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toward the door. “Ah, there is just one other thing,” he exclaimed, turning back to Rachel.
    She stiffened in preparation for some new outrage but said nothing, and Aiglon spoke on. “I have a small favor to request. It won’t cost you a penny,” he added, unable to quite control some little unsteadiness of his lips. “I would prefer you not tell anyone I am here. If I am seen driving about the countryside, as I probably shall be, you might say that your cousin, Lance Howell, is visiting you for a month or so.”
    “A month!” she asked, staring, and forgot to be angry at the bizarre request he had made.
    “More or less.”
    “But why do you want to use your name rather than your title?”
    “Why, to tell the truth, Cousin, my visit here is a secret,” he answered reasonably.
    “A secret from whom?”
    “From the law. There is a little matter of murder that I am currently involved in,” he explained calmly.
    “You are wanted for murder?” she asked, nonplussed, as I was myself.
    “I am wanted in that regard, yes.”
    “Aiglon, are you brazenly standing there and telling me you killed a man in cold blood?” she asked, her voice trembling. It takes a good deal to make Rachel tremble.
    “No, no, of course not. It was done in hot blood—a duel,” he explained as though that were justification enough.
    Then he made a graceful bow to his cousin, another to me, and sauntered out of the room and toward the stairs. Within seconds there was a loud thumping as his foot became entangled in the newly laid carpeting. A curse rent the air.
    Rachel jumped up to go to his aid, and I followed her. Aiglon was pushing at the bellied carpet with his toe. “There is something amiss here,” he said, frowning.
    “It is newly laid—the workmen did shoddy work. I shall call them back to fix it,” Rachel said hastily.
    “Newly laid? But why did you have a spotty old carpet put down?” he asked. “You should have bought a new piece while you were about it.”
    She rushed on to distract him, no doubt relieved that he hadn’t taken the time to glance at her note to Riddell. “Aiglon, about this secrecy business you mentioned. I have already told a few people you are coming. The fact will be well known in the countryside by now. You should have told me it was a secret when you wrote to me. I really think the best thing would be for you to dart on to Westleigh immediately.”
    “That’s the first place they’ll look for me,” he answered. “No one knows I even own this little place. It’s a pity you announced my arrival, but you can always claim I didn’t get here after all. If the Bow Street Runners show up, I may have to leave, but I wouldn’t expect to see them for a few days yet.”
    As he spoke, his eyes went from her dangling pendant earrings to the lamps in the hall, comparing the design. “You will rehang those crystals when you’re through with them, won’t you, Cousin? I know you take excellent care of Thornbury for me. I look forward to touring the house tomorrow and seeing all the pretty new carpets and curtains and things you’ve had put in. And now I bid you good night once more. And you, Miss Pethel,” he added, with a bow in my direction and an impish eye that told me he knew a good deal more about Rachel’s housekeeping than he let on.
    Rachel was struck mute. She nodded and dragged her feet slowly back to the saloon.
    “Let’s eat,” I suggested,
    Rachel plopped down on the sofa and took up her glass of wine. She looked quite dazed. “You eat, Constance. I have a little planning to do before I retire,” she said.
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Chapter 3
    I knew Rachel wouldn’t really pass up all the delicacies that we had prepared to tempt Aiglon into a good humor. Before I had half finished my turbot, she came and joined me at the table.
    “Did you speak to the servants about Aiglon’s hot water, Rachel, or do you want me to do it?” I asked.
    “I told Willard,” she answered grumpily. ‘‘Hot