“Oh, is that so?” she said politely.
Helen’s grin widened. “Well, as you know,” she began, “I have not traveled to many places. I grew up in my small Northern city, and then I moved to London. Since we’ve been married, Xander and I have traveled back and forth between town and the estate, but we haven’t been to many other places.”
Letitia hummed a vague acknowledgment. She had traveled plenty and had not found much worth recommending about it. But she supposed that taking a trip for pleasure funded by a wealthy duke was far better than riding the mail coach.
“Doing a whole Grand Tour would likely be too much, even with the children a bit older,” Helen went on. It was clear that she was partially chattering for her own entertainment, her smile dreamy and excited as she discussed her plans. “But we thought they were big enough for us to spend a year somewhere new. And, of course, we would ask that you come with us.”
Letitia’s smile came a bit more easily after that. Were they just going to live in another place for a year? It sounded like madness to her, of course, but even kind and well-meaning aristocratswere a little bit mad, in her experience. If she had a house like theirs, she would never leave.
“That sounds lovely,” she said.
“And of course you will be compensated for the inconvenience,” Helen hastened to add. If Letitia’s smile had been at all reluctant before, that disappeared. She was already well-paid for her job as a governess to the children, but more money would change so much, both for her and for Sarah?—
“But you haven’t even asked where we’re going,” Helen continued, interrupting Letty’s train of thought. “Do you want to guess?”
Well… no. Letitia didn’t want to guess. But Helen really was being so kind about this, asking Letty if she wanted to come along, offering to pay her more. Most employers wouldn’t have done that. Most aristocrats thought that servants existed only to please their employers and dragged them hither and yonder without any consideration. Also, the duchess was clearly so delighted that it would have been unkind to ruin her fun.
“Um, France?” Letty ventured. “Paris? Or maybe Marseilles?”
Helen shook her head. “No. Try again.”
Hm. Too bad.Letitia spoke French. It would have made the year much more pleasant.
“Greece?” she tried. The ancient ruins were very popular with English aristocratic travelers, she’d heard, and the Lightholders had a long history with the myths of old.
Another head shake.
Letitia racked her brain. Oh, goodness, they weren’t going to drag her halfway around the world, were they? She didn’t fancy spending months at a time on a ship.
Out of sheer optimism, she guessed something a little bit closer to home.
“Scotland?” It wouldn’t be a typical choice for adventuring nobility, but Helen wasn’t a typical duchess. And she was from the North. Maybe she loved it. Maybe she wanted to go evenfurthernorth…
But Helen was still shaking her head, a curl bobbing in front of her amber eyes.
“Nay,” she said, her accent thickened by her eagerness. “It’s actually somewhere you’ve already been! Since the Lightholders have a great aunt there, we’ve decided to spend some time with her.”
Letitia’s stomach plunged. She knew what was coming next, but something frantic and desperate inside her prayed that Helen wasn’t about to say it.
When have my prayers ever been answered?
Helen looked thrilled as she pronounced the words that determined Letty’s fate.
“We are going to Belgium!”
CHAPTER 2
Even though Ezra Swifton, the Duke of Rutley, made a habit of distancing himself from his extended family, every now and again, he had to admit that thereweresome perks to being associated with the Lightholders.
“Play your card, Tilford,” he said icily to the lord sitting across from him.
“Don’t rush a man, Rutley.” Tilford was trying to sound light and casual, but the bloom of sweat on his forehead gleamed in the lamplight.
Ezra pressed his lips together against his smile. Good. This was precisely where he wanted his opponent.
Lord Tilford was a habitual gamer, but a wholly unimpressive one, with little to commend him in the way of rank, wealth, or connections. Thus, he’d been practically beside himself when Ezra—a duke, one associated with theso powerfulbloodyLightholders—had asked him to play a round in a private room. Such a thing was easy enough to obtain, since Ezra possessed rank, wealth,andconnections. Notably, the owner of this club was his cousin, Hugh.
Ezra had plied Tilford with drink and charming conversation to start.
