Free The Education of Portia by Lesley-Anne McLeod Page A

freely to me and I will favour him
with mine."
    Gavrielle Montlucon appeared in the open doorway and stared with curiosity at the
study's occupants. Then she dropped a curtsy and said, "Mama instructs me to request you join
us, Miss Crossmichael. The young ladies are desirous of dancing and she needs your
assistance."
    "Thank you Gavrielle. Assure Madame I shall join her directly. Run along, Sabina."
Both young ladies withdrew, Gavrielle with a pert smile reminiscent of her mother's as she
closed the door.
    "Well, much as I should like to dance with Heloise, I shall withdraw as always."
Caldwell managed a shadow of a smile.
    "A wise decision, my dear," Portia said. She was weary but she had long since learned to
suborn her desires to the requirements of her position. "Are you sanguine about gaining a
daughter yourself should your suit ever succeed with Heloise?"
    "Gavrielle is a good girl and if I have learned anything from watching my father's
association with you, it is how to be a good step-father. I have only to execute the direct opposite
of his actions."
    Portia conjured a laugh and rose. "You handled Sabina well, my dear. Do continue in the
same vein. The viscount will not care for his eldest daughter's infatuation, I fear and he needs no
further fuel to feed his anger."
    "He'll have none from me. I have no interest in fanning any flames." Caldwell opened
the door for her. "I have work to do in my studio."
    They separated in the entry, and Portia entered the parlour. She made a general greeting
to the room at large and the assembled young ladies chorused their own welcome.
    Mme. Montlucon greeted her with some relief. "They want to dance, and you know I
cannot play the piano and maintain decorum at the same time."
    "Indeed, not!" Portia crossed to the pianoforte, smiled her thanks at the pupil who pulled
out the stool for her and settled the chosen music on the holder. She shifted the candelabra that lit
the music, and over her shoulder ordered the young ladies to take their positions.
    "Mr. Dent has chosen not to join us?" Heloise leaned over her shoulder for a
moment.
    Portia searched her friend's face for regret or disappointment. She could not be sure she
saw either. "You are the only female in the house with whom he wishes to dance, Heloise. You
know that. He will not make himself available to those of our girls with infatuations to
enflame."
    "I know it. He is very good with them; it is to his credit." Madame frowned repressively
at two young ladies whose high spirits threatened to destroy all propriety in the room.
    "There is much to his credit, Heloise," Portia played the opening bars of the reel to
gather the attention of the young ladies. "You should think on it more."
    "In my leisure, which is none too abundant, I think of little else."
    Portia allowed her fingers to wander over the ivory keys. "Are you worried about
Gavrielle?"
    "No, no. Gavrielle remembers her poor father not at all, and thinks very well of
Caldwell. Ah, but what of Caldwell's father? How went his meeting?"
    Portia began to play in earnest and the young ladies curtsied to each other on gales of
laughter. "Well enough." If Cal did not wish to apprise Heloise of his father's perfidies, it was not
her lot to do so. "There can be little point of reference between them now, but perhaps some sort
of relationship may be possible. Now do go and keep order. Miss Masefield must not be so
rowdy, and Henrietta Cathcart has deplorable timing!"
    Mme. Montlucon did as she was bid, and Portia was left with her thoughts and her
music. She sighed soundlessly. It had been a long day, and one way and another not very
successful.

CHAPTER FOUR
    Portia made it a habit to take three or four of her girls to London each month on an
educational excursion. It gave her the opportunity to become better acquainted with the young
ladies, and to evaluate their behaviour, their interests and their acumen.
    She chose to take the three Perrington girls to the city in