Eleanor released her breath. That didn’t sound so bad. She could listen all day long to other people. It was much more difficult to come up with witty things to talk about. “What kind of questions should I ask?”

  “As you’re probably aware, we start most conversations with pleasantries. We say things like, ‘How has your day been?’ and ‘Have you seen the latest opera?’ These are all introductions to what can be a conversation. All you have to do is ask another question based on the answer the gentleman gave you. For instance, let’s say the gentleman is having a good day. You can ask him what was good about it. I’ll pretend to be a gentleman, and we’ll work through the conversation together. Ready?”

  Eleanor put the cup down and cleared her throat. Mindful to keep her shoulders back, her head higher, and make eye contact with the lady, she said, “I’m ready.”

  “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Eleanor.”

  Eleanor resisted the urge to chuckle since the duchess had lowered her voice to imitate a gentleman. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, too.” She thought for a moment then added, “How has your day been?”

  The duchess nodded. “Very good,” she said in her normal voice. “That’s a nice way to open up a conversation.” In a low voice, she continued, “My day has been quite well.”

  Eleanor waited for her to say more, but then she realized the duchess expected her to reply with another question. “Oh. Um… What good things happened to you today?”

  The duchess grinned. “Well, for one, I met you.”

  Eleanor’s eyes widened in surprise. “Surely, a gentleman won’t be that bold upon our first meeting.”

  The duchess chuckled. “He might if he’s flirting with you. However, you’re right. He most likely won’t be so bold. I’ve only heard of a few gentlemen who have done this, and they have impish tendencies.”

  “Are they to be avoided?”

  “It depends. If he’s prone to act this way with other ladies, then you should avoid him. All he wants is to get in your bed. If, on the other hand, he only talks to you this way, then you can be assured he’s got a playful side to him. But we should get back to the lesson.” She lowered her voice. “I went to the menagerie today and saw the new lion they brought in from Africa.”

  “Do they really have a menagerie with a lion in it right here in London?” Eleanor asked, forgetting about the lesson for a moment.

  “They do,” the duchess replied in her normal voice. “And they did just bring in the lion.”

  “What other animals do they have there?”

  “To name a few, there are tigers, elephants, kangaroos, bears, camels, zebras, monkeys, and alligators.”

  Why hadn’t her father told her about this? Eleanor would love to see such exotic animals. She’d only seen pictures and read about them while growing up. It would be exciting to see them for herself.

  “It’s possible that if a gentleman takes an interest in you, he’ll offer to take you there,” the duchess told her.

  “I would enjoy that very much.”

  “Then be sure to ask plenty of questions about the menagerie, and slip in something about it sounding like an exciting place to see. He might not come right out and offer to take you there right away. He’ll likely want to make sure your father is agreeable to the outing since you’ll need your father, or another suitable person, to chaperone you.” The duchess paused. “Let’s try another conversation. We’ll pretend your father is hosting a dinner party and he’s invited a couple of bachelors with their sisters. I’ll be one of the gentlemen who happens to talk to you.” In a low voice, she said, “This tea is good.”

  Eleanor tapped her knee. After finding out about the menagerie, it was difficult to keep up with this lesson, but she had to if she was going to have any hope of getting a husband. She took a deep breath and focused on what the duchess was saying. “What is good about the tea?”

  “While that is a question, I think it might be better to ask, ‘What is your favorite tea?’” the duchess suggested.

  Yes, Eleanor supposed that was better. “What is your favorite tea?”

  “I’m partial to black tea.”

  That wasn’t much to go on, but after a moment, Eleanor ventured, “Why do you prefer black tea to the others?”

  “It has a subtle flavor to it.”

  Eleanor frowned. That response wasn’t any more helpful than the previous one.

  The duchess offered her an understanding smile. “Some gentlemen won’t make it easy, and some of the conversations will bore you. You have to pretend to be interested, even if you aren’t.”

  “Oh, all right.” Eleanor tapped her knees again. “Do you ever add anything to the black tea?”

  “That is a good reply,” the duchess said. “As long as the questions require him to answer with more than a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, you’re able to keep the conversation flowing. Now, repeat the question, and I’ll answer as the gentleman.”

  Eleanor wasn’t sure she wanted to keep a conversation about tea going, but for the sake of the lesson, she repeated the question.

  “Once in a while, I’ll add some lemon, sugar, or peppermint to add some flavor to the tea,” the duchess said.

  “I’ve heard of people adding lemon and sugar to black tea, but I wasn’t aware you could add peppermint to it, too. Why do you do that?”

  “Excellent! That is a wonderful question. From there, he might share something a bit more personal about himself. In this case, let’s say he says it helps to settle his stomach. What would you say to that?”

  “I suppose I’d ask him what upsets his stomach.”

  “That is what I was hoping you’d say. He’ll probably mention something about being overwhelmed by the responsibilities his title gives him, or he might mention a worry he has about finances or a family member. There are several ways that conversation can go. We’ll go through a couple more possible conversations later. Right now, I want to teach you how to walk in a way that expresses confidence. After that, I’m going to show you little flirtatious gestures you can use to let a gentleman know you’re interested in him. But remember, you only indicate an interest if you really like the gentleman. You don’t want to encourage someone whose company you don’t enjoy.”

