that. No doubt you have observed it?”
The big eyes twinkled.
“No, madame.”
“What! And you have—have lived with Avon for three months?” Fanny cast up her eyes. The sound of a shutting door somewhere below roused her to sudden activity. “There! That is Edward returned from White’s already! I think I will go down and—and talk to him while you rest. Poor child, I dare swear you are dreadfully fatigued?”
“N-no,” said Leonie. “But you will tell Mr. Marling that I have come, is it not so? And if he does not like it— and I do not think that he will—I can——”
“Fiddle!” said Fanny, blushing faintly. “No such thing, my love, I assure you. Edward will be enchanted! Of course he will, stupid child! A pretty thing ’twould be an I could not twist him round my finger. ’Twas only that I wanted you to rest, and indeed you shall! I vow you are nigh dropping with fatigue! Don’t try to argue with me, Leonie!”
“I am not arguing,” Leonie pointed out.
“No, well, I thought you might, and it makes me so cross! Come with me, and I will take you to your chamber.” She led Leonie to a blue guest-chamber, and sighed. “Ravishing!” she said. “I wish you were not quite so lovely. Your eyes are like those velvet curtains. I got them in Paris, my dear. Are they not exquisite? I forbid you to touch your dress while I am gone, mind!” She frowned direfully, patted Leonie’s hand, and was gone in a whirl of silks and laces, leaving Leonie alone in the middle of the room.
Leonie walked to a chair, and sat down carefully, heels together, and hands demurely clasped in her lap.
“This,” she told herself, “is not very nice, I think. Monseigneur has gone away, and I could never find him in this great, horrible London. That Fanny is a fool, I think. Or perhaps she is mad, as she said.” Leonie paused to consider the point. “Well, perhaps she is just English. And Edward will not like me to be here.
CHAPTER XI
Lady Fanny found her husband in the library, standing before the fire and warming his hands. He was a medium-sized man, with regular features, and steady grey eyes. He turned as she entered the room, and held out his arms to her. Lady Fanny tripped towards him.
“Pray have a care for my gown, Edward. ’Tis new come from Cerisette. Is it not elegant?”
“Prodigious elegant,” agreed Marling. “But if it means that I must not kiss you I shall think it hideous.”
She raised china-blue eyes to his face.
“Just one then, Edward. Oh, you are greedy, sir! No, Edward, I’ll not be held. I’ve a monstrous exciting thing to tell you.” She shot him a sidelong glance, wondering how he would take her news. “Do you remember, my love, that I was so
“Do I not!” smiled Marling. “You were very cruel to me, sweet.”
“Oh no, Edward! I was not cruel! ’Twas you who were so very provoking. And then you went away, and I was so dull! But now it is all over, and I have something wonderful to do!”
Edward slipped an arm about her trim waist.
“Faith, what is it?”
“’Tis a girl,” she answered. “The most beautiful girl, Edward!”
“A girl?” he repeated. “What new whim is this? What do you want with a girl, my dear?”
“Oh, I didn’t want her! I never thought about her at all. How could I, when I’d not set eyes on her? Justin brought her.”
The clasp about her waist slackened.
“Justin?” said Marling. “Oh!” His voice was polite, but not enthusiastic. “I thought he was in Paris.”
“So he was, until a day or two ago, and if you are minded to be disagreeable, Edward, I shall cry. I am very fond of Justin!”
“Ay, dear. Go on with your tale. What has the girl, whoever she is, to do with Avon?”
“That is just the astonishing part of it!” said Fanny, her brow clearing as if by magic. “She is Justin’s adopted daughter! Is it not interesting, Edward?”
“What?” Marling’s arm fell away from her. “Justin’s what?”
“Adopted daughter,” she answered airily. “The sweetest child, my dear, and so devoted to him! I declare I quite love her already, although she is so lovely, and—oh, Edward, don’t be cross!”
Edward took her by the shoulders, and made her look up at him.
“Fanny, do you mean to tell me that Alastair had the effrontery to bring the girl here? And you were mad enough to take her in?”
“Indeed, sir, and why not?” she demanded. “A pretty thing ’twould be an I turned away my brother’s ward!”
“Ward!” Marling almost snorted.
“Yes, sir, his ward. Oh, I’ll not deny I thought the same as you when first I saw her, but Justin swore ’twas not so. And Edward, you know how strict Justin is with me. You can’t be cross! Why, ’tis but a child, and half a boy at that!”
“Half a boy, Fanny? What mean you?”
“She has been a boy for seven years,” said Fanny triumphantly. Then, as the lines about his mouth hardened, she stamped her foot angrily. “You’re very unkind, Edward! How dare you suppose that darling Justin would bring his light o’ love to my house? ’Tis the stupidest notion I ever heard! He wants me to chaperon the child until he can prevail upon Madam Field to come. What if she has been a boy? Pray what has that to say to anything?”
Marling smiled unwillingly.
“You must admit that for Justin to adopt a girl——”
“Edward, I truly believe that he means no ill! Leonie has been his page—Oh, now you are shocked again!”
“Well, but——”
“I won’t hear a word!” Fanny put up her hands to his mouth. “Edward, you’ll not be angry, and hard?” she coaxed. “There’s some mystery about Leonie, I feel sure, but—oh, my dear, you have only to look in her eyes! Now listen to me, dear Edward!”
He imprisoned her hands in his, drawing her to the couch.
“Very well, my dear, I’ll listen.”
Fanny seated herself.
“Dearest Edward! I knew you’d be kind! You see, Justin came here to-day with Leonie, dressed as a boy. I was so enchanted! I never imagined that Justin was in England! Oh, and he has a fan! You cannot conceive anything so absurd, dear! Though indeed I believe they are become quite the most fashion——”
“Ay, Fanny, but you were to explain about this girl—Leonie.”
“I was explaining,” she protested, pouting. “Well, he sent Leonie into another room—my dear, I think she positively worships him, poor child—and he begged me to keep her with me for a few days because he does not want there to be a shadow of scandal attached to her. And I am to clothe her, and oh, Edward, will it not be entertaining? She has red hair, and black eyebrows, and I have given her my green silk. You cannot imagine how quite too tiresomely lovely she is, though perhaps she would look better in white.”
“Never mind that, Fanny. Go on with your story.”
“To be sure. It seems that Justin found her in Paris—only then he thought she was a boy—and she was being ill-treated by some tavern-keeper. So Justin bought her and made her his page. And he says that he has a fondness
