Devilish Page 0,89

matter of madness in his family. If his mother's family was full of the odd and the lunatic, then she might have to give up her purpose. She had a duty to her own line, after all, and introducing insanity into it would be wicked. Her opportunities for investigation were limited at the moment, but there must be libraries here. Once she understood the ways of court, she would find a way to spend some time in them.

For the moment, however, she must be completely conventional and definitely not clever, so she picked up one of the light books she had brought with her. One of the ones hardly glanced at on the journey because of Bey's presence beside her.

She sighed at that, thinking back to her state of mind at the beginning of the journey, when she'd merely been attracted and curious. How strange to have been blind to the powerful fire that burned between them.

He, apparently, had recognized it sooner -

Oh, enough! She must not let herself think about him night and day. She settled to reading Pope, trying not to let eyes and mind keep slipping away to the folded paper and all it represented.

The Rape of the Lock was engaging, and did distract her with its sharp commentary on London and courtly ways. She smiled at one passage about life at court, for though it was a description of the court of Queen Anne fifty years ago, she suspected the same was true today.

Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort,

To taste awhile the pleasures of a court;

In various talk th' instructive hours they past,

Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last;

One speaks the glory of the British Queen,

And one describes a charming Indian screen;

A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes;

At every word a reputation dies.

She paused, a finger in the page. That was a warning, if she needed it, that she must pursue her aims under a hundred eyes, many of them willing to harm her - and Bey - for amusement.

She was suddenly assailed by longing for the north. People there were not always kind, and sometimes there were enemies, but at least there was a rough kind of honesty.

And here she was, in love with a southerner. Even if she managed to break his will, how were they to manage their vast responsibilities? What would happen to the inheritance? She did not want her title swallowed up in his.

Her mind bounced fruitlessly around her problems, so she was quite relieved when a page came to tell her she was commanded to the queen's drawing room. No mention of the purpose, but she sensed that she faced a battle of some sort.

She touched up her pallor with extra powder, and reminded herself of her chief purpose. She must convince the king and queen of her safe, conventional nature, and avoid any attempt to coerce her into marriage.

She entered the drawing room to find that the king was sitting beside the queen. She'd been right. Her inquisition was to begin. She took a steadying breath and went forward to curtsy.

"Are you comfortable here, Lady Arradale?" the king asked.

"Perfectly, Your Majesty," Diana lied.

"Good, good. Your situation is one of unusual privilege," he stated, "but it does not alter the fact that you are, and always will be, a woman. What?"

"Yes, sire," Diana said, perilously tempted to say "no" and see what he made of that.

"A woman's mind is different," he continued. "It cannot understand the subjects and subtleties which engage the minds of men."

After a stunned pause, Diana hastily said, "Indeed, sire."

She was not to be questioned, but lectured. Then he pulled some papers out of his pocket and consulted them. By the stars, he'd brought notes!

He looked up at her, earnest and young. "It is well known that women cannot learn Latin or Greek, Lady Arradale, and if they try it damages their brains. Those subjects, however, shape the logical mind. Therefore, women cannot decide great matters, for they would act on emotion not logic. For that reason, it is against God's law for women to speak on matters of importance. Consider Corinthians: "It is a shocking thing that a woman should address the congregation." What?"

Diana fought a temptation to spout excellent Greek and tried to look pious. "I see, sire."

He nodded. "So you also see, I am sure, that your notion of attending Parliament like a man was folly."

"Yes, sire," she said, for indeed it had been. Bey had been correct in seeing