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Breakfast consisted of fruit and sweet black coffee. While he ate, Savage discussed business with John Bull. “You don’t need me along when you hire your staff for Edenwood,” Adam directed. “I’ll be in London at least a week before I can return.”
“The house staff is my domain, but I am preferring you pick the grooms and a carriage driver.”
“Done!” Savage agreed, knowing John Bull’s advice was sound. “If I purchase that town house on Half-Moon Street, it, too, will need staffing. Do you trust my judgment?” Adam asked his majordomo.
John Bull nodded firmly. “You are far too shrewd to hire night flyers.”
Fly-by-nights,Tony thought. Actually John Bull’s English made perfectly good sense if you listened closely. She was greatly relieved that Savage was considering his own town house. Living under the same roof at Curzon Street would be most disturbing.
Savage’s effect upon her kept her continually off balance. He both lured and repelled her, had her one minute wanting to kiss him, the next wanting to kill him! She told herself sternly that he must never catch her looking at him like a bitch looked at a bone. She knew she must distance herself from him.
Tony said, “You must want to see the house alone, the first time you go through all the rooms. I was here several times while it was being built.”
Savage cast Tony a look of gratitude. “Go and have a look at the library. It’s a masterpiece,” he suggested as he strode from the breakfast room.
Jeffrey Sloane looked up from the desk as Tony entered the library. He had a preoccupied air about him, as if his mind was constantly on letters and figures. He was of middle age, but looked old before his time. His shoulders were slightly stooped and he was pale as if he never went outdoors.
Tony said, “The last time I saw this room it wasn’t finished. I imagine this is one of the rooms Adams designed,” she added with awed reverence.
It was paneled in a deep, rich mahogany. Two walls had floor-to-ceiling, built-in bookcases, a third wall had a magnificently carved ebony fireplace with a massive brass fender and andirons. The remaining wall had long, floor-to-ceiling windows to let in the light. The chairs were in a bottle-green Cordovan leather, the seven-foot desk had an inlaid leather top and carved claw feet. The floor was covered by a thirty-foot Indian carpet in pale green. Beneath the carpet the floor was deep green malachite stone that also served as the hearth for the ebony fireplace.
Tony drew closer to see what had been carved into the polished ebony. No fruit or flowers as she had expected, but leopards, cobras, and mongooses; elephants, monkeys, and iguanas. Her fingers could not resist tracing the exotic creatures who prowled there; the hunters and the hunted. Her hand came to rest upon an animal she could not name.
“That’s a bandicoot,” a deep voice informed her.
“Your people call you the Leopard because you have their knack of appearing with no perceptible approach.”
“It will sharpen your reflexes and teach you never to be caught off guard,” he said bluntly. “What do you think?”
“It’s truly a magnificent room,” she said, glancing over the brass wall-lamps and framed hunting scenes. She noticed upon closer inspection that among the fox and hare hunts was a jackal hunt. “These are actual paintings, not just prints,” she commented.
“I like this one best,” Savage said, pointing to a beautiful picture. “It’s calledMares and Foalsby George Stubbs. If you spot more of his paintings in London, be sure to acquire them for me. I don’t have many books yet, just the ones I brought from India and Ceylon, but London has so many publishers and bookshops, there may not be enough shelves here to hold everything I want.”
“It must be extremely pleasant to have enough money to acquire whatever takes your fancy.”
“It is,” he said enigmatically. Then he added, “If you’re interested, I’ll teach you how to make money.”
“I am interested,” Tony said eagerly, “very!”
A cynical smile touched Savage’s lips. “First you have to sow some wild oats, show some spirit. Then when you are brimful of the devil and hellfire, we’ll harness it and make a damned fine man of you.”
Tony wanted to slap his face. He didn’t even have a title, yet he was such a superior swine. She looked him up and down insolently and drawled, “You’re a bit of a bastard, Savage.”
“So I’ve been told,” Adam said silkily.
Savage left his Arab at Edenwood because he had another in London. Since Tony did not keep a mount there, she saddled Neptune while Savage harnessed the bays to the carriage.
“Fasten him behind the coach, I want you to ride with me,” Savage directed.
“Why?” Tony asked warily.
Savage answered the question with another question. “Have you ever handled a pair of carriage horses?”
“No,” Tony said faintly.
“Then your first lesson is about to commence.”
Tony shrugged. Anthony would have had to learn to handle a team and she considered herself equal to anything her twin could do. She watched Savage for the space of half an hour. When he turned the reins over to her he gave no direction, but decided to see what young Lamb could do on his own.
