"Translate for Her, She's Only the Nursemaid," the Countess Said — The Ambassador Bowed to Her
Chapter 11
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He looked at the nursemaid in gray with the sleeping child on her shoulder. "Now I know," he said.And in front of thirty-one covers, the Sèvres, the silver, and the Countess of Stanwick, the Emperor of Russia's special envoy bowed to the nursemaid low from the waist, as he would have bowed to the Tsar's own sister.Nobody moved. Then the Duke of Calderwood stood up, and because the Duke stood up, every gentleman at the table stood up, and the Countess found that she was the only person in the room sitting down."Translate for her," said the Count, straightening, to no one in particular and very quietly. "Madam, she has just translated for you, for all of us. And I think after tonight, Lord Stanwick will be glad of it, because the report I send to Petersburg will say that an Englishman meant what he said at his own table, and that one Englishwoman made certain I knew it."Lady Honoria said, "But she's only—" and did not finish, because the Duke had looked at her, and it was not a look that invited finishing.Dinners end. That one ended early, and the carriages went away down Berkeley Square carrying the news with them, which is the one thing London carries faster than the mail.By Thursday morning, Mrs. Audley had told four houses.By Thursday noon, Mr. Pomfret had sent in his account and had it returned to him unpaid by the Earl, with a note that a gentleman and a linguist should perhaps go back to Riga for a second year.By Thursday evening, the Countess of Stanwick had sent for the nursemaid. She did not apologize; women like the Countess do not. But she said, looking at the fire and not at Theodora, "Lord Stanwick is to have his post. The Count has written so to the Foreign Secretary. His Grace carried the letter himself." A pause. "The Count says you are to be addressed as Miss Marlow in this house.""Yes, Lady Stanwick.""The children will miss you, I suppose.""I have not said that I am going, my lady."The Countess looked up then. "No," she said. "No, you have not. But I have five children, and I was not born yesterday. And I saw the Duke of Calderwood's face when my daughter opened her mouth." She turned back to the fire. "Honoria is to go to her aunt in Bath for the summer. There is a baronet there."