face. She looked almost menacing and, to his astonishment, her features revealed a trace of beauty. He looked harder. Faded beauty. "You are Miss Lockhart. Why?"
Enunciating clearly, she commanded, "Do not forget my name again."
In astonishment, he stared at her as she curtsied again to Lewis.
Lewis smiled as he returned the obeisance one more time with a little too much enthusiasm. "I look forward to meeting again soon, Miss Lockhart. Any woman who dares take my cousin to task must be a formidable woman."
Miss Lockhart preened. There was no other word for it, and if Kerrich's life hadn't become such a tangle, he would have discharged the female before the farce was truly begun. But he knew full well finding another governess of the proper age and disposition would be well-nigh impossible, and so he ground his teeth as Miss Lockhart approved of Lewis. Approved of him just as everyone in Kerrich's family had always approved; even Kerrich's beloved grandfather had held up Lewis as a shining example for Kerrich to follow.
"I am now in residence here, Mr. Athersmith, and it will be a pleasure to further our acquaintance." She turned to the butler. "Mr. Moulton, I wish to see the housekeeper. At once." And she marched away on the butler's heels.
"She's an odd thing." Lewis turned his attention on his cousin. "But no odder than you. A governess, cousin?"
Kerrich practiced the tale he had made up to cover his sudden and suspicious philanthropy. "I'm adopting a foundling, a lad I met on the street."
Lewis stared at him as if not quite sure of his hearing.
"The boy's courage and manliness captivated me."
"Courage and manliness." Now Lewis looked down with a deprecating smile. "Of course."
Kerrich could see he had put his foot wrong already. As far back as their childhood, he had been the daring one, the charming one, the one who would inherit the money, the estates and the title. Lewis had been the studious one, the one who had graduated from Oxford with honors, the one for whom everyone predicted a shining future.
Yet what the hell kind of behavior was he indulging in? And why? Not that it mattered; as head of the family, Kerrich could not allow their name and honorable reputation to be dragged through the mud. But still he determined to know why.
So with an affection utterly at odds with what he truly felt for his mutton-headed relative, he led the way to the comfortable grouping of chairs around the fireplace. "Sit down, Lewis."
Lewis slowly sank into the chair, his blue eyes cautious.
And guilty . Damn it! Why hadn't Kerrich noticed that before?
He answered his own question. Because he hadn't seen Lewis for months. Heaven knows, he hadn't missed him, and it hadn't occurred to him he ought to be scrutinizing Lewis's activities. Lewis was the son of a vicar, for Lord's sake! Lewis was supposed to be honorably employed by Lord Swearn preparing his heir for Oxford, not engaging in criminal activities!
When Kerrich thought about it, he just wanted to shake Lewis until he saw sense, then send him back to the family estate in Norfolk where Grandpapa would shake Lewis until this madness had passed. But somebody had to find out the details of Lewis's offenses, learn the names of his accomplices, and more important, of the master criminal, and handle the matter. That somebody was Kerrich. So he sank into an armchair opposite his cousin and with a serious mien said, "I have a proposition to offer you."
If anything, Lewis became more cautious. "You, cousin?"
"There's trouble at the bank." Kerrich weighed his words with care, choosing them for the optimum effect. "I can't go to anyone but a family member. I need you to come and live with me. Work for me." Lewis began to speak, but Kerrich held up his hand. "Please, hear me out. I know you already have a position"Lewis had been terminated, but Kerrich pretended not to know that"and it will not reflect honorably on you to depart at such a time, but I find myself in a
Enunciating clearly, she commanded, "Do not forget my name again."
In astonishment, he stared at her as she curtsied again to Lewis.
Lewis smiled as he returned the obeisance one more time with a little too much enthusiasm. "I look forward to meeting again soon, Miss Lockhart. Any woman who dares take my cousin to task must be a formidable woman."
Miss Lockhart preened. There was no other word for it, and if Kerrich's life hadn't become such a tangle, he would have discharged the female before the farce was truly begun. But he knew full well finding another governess of the proper age and disposition would be well-nigh impossible, and so he ground his teeth as Miss Lockhart approved of Lewis. Approved of him just as everyone in Kerrich's family had always approved; even Kerrich's beloved grandfather had held up Lewis as a shining example for Kerrich to follow.
"I am now in residence here, Mr. Athersmith, and it will be a pleasure to further our acquaintance." She turned to the butler. "Mr. Moulton, I wish to see the housekeeper. At once." And she marched away on the butler's heels.
"She's an odd thing." Lewis turned his attention on his cousin. "But no odder than you. A governess, cousin?"
Kerrich practiced the tale he had made up to cover his sudden and suspicious philanthropy. "I'm adopting a foundling, a lad I met on the street."
Lewis stared at him as if not quite sure of his hearing.
"The boy's courage and manliness captivated me."
"Courage and manliness." Now Lewis looked down with a deprecating smile. "Of course."
Kerrich could see he had put his foot wrong already. As far back as their childhood, he had been the daring one, the charming one, the one who would inherit the money, the estates and the title. Lewis had been the studious one, the one who had graduated from Oxford with honors, the one for whom everyone predicted a shining future.
Yet what the hell kind of behavior was he indulging in? And why? Not that it mattered; as head of the family, Kerrich could not allow their name and honorable reputation to be dragged through the mud. But still he determined to know why.
So with an affection utterly at odds with what he truly felt for his mutton-headed relative, he led the way to the comfortable grouping of chairs around the fireplace. "Sit down, Lewis."
Lewis slowly sank into the chair, his blue eyes cautious.
And guilty . Damn it! Why hadn't Kerrich noticed that before?
He answered his own question. Because he hadn't seen Lewis for months. Heaven knows, he hadn't missed him, and it hadn't occurred to him he ought to be scrutinizing Lewis's activities. Lewis was the son of a vicar, for Lord's sake! Lewis was supposed to be honorably employed by Lord Swearn preparing his heir for Oxford, not engaging in criminal activities!
When Kerrich thought about it, he just wanted to shake Lewis until he saw sense, then send him back to the family estate in Norfolk where Grandpapa would shake Lewis until this madness had passed. But somebody had to find out the details of Lewis's offenses, learn the names of his accomplices, and more important, of the master criminal, and handle the matter. That somebody was Kerrich. So he sank into an armchair opposite his cousin and with a serious mien said, "I have a proposition to offer you."
If anything, Lewis became more cautious. "You, cousin?"
"There's trouble at the bank." Kerrich weighed his words with care, choosing them for the optimum effect. "I can't go to anyone but a family member. I need you to come and live with me. Work for me." Lewis began to speak, but Kerrich held up his hand. "Please, hear me out. I know you already have a position"Lewis had been terminated, but Kerrich pretended not to know that"and it will not reflect honorably on you to depart at such a time, but I find myself in a
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