The Countess Page 0,6

convincing him to sponsor her sisters for a coming out might not be al that easy either, she thought worriedly.

"Chrissy?" Suzette asked anxiously. "You can do that, can you not?"

Christiana's gaze returned to her younger sister. Seeing the worry and desperation on her face, she straightened abruptly. "Certainly I can. I shal make Dicky do it . . . somehow," she added in a mutter as she got determinedly to her feet.

She would confront him at once, Christiana thought firmly as she crossed the room, and found she wasn't afraid for the first time in a long time. It wasn't just because she was angry about Dicky's part in her father's gambling either. Somehow just learning that her family had tried to write her and that she wasn't as alone as she'd felt this last year was resurrecting her spirit, as was this short time basking in her sisters' company. The old Christiana was awakening inside her as if from a long sleep, and she was ready for a fight.

"What if he says no?" Lisa asked worriedly, bringing her to a halt as she reached the door.

Christiana paused just long enough to force a smile to her lips, and then glanced back to say lightly, "Then I shal just have to kil him, won't I?"

Chapter Two

Christiana usualy knocked before daring to enter Dicky's office. This time, however, she was angry and ready for a fight. She did not knock, but thrust the door open, and sailed determinedly inside, her voice sharp as she announced, "We have to talk, Dicky."

Christiana thought it a very strong start. It was just a shame that Dicky wasn't there to hear it. The room was empty. She started to turn away with a scowl, intending to hunt the man down, but paused mid-turn as she saw someone sitting in one of the chairs by the fire. Recognizing her husband's dark hair above the chair back, Christiana glared briefly, awaiting some sort of acknowledgment that he'd heard her. When none was forthcoming, her scowl deepened and she strode forward.

"You wil not ignore me, Dicky. I know you have been withholding my family's letters from me, and you have somehow been preventing my letters from getting to them as wel . And now I find out that you took my father to a gaming hel of al places?

How could you when you know what happened the last time? You have treated me most shabbily since our marriage, but I never imagined you would do something so - "

Christiana had been building up a nice head of steam as she crossed the room to stand before him, but stopped now as she got a good look at the man she was berating.

Dicky was leaning back in the chair, eyes closed and fingers resting on his chest as if he'd meant to loosen his cravat but had dropped off before he could. No doubt Dicky had nodded off after returning here on escaping Suzette's "nattering," she thought grimly. And the liquor probably didn't help, Christiana decided as her gaze shifted to the empty glass next to the half-empty bottle of amber liquid on the table beside him.

She recognized the carafe, it was very fine, very expensive whiskey that he usual y only opened when celebrating something. Wondering what on earth he could have to celebrate, Christiana bent to shake his shoulder. "Dicky, you - Oh!" she gasped and leapt back when he suddenly slid from his seat and landed in a heap on the floor. Christiana was about to bend down and rouse him from his stupor when a rustling from the door drew her attention to the fact that Suzette and Lisa had fol owed and now stood in the open door. Suzette peered at Dicky and then raised her gaze to Christiana and said wryly, "I thought you were just teasing when you said you'd kil him."

"Very funny," Christiana muttered, not appreciating her sister's sense of humor.

"He's drunk. Close the door before one of the servants sees the state he's in."

"Does he often drink this early?" Suzette asked, crossing the room to join her as Lisa quickly closed the door.

"Not this early, no," Christiana admitted. "But he does start earlier than he should and drink more than he should on a regular basis. It's given me hope that he'l fal down the stairs and make me a widow sooner rather than later," she added dryly and then grimaced, knowing how bitter and unkind the thought was.

"I