pocket-size Venus, if this torture is designed for that purpose. ”
She tossed her head proudly. “ It ’ s not just that. Grandma gave me some excellent advice, but I don ’ t know how to follow it. ” She walked to the bed and sat on its edge. “ Have a seat, Whewett, ” she said, indicating the chair.
He went warily toward it. He was uneasy at being in a bedroom with what was very obviously a pretty young lady. As he had been in the habit of coming, however, he hardly knew how to extricate himself creditably. “ What advice did she give? ”
“ To take life by the neck and throttle a good time out of it. ”
“ She certainly followed her own advice. ”
“ Tell me all about her, ” Grace said eagerly.
“ She led the family a merry chase. There was a broken engagement or two, capped off with a runaway match with an ineligible officer of the Guards. He had the grace to die and leave her a romantic widow at eighteen. She went north, ostensibly to mourn, but I doubt there was much crape in evidence. The year was hardly out before she married Lord Healy and burned up the countryside with her pranks — happily ever after. The one lack in her life was a son. After a few miscarriages brought on by riding, she had a child, my wife ’ s mother. My Augusta is her great granddaughter. Quite a lady, old Augusta. ”
“ I knew she ’ d be like that, ” Grace said with a wistful smile. “ I wonder what she would do if she were me. ”
“ Some such thing as you are doing. She wouldn ’ t stop at playing a child. She ’ d take to the boards at Covent Garden, get herself an influential patron or two — or ten. ”
“ That is exactly what I thought. ”
“ You ’ re coming to know her pretty well. ”
“ I am coming to like her, too. I think she is wise as well as wild. Whewett, have you often been to Covent Garden? ”
“ Frequently. Why do you ask? ”
She stood up and turned a slow circle in front of him. “ Do you think I might be an actress? Am I too dumpy? ”
“ What nonsense is this? ” he demanded angrily. “ Ladies do not turn actress. ”
“ Oh, pooh! I am not a lady by anything but birth. I am a servant, to be ordered about by anyone who can pay me a hundred pounds a year. If I must work, I would prefer an exciting job. Do you think I am too short and plain to be an actress? ”
“ Yes! It is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of. ”
She sat down, crestfallen at his vehemence. “ You didn ’ t have to be so positive about it. ”
“ I am positive you are not going to be an actress, a byword in the clubs, a plaything for some doughty old duke. ”
“ Much I ’ d care about that! I have a good mind to take my hundred pounds and go to London to give it a try. If I got some flashy, low-cut gowns and painted my face ... ”
“ Stop talking such foolishness, Grace! What on earth did Grandma say to put such ideas into your head? ”
Grace sighed wearily. “ She said to make good use of my one chance. Imagine, I am having my one fling as a governess. Oh, it makes me so angry, I could cry. ”
“ Being a governess is perfectly respectable. ”
“ I ’ m tired of being respectable! ” she exclaimed in frustration. “ What do you know about being a governess? You ’ re rich. You ’ ve always been independent. You ’ ve never had to stay up half the night with a whining youngster and get up again at seven, your eyes gritty with fatigue, to go back to work. You ’ ve never had to spend months doing work you hate — teaching arithmetic. I hate arithmetic. I hate Mrs. Bixworth and all the Mrs. Bixworths. The next job will be the same, or worse. ”
Her diatribe gave him some idea of her past and, worse, her future. He wanted to comfort her, but was restrained by reality. “ Calm down, Grace, ” he said mildly. “ It won ’ t be the same. I ’ ll speak to Mary. She has two nice girls, utterly unlike the Bixworths. Mary would be happy to have you. ”
“ She
She tossed her head proudly. “ It ’ s not just that. Grandma gave me some excellent advice, but I don ’ t know how to follow it. ” She walked to the bed and sat on its edge. “ Have a seat, Whewett, ” she said, indicating the chair.
He went warily toward it. He was uneasy at being in a bedroom with what was very obviously a pretty young lady. As he had been in the habit of coming, however, he hardly knew how to extricate himself creditably. “ What advice did she give? ”
“ To take life by the neck and throttle a good time out of it. ”
“ She certainly followed her own advice. ”
“ Tell me all about her, ” Grace said eagerly.
“ She led the family a merry chase. There was a broken engagement or two, capped off with a runaway match with an ineligible officer of the Guards. He had the grace to die and leave her a romantic widow at eighteen. She went north, ostensibly to mourn, but I doubt there was much crape in evidence. The year was hardly out before she married Lord Healy and burned up the countryside with her pranks — happily ever after. The one lack in her life was a son. After a few miscarriages brought on by riding, she had a child, my wife ’ s mother. My Augusta is her great granddaughter. Quite a lady, old Augusta. ”
“ I knew she ’ d be like that, ” Grace said with a wistful smile. “ I wonder what she would do if she were me. ”
“ Some such thing as you are doing. She wouldn ’ t stop at playing a child. She ’ d take to the boards at Covent Garden, get herself an influential patron or two — or ten. ”
“ That is exactly what I thought. ”
“ You ’ re coming to know her pretty well. ”
“ I am coming to like her, too. I think she is wise as well as wild. Whewett, have you often been to Covent Garden? ”
“ Frequently. Why do you ask? ”
She stood up and turned a slow circle in front of him. “ Do you think I might be an actress? Am I too dumpy? ”
“ What nonsense is this? ” he demanded angrily. “ Ladies do not turn actress. ”
“ Oh, pooh! I am not a lady by anything but birth. I am a servant, to be ordered about by anyone who can pay me a hundred pounds a year. If I must work, I would prefer an exciting job. Do you think I am too short and plain to be an actress? ”
“ Yes! It is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of. ”
She sat down, crestfallen at his vehemence. “ You didn ’ t have to be so positive about it. ”
“ I am positive you are not going to be an actress, a byword in the clubs, a plaything for some doughty old duke. ”
“ Much I ’ d care about that! I have a good mind to take my hundred pounds and go to London to give it a try. If I got some flashy, low-cut gowns and painted my face ... ”
“ Stop talking such foolishness, Grace! What on earth did Grandma say to put such ideas into your head? ”
Grace sighed wearily. “ She said to make good use of my one chance. Imagine, I am having my one fling as a governess. Oh, it makes me so angry, I could cry. ”
“ Being a governess is perfectly respectable. ”
“ I ’ m tired of being respectable! ” she exclaimed in frustration. “ What do you know about being a governess? You ’ re rich. You ’ ve always been independent. You ’ ve never had to stay up half the night with a whining youngster and get up again at seven, your eyes gritty with fatigue, to go back to work. You ’ ve never had to spend months doing work you hate — teaching arithmetic. I hate arithmetic. I hate Mrs. Bixworth and all the Mrs. Bixworths. The next job will be the same, or worse. ”
Her diatribe gave him some idea of her past and, worse, her future. He wanted to comfort her, but was restrained by reality. “ Calm down, Grace, ” he said mildly. “ It won ’ t be the same. I ’ ll speak to Mary. She has two nice girls, utterly unlike the Bixworths. Mary would be happy to have you. ”
“ She
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