at home that the cases once belonged to somebody else, and still bear that person's initials."
She held her breath, hoping that he would be satisfied with this explanation.
"Well, we won't talk about it, at the moment," the Earl answered with a smile that made her sure he did not believe her. "If you want to be mysterious of course I won't spoil things."
"Thank you very much and I will try not to forget it," Rona replied.
The Earl laughed. That certainly was not the reply he had expected. But she was so original and enchanting that he was willing to tolerate much from her that he would not have accepted from anyone else.
"I came down early," said Rona, "because I want to ask you to say nothing about lessons. Of course I shall be teaching Alice, but discreetly. I'm trying to make her want to learn."
"Yes I saw that last night. Don't worry. In fact, I have something to tell you as well. We have an extra person – "
He broke off as his face lit up at the sight of his daughter dancing into the room.
"There you are," he said as she hugged him. "I was just going to tell Miss Johnson about the surprise."
"Oh, lovely! What is it?"
"Not what? Who?"
"Me," said a voice behind Alice, and they all turned to see a smiling young man.
Alice gave a shriek of pleasure and ran into his arms, crying, "Uncle Peter!"
He lifted her off her feet and swung her around. "How's my favourite girl?"
"You're back," she cried when he had set her down again. "I'm so glad."
"You're so grown up," he said.
The Earl spoke quietly to Rona.
"That's Peter Carlton, my brother-in-law, just back from his travels. I wasn't expecting him for another month. You may remember that we were talking about him last night."
When she did not reply he looked at her intently.
"Miss Johnson?"
She seemed to wake up from a dream.
"I'm sorry, my Lord."
"What is it? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
"No – no, not at all. Just a momentary impression. An illusion. Nothing."
Alice was pulling her uncle over to Rona.
"Uncle Peter, this is Miss Johnson who's going to be my new governess, and she's so wonderfully different from the others. It's like magic."
"So you are a magician, Miss Johnson?" said Peter Carlton, holding out his hand to Rona in a frank, attractive manner.
"You are too kind, sir." Miss Johnson took his hand, but only for a moment, and did not meet his eyes.
Peter was regarding her in some bewilderment. Was this the woman whose beauty had so impressed his brother that he had continually alluded to it the night before? Well, she might be pretty, but it was hard to tell when she would not raise her head, and all he could see clearly was a dowdy hairstyle and a pair of glasses.
"She is like a fairy who has come into our lives and cast a spell over everything," Alice insisted.
"Are you really a fairy, Miss Johnson?" Peter asked in a warm, semi-playful tone. It came from his kind heart, and usually put nervous employees at their ease, which was his intention.
But instead of smiling at him this iron maiden (as he was beginning to think of her) merely said,
"That's just Miss Alice's way of talking, sir."
"Uncle Peter, Papa says you are coming with us to Paris," Alice exclaimed.
"Unless you object."
In answer Alice gave him an elegant little curtsy, and said, "to be sure, sir, your company will be very agreeable."
Peter laughed and gave her a bow. Thankful that his attention was no longer on her, Rona let out her breath. Her heart was beating wildly at what had just happened.
It was absurd, of course, to imagine any likeness between this man and Harlequin. He was tall and had the same name, but that was all. The rest was just her fancy.
All she needed, she thought, was a moment to pull herself together.
"Everybody have some breakfast," the Earl said heartily. "We must be going soon."
"Hurry, I don't want to be left behind," said Alice. "I do so want lots of new French clothes."
"Well, I dare say you will contrive to get what you want,"
She held her breath, hoping that he would be satisfied with this explanation.
"Well, we won't talk about it, at the moment," the Earl answered with a smile that made her sure he did not believe her. "If you want to be mysterious of course I won't spoil things."
"Thank you very much and I will try not to forget it," Rona replied.
The Earl laughed. That certainly was not the reply he had expected. But she was so original and enchanting that he was willing to tolerate much from her that he would not have accepted from anyone else.
"I came down early," said Rona, "because I want to ask you to say nothing about lessons. Of course I shall be teaching Alice, but discreetly. I'm trying to make her want to learn."
"Yes I saw that last night. Don't worry. In fact, I have something to tell you as well. We have an extra person – "
He broke off as his face lit up at the sight of his daughter dancing into the room.
"There you are," he said as she hugged him. "I was just going to tell Miss Johnson about the surprise."
"Oh, lovely! What is it?"
"Not what? Who?"
"Me," said a voice behind Alice, and they all turned to see a smiling young man.
Alice gave a shriek of pleasure and ran into his arms, crying, "Uncle Peter!"
He lifted her off her feet and swung her around. "How's my favourite girl?"
"You're back," she cried when he had set her down again. "I'm so glad."
"You're so grown up," he said.
The Earl spoke quietly to Rona.
"That's Peter Carlton, my brother-in-law, just back from his travels. I wasn't expecting him for another month. You may remember that we were talking about him last night."
When she did not reply he looked at her intently.
"Miss Johnson?"
She seemed to wake up from a dream.
"I'm sorry, my Lord."
"What is it? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
"No – no, not at all. Just a momentary impression. An illusion. Nothing."
Alice was pulling her uncle over to Rona.
"Uncle Peter, this is Miss Johnson who's going to be my new governess, and she's so wonderfully different from the others. It's like magic."
"So you are a magician, Miss Johnson?" said Peter Carlton, holding out his hand to Rona in a frank, attractive manner.
"You are too kind, sir." Miss Johnson took his hand, but only for a moment, and did not meet his eyes.
Peter was regarding her in some bewilderment. Was this the woman whose beauty had so impressed his brother that he had continually alluded to it the night before? Well, she might be pretty, but it was hard to tell when she would not raise her head, and all he could see clearly was a dowdy hairstyle and a pair of glasses.
"She is like a fairy who has come into our lives and cast a spell over everything," Alice insisted.
"Are you really a fairy, Miss Johnson?" Peter asked in a warm, semi-playful tone. It came from his kind heart, and usually put nervous employees at their ease, which was his intention.
But instead of smiling at him this iron maiden (as he was beginning to think of her) merely said,
"That's just Miss Alice's way of talking, sir."
"Uncle Peter, Papa says you are coming with us to Paris," Alice exclaimed.
"Unless you object."
In answer Alice gave him an elegant little curtsy, and said, "to be sure, sir, your company will be very agreeable."
Peter laughed and gave her a bow. Thankful that his attention was no longer on her, Rona let out her breath. Her heart was beating wildly at what had just happened.
It was absurd, of course, to imagine any likeness between this man and Harlequin. He was tall and had the same name, but that was all. The rest was just her fancy.
All she needed, she thought, was a moment to pull herself together.
"Everybody have some breakfast," the Earl said heartily. "We must be going soon."
"Hurry, I don't want to be left behind," said Alice. "I do so want lots of new French clothes."
"Well, I dare say you will contrive to get what you want,"
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