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Ellie will be your chaperone in
name only.   God knows, she has those
gray-gowned, professional chaperones out watching numerous other girls of the ton every night of the week.   She had no
problem adding one more.   Not to mention
that really, Benjamin will be with you every night, and he's practically
family.   You'll be perfectly safe and
free of scandal."
    It was an odd arrangement to be
certain, yet Lady Berkshire had the same agreement with other young ladies and
their families, so Julia knew it was tolerated, if not exactly
appropriate.   It also must be effective,
as she had not heard of any scandal among the ton , and she'd been
attending various events off and on all season.   If something were amiss with the arrangement, she was certain
that she would have heard at least a whisper of scandal.
    "And Lord Radcliffe agrees to
this?   Nicholas, he is a much sought-after,
bachelor duke who has better things to do than drag me about town."   Of this, she was fairly certain.
    Nicholas took a moment to consider
her words, his hand still resting on the doorframe.   "I really don't think he does.   He might be a duke, Jules, but he's our friend before all
else.   Your friend," he pointed out
succinctly.   "And he wants to do
this.   He gets benefits from the
arrangement as well."
    Julia found that very hard to
believe.   "Such as what,
precisely?   We both know that he won't benefit
from my beauty, as I do not have any.   My charm?   I think we can both
agree that Benjamin knows I am far too blunt for most men's liking.   He knows me too well."
    "He has his reasons,
Jules."   A shadow passed across
Nicholas's face, making him seem far older than he actually was.   "This is important to him.   He wants you to have a good time.   He wants you to dance and do all of those
things you've longed for."
    She considered his words, mulling
them over silently.   Nicholas was not
telling her the entire truth, but she supposed it did not matter.   This was her chance, her last chance,
really, to truly experience the season as she should have from the
beginning.   Whatever benefits the Duke
of Radcliffe saw in this arrangement, she could not fathom, but she did not
need to.   He did.   The rest was none of her concern.
    "Very well," she agreed,
trying to tamp down the small flare of hope that shot through her at the idea
that the duke would be escorting her about.   "And please, thank Lady Berkshire for me when you see her
next.   I do appreciate the gesture.   I shall thank Benjamin myself when I see him
next."
    "I shall," Nicholas
promised, and Julia couldn't help but note the sadness in his eyes when she
mentioned the countess' name.   At one
time, Julia had thought there was something between her brother and lovely
earl's daughter, but then she had married the Marquess of Berkshire, a man
nearly five and forty years her senior.   If Nicholas had been heartbroken by the event, he had never shown any
outward sign of it.   Then again, she'd
been at Seldon Park for much of that time, so there was likely a great deal she
had missed.  
    Now, however, was not the time for
such thoughts.   Now she had to simply be
thankful for what she'd been given.   "Shall I expect the duke tomorrow then?"
    "He said he would sent a
note."   Nicholas gave her a
lop-sided grin, though it did not reach his eyes as it normally would
have.   "I am sorry, Jules.   For all of it.   But Benjamin will take care of things.   He will make you happy.   He always does."   Then her
brother was gone, leaving her alone again.
    Sitting back down at her dressing
table, Julia picked up her brush and started to work out the knots in her
hair.   The idea of Benjamin escorting
her places wasn't bothersome, precisely.   She knew she was perfectly safe.   Hadn't she just told Meggy that much?   Still, this new arrangement would require spending time with him at
balls and routs and the theater.   Assuming he took her to those places of