“I know what you mean, my love, never fear,” Lady Fanny said hastily.
“Well, if she is not that, then I must try to make Dominique marry her, for it is not at all convenable that he should ruin her. Besides, I am sorry for her,” Léonie added seriously. “To be alone like that, and in someone’s power is very uncomfortable, I can assure you, and me, I know.”
“The mother will never rest till she has caught Vidal, but what of Justin, Léonie? I vow I’ll have no hand in this. He can be so excessively unpleasant, you know.”
“I have thought of Justin, but though I do not like to deceive him, I see that this time I must. If Dominique must marry the girl I will make up a clever lie to tell him, and he must not know that it was all due to Dominique’s folly. That would make him very enraged, tu sais.”
“He’ll not believe you,” Lady Fanny said.
“Yes, he will believe me, perhaps, because I do not lie to him — ever,” said Léonie tragically. “I have thought of it all, and I am very miserable. I shall write to him one big lie, that cousin Harriet is indisposed, and I have gone to stay with her, and she is so old he will certainly not find that surprising. Then, if it is necessary that Dominique marries this girl whom already I detest, I will make him do it, only it will not appear that I was ever in Paris, for I shall come home, and I shall know nothing of Dominique at all. Then Dominique will write to tell Monseigneur that he is married — and if it is true the girl is Sir Giles’ granddaughter it is not after all so very dreadful — and I shall pretend how glad I am, and perhaps Justin will not mind so much.”
Fanny caught her hands. “My dearest love, you know he will be furious, and when Justin is angry he is more dangerous than ever Dominique could be.”
Léonie’s lip trembled. “I know,” she said. “But at least it will not be so bad as the truth.”
Chapter XI
On the following morning Mrs. Challoner, chancing to look out of the window, was edified to perceive a very elegant equipage drawn up at her door. She said instantly: “The Duchess!” and hurried over to the mirror to arrange her cap. She told Sophia that if she dared to speak a word outside her part she would lock her in her bedchamber for a week: Sophia was about to retort in kind when Betty opened the door and announced in a voice pregnant with awe: “The Duchess of Avon, mam!”