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Eleanor turned away and Villiers noticed that she had a remarkably jaundiced look on her face, which wasn’t quite fair Lisette had no way of knowing the particular conversation she was interrupting

He pulled hi first at Lucinda and then at Phyllinda

Lucinda’s eyes narrowed, and Phyllinda’s eyes grew round, and Villiers thought he learned quite a lot about each of his daughters in that moment

He learned even e of the carriage, lihtly Lucinda dashed over and threw her arave Villiers a solid kick before he realized that she wanted to get down

From a safe position behind Tobias, Lucinda shook her head "You’re not our pa," she said "We’ve got the same one as Tobias He promised us, and so--"

"Sorry," Phyllinda said to Villiers, peeking around from behind Lucinda

"He is your father," Tobias said cheerfully

"Is he?" Lisette said, turning her large eyes on Villiers "My goodness, but you’re very virile, Leopold" There was a little snigger from one of the foote his face into what he iined to be a nicely paternal expression "I am your father I accidentally lost you when you were quite small, and only found you today"

"You lost both of us," Lucinda said pointedly

Phyllinda was hiding behind Lucinda, as behind Tobias "Yes," Villiers said, trying to meet Phyllinda’s eyes "I lost both of you at the same time, of course"

"Remarkably careless," Lisette put in, not helpfully

"I’m sorry," he said What else could he say? He held himself as stiffly as he always had, except it was only lately that he felt stiff Before, he just felt ducal

Tobias hauled Lucinda out from behind him "He’s not so bad," he said, so that every servant could hear hi out his life in front of the household, but this was ridiculous The sting of humiliation was practically Dantesque

He turned to Lisette "Can you summon your housekeeper to take care of these children? They need baths"

"Nonsense, I’ll bring them to the nurseryblue eyes, both girls trotted aith Lisette, as pro baths, hot soup, and Lord knehat else

Villiers walked silently into the house, drawing back to allow Eleanor to cli how s in an altogether physical way to the effect achieved by her corset

At the very top she paused "Do you knohat I keep thinking?" A wildly mischievous smile spread across her face

"Please don’t feel that you have to share it with , how art thou fallen," she said And then whisked herself off, grinning

Two could play at that gaht to his roo at herto make sure her maid wasn’t in the roo her hands, and turned around with an undignified squeak