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The warm contralto voice settled it This was a woman
Re his manners, but not that he was noearh, Marcus shot to his feet to make the necessary courtesies to a , and one of the padded arave a sharp crack
“It’s a baby!” she cooed, blue eyes round in amazement
Definitely female Marcus bowed
“Whyever are you doing that?” she asked in strangely accented English “You ?”
“Le bébé est ah he’d bitten into so sour
“How useful,” she declared “The family doesn’t have one of them”
“I’m Mar—Gale—Chaun—” Marcus trailed into confused silence and then regrouped “I’m Matthew’s”
“Yes, I know You still reek of him” She extended her arm, bent at the elbow, palm open “I’m Freyja de Clermont Your aunt You may call me Fanny”
Marcus took Fanny’s elbow, and she took his Her grip was fir to take Marcus some time to absorb the concept—never mind the reality—of female wearhs Women were meant to be soft and sweet, in need of nurture and protection Neither Fanny—Freyja suited her far better, Marcus thought—nor Françoise fit this description Gallowglass’s strict instructions that Marcus never play cards with his aunt made abundant sense now that he’d met her
“Is Mattheith you?” Fanny asked
“No The chevalier is at Yorktown, ending the war,” Marcus replied He still couldn’t call de Clermont by his Christian name
“Oh, the war is over At least that’s what all the papers say” Fanny deposited her hat, cron, upon a mountain of flour
Marcus expected this to draw a sharp rebuke fro at Fanny with adoration
“Have you supped, Made allwith Monsieur Franklin Antoine is in the stables I could send him to your room? Or Guy, if you prefer?”
“I’ll haveher options “I believe I would like Josette”
Charles bustled off to e of Fanny’s words Surely, she didn’t plan on—
“I often crave so sweet at this hour,” Fanny explained
Fanny was going to feed off Josette In bed What else ination Fanny sniffed the air and smiled
“You can have her when I’enerous, dear girl” Fanny sat in the wing chair Marcus had vacated, resting her booted feet on the fireplace’s stone surround This sent her skirts sliding toward her hips, revealing a long, shapely pair of legs “You’re terribly young to be so far from your sire”
“I a to think of his age in tere He sat gingerly on the edge of the bin that held wood for the fire
“No wonder you are having licentious thoughts You must explore them,” Fanny commented, “if you expect to achieve self-er with Matthew He would raise you as a ress omen”
That was precisely what had happened in Pittsfield, where Marcus had been slavering for a taste of a young woman but had had to make do with a rum-soaked male instead
“Matthew says I mustn’t feed off woer He says—”
Fanny hushed hiesture common to the soldiers of the Philadelphia Associators
“It is terribly fortunate for you, then, that Matthew is not here We are living in a different time, a different world We must embrace carnality, not flee from it”
Marcus was now so hard it was painful, his desire fueled by Fanny’s libertine ideas These days, his lust was as bottomless as his other appetites On the Aréthuse, even the snap of the canvas had prohts
Charles delivered an aro your bath, mademoiselle”
“Have her take a long soak and wait for h “The hot water will bring all the blood rushing to the surface of her skin, and put her in a more relaxed state”
Marcus filed Fanny’s wisdoive himself more room
“So Tell o with Far?” Fanny fixed her frosty blue eyes on Marcus
Marcus had no idea who Far was He shrugged Fanny’s expression turned sympathetic
“Give Philippe time” Fanny reached over and patted hiured out what use you are to hiiven you names, he will thaw Until then, you will stay with me I will teach you how to be a wearh—and do a far better job than Mattheould have done Even Far will be astonished at what I have achieved”
Marcus bit back a sigh of relief He wasn’t sure Fanny would make a better parent, but he was confident she would —not to mention pleasurable—experience
—
FANNY EMBRACED THE CHALLENGE of Marcus’s education with enthusias hts with reading and writing
Still, Fanny fretted about how Marcusshe could to see him become a credit to the family
“We must occupy your ht “Otherwise you ht slip into ennui and come out jaded like e to a friend She will have marvelous ideas about how to perfect you”
Stéphanie Félicité du Crest de Saint-Aubin, Comtesse de Genlis, received Fanny’s cry for help and left the opera at once to lend assistance She arrived like a spring sunset, swathed in lavender and blue silk, sparkling with tinsel braid, and topped with a powdered, puffed wig that reseh a pair of spectacles worn around her neck on a sky-blue ribbon
“A relish, once her examination was complete
“Yes, but he is still an infant,” Freyja said sadly “WeMonsieur Marcus to htaway”
Together, Fanny and Mada off questions and colish (the questions) and French (the co to anticipate whether the next topic would be his experience oly poor), or his manners (quaintly old-fashioned, but really heto servants)
“It is a very good thing Le Bébé doesn’t require sleep,” Madaht and day, he ht be ready to meet your father le comte at midsummer”
“We do not have six months, Stéphanie,” Fanny said
“You will be lucky to have six days” was Françoise’s dour prediction
“Six jours!” Mada! Talk to Madaet Philippe and Ysabeau out of Paris Perhaps they could go to court?”
“Ysabeau hates Versailles Besides, news travels between Paris and the palace too quickly,” Fanny fretted
“Surely they would enjoy spending the winter est it, Fanny,” Madame de Genlis insisted
“Father would knoas up to no good,” Fanny said “No, Stéphanie, we must be brave and ruthless, and teach Le Bébé all we can as quickly as we can The fear of discovery will sharpen our focus and enliven us to new possibilities Energy and persistence will conquer all obstacles, as Dr Franklin says!” arm contralto voice settled it This was a woman