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"Ada deserved tears She had a terribly short life"

"I agree I do agree But it’s not your fault, uilty tears"

Eleanor nodded But as there to be said about it, after all? She had liked Ada, but Ada was gone, and there was no changing that "Villiers has decided tofor you," Anne said "Though it certainly is for hi She’s not e She is best here, in the place where everyone knows her and makes allowances for her behavior Does Villiers still fancy himself as a rescuer of fair maidens?"

"I believe he fancies her as an excellent mother"

Anne snorted "This is theit at Eleanor "It’s called The Castle of Otranto I scared ht when the son of the lord was crushed to death by a monstrous helmet that falls out of the sky just before he was supposed to beto read Shakespeare’s sonnets," Eleanor said

"So boring," Anne said "Sonnets all just talk about one thing, really But this book has portraits that sighout of the clouds And now Lord Manfred is trying to divorce his wife to marry his son’s fiancée…I believe I shall just stay in bed and read the whole thing today I can’t possibly survive another night unless I’ve found out how it ends This house creaks terribly in the dark"

There was a knock on the door and Anne’s maid reentered "Do you happen to kno the duchess is feeling?" Eleanor asked her

"Her Grace had a poor night," Marie reported "But the surgeon couerite gave a great bottle of laudanum to Her Grace’s uerite told the maid to keep her that way so that the tooth can just be pulled before she wakes up"

"Oh dear," Eleanor said "But I’m sure Mother would much rather be asleep She is not fond of pain"

"Who is?" Anne said "I gather you are cla, Eleanor? I must say, that habit is just lovely, and I didn’t even pick it out lanced down at herself For al a costume that she herself had ordered The habit was made of blue ribbed silk with a deep turned-down collar behind

"I particularly like your coattails," Anne added

"Why should reed, tipping her tall hat a little farther forward over her eyes It was blue as well, and had two jaunty tassels that hung to her shoulder

"May I offer my felicitations on your betrothal to the Duke of Villiers, my lady?" Marie asked

"You may not," Anne said promptly "My sister has decided not to marry the duke"

"Those children!" Marie cried i her hands "I absolutely understand, my lady The household is convulsed"

"Convulsed?" Eleanor repeated "That seems an odd word choice"

"Popper is a very piousthree tis these children in the house and of course they’re--" She broke off

"They’re bastards," Anne put in cheerfully