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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~ Monday May 10, 1813 ~
A vase of fresh cut flowers decorated the dining table. A sure sign of spring. The duke sat behind a newspaper while Clara served his breakfast, whistling as she scooped oatmeal into a bowl. She clearly enjoyed having him around, a benefit of my courtship to Jules it seemed. Perhaps I needed to start a list.
"Good morning, Mistress Hayes," he said. "How are you feeling this fine morning?"
"I am well, your grace." I sat opposite him, and Clara hurried to serve me. I could not help remembering the breakfast I shared with Jules when he had passed out drunk in my boudoir. There was something comforting about sharing a meal with someone other than myself. Another vote for the captain, I supposed.
"What is on the agenda for today?" Philip set down the paper and started on his meal.
"Work, actually. I am writing for..." I deliberated on whether the duke should know the truth about my employment. Secrets were a difficult thing to manage if one kept too many of them. "...the Dandy Gentleman's Periodical."
He sputtered over his bowl, dribbling oatmeal down his chin, and he remained speechless as he dabbed his face with a cloth. When he had finished overreacting, he held me in a pointed gaze. "What, pray, are you writing for this publication?"
Based on his reaction to my announcement, I prepared for more of the same when he learned the truth about my specific assignment. "I have been offered a position as a storyteller in the forum section. My friend, Sheldon Merriweather, has gone to some lengths to secure the commission so that my talents could be properly showcased."
"Your talents? Indeed. Does your captain know about this assignment?"
"Not the specifics. I was also added to the London Chronicle's roster as a writer of human interest stories. It was a condition of my employment. That way, I might have something to..." I wasn't sure what to say that would not paint such a devious picture.
"So you would not have to lie about it?"
I nodded solemnly. "I had not planned to tell even you. But, here we are."
He resumed eating his breakfast, but I knew he was not finished with me. "I understand why you took on such an...unseemly assignment. You wish to maintain your sovereignty. But I expect there are other opportunities available to a clever woman like yourself. Have you spoken to the colonel who helped you forward the cause for the disabled soldiers of war?"
My lips pinched before I could stop them. "No. I expect that relationship has run its course." Run aground, was more like it. Colonel Whitaker was a misogynist and a letch. "Other than nursing, I cannot think of any positions where a female would be considered a viable option for the armed forces, no matter how clever she is."
"I am sure you could do the job of a secretary as well as any man, if not better."
"With respect, your grace. The only reason I was considered for the Dandy Gentleman's publication was through my friendship with Mister Merriweather's brother. If I want to find a position of merit, I will need to impose on someone with influence or I will make very little headway."
