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being few practiced in New South Wales, I gather.”
“But she knows her manners. She was wellborn and well bred,” Daffyd said. “That was why Tanner insisted on marrying her soon as he clapped eyes on her. Pretty females are rare on a prison ship. He could have used her and passed her along for profit. That was done. But beautiful, innocent, and wellborn? If her damned fool of a father hadn’t alienated his family years before, she’d never have been there at all. Tanner seizedthe opportunity. He grabbed her and wouldn’t let go. He knew what he had. A real rarity.”
“Yes. Precisely,” Leland drawled. “She may have fallen into some sloppy speech patterns, but she knows how to speak and behave. Still, Geoff’s like a mother hen with her. If he were merely paternal, I wouldn’t worry. I’m not at all convinced that’s it. And if you were secretly amused a moment ago because you think I am slain by her big brown eyes,” he added too lightly, “I assure you I am not. She never turns them on me anyway.”
Daffyd’s eyes searched his. “And does that rankle? You’re famous for your taste in females, and as you say, she’s tasty. Are you annoyed because she ignores you?” The haughty look he received in return made him laugh. “Don’t give me your famous offended camel look. I don’t understand her overlooking you. I don’t know how you do it, but you usually get any female you want. And she doesn’t notice you at all? Really? Wait. Have you been nice or have you been your famous ‘Viscount Too Cruel,’ as that caricature put it? Be honest.”
“That ridiculous caricature?” Leland asked. “Really, no one’s nose is that long! Well, Welling-ton’s maybe. But Rowlandson drew that because he owed me money and was angry about it. The man’s a genius with his pen, but he should never bet on anything when he’s drunk. Actually, that means he should never bet. At any rate, I haven’t been cruel or kind, and it wouldn’t matter if Iwere. As I said, her eyes slide off me. She can only see Geoff.”
“Then it’s time for me to have a look,” Daffyd agreed. “I’ll get to the bottom of it. I doubt she’s up to anything underhanded, but it’s impossible to fool another old flimflammer, which is what I am.”
“Was,” his half brother corrected him. “And I’m not?” he added, sounding offended.
“You have some scruples, Lee. They’ll be the ruin of you, too, if you don’t watch out.”
They laughed. But they looked pleased, too. They nodded at each other, because whatever the outcome, at least they would be working together.
Chapter 5
“I want a gold gown,” Daisy told the dressmaker. “Not the one you showed me the other day. Not precisely, that is. I loved it, but I don’t want Viscount Haye sneering at me all night. You heard how he felt about how revealing it was, or at least how it would be for me. But I’ve been invited to dinner with him and the earl tonight. They said they have a surprise, an old friend come to see me, and so I want to look wonderful! I know there isn’t much time and so I thought if you could alter a gown that was already made up? That one was so lovely. Oh, please, madame, say you can somehow make it acceptable for me!”
This one, Madame Bertrand thought, as shesaw the doting look the lady’s companion bent on her charge, could charm a mossy rock. And money is money, and Haye brought her here. That one’s approval could make her rich.
“I could, I think,” the modiste said. “I haven’t sold that one yet. I could make…alterations. But in a day? I don’t know.”
“Oh, please. Surely you could add an underskirt, or something, to make it more the thing for me. Price,” Daisy said, and paused as she swallowed down her fear, “is not an object.”
She waited, half hoping the answer would be no. Price was always an object, and spending money frightened her. But if the viscount had been telling the truth, and the earl and her companion
“But she knows her manners. She was wellborn and well bred,” Daffyd said. “That was why Tanner insisted on marrying her soon as he clapped eyes on her. Pretty females are rare on a prison ship. He could have used her and passed her along for profit. That was done. But beautiful, innocent, and wellborn? If her damned fool of a father hadn’t alienated his family years before, she’d never have been there at all. Tanner seizedthe opportunity. He grabbed her and wouldn’t let go. He knew what he had. A real rarity.”
“Yes. Precisely,” Leland drawled. “She may have fallen into some sloppy speech patterns, but she knows how to speak and behave. Still, Geoff’s like a mother hen with her. If he were merely paternal, I wouldn’t worry. I’m not at all convinced that’s it. And if you were secretly amused a moment ago because you think I am slain by her big brown eyes,” he added too lightly, “I assure you I am not. She never turns them on me anyway.”
Daffyd’s eyes searched his. “And does that rankle? You’re famous for your taste in females, and as you say, she’s tasty. Are you annoyed because she ignores you?” The haughty look he received in return made him laugh. “Don’t give me your famous offended camel look. I don’t understand her overlooking you. I don’t know how you do it, but you usually get any female you want. And she doesn’t notice you at all? Really? Wait. Have you been nice or have you been your famous ‘Viscount Too Cruel,’ as that caricature put it? Be honest.”
“That ridiculous caricature?” Leland asked. “Really, no one’s nose is that long! Well, Welling-ton’s maybe. But Rowlandson drew that because he owed me money and was angry about it. The man’s a genius with his pen, but he should never bet on anything when he’s drunk. Actually, that means he should never bet. At any rate, I haven’t been cruel or kind, and it wouldn’t matter if Iwere. As I said, her eyes slide off me. She can only see Geoff.”
“Then it’s time for me to have a look,” Daffyd agreed. “I’ll get to the bottom of it. I doubt she’s up to anything underhanded, but it’s impossible to fool another old flimflammer, which is what I am.”
“Was,” his half brother corrected him. “And I’m not?” he added, sounding offended.
“You have some scruples, Lee. They’ll be the ruin of you, too, if you don’t watch out.”
They laughed. But they looked pleased, too. They nodded at each other, because whatever the outcome, at least they would be working together.
Chapter 5
“I want a gold gown,” Daisy told the dressmaker. “Not the one you showed me the other day. Not precisely, that is. I loved it, but I don’t want Viscount Haye sneering at me all night. You heard how he felt about how revealing it was, or at least how it would be for me. But I’ve been invited to dinner with him and the earl tonight. They said they have a surprise, an old friend come to see me, and so I want to look wonderful! I know there isn’t much time and so I thought if you could alter a gown that was already made up? That one was so lovely. Oh, please, madame, say you can somehow make it acceptable for me!”
This one, Madame Bertrand thought, as shesaw the doting look the lady’s companion bent on her charge, could charm a mossy rock. And money is money, and Haye brought her here. That one’s approval could make her rich.
“I could, I think,” the modiste said. “I haven’t sold that one yet. I could make…alterations. But in a day? I don’t know.”
“Oh, please. Surely you could add an underskirt, or something, to make it more the thing for me. Price,” Daisy said, and paused as she swallowed down her fear, “is not an object.”
She waited, half hoping the answer would be no. Price was always an object, and spending money frightened her. But if the viscount had been telling the truth, and the earl and her companion
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