"Your husband is very wise not to invest his money in a large house here in town," Wilson said. "It would be a complete waste of money. He's got enough properties to maintain as it is, and your family is never in London long enough to justify the expense"

Julia nodded and set down the teapot. "I cannot argue with that. By the way, Robert said to tell you that he plans to take the children to the fair in the park tomorrow. He wondered if you would like to accompany them."

Wilson looked vastly pleased. "I shall check my appointment calendar to see if I am free."

His appointment calendar would no doubt grant him ample time to accompany the children and their father, the Earl of Southwood, on the outing, Adam thought. Wilson would have cheerfully rescheduled an audience with the queen to make room for an afternoon with the two youngsters.

Julia gave Wilson a knowing look. "Going to the fair will also provide you with an excuse to leave the house again while the decorators and the workmen swarm about the place. I must warn you that I can promise nothing but noise and commotion for the remainder of the week."

"A Roman villa is not constructed in a day," Wilson observed.

Julia drank some tea. "By the way, I had a letter from Jessica this morning. She is having a glorious time in Dorset. I gather that life on her friend's family estate is one grand round of picnics and games."

"We had a note from Nathan telling us that he will be coming down to see all of us on the occasion of my birth-day next month," Wilson said.

"He is well?" Julia asked, a bit anxious. "I do worry about him devoting so much time to his books."

"Do not concern yourself," Wilson said easily. "He is perfectly content. I think he may have been born for the scholarly life."

Julia smiled. "Who would have believed it?"

The breakfast table chatter ebbed and flowed around Adam but he made little effort to contribute to the conversation. Not only were his thoughts focused on darker subjects; the long night was beginning to catch up with him. He wanted his bed.

"Is something wrong, Adam?" Julia asked abruptly.

You appear to be a million miles away. Am I boring you with my plans for the ball?"

"No. I was just thinking about some business that must be attended to this morning." He tossed his napkin on the table. "If you will excuse me—"

But it was too late. Julia was giving him a close, sisterly scrutiny. "What's this? Your shirt is rather crumpled and I do believe you have failed to shave this morning. That is quite unlike you."

"Julia, if you don't mind, I must be off." He got to his feet. "Enjoy your breakfast. I will see you all later."

Wilson inclined his head, eyes narrowing slightly. "Get some rest"

Julia's eyes widened. "Why do you need rest? Are you ill?"

"I am feeling quite fit, thank you." Adam grabbed the folded copy of the Flying Intelligencer and made his escape from the breakfast room.

He heard crisp footsteps in the hall behind him and stifled a groan. He should have known it wasn't going to be that easy.

"Adam," Julia called firmly. "A word, if you please? "What is it?" He walked into the library and sat down behind his desk. "As I said, I'm rather busy."

"You did not happen to dress carelessly this morning." Julia sailed into the library behind him and crossed the oriental carpet to stand in front of the desk. "I do believe that you have just returned after having been out all night."

"Julia, there are some things that a gentleman does not discuss, not even with his sister?

"Hah! I knew it. You were gone all night." Curiosity sparked in her eyes. "Is it serious this time or merely an-other one of your boring little affairs?"

"I had not realized that you considered my personal life boring. Not that your opinion matters, given that it is my personal life, not your own."

She frowned in surprise at his tone. "I meant no offense."

Guilt sank its claws into him. He had not meant to snap at her like that. "I know. I apologize for my short temper. Wilson is right. I need some sleep."

"I suppose I find your affairs dull for the most part be-cause you seem to find them dull," she said, thoughtful now.

"Forgive me, Julia, but I believe I have lost the thread of the conversation. Nor do I wish to rediscover it."

She nodded, as though confirming a private opinion. "That is it, of course. I should have reasoned it out sooner. I have always found your liaisons singularly uninspiring primarily because you never appear to be particularly inspired by them."

"I do not look to that sort of thing as a source of inspiration."

