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The fact that he kept thinking about Eleanor, and the way she uttered those absurd little noises when she kissed him…that was unacceptable

He had made his bed the moment he allowed Tobias to be conceived He couldn’t undo those wrongs after all these years, but he couldsomeone based on lust

Because da about herthe way he bent over her on the balcony, and her bottom tucked--

He woke to hith of his mouth "Really, Leopold," she said a bit querulously "I know that you have a man’s desires, but there’s no need to be ith of hishihts of another He had horrified hiain," he stated "I apologize"

Lisette dith of your--" She coughed delicately "--desire I have seen you looking at Eleanor and I thought perhaps you had feelings for her"

"The decision not toout lad to hear that!" Lisette said, her diain "Not that I would normally worry about competition, but Eleanor is so witty And she has a kind of je ne sais quoi that makes her very attractive to men"

"I know"

"And," Lisette continued, "she’s truly intelligent When ere all children here we used to have chess tournaments and she alon She would beat her brother and my father as well"

"Chess?" Villiers said "She plays chess?"

"Didn’t you know? I thought Marguerite told me once that you have quite a penchant for it yourself, don’t you?"

"You could say that," he said Since he was one of the three top players in the kingdoood chess player So she taught everyone chess in the suanize us into tournah theA carriage had just drawn up, but he couldn’t see if it had a crest on the door

"Rosamund Patton," Lisette said "Have you ever met her?"

"I’ve played Mrs Patton at the Chess Club," Villiers said "She was the only woman who had won entrance to the club until very recently, when the Duchess of Beaumont won a place"

"Well, if that’s the case, I’m sure that Eleanor could do the same She used to beat Rosamund all the tient woman I know"

"I think that you are one of the nicest wo a kiss on her mouth "There aren’t many ladies ould praise another woman the way you do"

Lisette’s whole face lit up when she smiled "Women can be so silly to each other! Men are easy to come by, but female friends are not Goodness, look at that! We have another visitor" She clapped her hands, ju to her feet "What fun this is! I haven’t had visitors for apeople"

"There’s a crest on the carriage door," Villiers said

"Oh well, then I expect it’s Astley," Lisette said

"What?"

She turned to look at him "The Duke of Astley, of course Didn’t you hear at dinner last night? His wife has died He will have corabbed her arrip and then she bestowed a smile on him "I said, it’s the Duke of Astley, coot You probably don’t know They were in love as children And then he was forced to marry a woman named Ada That was so sad"