"Madame, tell me again how many fops have been in love with you?" Léonie asked jovially as she sat down in a comfy chair in lady Fanny's room.
"Not only fops!" Fanny laughed. "My dearest, I don't think you should know all of that. One day you will experience it yourself. Perhaps," she added quietly.
"What do you mean by perhaps? Don't you think men will fall for me?" Léonie asked in a disappointed tone.
"No, no! I only meant that maybe you will find the right one sooner than you think," Fanny explained.
"Maybe. Voyons, how will I know how to act? You must teach me."
"I believe you should act how you feel is right," Fanny said wisely. "But, why not." Lady Fanny sat in another chair beside Léonie, and turned thoughtful. "Well, dearest, today you heard about monsieur Fonteroy. Justin told you how desperately he loved me."
It was nine years ago when lord Fonteroy knocked on the door of the Duke of Avon's residence. The servant led him to the library where his grace was standing by the window.
Fonteroy bowed. "Your grace."
Avon looked at him, unconcerned. "Well, my dear lad, has there been a conflict between you and my dearest sister? Or is that not the reason you are here?"
Lord Fonteroy was a little taken aback by the Duke's outspokenness. "I can assure you, your grace, that milady and I are getting along just as well as ever before."
"In that case, I don't understand why you are here."
Fonteroy was surprised at the man's frankness. He hadn't almost had a chance to say anything yet.
"Your grace, the matter why I am here is indeed milady Alistair." Fonteroy finally said something and came forward from the place where he had been standing, by the door.
"Obviously." The Duke was indifferent.
"I... I would like to ask for your sister's hand in marriage," Fonteroy said bravely.
Avon's expression didn't change, but he was surprised. "And you think I will give you two my blessing?" he asked.
"Yes, I was hoping that you would. Then I would be the happiest man." Fonteroy's eyes shone with happiness already, although he hadn't gotten a reply from the Duke.
Avon didn't think for long.
"I dare say that you are a fine gentleman and most certainly would make an even finer husband," Avon said. "But I don't believe that my sister would be very happy to spend the rest of her life together with you."
Fonteroy's eyes grew wide.
"As I have said for many times, my sister's happiness is one of the most important things to me, and therefore I cannot give you my blessing. I believe she will be happier with someone else, someone more high-spirited."
"You- You will not allow me to marry her?" Fonteroy stuttered.
"No." The Duke's answer was simple.
The younger man stared at his grace for a long moment, with fury in his eyes. The Duke's calmness was quite disturbing. Finally Fonteroy pulled a pistol out from his pocket, and pointed it at Avon's head.
"You will let me marry her!" Fonteroy shouted madly. "You will!"
Avon calmly turned to look out of the window and sighed. "You are too hot-tempered, lad."
"Look at me Avon! And tell me I can marry Fanny!" Fonteroy's crazy voice sounded over the room loudly. "Or I will shoot you!"
"What for, my lad, if I may ask?"
Avon watched as a coach stopped before the house, and her sister came out from it.
"If you kill me, will it give you an opportunity to marry my sister?" he spoke in a calm and slow voice. "In that case you will need to kill my brother as well, he would never want you to marry Fanny either, trust me."
"How can you stay so calm, Satan?!" Fonteroy had obviously paid no attention to the Duke's words. "I'm about to shoot you, you fool!"
Avon looked over his shoulder with a cunning look. The door to the library opened.
"Jean!"
It was lady Fanny's terrified scream that made Fonteroy drop his pistol. The weapon fell onto the carpet when the young man turned around.
Before him stood young lady Fanny, with a scared and also angry look on her pale face.
"My love," Fonteroy said and took a step towards the miss.
He was greeted by a sharp box on his ear.
"You wanted to kill him!" Fanny cried when Fonteroy looked at her. "I hate you, Jean! I never want to see you again!"
Lord Fonteroy left the building without a word.
Fanny fled across the room to embrace her brother. "Oh, my dearest Justin! Are you hurt? Why did he do that?"
Avon let her draw away from him before he answered, "I am fine, my dear Fanny. I hope that this insane man will never near you again."
"And he never did," Fanny finished.
"Did you love him?" Léonie asked. "That was a horrible man! He could have killed monseigneur!"
"Justin can't be killed so easily, child," Fanny assured her. "That is one of the reasons he is called Satan. There are so many people who have wished him dead, but he is still among us."
"I don't get why they hate monseigneur so much," said Léonie sullenly. "I find him amazing."
"I know, child. I do too," Fanny said.