"What a wretched imposition to saddle you with her. I should have gone. But the tour was fascinating. Did you know not less than three monarchs have slept in the Royal Suite?"

"I know it well. If they slept on the mattress that is presently there, they had a deuced uncomfortable night. About the baroness-when do you figure she plans to make her break?"

"She is riding with Talman this afternoon, and there is the rout party tonight. The rout party is the more likely time, don't you think? Or perhaps tomorrow.”

"Yes, but if she comes down with an attack of vapors this afternoon and cancels her ride, you had best put a lock on her door and a guard beneath her window."

She shook her head in vexation. "It is enough to put a person off marriage, to see what a nuisance children are."

He smiled bemusedly, to see her so concerned. "I doubt you were ever a moment's trouble to anyone. Children usually take after their parents, you know, so you should not have to worry. Yours will be quiet and well behaved. The Hyatt youngsters, of course, will be a different matter."

"Oh, but I would not want my children to be as dull as I!"

"I said quiet, not dull. If you must be throwing my words back at me, Laura, at least be accurate."

He took her arm and began walking along the path. "Now if only we could think of some manner of taming my brood and enlivening yours."

"There, you see! You said enliven! You do think I am dull."

"We are discussing your hypothetical children. If you married a dull man, they might be dull."

"What makes you think I would marry a dull man?"

He stopped and looked at her with a quizzing smile. "What made me think you were quiet. You are turning into a harpy. What I was trying to say is-what was I trying to say?"

She resumed walking. "I expect you were saying that I should marry someone lively, and you should marry a dullard. Why, if I didn't know better, I might take it for a proposal," she said, and laughed. Her easy joke showed Hyatt that this notion had never occurred to her.

"I did not call you a dullard!"

"Well, you meant it," she said.

Again he stopped walking and peered down at her. "Is this our first argument, my dear?"

She reviewed their acquaintance and replied, "I believe it is."

"Good. We would not want things to be too quiet."

The lunch bell sounded from the door. "Just when we were getting to know each other." Hyatt tsked. "One never really knows another person until they have shared a good argument."

"That was not a good argument. It was hardly even a disagreement."

His reckless smile peeped out. "Then you agree you are dull."

"I will admit that I am usually quiet, but if you think I will stand still for-"

"It was a joke! And you knew it all along, shrew."

"Upon my word, I don't see why you are taking your ill temper with Olivia out on me. I am not the one who outwitted you with my pranks. You have called me a dullard and a shrew, and as well as said I have poor taste in gentlemen!"

"No, no! I acquit you of the last charge. I think you are coming to appreciate me, now that we have enjoyed our first spat."

He turned her around and escorted her to the dining room. Laura's head was in such a whirl that she wasn't sure she understood his meaning. As soon as she caught a glimpse of Olivia, she forgot everything else. She knew that satisfied smile. The chit had certainly arranged to meet Yarrow, and she must be on her toes to prevent it.

Chapter Fourteen

Lunch was successful, and as the baroness was safely disposed with Talman for the afternoon, Laura agreed to sit for Hyatt in the garden. It was not to be a formal painting, but only a pencil sketch, done by the fountain, with a wide-brimmed bonnet to protect her from the sun.

"I shall be soaking wet by the time you finish," she scolded. "The spray is drenching me." This was a gross exaggeration. Actually, she enjoyed the cooling breeze, which carried a refreshing moisture in it.

"It will give your hair a curl."

"Now you are deriding my coiffeur. If I am not careful, I shall end up in your gallery of social misfits. I notice I do not merit an oil painting."

"They are frippery stuff. I really prefer my engravings. Perhaps I shall have this engraved."

They bickered and flirted and enjoyed a lovely afternoon. Guests stopped from time to time to watch Hyatt at work. He could hardly ask two Cabinet ministers' wives and a marchioness to leave, but they were well bred enough to keep their comments to a polite minimum. At four-thirty he set down his pencil.

"You can see it now, if you wish," he said.

Laura hopped up and went to examine his sketch. "Oh, it's lovely!" she exclaimed. "I wish I were as pretty as that."

