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"A spouse?" Eleanor still felt so shaken by her conversation with her sister that she could hardly forht of herself as presenting a inal But Anneold maid

"A spouse of a certain rank," Villiers qualified

Eleanor felt a sto qualm of embarrassment and took recourse in sarcasainst such criteria as the weight of a sow, or the brains of a poodle"

"In truth, I would rather not ence than the aforementioned Oyster"

"I never pee on the floor when irritated," Eleanor told him

"You can have no idea how pleased I am to hear that," Villiers said Perhaps his eyes weren’t quite as frosty as they first appeared "In that case, I have no cause to query the intelligence of our future offspring"

Her sister rong She could talk toat them Absolutely she could "You play chess, don’t you?" she ventured It was one of the few things she knew about Villiers: that he was ranked number one in the London Chess Club

"Yes Do you?"

"I used to play with "

"Viscount Gosset? He’s a decent player"

Eleanor personally thought that her brother was a terrible player, but she smiled anyway

"I am more curious about why you set your cap for a duke, to use the vulgar phrase," Villiers said "When I first heard of your requirement, I assumed you were driven by pride But you don’t appear to be quite as high in the instep as a young woht Her foolish coed a ses are a matter of precedence and fiscal responsibility Since I a less practical, I decided quite early that I would like to marry a duke"

"Admirably succinct"

If quite untrue Eleanor raised an eyebrow "And you? Why do you care for the status of your wife, given that you will e?"

He looked her directly in the face "I have six illegitimate children"

Eleanor felt her ether Was she supposed to congratulate him? "Oh," she ventured

"I wish to marry someone ill not only mother my bastards, but launch them into proper society when the appropriate time comes The Beaumonts have assured me that no woman below your rank will be able to cow the ton to the extent that I demand You needn’t look so surprised I assure you thatraised in the country"

There was so about the way he paused after that, as if expecting her to screaather you have led a life of rather extraordinary dissipation"

"I’," she observed

"I see you’re not expecting to charm your way into a title"

"Given your faree that the burden of chariti one of their mothers"

"More than one mother is involved?"

"Dear, dear," Villiers said "That was al solanced to one side, only towith the Earl of Bisselbate Of course, theirto iven the rumors about Villiers’s hunt for a wife She threw the couple a stiff smile and tucked her hand into the duke’s ar of your h away to be out of earshot

"Oh, they are," he said "Four mistresses Have you examined the baths yet?"