Confident he could, and would, do a better job of remembering what he wanted from Kate in the future, he smoothed his cravat, brushed a bit of lint from his coat and stepped outside onto the veranda.

"Good afternoon, Lady Kate."

She spared him a brief glance over the top of her book as he walked around to take a seat beside her. "Is there a particular reason you've been following me about all day, Mr. Hunter?"

"Several, in fact. Would you care to hear them?"

"Not really," she replied and turned the page. "I'd rather you just stop."

"Can't, I'm afraid. I've orders."

"Orders?" She laughed a little at that and looked up. "From whom?"

He hid a smile when her eyes darted to his mouth. He'd known she would try to pretend the kisses hadn't happened, just as he'd known she would not be able to pull it off.

"William Fletcher," he told her.

"You don't take orders from Mr. Fletcher," she said with a roll of her eyes. Her gaze dipped to his mouth once more before she blushed and stuck her nose back in her book. "He works for the War Department."

"That's not common knowledge," he commented, although he wasn't particularly surprised she knew of it. Only to be expected, really, since a number of her friends and family members-including her brother Whit-worked for the War Department.

She twisted her lips but didn't look up. "It's not entirely uncommon knowledge."

"Whit let something slip, or was it the duke?" He sincerely doubted it was the ever reticent James McAlistair.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she demurred.

"I'm sure you do, and while I can appreciate your circ.u.mspection on the matter, I'll remind you that when Evie's life was in danger, I was one of the men Whit and William chose to guard her." That had been a remarkably shortsighted and precarious choice, in his opinion. He'd suggested they draw out their adversary by using Evie as bait.

"That's true." Kate seemed to think about that for a moment before inclining her head in acknowledgment. "Very well, I do know what you mean, but I don't believe for a moment that you work for the War Department in any official capacity. Also, nothing was 'slipped,' as you put it. I am not so sheltered that I am unaware of what goes on in my own home. "

He'd wager she knew only what had been gleaned in bits and pieces. And he had no intention of filling in the blanks.

"As it happens, I do work for Mr. Fletcher in an official capacity." He stretched his legs out before him. "And he has ordered me to keep an eye on you."

She seemed to consider that, and him, then lowered her head a little, just as he had not long ago at her mother's ball, and whispered, "Liar."

"Liar, is it?" he asked on a laugh.

"Yes." She straightened again. "To begin with, you're not the sort to work for the War Department."

"And what sort might that be?"

She frowned a little in thought. "Oh, patriotic, selfless, brave, perhaps a little reckless."

"I'm an unpatriotic and selfish coward with a cautious streak?"

"I didn't say that. I simply don't believe you possess those qualities to the degree necessary to risk life and limb in the name of crown and country."

The patriotic bit, he'd give her. The lack of selflessness as well. But d.a.m.n if he'd have her thinking him a coward. It would better serve his purposes, however, to have that argument another time.

"Second," Kate continued, "Mr. Fletcher would not employ one of his men as a chaperone for a young lady at a house party."

"He would if he thought that young lady in danger."

"What a lively imagination you have," she said, and with enough amus.e.m.e.nt in her voice to tell him she didn't think the less of him for it. "In danger of what?"

"From whom, actually. Your admirer is heavily invested in a smuggling operation."

"Which one?"

"Which..." He nearly gaped at her. Holy h.e.l.l, could he have been that mistaken about the girl's innocence? "How many smuggling operations are you aware of?"

"Oh, all of them," she drawled with a roll of her eyes. "Which admirer?"

"Ah. Lord Martin."

"Really?" She stared at him, her blue eyes going round. "You're in earnest?"

"Never more so."

"Lord Martin a smuggler?" She blew out a long breath, glanced back toward the house as if she expected to see the gentleman in question coming out the door, then turned back again. "Goodness, I shouldn't have thought he'd have the spine."

"You say that as if he's risen in your estimation."

"I suppose he has, in a way. I've always thought him something of a milksop. Well, not always. There was a period of time, a significant period of time to be honest, when I was quite attached to him. Or at least the idea of him. He seemed terribly dramatic and romantic, and..." She trailed off. "I beg your pardon. I have a tendency to ramble."

"Yes, I know."

She shot him an annoyed look. "What I am trying to say is, I don't think more of him for smuggling. I simply think more of him for being capable capable of smuggling. One can admire a talent without approving of how it's put to use." of smuggling. One can admire a talent without approving of how it's put to use."

He wondered how she would judge the use of his talents. Not well, he imagined. "Did you miss the part where I said his talents place you in danger?"

"No."

"You don't appear concerned."

She shrugged. "I'm not particularly. Lord Martin shares a closer bond to others in residence than he does with me. You'd be better off following them about."

"Which others?"

"Oh, Mr. Kepford and Mr. Woodruff come to mind. I believe the three of them attended school together."

"I rather doubt he fancies them."

"I rather doubt his fancying me puts me in any sort of jeopardy," she returned. "Particularly in light of the fact that I do not fancy him. What do you expect him to do, exactly? Recruit me into his merry band of outlaws?"

"Robin Hood wasn't a smuggler."

"And Lord Martin isn't especially merry. Neither of which is the salient point."

It was fascinating the way her mind worked. "What is the salient point, as you see it?"

"That I am not interested in Lord Martin, smuggling, or any other outlawed activity-particularly the sort that runs to high treason, which I a.s.sume is suspected if the War Department has become involved-and therefore I am not in any real danger."

"Regardless of where your interests and fancy are directed, his interest lies with you. The danger to you may be limited, but it still exists." He smiled at her pleasantly. "And that makes you, Lady Kate, my newest mission."

