"Quite well, thank you."

Good heavens, were they friends? How could she not know they were friends? Lizzy had mentioned in the past that Mr. Hunter was always well behaved in her company, but she'd never given any indication that the two of them had developed any sort of bond. Surely if Lizzy had formed a friendship with Mr. Hunter, she'd not have kept it to herself. Lizzy was incapable of keeping anything anything to herself. They weren't friends, they were simply friendly. Weren't they? to herself. They weren't friends, they were simply friendly. Weren't they?

Lizzy turned her attention from Mr. Hunter. "Your mother sent me to inform you it's time for tea."

"Right. Thank you." Kate took a step toward the house, realized the error in manners and turned round again. "Will you be joining us, Mr. Hunter?"

"I will after a time. I promised Mr. Abbot I'd have a look at his new mare first." He tipped his head toward the side of the house where the stables were located. "But save me a seat, won't you, Lady Kate?"

Before she had a chance to respond to that, he bowed again and turned away.

Kate watched him saunter off in the direction of the stables. "I don't understand that man at all."

"Mr. Hunter?" Lizzy took her arm and led her toward the house. "What's not to understand?"

"Who he is. What he wants. Why he..." She trailed off and glanced at Lizzy. "Does he always show you such regard?"

Lizzy stopped walking, her eyes widening considerably. "Beg your pardon?"

"Oh, I don't mean to imply anything untoward. I..." A horrible thought occurred to her. "I needn't needn't be implying anything untoward...need I?" be implying anything untoward...need I?"

Somehow, Lizzy managed to widen her eyes further, and even gape a little. "With Mr. Hunter? How could you think-?"

"I'm sorry. I truly am." The idea had come entirely unbidden, and she was equal parts ashamed and confused by it now. "It's only...well, he was most polite to you just now."

Lizzy tipped her chin up a hair. "What's wrong with that, then?"

"Not a thing." Oh dear, she wasn't improving matters. "It's only...he's not not polite in my company. I a.s.sumed he was equally forward with everyone." polite in my company. I a.s.sumed he was equally forward with everyone."

Lizzy relaxed her stance. "Ah. He's unpleasant toward you?"

"No, not unpleasant. Not entirely. Just not quite so respectful. Are you...friends?"

Lizzy's expression changed to one of inquisitive amus.e.m.e.nt. "That would bother you some, wouldn't it?"

Kate felt her own chin tip up. "It would not."

Lizzy studied her a moment before nodding once in a supremely knowing sort of manner. "It would. And it'd not have a thing to do with my being a maid."

"I would not not be bothered," Kate insisted, and resumed their walk toward the house at something less than a ladylike pace. be bothered," Kate insisted, and resumed their walk toward the house at something less than a ladylike pace.

Lizzy fell into step beside her. "You would would and-" She broke off with a laugh. "I feel as if we're eight again." and-" She broke off with a laugh. "I feel as if we're eight again."

Kate leapt at the chance to change the subject. "Shall I pull your hair until you admit I'm right?"

"You never pulled my hair," Lizzy replied with a snort.

"No, but I recall you pulling mine once. Revenge is long overdue."

"I can't believe your brother didn't take a strap to me for that," Lizzy commented with a dramatic wince.

"Whit isn't the sort to take a strap to anyone, least of all a child. And you were sent to bed without dinner, if I recall."

Lizzy smiled. "You tried to sneak me a bit of roast."

"I did, didn't I?" Kate murmured, remembering. She'd put the meat in a napkin, and the napkin up her sleeve. "Dreadful idea."

"The gravy did create something of a mess. Evie fared better with her b.u.t.tered roll."

"Evie's better at being sneaky. Where did she hide that, do you suppose?"

"I didn't ask."

"For the best, no doubt," Kate commented as they pushed their way through a back door of the stone manor. It was also for the best that the topic of Lizzy's relationship with Mr. Hunter had been dropped.

Kate didn't want to dwell on the knowledge she had had experienced a moment of irrational discontent at the idea of Mr. Hunter being friends with Lizzy. And that the discontent had nothing to do with the notion that a gentleman was not supposed to count a member of staff amongst his friends. experienced a moment of irrational discontent at the idea of Mr. Hunter being friends with Lizzy. And that the discontent had nothing to do with the notion that a gentleman was not supposed to count a member of staff amongst his friends.

A silly rule, to Kate's mind, but that unusual opinion stemmed from having been reared in the company of several outspoken and unusually democratic women. Had Mr. Hunter been also? Was that why he was so polite to Lizzy? He needn't have been raised by women, of course. Men were just as capable of being democratic as women.