  Eleanor wouldn’t try to encourage someone she didn’t like, but the fact that the duchess felt the need to point it out made her realize that some ladies believed they had to do just that. She wondered if that was why she was having trouble making friends with the ladies in London. Maybe she didn’t react to things the same way they did, and as a result, she had little in common with them.

  The duchess stood up and encouraged her to do the same. “Let me see how you stand.”

  Eleanor rose to her feet and took an unsteady breath as the duchess studied her posture. She straightened her shoulders back and lifted her head higher, hoping that would limit how much the duchess would tell her to do.

  “You have a nice figure,” the duchess said. “Gentlemen are apt to notice that kind of thing, though we don’t. Ladies are often more concerned with a gentleman’s sense of humor or his ability to offer them a comfortable lifestyle. Gentlemen, on the other hand, are concerned with a lady’s beauty, and part of that beauty is in how she conducts herself. The important thing is that you need to find the right balance between modesty and seduction.”

  Modesty and seduction? Was such a balance possible?

  “Before you have a conversation,” the duchess began, interrupting her thoughts, “he’ll see you, and more often than not, he’ll see you walk. When you walk, let your hips sway a little bit.” The duchess proceeded to walk away from Eleanor. She reached the other side of the room and headed back toward her.

  Eleanor’s eyebrows furrowed. Just what, exactly, was she supposed to notice?

  “If done right, it’s subtle,” the duchess said. “It’s unlikely that most ladies notice, but they aren’t drawn to what they see like gentlemen are.” She paused for a moment then lowered her voice. “What I’m about to tell you, I’m telling you in confidence. Understand?”

  Eleanor nodded. “I can keep a secret.”

  “The sway of your hips will draw his attention to them, and that will give him ideas of what he can do to you in bed. You will have no intention of being in bed with him until your wedding night, of course. You do want to maintain your reputation, and you don’t want to run the risk of having an illegitimate child. If you become known as a ruined lady, you’ll never get a respectable husband.” She sighed. “Though it’s not fair, a gentleman can bed as many ladies as he wants, and no one thinks anything of it. A lady, however, has to be careful. Ladies are expected to be virgins on their wedding night. Your goal is to get him to think of the bed so that he’ll marry you. Once he marries you, then you can go to bed with him without risking the Ton’s ridicule.”

  So that was why unmarried ladies were required to have chaperones. Her father hadn’t taken the time to adequately explain the reason to her. All he’d told her was that she had to have one.

  “All right,” the duchess said in a louder voice. “I want to see you walk to the door.”

  Though it felt awkward, she strolled toward the door with an extra sway to her hips. When she reached the door, she turned around and waited for the lady to speak.

  The duchess tapped her chin. “That was a little too obvious. Take smaller steps. Bend your knees a little. As you take a step, let one hip go up while the other goes down. Then when you take the next step, do the same but to the opposite hips.”

  That was a lot to remember, but she would do her best. Pushing aside her unease, Eleanor followed the lady’s instructions. Doing so felt more natural than what she’d been doing before, but it still felt awkward.

  “That’s better,” the duchess said, “but you don’t need to bend your knees that far. Just a little bit. Also, don’t forget to look at me. You don’t have to worry about an item on the floor that might make you trip.”

  Noting the teasing tone in the lady’s voice, Eleanor smiled. She inhaled and headed back to the door. Then she turned and walked back to her.

  “That’s much better,” the duchess encouraged. “Do it a few more times. You need to get comfortable with it.”

  Eleanor ended up walking to the door and back about five more times before the duchess decided that was enough.

  “That will do,” the duchess said. “I want to teach you a few more other tricks, and then we’ll get back to having a successful conversation with the gentlemen.”

  Eleanor sat back on the settee with the duchess.

  The duchess picked up her tea. “I want you to know that I’ll be at the next ball you attend. That way, if you have any questions, I’ll be able to answer them.”

  Eleanor hadn’t expected that, but it did ease some of her anxiety.

  “The more you do this, the easier it’ll get.” From there, the duchess continued with her lesson.

  Chapter Seven

  Byron waited with Lady Eleanor’s father in the drawing room on the evening he was due to attend the Duchess of Ravenshire’s dinner party.

  “My daughter hasn’t left this townhouse since we went to the ball,” her father said. “Because of that, I haven’t had to worry about her. These last few days have been the least stressful of my life.” He put his hand over his stomach. “I know it’s wrong, but sometimes I wish I could have kept her as a child at the country estate forever. Then I would never have to worry about her.”

  “Every child needs to grow up,” Byron replied. “You can’t stop the process. But,” he hurried to add before the gentleman gave into despair, “I’m here to make sure she’s safe.”

  “I hope you don’t find anything unusual this evening at the Ladies of Grace dinner party. Eleanor’s social situation would improve significantly if she could become a member of such a highly respectable group.”

  It was on the tip of Byron’s tongue to point out that if someone in the group was threatening her, then it could hardly be called a respectable group, but he managed to refrain from making the comment.

