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“Yes, well, on this trip…” she trailed off, not knowing how to explain.

“Ah…” Cecile nodded knowingly. “You have come together…” she made a crude gesture with her hands, making Georgiana blush.

“Not…exactly,” she said.

“Then what is it?”

Georgiana took a deep breath. “Well, he kissed me…and…he was naked…but…” she shook her head, her face flaming.

“He did not…” Cecile made the crude gesture again.

Georgiana covered her face. “God, why is this so hard?”

“He was hard?” Cecile asked.

Georgiana’s head shot up, eyebrows raised as she looked at Cecile in shock. “I did not…look. Oh my God, Cecile. What type of woman do you think I am?”

Cecile expelled an impatient breath. “What is the problem, Your Grace?”

“I do not know what to do!” Georgiana exclaimed, “Everything is so…confusing.”

Cecile looked even more bewildered. “Confusing? How?”

Georgiana turned so that her body was facing Cecile. “I just…well, my husband kissed me and…well, I liked it. But I pushed him away because I was unsure of what to do next. I do not know what to do now so that things are not so…” she bobbed her head from side to side, “strange between us.”

Cecile pursed her lips. “Mmm. You know, with French men, I just tell you to sit straight and put out your bosom, meet his eyes and flutter your lashes and he will do the rest. But English men…” she shot up straight and scowled, “they are stiff and straight, and no kissing, no public affection, nothing. Hard to know.”

Georgiana nodded in agreement. “Yes, very hard.”

Cecile gave her a sidelong glance and rubbed her hand sympathetically. “Can you not try to talk to ‘him?”

“Ugh!” Georgiana huffed, her shoulders dropping defeatedly.

“I know but there is no other way. If you throw yourself at him, he will be disgusted,” she shuddered theatrically. “The English want the virginal bride, shy and retiring.” Her mouth turned down in disgust. “No passion.”

Georgiana blinked a few times in surprise. She did not know much about passion, but she was sure that the kiss she had shared with Robert contained a lot of it.

“What if he does?” she asked, just to be sure.

“He does what?” Cecile asked.

“What if he does have… passion?”

Cecile’s eyes widened in delight. “Oho! Has he shown you this? Ah, then you must just give him the opportunity to show you more!”

Georgiana gave a doubtful frown. “Are you sure?”

Cecile nodded emphatically. “Yes, yes. You must just make it easy for him to grab you and hold you close. Then he will do the rest.”

Georgiana let out a breath, her brow furrowed as she thought about Cecile’s words. She was not sure if she was capable of doing what Cecile suggested…then remembered there were certain books in the library that might be of some help.

She got to her feet, determined. “Very well, Cecile. Thank you for your counsel. I shall take it from here.”

Cecile nodded meekly. “Yes, Your Grace.”

Georgiana marched to the door, murmuring words of encouragement to herself.

There was a particular book she was thinking of—a tale of two women in love with one man, and how they both set out to seduce him.