of that," he said simply.
On the second day she came down for dinner, to the acclaim of the whole family.
The Earl led her downstairs, her arm in his, and there were more little gifts by her plate. Peter smiled as if nothing untoward had happened between them.
For once the Count and Countess were not there, which Rona found a relief. She would not have to sit and watch Peter flirting outrageously with the beautiful Russian, and they could talk later.
The whole family seemed to have taken to her. They murmured approval as the Earl took her to sit beside him at the table, and watched in delight as she opened her gifts.
"That'll be you very soon," Peter told Alice, who was watching eagerly. "Unless I've got the dates wrong, you'll be seventeen next week."
"That's right," said Alice, smiling ecstatically.
"You'd better start thinking what you want for a present," said Peter, grinning back at her.
"There's only one present I want," said Alice. "To stay in Paris forever and ever. Oh Papa, can't we?"
"And what about our home in England?" the Earl reminded her wryly. "Surely you don't want to leave that 'forever and ever'?"
"No, we'll go back one day, but couldn't we stay for a while? Oh, please, Papa!"
"But why not?" asked Monsieur Thierre. "After such a long journey you must not go home too soon. You should at least stay long enough for Alice to spend her birthday here."
Everybody agreed that this was a good idea, especially Jacques and Edouard, who were almost at daggers drawn over Alice's charms. At last it was decided.
"What could I do but give in?" the Earl asked Rona a few moments later. "She wants to stay so much."
Rona smiled and agreed. But it had seemed to her that it was Peter who wanted to prolong their stay, and he had known just how to bring it about.
She decided to ask him about it after dinner.
But when the gentlemen joined the ladies there was no sign of Peter.
"He said he had business to attend to," said the Earl. "Which probably means a night's carousing."
"I thought Peter had virtually abandoned his old pursuits to pursue the Countess," quipped Monsieur Thierre in English.
Next to Alice young Cecile sighed. "I wish Papa wouldn't make jokes in English. He always checks afterwards to see if I understood, and then I get a lecture about working harder to learn English."
"My governesses used to lecture me about my French," said Alice sympathetically.
"Tables to learn by heart – " said Cecile at once.
"Verbs – "
"Adjectives – "
They regarded each other sympathetically.
Rona happened to be standing just behind them, and repeated the conversation to the Earl.
"Now they regard each other as sisters in suffering," she said, wryly. "And Alice realises that she isn't the only one."
"Am I imagining it, or is her French improving?"
"By leaps and bounds. Those two boys are her willing slaves, and it's doing more for her than all the lessons in the world. Poor lads."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because they're seventeen and eighteen. Next week's birthday will transform Alice."
"Ah yes, they'll look like children to her, won't they? And soon she'll be officially a debutante." He grinned. "As you say, poor lads."
"I want to talk to you about Alice," said Madame Thierre, appearing with coffee. "We would like to mark her birthday by giving a ball for her here."
"That's kind of you but there's no need, madame," said the Earl quickly. "After all, you were rather backed into a corner by my daughter."
"Not by her," Madame Thierre laughed. "It was Peter who wanted an excuse to stay in Paris and continue courting the lovely Emilia. I think it's so delightful, and we are happy to help him. Perhaps at the ball they'll make an announcement."
"It's about time he settled down and gave up his rackety way of life," the Earl agreed. "Not that Emilia is really a 'settling down' kind of woman. Clearly he's madly in love with her, and she'll lead him a merry dance."
Madame Thierre nodded.
"Between you and me I
On the second day she came down for dinner, to the acclaim of the whole family.
The Earl led her downstairs, her arm in his, and there were more little gifts by her plate. Peter smiled as if nothing untoward had happened between them.
For once the Count and Countess were not there, which Rona found a relief. She would not have to sit and watch Peter flirting outrageously with the beautiful Russian, and they could talk later.
The whole family seemed to have taken to her. They murmured approval as the Earl took her to sit beside him at the table, and watched in delight as she opened her gifts.
"That'll be you very soon," Peter told Alice, who was watching eagerly. "Unless I've got the dates wrong, you'll be seventeen next week."
"That's right," said Alice, smiling ecstatically.
"You'd better start thinking what you want for a present," said Peter, grinning back at her.
"There's only one present I want," said Alice. "To stay in Paris forever and ever. Oh Papa, can't we?"
"And what about our home in England?" the Earl reminded her wryly. "Surely you don't want to leave that 'forever and ever'?"
"No, we'll go back one day, but couldn't we stay for a while? Oh, please, Papa!"
"But why not?" asked Monsieur Thierre. "After such a long journey you must not go home too soon. You should at least stay long enough for Alice to spend her birthday here."
Everybody agreed that this was a good idea, especially Jacques and Edouard, who were almost at daggers drawn over Alice's charms. At last it was decided.
"What could I do but give in?" the Earl asked Rona a few moments later. "She wants to stay so much."
Rona smiled and agreed. But it had seemed to her that it was Peter who wanted to prolong their stay, and he had known just how to bring it about.
She decided to ask him about it after dinner.
But when the gentlemen joined the ladies there was no sign of Peter.
"He said he had business to attend to," said the Earl. "Which probably means a night's carousing."
"I thought Peter had virtually abandoned his old pursuits to pursue the Countess," quipped Monsieur Thierre in English.
Next to Alice young Cecile sighed. "I wish Papa wouldn't make jokes in English. He always checks afterwards to see if I understood, and then I get a lecture about working harder to learn English."
"My governesses used to lecture me about my French," said Alice sympathetically.
"Tables to learn by heart – " said Cecile at once.
"Verbs – "
"Adjectives – "
They regarded each other sympathetically.
Rona happened to be standing just behind them, and repeated the conversation to the Earl.
"Now they regard each other as sisters in suffering," she said, wryly. "And Alice realises that she isn't the only one."
"Am I imagining it, or is her French improving?"
"By leaps and bounds. Those two boys are her willing slaves, and it's doing more for her than all the lessons in the world. Poor lads."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because they're seventeen and eighteen. Next week's birthday will transform Alice."
"Ah yes, they'll look like children to her, won't they? And soon she'll be officially a debutante." He grinned. "As you say, poor lads."
"I want to talk to you about Alice," said Madame Thierre, appearing with coffee. "We would like to mark her birthday by giving a ball for her here."
"That's kind of you but there's no need, madame," said the Earl quickly. "After all, you were rather backed into a corner by my daughter."
"Not by her," Madame Thierre laughed. "It was Peter who wanted an excuse to stay in Paris and continue courting the lovely Emilia. I think it's so delightful, and we are happy to help him. Perhaps at the ball they'll make an announcement."
"It's about time he settled down and gave up his rackety way of life," the Earl agreed. "Not that Emilia is really a 'settling down' kind of woman. Clearly he's madly in love with her, and she'll lead him a merry dance."
Madame Thierre nodded.
"Between you and me I
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