It was lovely, too, but not in the exaggerated manner of his society paintings. He had caught her with a particularly sweet smile, one she didn't know she possessed. She looked all soft and warm, as if she were in love. The knowledge of what caused it brought a flush to her cheeks.

"With my compliments," he said, handing it to her.

"Would you mind signing it?" she said. His pencil sketched a tall, bold H, followed by a squiggle, and the date. Then he turned the paper over and wrote something on the back.

He was just handing it back to her when Talman came pelting forward. "Is the baroness not with you?" he asked.

Olivia and Hyatt exchanged a shocked look. "We thought she was with you," Laura said.

"No, she got tired before we had been out an hour, and we came back. I have been giving Mama a hand with the arrangements for tonight's party. The baroness said she was going to join you two in the garden."


Laura felt the gravest misgivings. "We haven't seen her since lunch. Is her mount in the stable?"

"It must be. We left them there more than an hour ago," Talman replied.

"That's plenty of time for her to have shabbed off again," Hyatt said. "Let us have a look."

The three of them darted to the stable, to learn that the baroness had returned not ten minutes after returning with Talman and gone out again.

"Did you send a groom with her?" Talman demanded, for he wanted to blame someone for the situation.

The groom shook his head. "She said she was just hacking about the park. She didn't want an escort."

"You shouldn't have let her go alone."

"She was very insistent, milord. Shall I send someone to look for her?"

"I'll go myself," Talman said through clenched teeth. He cast an accusing eye on Laura and added, "How very strange. The baroness has a broad streak of independence, has she not?"

"You must not worry, Lord Talman," Laura said, to appease him. "The baroness is an excellent rider, and she would not have left your property."

"It is not Miss Harwood's fault," Hyatt said, rather angrily.

"We'll help you look," Laura said.

"No need for you to trouble yourself, Laura," Hyatt said.

Talman called for his mount, Hyatt for another, and they went galloping off. As Laura was wearing a light muslin gown, she could not join them, but she set off through the park at a swift pace on foot, knowing it was a vain effort. She felt that if she did not walk off her temper, she would strike Olivia when she was eventually brought home.


* * * *

At the bridge, the baroness had long since tethered Briar and stood hand in hand with Yarrow, gazing down into the water.

"The visit has been horrid," she pouted. "And when I go back, they'll ring a peal over me. Talman has no notion of entertaining guests. He made them tour his stupid old house all morning. But tonight he is having a rout," she said, cheering at the prospect.

"Daresay the old goat plans to make an offer."

"He will be a duke one day," she said, to incite Yarrow to jealousy. "He's ever so rich, with half a dozen estates."

"You have your own title. You don't have to marry to gain a handle. As to six estates-why, a man can only live in one house at a time. Nothing but a nuisance, having to run six houses for your poor relations to batten themselves in."

"How large is your estate, John?" she asked.

"I'll come into an abbey when my old Uncle Charlie sticks his fork in the wall. How big is your place?" He knew the baroness was a great heiress but had not yet determined the exact extent of her holdings.

She adopted her moue and said, "You sound as if that's all you're interested in."

"By the living jingo! That's not true. You asked me first. I am in love with you. I have been wanting to kiss you ever since I first spotted you, dancing in your bare feet in that park. Just like something out of an old Greek fairy tale. Phoebe, or Diana, or one of those nymphs."

"You never did kiss me," she said encouragingly.

Yarrow felt he had been too slow, and he grabbed her into his arms for a violent embrace. Despite her waywardness, Olivia had never been kissed by a man before. She had pictured a more civilized attack. A little sweet talk first, then a kiss on the fingers. She was frightened and pushed Yarrow away.

Deuce take it, she had as well as asked him to kiss her, he thought. He held more tightly and pushed his lips against hers, while she wriggled to free herself.

That was how Talman found them: Yarrow forcing his attentions on the struggling baroness. Talman let out a holler and came galloping forward, ventre a terre. He dismounted, grabbed Yarrow by the collar, and kicked him into the river. Yarrow landed on his back and lay, spluttering and cursing. Seeing he was only a boy, Talman did not feel obliged to challenge him to a duel but satisfied himself with a few rough words.

"If I ever see your sniveling face on my property again, I'll set the hounds on you. Now be off. Come along, Baroness."