The Countess Page 0,102

understandable under the circumstances," Christiana said quietly. "How were you to know Dicky may have drugged him to bring about his downfal ?"

"Damn Dicky," Suzette burst out furiously, sitting upright again. "If he weren't already dead, I think I'd kil him myself."

"Hmm," Christiana murmured, and then bit her lip and pointed out, "Although, if it weren't for Dicky and what he'd got up to I wouldn't now be married to Richard and you might never have met and proposed to Daniel."

"That's true." Suzette frowned, some of her anger easing from her expression, and then she glanced to Christiana and asked, "So you are content with Richard?"

"I think we might have a good marriage," she said cautiously, and much to her surprise Suzette snorted at the tame words.

"Oh, give over," she said with disgust. "A good marriage? I've heard the moaning and groaning coming from your room, both the night Dicky died and last night as wel

. Oh Richard, oh . . . oh . . . yes . . . ooooooh," she mimicked with amusement.

"Then you scream like you're fit to die."

Christiana blushed furiously. "You could hear us?"

"I'm sure the whole house can hear you," she said dryly. "He roars like a lion, and you squeal like a stuck pig." She paused and then added thoughtful y,

"Which I suppose is an apt description from what I read in Fanny's book. Did it hurt very much the first time he stuck his maypole in your tender parts?"

"His maypole?" Christiana gasped with disbelief.

"That's what Fanny cal ed it. Wel one of the things," she added thoughtful y, and then repeated, "Did it hurt?"

Christiana groaned and covered her face, mortified by the entire conversation.

"Wel ?" Suzette persisted.

"A little perhaps," Christiana said final y, forcing her hands away and straightening in her seat.

"Hmm, Fanny fainted from the pain," Suzette muttered. "And there was a great deal of blood, which suggests pain as wel ."

Christiana grimaced and decided a change of subject was in order. "Anyway, what happens in the bedroom is only a portion of marriage, Suzette. I must deal with him out of the bedroom as wel and begin to think I may be able to."

Suzette glanced to her curiously. "He seems to treat you much more kindly than Dicky did. And he upheld the marriage to prevent us al from being cast into scandal.

I thought at first that he avoided scandal as wel , but Lisa is right, men do not suffer scandal like we women do and he probably did uphold if for your sake, which is real y very chivalrous. Much more chivalrous than Daniel's marrying me for money."

Christiana frowned slightly. Suzette's last words sounded almost bitter and yet the girl had written the rules for this marriage herself, choosing to marry someone who needed money to ensure she was not trapped in a miserable marriage as Christiana had endured with Dicky. However, the marriage might not be necessary at al now, she realized, and frowned over the fact that she couldn't say as much because she hadn't yet spoken to Richard about his promise to make everything right. She real y must remember when he returned, Christiana told herself firmly. Until then, she couldn't say anything to Suzette, at least nothing certain.

A deep sigh drew her attention back to Suzette.

Seeing the dissatisfaction on her face, she asked quietly, "Are you having second thoughts about marrying Daniel?" Biting her lip, she added, "Perhaps Richard would be wil ing to cover Father's gambling debts. If we even need to cover them. If we prove he was drugged and didn't gamble at al - "

"Nay, 'tis fine," Suzette said quickly. "I doubt it would be that easy to prove and we have enough on our plate at the moment. Speaking of which, we should real y get back to our task. Who have we not yet talked to?"

Christiana hesitated, but then decided to let her change the subject. They real y did have to continue with their task. "I think we have spoken to al the maids and footmen. That leaves Haversham, Cook, Richard's valet - "

"I thought his valet died in the fire where Richard was supposed to have died?"

Suzette interrupted.

"Yes, of course, I meant Dicky's valet. I guess he wil have to be Richard's now though. Wel , once he recovers from his il ness."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Suzette asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Wel , I'd like to think Georgina knows me wel enough that she would