"Obviously. You treat your romantic associations with ladies the same way you do your business affairs. They are always well-planned and deftly handled according to your rules. You never exhibit any degree of strong sentiment or emotion. When a connection ends you seem almost relieved, as though some routine task had been completed, allowing you to move on to another project"

"I cannot fathom what you are talking about."

"I am talking about the fact that you never allow your-self to fall in love, Adam." She paused for emphasis. "Uncle Wilson and I believe that it is past time that you did."

He set his teeth. "Julia, I will give you fair warning. I have just endured one lecture from Wilson on the subject of finding a wife. I am not in the mood for another."

She ignored that, whisked her skirts aside and sat down in me of the leather chairs. "So, you have established a new liaison. Who is she, Adam? I cannot wait to learn her name."

It occurred to him that the simplest way to deflect Julia's attention while he continued his search for the diary was to encourage her in the belief that he was involved in a new love affair. If she thought that to be true, she would be less likely to question any unusual or secretive behavior on f t s part during the next few days.

He shuffled the papers while he mentally assembled his plan.

"You cannot expect me to divulge her name," he said. "I am aware that you have a rule against that sort of thing, but it does not apply in this case."

"The rules apply in all cases."

"Rubbish. You have always taken your own rules far too seriously. Now then, were you with Lillian Tait last night, by any chance? I knew that she had her eye on you. Did you finally succumb to her wiles?"

"What makes you think that I would waste an entire night and a good portion of the morning on Lillian Tait?" He stacked the papers he had just finished shuffling. "I can barely tolerate the lady's conversation for the length of a dance."

"I can imagine a number of reasons why you might find her quite entertaining in other circumstances. Mrs. Tait is a very attractive, very rich widow, and she makes no secret of the fact that she has no plans to marry again. She quite enjoys her freedom. All in all, she would appear to meet most of your basic requirements in a paramour."

"Do you think so?" He kept his tone deliberately uninterested.

"I know you better than anyone else in the entire world, with the possible exception of Uncle Wilson. I have been aware for some time now that you have very specific rules when it comes to your intimate liaisons." She paused meaningfully. "Do you know, I believe that is your chief problem, Adam."

He went quite blank. "What?"

"Your insistence upon living your entire life by rules. For heaven's sake, you've got them for everything, even your romantic connections"

He cocked a brow. "You stun me, madam. I was under the impression that properly behaved ladies did not discuss a gentleman's romantic connections."

She smiled serenely. "I assure you, every lady I know finds the topic of who is dallying with whom fascinating. Indeed, it is usually the first subject discussed at any tea or social gathering."

`Another illusion of feminine behavior shattered." He reached for a pen. "And here I thought that the only subjects you discussed with your friends were fashions and the latest sensation novels."

She clicked her tongue. "It is a mystery to me how so many seemingly intelligent gentlemen manage to convince themselves that women are shockingly ignorant of the realities of life."

The comment made him go very still. "We both know that the one thing you are not is shockingly ignorant of the realities of life, Julia," he said quietly. "I only wish that I had been able to do a better job of sheltering you and the others"

"Nonsense" The teasing light vanished from her face in a heartbeat. "Do not say such things, Adam. You protected us very well indeed when we were young. I suspect Jessica,

Nathan and I would not have survived without you. But surely you did not think that I believed that you lived the life of a monk?"

He winced. "I had not realized that you gave so much thought to my private life."

"I'm your sister in every way but blood," she reminded him gently. "Of course I give the matter of your private affairs my closest personal attention." Her delicate brows rose. "As I recall, you gave mine even more intense scrutiny when I told you that I was madly in love with Robert."

"You were an heiress. It was my duty to make certain that you were not married for your fortune."

"Yes, I know, and you did not rest until you had assured yourself that Robert and I had indeed contracted a love match. Robert still shudders whenever he mentions the various inquisitions that he was obliged to endure in order to gain your trust and respect."