She frowned down at her book. "Is this the sort of mission Alex and Whit have been sent on in the past? I always imagined them engaged in something a tad more active. Bit disappointing, really."

"You'd prefer they risk life and limb?" he asked, surprised by her comment.

"No, I would prefer they have nothing at all to do with the War Department. But that's not likely to happen, is it? That being the case, I see no reason not to appreciate the work. Or I didn't, until now...I suppose I'll have to take back what I said about it requiring bravery."

"Absolutely fascinating."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing."

Kate looked at the man before her-or more accurately, at his very tidy cravat as she was having some difficulty lifting her eyes to his face without her gaze becoming stuck on his mouth-and marveled at what he'd just told her. After first wondering what he meant by "absolutely fascinating," anyway.

Mr. Hunter, an agent for the War Department. She could scarce believe it. Oh, she'd known that Mr. Fletcher trusted him, but she never would have guessed Mr. Hunter was actively engaged as an agent.

Nor would she have guessed that after a mere two days at the ton ton's most sedate house party she would already have been kissed, twice, and embroiled in a smuggling operation. Which reminded her...

"Your mission is to keep me from becoming involved in a smuggling operation?"

Mr. Hunter inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Correct."

"I should think telling me of it is rather like involving me in it." She smiled at him pleasantly. "Do you fail all your missions this quickly?"

He chuckled at that. "My orders were to see you weren't involved in Lord Martin's endeavors. William didn't say a word against your partic.i.p.ation in the investigation of those endeavors."

Kate knew full well William Fletcher wouldn't have said a word for for her partic.i.p.ation either, but she had absolutely no intention of arguing that point. She snapped her book shut and scooted forward in her chair. "Do you mean it? You'll let me help?" her partic.i.p.ation either, but she had absolutely no intention of arguing that point. She snapped her book shut and scooted forward in her chair. "Do you mean it? You'll let me help?"

"That depends. Can you resign yourself to my giving you orders?"

"I am the daughter of the dowager Lady Thurston and sister to the earl," she informed him in a dry tone. "I a.s.sure you, I long ago resigned myself to being ordered about."

Following those orders was another subject altogether, and one she very much hoped he did not broach. those orders was another subject altogether, and one she very much hoped he did not broach.

"Will you resign yourself to being ordered about by me me?" he pressed.

She gave him a decisive nod. "As those orders relate to this mission, yes."

"Excellent, then-"

"And provided they are sensible."

He lifted one dark brow.

"I only mean I'll not endanger myself simply because you ordered it," she explained.

"I see. You needn't worry on that score." He gave her a hard look. "Your involvement will be limited."

She didn't care for the sound of that. "How limited?"

"That remains to be seen."

Kate wrinkled her nose. She well and truly hated that phrase. Her mother employed it whenever she wished to avoid answering one of Kate's more sensitive questions, which meant her mother employed it with depressing regularity.

"If it wasn't remaining to be seen," Kate grumbled. "I wouldn't have had to ask. I'd have seen it."

"Beg your pardon?"

She shook her head. As that argument had never worked on her mother, it was a safe bet it would be equally unsuccessful with Mr. Hunter. "Never mind. What am I to do?"

"For now, keep your distance from Lord Martin."

"I already do that. I declined an offer to go riding with him just this morning," she informed him. "Couldn't I do something else? Perhaps charm a bit of information from him? I could express an interest in acquiring smuggled goods of a harmless variety, like brandy. Surely, he means to bring at least some over."

"No doubt, but that is too much involvement."

"What if-?"

"Another time, Kate."

She blinked at him, first at his sudden refusal to continue the conversation, then at the realization he had called her "Kate," and finally because he was clearly looking at something behind her. She twisted in her chair to see Mrs. Keenes and Mrs. Lubeck enter the terrace.

Kate stifled a sigh at the interruption as Mr. Hunter rose and bowed to the women. They inclined their heads in turn, but there was little to no respect evident in the greeting. From the quick jerk of their heads, to their ramrod-stiff backs, they made it perfectly clear that they tolerated his presence, but it was not to be forgotten that he was not really one of them.

Kate felt her hackles rise. The very nerve of them, she fumed silently. It was one thing for her her to have been dismissive of Mr. Hunter-or attempt to be dismissive, if one wished to be exacting-he'd given her cause with his looming and ruffling of feathers. But it was another thing altogether to dismiss a man, to have been dismissive of Mr. Hunter-or attempt to be dismissive, if one wished to be exacting-he'd given her cause with his looming and ruffling of feathers. But it was another thing altogether to dismiss a man, this this man, out of hand. man, out of hand.

Kate stood and gave a haughty nod of acknowledgment of her own. She may have been the only unmarried lady present, but she was also the only one related to a wealthy and influential peer of the realm.

"Mrs. Keenes, Mrs. Lubeck. I believe you made Mr. Hunter's acquaintance last night at dinner?"

Mrs. Keenes sniffed through her overlarge nose. "Indeed."

"Your husbands, I am sure, have made his acquaintance in the past." In truth, she wasn't entirely sure of that, but it seemed a fair bet their husbands had had some some financial dealings with Mr. Hunter. According to Whit, Mr. Hunter saw to the investments of half the financial dealings with Mr. Hunter. According to Whit, Mr. Hunter saw to the investments of half the ton ton, and held the vowels of the other half.

By the way Mrs. Lubeck blanched and stammered, Kate concluded she belonged to the second half. "I, er...yes, of course." She pasted on a sickly smile. "Good afternoon to you, Mr. Hunter."

"Good afternoon," Mrs. Keenes mumbled halfheartedly before turning to Kate. "Mrs. Lubeck and I were just headed for a stroll about the grounds. Won't you join us?"