Lost in her thoughts, and absently tapping her finger against her skirts to the beat of a lovely violin concerto that had begun in her mind once they were inside, she followed Lizzy toward the front of the house.

Whatever Mr. Hunter's political and social leanings, she still didn't trust him. Because respectful to Lizzy or not, tousled hair or not, he was still a man of too much polish and charm who took pleasure in discomforting her. And if she didn't trust him, then she shouldn't trust her curiosity with him, nor her reaction to his dark gaze and...

The concerto faltered, slowing in tempo. Something hard nudged her hip, and she looked down just in time to see a vase go toppling from a side table she'd just b.u.mped into. She reached for it with both hands, but it was Lizzy who caught it.

"Oh, dear," Kate whispered as Lizzy calmly replaced the vase. "Oh, thank you, Lizzy."

"Nothing to it."

"There would have been a great deal to it if it had broken and Mother caught wind." After a year of extensive deportment lessons had failed to curb the worst of Kate's clumsiness, Lady Thurston had given up any hope that her only daughter might display the grace the only daughter of a countess really ought. But that wouldn't stop her from lecturing over a host's broken vase.

"I do wish Lord Brentworth would keep his windows open," Kate sighed.

"So you can hear the waves?" Lizzy guessed. She was one of the few people who knew of the music that sometimes danced about in Kate's head, and the only other person who knew of the sea's ability to silence it. Given Lizzy's loose tongue, it was something of a mystery as to how she'd managed to keep the secret for more than ten years.

Kate nodded and sighed as they resumed their walk down the hall.

Lizzy brushed at a bit of dust on her ap.r.o.n. "Well, we can keep the windows ajar in your room, anyway. And mine, as it's connected. That should help-"

"You needn't keep yours open unless you want them open, Lizzy."

"I don't mind."

"It isn't a matter of minding. It's a matter of what you would prefer."

"I'd prefer you not knock anything over in either of our rooms," Lizzy said dryly.

Kate liked to think she would have come up with a very clever retort to that comment, but before she was given the opportunity to try, they reached the end of the hall leading to the foyer. The front door was open, and though a maid was blocking Kate's view of whoever was on the other side, she caught the sound of a familiar and very unwelcome highpitched t.i.tter.

Oh, no.

She and Lizzy stopped in their tracks. The maid shifted and Kate saw a flash of elaborately coiffed blonde hair.

Oh, no. no.

The maid stepped aside and admitted one Miss Mary Jane Willory.

Kate felt her jaw fall open at the sight. "Oh, no." "Oh, no."

Next to her, Lizzy made a small noise in the back of her throat. If Kate hadn't known better, she would have sworn it was a growl.

Though she would feel a little ashamed for it later, instinct made her grab Lizzy's arm and drag her back into the hall, out of sight of the front door.

Mouth pressed into a grim line, she stared around the corner at the pet.i.te young woman turned out in an insufferably tidy gown of white. Kate scowled at the woman and the gown. Her Her lavender traveling gown had been wrinkled from hem to neck and sporting several large stains by the time she'd arrived at Pallton House. Not exactly the most pressing issue at present, but annoying nonetheless. lavender traveling gown had been wrinkled from hem to neck and sporting several large stains by the time she'd arrived at Pallton House. Not exactly the most pressing issue at present, but annoying nonetheless.

Miss Willory moved aside to allow an elderly woman through the door behind her. Her chaperone, Kate imagined. A widowed aunt or distant spinster cousin or some other poor soul marked for punishment. Which was, again, not the most pressing issue.

She shook her head in bafflement. "What on earth is Miss Willory doing here?"

And why on earth did Miss Willory look so delighted about it? The woman was still t.i.ttering. Miss Willory was not the sort of young lady who t.i.ttered with delight to be attending Lord Brentworth's house party, unless...Unless there was someone in attendance she very much wished to see.

Oh, Kate dearly dearly hoped that someone wished to see her back. And that the someone was Baron Comrie from Edinburough. How much more pleasant would life be were Miss Willory to become Lady Comrie and spend the remainder of her days comfortably tucked away in Scotland. Kate had a difficult time imagining Miss Willory hoped that someone wished to see her back. And that the someone was Baron Comrie from Edinburough. How much more pleasant would life be were Miss Willory to become Lady Comrie and spend the remainder of her days comfortably tucked away in Scotland. Kate had a difficult time imagining Miss Willory wanting wanting to be tucked away in Scotland, but the woman did want wealth and a t.i.tle, and after six seasons searching for them, and with people beginning to smirk a bit at her advancing age, she might just be-if Kate was very lucky-desperate enough to seize them from an unsuspecting Scotsman. Or maybe not, Kate mused, maybe she'd come with the hopes of luring the handsome young Mr. Potsbottom into her web and...No, no, Mr. Potsbottom had pockets to let, and if the rumors were true, the Willory family's extravagant tastes had put them in their own financial straits. Miss Willory was in search of a fortune. It must be the baron. to be tucked away in Scotland, but the woman did want wealth and a t.i.tle, and after six seasons searching for them, and with people beginning to smirk a bit at her advancing age, she might just be-if Kate was very lucky-desperate enough to seize them from an unsuspecting Scotsman. Or maybe not, Kate mused, maybe she'd come with the hopes of luring the handsome young Mr. Potsbottom into her web and...No, no, Mr. Potsbottom had pockets to let, and if the rumors were true, the Willory family's extravagant tastes had put them in their own financial straits. Miss Willory was in search of a fortune. It must be the baron.

