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Elizabeth looked at him curiously. “Why would you fear that? You hardly know her.”
“True, but our families have been friends for many years. Believe me when I tell you that she is legend among my parents’ generation.”
“Oh, I believe you.” Elizabeth laughed. “She’s legend among my generation. She has all the village children quite terrified.”
“That,” Mr. Siddons said dryly, “I believe.”
“I didn’t realize you knew Lady Danbury prior to your employment,” she said, dipping her handkerchief in the salve again.
“Yes, it’s”—he winced as she applied a bit to his forehead—“why she hired me, I’m sure. She probably thought I’d be more trustworthy than someone referred by an agency.”
“That’s odd. Before you arrived, Lady Danbury dismissed me early so that she could go over the books and memorize the numbers so she could be certain you weren’t robbing her blind.”
James covered up a chuckle with a cough. “She said that?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing with concentration as she scanned his face. “But I shouldn’t take it personally. She’d say that about anyone, even her own son.”
“Especially her own son.”
Elizabeth laughed. “You do know her well, then. She is forever complaining about him.”
“Did she tell you about the time he got his head stuck—”
“At Windsor Castle? Yes.” She grinned, touching her fingers to her lips as she let out a little giggle. “I’ve never laughed so hard.”
James smiled back at her, finding her nearness disarming. He felt almost giddy. “Do you know him?”
“Cedric?” She drew back slightly so that they could converse at a more comfortable distance. “Oh, I suppose I should call him Lord Danbury now, shouldn’t I?”
He lifted his shoulder in a lopsided shrug. “You can call him whatever you like in my company. I, for one, like to call him a—”
She shook her finger at h
im. “I think you must have a very naughty streak to you, Mr. Siddons. And you’re trying to coax me into saying something I might regret.”
He smiled wolfishly. “I’d much rather coerce you into doing something you might regret.”
“Mr. Siddons,” she said reprovingly.
He shrugged. “Forgive me.”
“As it happens, I do know the new Lord Danbury,” she said, dipping her chin as she looked at him to signal that the subject had been officially changed. “Not very well, of course. He’s a bit older than I am, so we did not play together as children. But he does come back to visit his mother from time to time, so our paths do occasionally cross.”
It occurred to James that should Cedric decide to visit his mama anytime soon, his disguise would be completely ruined. Even if he or Aunt Agatha managed to warn him of the situation ahead of time, Cedric absolutely could not be trusted to keep his mouth shut. The man had no notion of discretion and even less of common sense. James shook his head unthinkingly. Thank goodness stupidity didn’t run in the family.
“What’s wrong?” Miss Hotchkiss asked.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You shook your head.”
“Did I?”
She nodded. “I probably wasn’t being gentle enough. I’m terribly sorry.”
He captured her hand in his and caught her in a hungry gaze. “Angels could not have been more gentle.”
Her eyes widened, and for a fleeting moment locked with his before shifting to their hands. James waited for her to object, but she did not, and so he let his thumb trail along her wrist as he released her. “I beg your pardon,” he murmured. “I don’t know what came over me.”
