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selected the cream silk with the gold net overskirt and slipped it over her head.  A small porcelain box held her hair pins and ribbons and she selected a few gilded pins and deftly piled her hair and pinned it securely, leaving one long curling lock to brush her nearly bare shoulder.  Reaching into her jewel case she extracted a rather lovely set of pearls staggered on the string with beads of the best gold.  A delicate pair of drop pearl earrings completed the ensemble.
    “As you are here, and doing nothing, you might as well lace me,” and she walked up to him and turned her back.  “I’m sure you are quite adept at this.”   He was, he thought grimly as he laced small pearls through their loops up that long and ridiculously seductive spine.  Humiliated and now reduced to being her dresser.  It took all his will power not to rip that expensive, and very ladylike, gown off her and prove that she had responded to him.  It couldn’t possibly all be one sided.  The very idea that it might be was very lowering to a man of his reputation and skill.  But she had obviously turned into a highly skilled actress and found him uncertain for once in his life.  Life had a terrible habit of not standing still and this was a woman he was now dealing with and not a young, inexperienced girl.
    “Thank you,” she said brightly and stepped away to don her satin slippers.
    “Who bought you those pearls?  Tamworth?”  He ground out and could have bitten his tongue.  He had no intention of showing he had any further interest in her personal life.
    “Oh these?” she shrugged dismissively. “Pearls that belonged to my mother I had restrung.  But these are from Tamworth,” and she lifted a dainty set of emeralds that seemed to float on their intricate setting of gold.  “He said they match my eyes.”  She didn’t need to tell him how she had protested and not wanted to accept them, or that she swore not to wear them unless she accepted him.  She had the pleasure of hearing what could only be described as a growl rumble out of him as he tore from her dressing room.  The door loudly slammed behind him.
    “You can come in now Sean,” she called, knowing he would be waiting outside the door.  He probably had heard the entire thing.
    “My love?  Are you smiling with triumph or covered in tears?”  Sean asked brightly as he peered around the door jamb.  “Ah, smiling I see.  As you should be. What a magnificent performance darling!  Brava!  You gave me a brand new idea for a very racy and sure to be delightful play.  My muse,” he sighed as he kissed her hand with exaggerated longing.
    She pulled her hand away to pat him on the cheek, “thank you my friend.”
    “For what may I ask?”
    “For making me not just an actress, but a very good one.”
    “I felt quite the voyeur lurking outside while that was going on. Was it difficult to resist him?” 
    For a moment she was tempted to lie, but this was one of her best friend’s in the world and the person who had not only saved her from starvation, but had seen the potential in her.
    “It was the worst and greatest piece of acting I have ever done.”
    “Why is that?” he asked with concern.
    “It was the worst because I didn’t have to pretend to want him, and the best to pretend that I had pretended.  Does that make sense to you?”  She laughed somewhat bitterly as her head sank into her hands.
    “Perfect sense.  Who wouldn’t want him my dove? Don’t be hard on yourself.  The man is as completely delicious as he is despicable.  It’s a dangerous and, unfortunately, rather attractive combination,” Sean looked at her shrewdly, “So what happens when he realizes you really are being courted by the Duke? For marriage I mean.” he winked slyly. “I think it rather obvious that poisonous mother of his did not paint an accurate picture of you.  I can’t think of anyone else who would give him such ridiculous ideas about your