"I am glad you are here to look out for her now."

"As am I, my lord," she replied, fighting down a pang of guilt.

"She is fortunate to have you here for her as well."

"Me?" He shook his head.

"I am not much of an a.s.set, I fear. I know almost nothing about children.

You, however are the-very one to help her overcome the obstacles that lie ahead for her." A twinkle returned to his eyes.

"If anyone can meet that challenge, you can, Cherry. Already I perceive that you give obstacles short shrift."

"Indeed I do," agreed Frederica, abruptly re- mean bering her purpose here.

"When I am determined upon a course, nothing can turn me from it, I a.s.sure you, my lord."

Not even your charming smile, she added silently.

IN SPIT~ OF such admonitions to herself, however, Frederica found her resolve wavering later in the day. Would it truly be such a bad thing to be married to Lord Sea brooke? she wondered.

He was really rather pleasant, in spite of her intention to dislike him.

There was something else about him as well--an invisible quality that drew her to him, even against her will. Was that charm? Something that he turned on for any woman within his radius?

She didn't know, but it disturbed her peace profoundly.

The next day was Thursday, her half day, and Frederica eagerly looked forward to visiting Milly and bringing her up to date on their campaign. Her thoughts were becoming so muddled that she felt very much in need of Miss Milliken's unclouded judgement. After tucking Christabel in for her afternoon nap, she had a brief word ~5 with Lucy, who was taking over her duties until bedtime, and went down to hail a hackney.

Frederica spent more time than she had antic.i.p.ated recounting her experiences of the past few days to her old friend, for every time she paused, Milly prompted her with a question requiring yet more explanation. Gradually, she became aware that Miss Milliken was extracting more from her about her conflicting feelings than she had intended to reveal.

"What does it matter that I become fl.u.s.tered in his presence, Milly?"

she finally asked almost crossly.

"You know that I have been around few gentlemen, so it is scarcely wonderful that I should be unsettled by my first close a.s.sociation with one."

"So you are now willing to allow that Lord Sea brooke is a gentleman?"

Frederica let out an exasperated sigh.

"You are doing it again, Milly! My sentiments about the man have no bearing on the case. I refuse to be forced to marry anyone, even if he is an angel is disguise. I thought you agreed that Thomas had no right to expect it of me."

Miss Milliken regarded her onetime charge somberly.

"Your brother has a perfect legal right to do so, Frederica. I did not dispute that. I merely agreed that it was poorly done of him not to discover your wishes in the matter first. Of course, I would do anything in my power to prevent your marriage to a man who seemed likely to mistreat you, but from what you tell me of Lord Sea brooke, I doubt that would be the case.

At worst, he might cause you occasional embarra.s.sment, but there are few wives who do not suffer that at the hands of their husbands. " Frederica clenched her jaw. She had come half prepared to defend Lord Sea brooke to Milly, but the more her old governess took his part, the more determined she became to do just the opposite.

"What of the other matter?" she asked, ignoring Milly's oblique reference to the cad's indiscretions. After all, she had no direct proof of those whatsoever.

"He is undoubtedly a fortune-hunter, from what the housekeeper told me.

Why, he was nearly dest.i.tute before my dowry came so conveniently to his rescue. "

"It does sound as though he may have misled your brother on that score," Miss Milliken admitted.

"Still, being without funds scarcely makes the man a scoundrel--and that is what you must prove, is it not?"

"I'm afraid so." Frederica stared at the toes of her serviceable.

brown shoes.

"I fear that even there, his first consideration may well have been Christabel's welfare, and I cannot condemn him for that. Still" -- she met her friend's steady gaze again "--if I can find proof that he deceived Thomas about his lack of fortune, perhaps it will be enough. I believe my brother is already feeling a bit guilty over what he has done--I doubt he will require a charge of murder."

"And if Sir Thomas does agree to the call the match off? What then?"

asked Miss Milliken softly.

Frederica shot her a startled look.

"Why, suppose I shall simply go back to Maple Hill and pick up where I left off." Somehow the prospect did not much appeal to her now. She stood abruptly.

"I must be getting back. I promised Christabel that I would bring my pet mice for her to play with, and I had better fetch them." If anything, unburdening herself to Milly had left her more confused than she had been when she arrived.

WHF. ~ TH~ HACm, my drew up to Sea brooke House, Frederica saw with surprise that an unfamiliar carriage was waiting in the street. The light, elegant cabriolet somehow struck her as being a lady's vehicle, and though the earl occasionally had visitors to the house, none she had seen had been women.

With liveliest curiosity, Frederica let herself into the house through the back door and proceeded quietly towards the pail our

"I have been waiting nearly half an houri" exclaimed a breathy, feminine voice from within.

"Are you certain you don't know where I might find him? I am quite put out that he should have forgotten."

"I shall ask one of the grooms, if you wish, madam." Frederica recognized the voice as that of Coorobes, the butler.

"They might know." "Why did you not do so in the first place?"

demanded the lady.

"Pray go at once!" The hara.s.sed Coombes fairly shot from the parlour, nearly running Frederica down before he perceived her.

"Oh, excuse me, Miss Cherry,"

he whispered, grasping her arm familiarly to steady himself for a moment.

"I'm on my way to the stables--or anywhere else to get away from that harpy in there."

He c.o.c.ked his head towards the parlour door.

"Don't know what the master will say about her kind visiting the house." He straightened disapprovingly then gave a suggestive wink.

"Care to come with me? ' " No, thank you, Mr. Coombes," rap lied Frederica frost fly