Page 10 (2/2)

"Yes, but--"

"Now, Marks" His voice was low and guttural "Or else come back to bed, and let me finish"

She fled

Chapter Eleven

After a wretched night, Catherine fumbled for her spectacles and realized she had lost the, she sat at her dressing table and buried her face in her hands

A stupid iht dully A iven in to it

There was no one to blaiven to Leo He would torture her with this He would take every opportunity to huh not to doubt it

Catherine’s ill hued from the slipper box by her bed The ferret pushed the lid open with his head, clucked in cheerful greeting, and tugged her slipper out of the box Heaven knehere he intended to take it

"Stop that, Dodger," she said wearily, laying her head on her ar was blurry She needed her spectacles And it fully difficult to go looking for so when you couldn’t see more than two feet in front of your face Moreover, if one of the housemaids found the spectacles in Leo’s room, or God help her, in his bed, everyone would find out

Abandoning the slipper, Dodger trotted to her and stood tall, bracing his long, slender body against her knee He was shivering, which Beatrix had told her was normal for ferrets A ferret’s te was his way of war Catherine reached down to stroke hied him away "I don’t feel well," she told the ferret woefully, although there was nothing wrong with her physically

Chattering in annoyance at her rejection, Dodger turned and streaked out of the room

Catherine continued to lie with her head on the table, feeling too dreary and ashamed to move

She had slept late She could hear the sounds of footsteps and one down to breakfast?

She couldn’t possibly face hi ht A fresh swell of desire rolled through her as she thought of the way he had kissed her, the feel of his mouth on the intimate places of her body

She heard the ferret co as he did whenever he was especially pleased about soer," she said dully

But he persisted, co cylinder Glancing at hi was clamped carefully in his front teeth She blinked Slowly she reached down and took the object froesture of kindness couldto her eyes as she stroked his tiny head "I do love you, you disgusting weasel"

Clihed

Catherine dressed with painstaking care, putting extra pins in her hair, tying the sash of her gray dress a bit tighter than usual, even double-knotting the laces of her sensible ankle boots As if she could contain herself so thoroughly that nothing could stray loose Not even her thoughts

Entering the breakfast roo toast to baby Rye, as gu," Catherineto pour a cup of tea at the saht The new tooth hasn’t come yet?"

"Not yet," Amelia said ruefully "I’m sorry he disturbed your sleep, Catherine"

"Oh, he didn’t bother ht"

"It must have been for Lord Ralanced at her quickly, but thankfully there see in the comment She tried to keep her expression neutral "Oh? I hope he is well this h, but he’s unusually quiet Preoccupied" Amelia made a face "I suppose it didn’t i to hold the ball in one reat care, Catherine asked, "Will you tell people that the event is for the purpose of finding a bride for Lord Rarinned "No, even I areatwomen have been invited And of course, et"

"I’ to sound offhand, when inside she was filled with despair

She realized she would not be able to stay with the Hathaway family if or when Leo ht of him with another woman Especially if she made him happy

"Oh, it’s simple," Amelia said impishly "Lord Ramsay is a peer with a full head of hair and all his teeth, and he is still in his procreating years And if he weren’t "

"He’s very handso, and flushed as Alance

She applied herself to drinking her tea, nibbled at a breakfast roll, and left in search of Beatrix It was ti studies

Catherine and Beatrix had settled on a pattern, beginning their lessons with a fewthe rest of theon subjects such as history, philosophy, even science Beatrix had longladiesthem suitable wives and mothers Now Catherine felt that she and Beatrix had becoh Catherine had never had the privilege of ht that both of them, particularly Mr Hathaould have been pleased by their children’s accomplishments The Hathaere an intellectual family, all of them easily able to discuss a subject or issue on an abstract level And there was soinative leaps and connections between disparate subjects

One evening, for example, the discussion at dinner had centered on news of an aerial steaned by a Sofellow It didn’t work, of couse, but the idea was fascinating During the debate about whether or not ht ever be able to fly in a ht up Greek dom, French philosophy, and the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci Trying to follow the discussion had very nearly been dizzying

Privately Catherine had worried about whether such conversational pyrotechnics would put off potential suitors for Poppy and Beatrix And in the case of Poppy, it had indeed turned out to be problematic At least until she had met Harry

However, when Catherine had tried to delicately raise the issue with Cam Rohan early on in her employment, he had been very decided in his reply

"No, Miss Marks, don’t try to change Poppy or Beatrix," Cam had told her "It wouldn’t work, and it would only make them unhappy Just help them learn how to behave in society, and how to talk about nothing, as the gadjos do"

"In other words," Catherine had said wryly, "you want them to have the appearance of propriety, but you don’t wish for thehted by her understanding "Exactly"