By now the Duke had left her and she opened her eyes to see in the first faint light of the dawn that he was standing beside the bed.
She did not speak because she remembered immediately how essential it was that they should move silently.
Quickly she threw off the blankets and walked on tiptoe in her stockinged feet into the next room.
The Duke followed her and she bent down only to pick up her slippers, which were lying on the floor.
She held them in her hands and the Duke, having followed her with his coat and her cape over his arm laid them down on the bed.
Then, putting his hands round her knees as he had done yesterday, he lifted her up into the opening over their heads.
When she was inside the attic, Ilitta paused for a moment to make quite certain she was moving the easiest a
