The Lady's Tutor by Schone Robin

Author:Schone, Robin [Schone, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780821762882
Publisher: Zebra
Published: 1999-01-02T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Elizabeth distractedly stared at a middle-aged man with bristly muttonchops. Unaware of her regard, he pulled back a chair so that his lady friend could rise from the table directly in front of the one Elizabeth and Rebecca occupied. His black Prince Albert coat swung at the backs of his knees.

One week.

It had been exactly one week this Tuesday since Elizabeth and Ramiel had had their first lesson. It seemed like a year, like a hundred years ago. And no matter how she pretended otherwise, she knew that she could not go back and be the woman she had been before.

“Elizabeth, you are not listening to a thing I am saying. I was telling you that you will be attending the marchioness’s ball. While she is rather unsavory, she does have royal connections.”

“I’m sorry, Mother.” The apology came automatically. Focusing on Rebecca, Elizabeth lifted her cup to her lips and sipped cold, weak tea. The sudden desire for hot Turkish coffee was almost overwhelming.

“You and Edward are having dinner with the Hammonds tonight.”

I will not put myself through the trouble of bedding you again just so that you can lie with a man.

Nausea rose in Elizabeth’s throat at the memory of Edward’s words that, no matter how hard she tried, she could not forget. Carefully, she set her cup back inside the saucer. “Mother, I want a divorce.”

Glass exploded—Rebecca’s teacup. The saucer lay on the dark red carpet where it had fallen. It overflowed with tea and fragments of delicately painted porcelain.

A great hush fell over the restaurant as men and women turned in their seats to see what had happened. At the same time, a footman rushed forward to clean up the mishap. Elizabeth was acutely aware of the staring eyes. She was even more acutely aware of Rebecca’s frozen face.

Suddenly the baldheaded maître d’ was bending over Rebecca and placing another cup and saucer in front of her. “Clumsy footman,” he said, as if the man kneeling on the floor were responsible for the broken cup. “Please forgive us, madam. It will not happen again. May I get you a little something extra, at no charge, of course . . .”

“My daughter and I do not need anything more, thank you.” Rebecca did not once glance at the maitre d’. Her emerald eyes were fixed on Elizabeth. “You may leave us.”

“Very good, madam.”

The maître d’ bowed several times; splinters of light reflected off his shiny pate. The footman quickly collected the broken porcelain and wiped up the spilled tea. The staring eyes, finding nothing of major import to sustain their interest, turned away, leaving Elizabeth and Rebecca alone once more.

Rebecca calmly reached for the porcelain teapot and filled her cup. “We will forget what you said, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth worked to swallow past the knot in her throat. “I am a woman, Mother, not a child. I will not be ignored.”

Rebecca pursed her lips and daintily blew on her tea before taking a small sip. “Does Edward beat you, Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth’s fingers tightened spasmodically around her cup.

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