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"As distinctively as she dresses, and her so tall? I would not be so confident. Oh, how awful! No wonder you were so upset. Only think of poor Lady Darnell's distress if someone saw the girl and reported back to her!"
"I'm certain there's little likelihood of that."
"How can you be certain? Did she have the foresight to go out
cloaked and masked?"
"Ah, no. But she was... disguised."
Miss Standish stared at him. "Disguised? As.. .as a servant?
Oh, Adam, that's even worse!"
"No, no, she was disguised as a lad. I'd be amazed if anyone managed to recognize her."
Priscilla's eyes widened ever more. "She went out into the city.. .dressed in breeches?"
Wishing now he had followed his first instinct and gone to his club, Adam nodded. "You understand why I should not wish a word of this breathed to anyone."
282 THE UNTAMED HEIRESS
"Of course not! 'Tis atrocious behavior, even for one as unprinci—unschooled as Miss Lambarth. My papa would lock me in my room on bread and water for such a stunt!"
Adam recalled Helena's description of being forced into the blackness of the priest hole. "I rather think being restrained for too much of her life is what led her to do this in the first place,"
he replied grimly.
"But you can't mean to let her go unpunished after such a flagrant breach of decorum."
"I can hardly punish her severely without telling Lady Darnell the reason. Something, I'm sure you'll agree, I wish to avoid."
"Poor lady! She'd have an attack of the vapors at least! But you must do something to show the girl that such behavior cannot be tolerated, or sooner or later, she will drag the family into a scandal that cannot be hidden."
"Now, Priscilla, I've given her enough of a scold that I think she is suitably chastened."
"And I think you are much too indulgent with her, Adam. You must not let her take advantage of your kindness and good nature—as she did the night of Mrs. Cowper's ball, dragging you away on some ridiculous pretext."
'"Twas no pretext. We already discussed this, my dear. I thought you understood."
"I understood how humiliating it was to be left without an escort for half the evening while my fiancé went off with another woman—and her dressed like.. .like some foreign hussy!"
Priscilla cried.
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Though he'd never flinched on the battlefield, Adam now felt the strongest desire to cut and run. How had the discussion gotten so out of hand?
Wanting urgently to end it, he said, "Priscilla, calm yourself.
Such.. .vehemence isn't like you."
Miss Standish exhaled a shuddering breath. After a moment of uneasy silence, she said, "Pray excuse me for allowing my...my feelings to run away with me. Shall we go in now? Mama will be wondering what has become of us."
"By all means, my dear," Adam said, wondering the same thing himself.
And he had thought the artillery barrage at Waterloo daunting.
Silently wishing a pox on all women—and men foolhardy enough to confide in them—Adam led his fiancée out of the garden.
The following morning, after checking his cravat one more time, Adam descended to the breakfast parlor with a small package in his hands. After extracting himself from the inquisition Miss Standish's mother had given him about his sister's unexpected bequest, the less probing questions and more sincere congratulations offered him when he'd finally reached his club had helped soothe his disgruntlement over Miss Lambarth's conduct. The masculine camaraderie and several good bottles of claret, however, had not settled his unease over discovering that Priscilla held Miss Lambarth in much greater aversion than he'd thought.
Their nasty quarrel had also shocked him into real izing that, while claiming to bow to his authority, Pris-284THE UNTAMED HEIRESS
cilla was probably trying to manipulate him by her rationed kisses, her pouts—and her anger when he did not accept her advice. There was something to be said for Miss Lambarth's directness and lack of feminine wiles.
He'd also had time to ponder why he'd been so unreasonably incensed by Helena's gift. Her usurping of his authority and then acting without consulting him would have irritated under any
circumstances, but should not have wounded him as they had.
Part of his anger, he'd decided, had been the chagrin of discovering that an outsider had realized before he did that Charis's happiness depended on wedding Blanchard. He should have been the one to make that union happen.
More muddled were his wildly mixed feelings about having hurtled into the breach to offer for Priscilla. He'd needed to repair the family fortunes, of course, but in large part his haste had been motivated by the desire to stabilize their finances and to provide a dowry for Charis. So that she would not have to consider wealth when choosing her life's partner.