Lizzy plucked at her sleeve. "Lady Kate?"

Kate craned her neck to watch as Miss Willory imperiously ordered the staff to take special care with her trunks. "What is it?"

"We can't stand here all day."

Kate turned her head. "Do you you want to go out there?" want to go out there?"

"I'd rather eat slugs. A bucketful. But your mother is expecting you for tea." With her head poking over Kate's left shoulder, Lizzy pointed at a door on the other side of Miss Willory. "In that parlor."

Kate swallowed a groan. "Is there another way in, do you suppose?"

"Through the window."

"I'd like to retain some pride, thank you."

"Bit late, if you ask me."

Kate grimaced. "I suppose we can't dally here forever."

"Dallying," Lizzy repeated. "Is that what we're doing?"

No, they were hiding, but Kate didn't feel like admitting to that out loud. It wasn't that she was afraid of Miss Willory, not in the least. But spending time in the woman's company was, in fact, very much like eating slugs. Unlikely to cause harm, but unpleasant enough to justify taking extensive measures to avoid the experience.

Kate watched as Miss Willory and her chaperone were ushered into the parlor. Blast Blast, there went any hope that the woman would retire to her room after her long journey. And stay there for the duration of the party.

To her complete shock, Mr. Hunter's dark head quite suddenly peered over her right shoulder. "What are we looking at?"

CHAPTER Five

Kate jumped and spun around at the sound of Mr. Hunter's voice. In retrospect, it might have been a better choice to stay as she'd been, peering around the corner of the hall, because jumping and spinning only resulted in her catching Lizzy in the side with her elbow, and then coming to a stop with the hard wall at her back and Mr. Hunter's hard form not three inches from her nose. She knew knew his form was hard, because she'd caught him in the belly with her his form was hard, because she'd caught him in the belly with her other other elbow in the spinning process, and he hadn't emitted so much as a grunt. elbow in the spinning process, and he hadn't emitted so much as a grunt.

Her heart leapt up to lodge in her throat. The air backed up in her lungs. And both reactions, she a.s.sured herself, were from the surprise-they hadn't a thing to do with his nearness. She blinked at his cravat for a second before slowly lifting her eyes to meet his.

The blighter had the nerve to grin down at her. "Startled you again, did I?"

Finding her breath once more, she wedged her arm between them, placed the flat of her hand against his chest-his decidedly hard chest-and pushed him back a step.

"How long have you been standing here?" she demanded for the second time in less than a half hour.

He continued to grin. "Just long enough to wonder how long the two of you have been standing there. there."

"We've not..."

"Three minutes, at least," Lizzy supplied, rubbing at her ribs where Kate had elbowed her.

Kate swallowed a groan, along with the apology she'd been about to offer. "You really are are incapable of keeping anything to yourself." incapable of keeping anything to yourself."

Lizzy shrugged, clearly unrepentant. "I can if it's asked of me."

"What were you watching for the last three minutes?" Mr. Hunter inquired.

"Nothing." Kate threw a hard look at Lizzy before continuing. "It really isn't anything you need concern yourself over. I thought you were inspecting Mr. Abott's mare."

"Never said I'd inspect the mare, only said I'd look at it, which I have," Hunter replied easily. "And I'm not quite so concerned by what you and Lizzy have been watching as I am intrigued." He leaned a little to glance around the corner. "Was there a spot of mischief happening before I came along? A lover's spat? An a.s.signation?"

"An a.s.signation?" she repeated, a bubble of laughter forming in her throat. "In the foyer?"

"It would certainly merit three minutes of staring."

"We were not staring for three minutes." At least two of them had been reserved for contemplation.

"It was closer to four, really," Lizzy said with a sly smile for Kate. "You've still not asked me."

"Lizzy," Kate ground out, "would you please be so kind as to keep our business to yourself?"

"Certainly, though I don't see why it need be secret."