‘That, I fear, is not her reason. She thinks I am being seen in bad company.’
‘Meaning me?’
‘Meaning you, exactly. She mentions you by name, and it is so embarrassing! I wanted to consult you first, but I feel the best course is to write to her that there is absolutely no need for her visit, because our outings, besides being at an end, were of very little significance.’
‘Were they?’
She looked absolutely and utterly startled. There was silence, then she said, ‘Well, I don’t mean I didn’t enjoy them, and it was most generous of you to suggest them. But Monica has clearly read far too much into our appearances together.’
‘Our outings were,’ he said solemnly, ‘of the most scandalous nature. An operatic evening and a lecture.’
‘Scandalous?Oh, you are teasing me, of course! Yes, it was all quite harmless, I know. But Monica has a habit of blowing things up out of all proportion, and her imagination will be running wild.’
‘Really? In what direction?’ Mischievous of him, he knew, but he enjoyed watching her struggle to frame her reply.
At last, she said, ‘She suspects, I fear, that you might intend to make me your mistress. Which I shall tell her is utterly absurd.’
‘Why?’
She looked amazed. ‘Why? Because I am not the kind of woman any man would choose as his mistress. Look at me!’
‘I am looking,’ he said.
Now he was being totally wicked, and her embarrassment was turning to annoyance. ‘My lord, this isserious.I thought I ought to warn you, and of course I shall write and banish her wild imaginings that there is anything at all between us. You surely don’t want her spreading false gossip about us! Especially as…’ She halted a moment. ‘Especially as you have suffered enough troublesome gossip in the past.’
‘That,’ he said, ‘is not your concern, Miss Summerby. Now, I hate to contradict you, but it’s my opinion that we should do exactly the opposite of what you suggest. I think we definitely should be seen together again.’
Her eyes widened in disbelief. ‘My lord?’
Dan folded his arms and gave a roguish smile. ‘I’ve learned through experience that it’s always a mistake to give in to bullies. Besides, I have a strong suspicion your sister might like you back in her household, to look after those children of hers.’
‘Yes! Oh, those were my thoughts exactly!’
‘When is your sister planning to arrive?’
‘She didn’t say, but she implied it would be soon.’
‘Well, as it happens, I’ve today received an invitation to a summer party next Friday evening, and I think you should come with me. Whether your sister arrives before or after the event, she is bound to hear of it, and her surprise will be delightful to behold.’
‘But I don’t want Monica to think I have any designs on you!’
Her look of surprised indignation was delicious, but he kept a straight face and said, ‘I do understand. The thought of you chasing after me is ridiculous, isn’t it?’ With the heel of one boot, he was edging away a pink garter that lay amongst the debris of Hercules just beside him, endeavouring also to shift his stance so he was hiding the most garish scrawl on the still-standing plinth.Daniel is a love god.‘But,’ he went on, ‘for our neighbourliness to have any impact at all on your sister, we mustplan another outing, definitely a party this time, and the one I’ve suggested will be perfectly genteel, I assure you. Why does the idea of it dismay you?’
‘Actually,’ she said slowly, ‘I enjoyed our outings more than I expected. But surely, we both know we make an unusual pair.’
‘Why?’
‘Because—because you’reyou,and I’m a relative nobody! People just couldn’t understand why you’d invited me. Especially the women.’
She scowled a little, but he was lifting one eyebrow. ‘Didn’t you see the way their husbands were watching you?’
‘No.’ She looked puzzled. ‘I didn’t.’
‘Then you’re not as observant as I’d thought. Those men were paying quite a lot of attention to you—too much, in the opinion of their wives.’
‘Ridiculous.’ She waved a hand in dismissal.
‘Not ridiculous at all. Now, the host of this party is Mr Roland Darrow—he’s the architect who designed this house and he lives on Marine Parade. He and his wife are pleasant and respectable company, and I think we should take pleasure in once again startling not only your sister, but any others who wish to belittle you. What do you say?’
