmer conversational ground there.

"God rest him." He clasped his hands behind his back. "I'm sincerely sorry to hear it. I

was hoping to see him again."

She lifted her eyes, surprised at the note of genuine regret in his voice. "Thank you. But

he was upward of eighteen years, you know, and had a good and fruitful life. I've kept

two of his sons, and a particularly promising grandson. In fact Hubert has developed so

well that I didn't even enter him at the Bromyard fair this year, because he's taken first

premium there once already. We're going directly to the county exhibition at Hereford

next week."

"Directly to Hereford. Indeed!"

"Yes, and I feel certain he'll win one of the silver goblets." Her voice gained

confidence. "His sire took first place last year among the Bulls of Any Breed, and Hubert

is a finer animal on several counts. Only—I'm hoping that Hermione's husband will like

them all."

"The man would be a fool not to adore them, I'm sure."

"Well, he need not write poetry to them," she admitted. "Some good pasturage will be

sufficient."

"No love poems, of course," he said gravely. "He wouldn't wish to make Lady

Hermione jealous. But surely an ode would be appropriate?"

She felt a smile lurking at the corners of her mouth. She pressed her lips together to

conquer the quiver and put down her cup. If only he would not look at her quite so, with

that gleam in his dark eyes. It had always made her think foolish, outrageous things. "I

should see if there are any eggs to be had for your supper. I believe Madame said there

was a hen nesting under the rosebush when I called last month."

"No, I'm already a devil to keep you so long. It's far too late for you to be tangling

among thorns and sulky chickens," he said. "Jacques will drive you home, and I'll lie

awake and pine until you return. So do not tarry long, my lady."

Callie stood up. "You've had no supper."

"Not for the first time. I promise you won't find me expired of hunger, as long as you

return promptly at sunrise. Or a little earlier, if you can manage it." He gave her a hopeful

look. "Say, five or ten minutes from now?"

She shook her head slightly, trying to remind him of Lilly. It was impossible that he

meant anything by such absurd things as he always said—she should know that well

enough—but still she could feel her thought less heart f lame with long-silent memories.

His carriage held the scent of him. Even after he had closed the door and stood away,

after the driver had clucked to the horses and the carriage began to roll, in the dark

interior of the vehicle she breathed a faint perception of his presence, a hint of