Miss Lambarth's bequest had rendered that sacrifice unnecessary. Would he have taken a different a path, had he been free to choose? For though it shamed him to admit it, another part of his anger had been a keen envy of the joy so evident on the faces of Blanchard and his sister—a joy he'd not felt at any time during his own engagement.
Finally, he'd allowed injured pride and the vanity fanned by Priscilla's soothing words to lead him into 285
betraying Miss Lambarth's trust. For that indiscretion, he was even more ashamed. And though the small gift he'd found for her was hardly recompense for so grievous an error, it helped to assuage his guilty conscience a little.
The excited chatter emanating from the breakfast parlor indicated that his sister and stepmother must be discussing wedding plans. Not hearing Miss Lambarth's huskier tones and anxious to get the apology over with, he was relieved as he
entered to spy her by the sideboard.
Elegant this time in a riding habit of sapphire velvet, she was sipping coffee and smiling at the ladies. After greeting everyone, he quickly approached her.
She started to move away as he walked up. He stayed her with a touch to her elbow—a touch that seared as if his fingertips had skimmed bare flesh instead of cloth.
Trying not to let that contact distract him, he said in a low voice, "Pray let me apologize for my hasty words yesterday!
'Twas stupid pride on my part. Your gift was discreetly done and has guaranteed the happiness of my beloved sister. Thank you again."
To his surprise, she squeezed the hand that had touched her elbow, sending another shimmer of sensation through him. "Let me apologize in return. Though it seems obvious now, it never occurred to me to consult you." She smiled slightly. "My previous experience has not led me to confer with anyone before taking action...nor instilled in me the belief that the head of the household's first thought is the happiness of those in his charge.
I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."
286 THE UNTAMED HEIRESS
His heart lightening, he was about to recommend they put the matter behind them when Lady Darnell looked over. "Adam, what have you in your hand? An engagement gift?"
"No, 'tis a trifle for Miss Lambarth. After one of our previous discussions, I thought she might enjoy it."
Lady Darnell clapped her hands. "Oh, famous! Open it at once, Helena!"
Adam stood watching as, after a surprised glance at him, she removed the tissue and stared down at items.
'"Tis a set of drawing chalks," he explained.
"Conte and charcoal. How perfect!" Charis exclaimed. "Now she shall truly be able to display her talent."
Wonder in her eyes, Helena looked up at Adam. "I hardly know what to say."
'"Thank you' should suffice," Charis said with a giggle. "Have you never had a present before?"
Miss Lambarth's gaze wandered to the window and, to Adam's dismay, tears shimmered in her dark lashes. "Just before she...left, Mama gave me a brightly colored parrot. Father turned it loose in the garden. A hawk got it."
While Charis and Lady Darnell gasped, she turned to offer Adam the smile that transformed her face from arresting to breathtaking. '"Thank you' is paltry, but it shall have to do until I can think of something better."
"Your enjoyment —and the enjoyment your sketches will give us all—is thanks enough," Adam replied, the glow of her gratitude warming him right to his toes.
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Recovering her composure, his sister said, "Helena, will you accompany Bellemère and me to shop for fabric this morning? If my wedding clothes are to be ready before Nathan must return to Vienna, we have to begin at once!"
"Give me a few moments to change into something more suitable." Wrapping the chalks back in their paper, she raised shining eyes to Adam. "Thank you again, Darnell."
Absurdly pleased to have made her happy, he bowed as she walked out. "Your servant, Miss Lambarth."
After the other ladies left, Adam proceeded to the library.
Settling behind the desk, he smiled at the sight of Miss Lambarth's book by the sofa. How glad he was to have made peace between them.
He supposed he should call on Priscilla to try to smooth over their disagreement. But, deciding to put off what would probably be an uncomfortable meeting, he pulled out his account ledgers.
He was reading through a report from his steward when a feminine scream split the air.
Charis's scream.
Dropping the paper and knocking his chair out of the way, he bolted up the stairs.
