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Her mother appeared stunned into silence, so Eleanor put in, "Surely you remember that Lady Lisette is an enthusiastic painter, Mother"

"Oh, please, no ladies here," Lisette said She waved her fingers in the air and they saw that they were splotched with red, blue, and purple "I have been painting backdrops for a village play I can find you a role, if you’d like"

Eleanor couldn’t help s That was just like Lisette She would hop out of a seven-hour carriage ride and throw herself into painting backdrops, and it wouldn’t occur to her that others er

"I arden," Lisette said "I’ll look forward to dining together Popper, do put our guests somewhere, won’t you?" Without further ado, she turned and left

Her mother’s face contorted in such a ht of Lisette’s ain "If I’d known you were co, Your Grace, I would have made sure that the house was decent"

"If you would be so good as to allow me to retire," the duchess stated with a quiet ferocity "I have a powerful headache co to do with the reek of paint in this house And I’ll thank you to take those sheets down, Popper I hardly think Lady Marguerite would approve"

"Yes, Your Grace," Popper said "Of course, Your Grace Please, follow me"

A few minutes later Eleanor, Anne, and Popper tiptoed out of the duchess’s bedcha her in the tender care of twovarious restorative powders

"I’," Popper said anxiously, as he and Eleanor walked down the corridor, having deposited Anne in a room next to their mother "We don’t often have visitors, and many of the rooms are draped in Holland cloths I shall remove the sheets iue’s face!" He shuddered "I arrived here fronorant of a well-ordered household"

"Of course not," Eleanor said soothingly She had a sudden thought "I do believe that the Duke of Villiers may pay Lady Lisette a visit today or toht want to prepare another chamber"

He turned even paler, if that were possible "And her aunt’s gone visiting! Perhaps I’ll send a note to Lady Marguerite and beg her to return this very evening"

"Likely a good idea," Eleanor agreed "Would you ht tohis hands again "A dog? There is a dog?"

"Yes," she said "My dog He’s a sroomsmen has him, no doubt"

The butler took a step closer "If you don’tso, Lady Eleanor…"

Eleanor put on herexpression, and Mr Popper shifted back ihtened by dogs"

"She won’t be afraid of Oyster He’s a pug, the kind that doesn’t grow very big He’ll be far more afraid of Lisette than she will be of him Everyone loves Oyster" She waved him off toward the stairs