A Regency era courtesan gives up her empire for love and discovers how truly binding her connections are to the noblemen she used to serve.
*****
In the sequel to Courte...
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~ Sunday May 9, 1813 ~
The knock had me bolting upright in bed. Before my eyes fully opened, I heard Alice's call.
"Rose, are you awake?"
Once the morning fog cleared, I remembered Jules passing out on the settee. But, more importantly, I remembered leaving him there. Without the benefit of my own staff to help me manage him, I really had no better choice.
I strained my eyes to focus on the settee. It stood empty. After a quick scan of the room, I found no sign of the captain. He must have woken in the night and seen himself out. With a great deal of relief, I acknowledged Alice.
"I just woke up. But you can keep me company if you wish."
The door creaked open and Alice peeped inside. "I'm sorry if I woke you. It's just that...I didn't sleep well. I'm terribly anxious."
"Come in and we'll chat."
Alice greeted me with a weary smile as she shuffled to the settee and slumped into it. I couldn't help imagining her brother doing that very thing. As I readied myself for the day, I told her everything I'd learned from Jules, which was not much. And, by the end of it, I could not tell if she had been cheered. But she thanked me for my participation on her behalf.
When it came time for breakfast, we made our way to the dining room. A number of tired looks and slouched shoulders greeted us, while servants delivered a pungent brew of coffee to those who required it. The countess gestured Alice between her and Cicily, and I took a seat opposite them. Jules had not arrived. And neither had the earl or the Duke of Norfolk. But the Duke of Devonshire was there, putting a servant to task with a special request of hot tea, raw egg, and a shot of vinegar.
I preferred my morning tea with sugar and cream, which I used as a distraction while I exchanged expectant glances with my female compatriots. When the earl arrived speaking gayly with Jules and Philip, I had to rub my eyes to be sure I was seeing things properly. Jules and my former benefactors...getting on?
"Pleasant morning to you all." The earl's spirits appeared unshakable as he addressed the table, and his guests responded in varying degrees of cheerfulness. "Before we start on our meal, I want to thank those of you who could spend the night here at the noble House of Oxford. I hope your stay proved comfortable. I feel yesterday's festivities progressed splendidly. As far as I am concerned, you can expect a wedding missive asking that you save the twenty-fifth of June to honor Albert and Alice at their forthcoming nuptials."
His gaze fell pointedly on the Duke of Devonshire, who appeared preoccupied with the strange concoction being set before him. After dumping three heaping teaspoons of sugar into the cup, he downed the entire contents in one go. I shivered as I watched. It was only when he set the cup down that he acknowledged the earl.
"I have always been a man of tradition. You know this, William," he said. "While you have always questioned tradition. Progress for the sake of progress is dangerous, and is often perpetuated by men showing off their power. When approaching new ideas and opportunities, tradition is a tested method for determining positive outcomes."
