now?
But she was certain he was thinking the words.
“If you will come with me,” Ibbitts said instead. “His lordship does not like to be kept waiting.”
Without waiting for a response, Ibbitts led the way along a dimly lit hall toward the back of the big house.
At the far end of the corridor he ushered her into a long room paneled in heavy dark wood. She was relieved to see that the windows in the library were not covered by heavy curtains as they were at the front of the house. Instead, the thick, brown velvet drapes had been tied back to frame the view of a wild, chaotically overgrown, rain-drenched garden.
The library was furnished with a murky carpet badly in need of cleaning and several items of substantial furniture in a style that had been out of fashion for several years. The high, shadowy ceiling had been painted with a dreary scene of a twilight sky at some point in the distant past. Bookshelves lined most of the walls. The leather-bound volumes were old and dusty.
A narrow, circular staircase studded with wrought iron balusters twisted upward to a balcony that was lined with more bookshelves.
“Miss Lodge, my lord.” Ibbitts made his announcement as though he was reading Elenora’s name from an obituary notice.
“Thank you, Ibbitts.” At the far end of the room, near the window facing the unkempt garden, Arthur rose from behind a heavily carved desk.
Silhouetted against the poor light his hard face was unreadable.
He came around the front of the desk and walked toward her down the length of the room.
“Welcome to your future home, my dear,” he said.
It dawned on her that he was playing his part in front of the butler. She must do the same.
“Thank you. It is so good to see you again, sir.” She made her best curtsy.
Ibbitts backed out of the room and closed the door.
The instant the butler disappeared, Arthur halted midway down the room and glanced at the clock. “What the devil took you so long? I thought you would be here an hour ago.”
So much for his role of gallant fiancé, Elenora thought. Evidently her new employer did not intend to maintain the charade when they were private.
“I apologize for the delay,” she said calmly. “The rain made the traffic quite difficult.”
Before he could respond, a woman spoke from the balcony overhead.
“Arthur, please introduce me,” she called down in a warm, soft-spoken voice.
Elenora looked up and saw a tiny bird of a woman who appeared to be in her mid thirties. She had delicate features and bright hazel eyes. Her hair, dressed in a simple chignon, was the color of dark honey. Her gown appeared to be relatively new and made of expensive fabric, but it was not in the latest style.
“Allow me to present Margaret Lancaster,” Arthur said. “She is the relative I mentioned, the one who will be staying here while I conduct my business affairs. She will go about with you and lend her services as a chaperone so that your reputation will not suffer while you are in this household.”
“Mrs. Lancaster.” Elenora dropped another curtsy.
“You must call me Margaret. After all, as far as the world is concerned, you will soon be a member of the family.” Margaret started down the circular staircase “My, this is going to be so exciting. I am quite looking forward to the adventure.”
Arthur went back to his desk and sat down. He looked at Elenora and Margaret in turn.
“As I have explained, I want the pair of you to do whatever is necessary to distract the attentions of Society so that I can conduct my business affairs with the greatest degree of privacy possible.”
“Yes, of course,” Elenora murmured.
“You will make arrangements immediately to attend the most important and most fashionable balls and soirees so that everyone in Society will see that I really do have a fiancée.”
“I understand,” Elenora said.
He looked at Margaret. “As Elenora’s chaperone and female guide, you will deal with the details
But she was certain he was thinking the words.
“If you will come with me,” Ibbitts said instead. “His lordship does not like to be kept waiting.”
Without waiting for a response, Ibbitts led the way along a dimly lit hall toward the back of the big house.
At the far end of the corridor he ushered her into a long room paneled in heavy dark wood. She was relieved to see that the windows in the library were not covered by heavy curtains as they were at the front of the house. Instead, the thick, brown velvet drapes had been tied back to frame the view of a wild, chaotically overgrown, rain-drenched garden.
The library was furnished with a murky carpet badly in need of cleaning and several items of substantial furniture in a style that had been out of fashion for several years. The high, shadowy ceiling had been painted with a dreary scene of a twilight sky at some point in the distant past. Bookshelves lined most of the walls. The leather-bound volumes were old and dusty.
A narrow, circular staircase studded with wrought iron balusters twisted upward to a balcony that was lined with more bookshelves.
“Miss Lodge, my lord.” Ibbitts made his announcement as though he was reading Elenora’s name from an obituary notice.
“Thank you, Ibbitts.” At the far end of the room, near the window facing the unkempt garden, Arthur rose from behind a heavily carved desk.
Silhouetted against the poor light his hard face was unreadable.
He came around the front of the desk and walked toward her down the length of the room.
“Welcome to your future home, my dear,” he said.
It dawned on her that he was playing his part in front of the butler. She must do the same.
“Thank you. It is so good to see you again, sir.” She made her best curtsy.
Ibbitts backed out of the room and closed the door.
The instant the butler disappeared, Arthur halted midway down the room and glanced at the clock. “What the devil took you so long? I thought you would be here an hour ago.”
So much for his role of gallant fiancé, Elenora thought. Evidently her new employer did not intend to maintain the charade when they were private.
“I apologize for the delay,” she said calmly. “The rain made the traffic quite difficult.”
Before he could respond, a woman spoke from the balcony overhead.
“Arthur, please introduce me,” she called down in a warm, soft-spoken voice.
Elenora looked up and saw a tiny bird of a woman who appeared to be in her mid thirties. She had delicate features and bright hazel eyes. Her hair, dressed in a simple chignon, was the color of dark honey. Her gown appeared to be relatively new and made of expensive fabric, but it was not in the latest style.
“Allow me to present Margaret Lancaster,” Arthur said. “She is the relative I mentioned, the one who will be staying here while I conduct my business affairs. She will go about with you and lend her services as a chaperone so that your reputation will not suffer while you are in this household.”
“Mrs. Lancaster.” Elenora dropped another curtsy.
“You must call me Margaret. After all, as far as the world is concerned, you will soon be a member of the family.” Margaret started down the circular staircase “My, this is going to be so exciting. I am quite looking forward to the adventure.”
Arthur went back to his desk and sat down. He looked at Elenora and Margaret in turn.
“As I have explained, I want the pair of you to do whatever is necessary to distract the attentions of Society so that I can conduct my business affairs with the greatest degree of privacy possible.”
“Yes, of course,” Elenora murmured.
“You will make arrangements immediately to attend the most important and most fashionable balls and soirees so that everyone in Society will see that I really do have a fiancée.”
“I understand,” Elenora said.
He looked at Margaret. “As Elenora’s chaperone and female guide, you will deal with the details
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