CHAPTER SEVENAfter a moment he came close, but did not try to touch her. It seemed a long time before he spoke.
“Forgive me. It is I who lack propriety. I should not have taken advantage of – that is – you are very foolish to be angry with me for – for what I said to the Queen.”
“Am I?” she asked in a muffled voice.
“It is well known that Her Majesty believes in the subjection of women – ”
Lavina turned and gave him an incredulous stare.
“As long as it’s other women,” the Marquis added wryly. “She has been known to speak about the ‘dreadful wickedness of Women’s Rights’. She deludes herself, of course, but she thinks this is what she believes. So I simply used the one argument that she could not answer. Can’t you understand that?”
“I suppose so,” she said reluctantly.
“I know that,
