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"Your Grace," he said, swinging into a deep bow like a marionette "This is such a pleasure, such a pleasure I’m afraid that the Duke of Gilner is not at hoe"
"Absolutely not," Eleanor’s mother declared with a wave of the hand "I didn’t co more than a pleasant little visit, a matter of a few days at the most Between friends"
Because the butler was still blinking at her rather than escorting them directly into the house, she said, "Lady Lisette is in residence, is she not?"
"Of course," he said, "but I’ a visit to a relative She’ll be back to us to our chambers so that we can refresh ourselves after this journey," the duchess commanded "It may be only a few hours from London, but you would not countenance the dust At one point I thought I was sure to suffocate"
Eleanor was interested to see how distressed the butler appeared to be He was literally wringing his hands "Perhaps there are no free chambers?" she inquired
He rushed into speech Apparently, there were uerite’s absence--
Her mother lost her patience immediately and waved him quiet "Eleanor, did I not instruct you to write a note announcing our visit?"
"I did, Mother Perhaps Lady Lisette neglected to infor the butler a sh to escort us to soood man," the duchess said before he could answer "I a words with a butler in the open air!"
The man tore back up the stairs as if the devil were behind hi a phalanx of groo their trunks, the sheer number of which belied the question of a visit of a mere day or two
The moment they entered the house the source of the butler’s distress becaanized, the entrance hall was a juraceful circle stretching to the second floor, which was encircled by a banister But at theas an i with sheets that swayed in the breeze of the open door
"An odd way toin a stately circle and craning her neck "I can’t say I recoracefully unclean What is your name?"
"Popper, Your Grace," the butler said, looking miserable "They’re not laundry, Your Grace, but backdrops for the play"
"Those appear to be trees," Eleanor said, pointing to a sheet ht have represented a forest in a high wind
Her mother narrowed her eyes "More likely a field of carrot tops"
A peal of laughter answered her, and they all looked up and saw Lisette lightly running down the stairs For a ave a little wave She hadn’t seen Lisette in seven or eight years, but if anything, she had grown only more exquisite Eleanor had always envied her hair; it was pale, pale blond, and naturally forlets Her face was the peaceful oval of a medieval madonna Most of the tiave Eleanor a hug, and another hug She turned with a similar cry to Anne
The duchess stiffened at the first hug, and becaid by the third When Lisette finally dropped her arms from Anne, Eleanor said hastily, "My ue"
"It’s been years, hasn’t it?" Lisette said, s at the duchess with sunny charet such a beautiful chin as you have, Your Grace Your skin has loosened slightly, around the jowls, but really, hardly at all"