  “Sometimes I wonder if she even cares about her standing in the Ton,” her father quietly added. “It seems like all she wants to do is sit in a corner and read a book.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with a lady who does that. A gentleman might find it nice to have a lady who knows how to stay out of trouble. I’ve been hired by a few gentlemen who had wives who engaged in all sorts of undesirable behaviors.”

  “No husband wants to be made into a fool. I rest assured my daughter won’t give her future husband any grief. She’s as pure and innocent as they come.” He let out a heavy sigh. “It’s a shame she has to get married.”

  “Don’t think of her getting married as a bad thing. Think of it as getting grandchildren. If you love your daughter, you’re bound to love the little ones she’ll have. Your family won’t get smaller. It’ll get bigger.”

  Byron heard footsteps approaching the drawing room and turned his attention to the doorway.

  A lady entered the room in a powder blue dress that was covered in ivory lace. She had on a necklace with a teardrop pearl at the center. The pearl was surrounded by diamonds, and it drew his attention to her cleavage. Mindful that he was here to work, Byron quickly averted his gaze from her. He turned his attention to the doorway to see when Lady Eleanor would arrive.

  “Are you ready to go?” her father asked as he went over to the lady.

  Byron frowned and looked back at the lady. This couldn’t be Lady Eleanor.

  “I think so,” the lady replied as she fiddled with her gloves. “I’m nervous about this evening.”

  Yes, that sounded just like Lady Eleanor. Byron took a good look at her. He couldn’t believe it. This was no wallflower. The Duchess of Ashbourne had transformed Lady Eleanor into a princess. Her father wasn’t going to have a problem finding her a suitor anymore.

  “This evening will be fine,” her father assured her. “Mr. Tumilson will be with you.”

  She gave Byron a look that let him know she wasn’t all that thrilled with the arrangement but was willing to follow through with it. Byron didn’t know how to respond, so he chose to keep quiet. Besides, he didn’t know if he could speak. The Duchess of Ashbourne had accomplished a major feat. It was nothing short of a miracle.

  “I’ll be your chaperone in the carriage,” her father told her. “That way no one will suspect you and Mr. Tumilson of doing anything inappropriate on the way to, or from, the dinner party.”

  Byron followed the two to the carriage. On the way there, her father offered tips on how she might impress the ladies in the esteemed group. There was no doubt that her being a part of Ladies of Grace meant a lot to him. She spent the entire ride fidgeting with her gloves. Her fidgeting was an indication of nerves. Byron just couldn’t decide if she was more worried about befriending the ladies in the group or if she was more worried about pleasing her father.

  When the carriage came to a stop, Byron got out first. Her father stepped out of the carriage second and helped her down from the carriage. He walked with her and Byron up to the front door of the Duchess of Ravenshire’s townhouse. When the footman opened the door, her father made it a point to let the footman know that he had chaperoned his daughter on the way there and that he would return to chaperone her back home. Byron wasn’t sure if the elaborate explanation was necessary. Surely, the Ton couldn’t be that sensitive to the things people did. Could it?

  Once her father wished her luck, he departed. Byron waved for her to go into the townhouse first. To his surprise, she didn’t go in right away. She stood still for a moment as if bracing herself for the evening ahead. Then she straightened her shoulders back, lifted her head a bit higher, and stepped over the threshold. Byron blinked. This must be the part where she was going to implement the instructions the Duchess of Ashbourne had given her on how to act. Which made sense now that Byron thought about it. It wasn’t enough that she look visually appealing; she had to act appealing, too.

  The butler came over to them and led them to the drawing room. Byron straightened his tailcoat as he got ready to act as if he was used to mingling with the upper social class of London. It was fortunate his sister had invited him to a dinner party at her residence. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know what to expect from the evening.

  Two couples greeted them. The first was the Duke and Duchess of Ravenshire. The second was Viscount and Viscountess Powell.

  “Please, have a seat,” the duchess told Byron and Lady Eleanor. “We’ll have some tea while we wait for Lord and Lady Whitney.”

  Byron sat in the chair next to Lady Eleanor.

  Lady Eleanor accepted the cup of tea the duchess offered her. “How has everyone’s day been?”

  “Very good,” the Duchess of Ravenshire replied as she settled next to her husband. “Nick and I decided on a name for our next child. Before, we couldn’t make up our minds until the day of our children’s birth.”

  Nick grinned. “My wife likes to have everything planned out.”

  “I didn’t realize you were expecting,” Lady Eleanor said. “When will the little one be here?”

  “Sometime in November.” The Duchess’ gaze went to Lord and Lady Powell. “That’s about the same time as your next one is due, isn’t it?”

  Lady Powell nodded. “We might have a December baby if he’s late like his brother. I didn’t think Timothy would ever get here.”

  “Really? Are babies usually on time?” Lady Eleanor asked.

  “The doctor says it can vary by a couple of weeks,” Lady Powell replied.

  “Timothy is looking forward to having a little brother or sister,” Lord Powell spoke up in excitement.

  Byron clamped his jaw down so he wouldn’t yawn. If the conversation continued going in this direction, he just might doze off.