"What a delightful surprise," the baroness exclaimed as she and the boys drew near. She pulled back on the leather leads, but the dogs forged ahead, poufy tails wagging, heading straight for Allie and Lord Robert while emitting sharp yips of unrestrained glee. "Tedmund! Edward! Frederick! Cease at once!"

The pigeon nesting on Lord Robert's hat clearly disliked the din and flew off with a loud flapping of feathers. He turned to Allie, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud. The pigeon's takeoff had pushed his hat askew and it now rested on his head at a precarious angle, completing hiding one eye.

"You're not laughing at me, are you, Madam BOB?" he asked in a mock severe tone.

She widened her eyes. "I, Sir FOF? Certainly not."

One mischief-filled, dark blue eye blinked at her. "Banbury tale," he decreed.

The baroness finally managed to halt her barking brood, her plump face red with exertion. Lord Robert straightened his hat, then looked down at the boys. "Sit," he commanded. The boys instantly obeyed, looking up at him with button-eyed devotion.

"You really must show me how you do that," the baroness panted, dabbing her glistening brow with a delicate lace handkerchief. "The wicked darlings simply refuse to obey me when they're excited. Now tell me, my dears, why are you still in town? I thought you'd have traveled to Bradford Hall by now." A look of concern passed over her face. "I hope there is no problem with the duchess and the babe?"

"All is well," Lord Robert assured her. "And as far as I know, I am not yet an uncle again. Mrs. Brown needed to remain in London for several days to settle some business affairs. I shall escort her to Bradford Hall when she is finished."

The baroness looked back and forth between them, her face alive with interest. "I see. I would ask if you are enjoying your London stay, Alberta dear, but I can clearly see that you are. Why, I don't believe I've ever seen you looking quite so… animated." She leaned toward Lord Robert and whispered loudly, "Did I not tell you that she is very remarkably pretty when she smiles?"

"You did indeed."

For several seconds, Allie held her breath, waiting to see if he'd say more… if he'd agree with Lady Gaddlestone's opinion. But he said nothing further, rendering her strangely disappointed. Sanity returned, along with a strong flare of self-directed annoyance. For heaven's sake, why would she care if he thought her pretty? Desperate to change the direction of the conversation, she quickly asked, "How are you faring now that you're home, Lady Gaddlestone?"

"Very well, my dear. I've had dozens of callers and am nearly all caught up on the latest on dits." She shot an arch look at Lord Robert. "Although I've heard nothing about this apparent trend of gentlemen wearing pigeons upon their hats."

"Indeed? How shocking, for it is the very latest in manly headgear."

"Humph. You wouldn't have thought so had that feathered beast ruined your hat."

"Ah, but it would have been a small price to pay."

Allie felt his gaze shift to her, and he flexed his arm where her hand rested in the crook of his elbow, lightly squeezing her fingers. A frown tugged at her brows. Those words sounded very familiar…

Realization hit her. He'd repeated her own words about juggling the eggs for Joshua. It was a small price to pay to see him smile. His meaning was suddenly perfectly clear.

He'd brought her here and risked his clothing for one purpose. To make her smile.

She turned swiftly and discovered his gaze resting upon her. Such beautiful eyes, filled with mischief and warmth, made all the more alluring by the small smile playing around the corners of his mouth. A river of feeling cascaded through her, simultaneously warming and confusing her.

Before she could even think of a reply, he returned his attention to the baroness. "Mrs. Brown and I were just about to visit Regent Street. I thought she might enjoy a visit to the confectioner's and then tea at The Blue Iris. Would you care to join us? I'd love to hear about your travels in America."

The baroness beamed a smile at him. "My dear boy, I'd love nothing better."


*******

Comfortably ensconced in a plush, indigo velvet chair near The Blue Iris's massive brick fireplace, Lady Gaddlestone sipped her tea and chatted gaily about her adventures in America, all the while thanking her lucky stars for her most useful ability of requiring only half her attention to be engaged to carry on a conversation. Because the other half of her attention was riveted on the absolutely fascinating tableau unfolding right before her very eyes between dear Alberta and Lord Robert.

While she regaled her audience with tales of elegant soirees, her mind made avid notations. Heavens, the way he just looked at her! With that teasing, yet somehow heated expression. She fought the urge to fan herself with her linen napkin. And look at that blush creeping over Alberta s cheeks. And that delighted smile she just gave him!

Oh, there was no doubt Lord Robert was smitten. And clearly dear Alberta was far from immune to Lord Robert's undeniable charm. She'd suspected such might be the case, and allowed herself a mental pat on the back. Of course, she was rarely wrong in such matters. She paused for a sip of tea in order to hide the satisfied smile she could not suppress behind her porcelain cup.

With her facial expressions once more under control, she continued her tale. "Yes, the costume ball hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Whatley in Philadelphia was all great fun, but it could have been a complete disaster. I found out that the very next night after the ball, the Whatley mansion caught fire!"

Lord Robert's hand jarred to a halt halfway to his lips, sloshing several drops of tea over the edge of his cup. Something the baroness could not decipher flashed in his eyes. "Was anyone hurt?" he asked tightly.

"No, thank goodness," the baroness said. "Mr. and Mrs. Whatley were not at home, and the servants all managed to escape. The house, however, was completely destroyed." A shudder passed through her. "If the fire had occurred the night before, with all those guests in the house, why there's no telling how many people might have been hurt or lost their lives."

Another odd expression passed over Lord Robert's face, and his jaw appeared to tighten. It also looked as if his face paled, but surely that was just a trick of the tea room's subdued lighting? Still, he seemed somehow distressed. Her gaze shifted to Alberta, who also seemed to note Lord Robert's sudden tension. But then, in the blink of an eye, his expression cleared, leaving her to wonder if she'd imagined his momentary discomfort. She shook her head. Gracious, it was a trial to get on in years. Perhaps she needed spectacles.

Well, she may have imagined his reaction to her story, but there was no mistaking his reaction to dear Alberta. Settling herself more comfortably in her chair, she launched into another account of her travels, all the while planning the dress she would have made to wear to the undoubtedly upcoming wedding.


********

By the time Robert settled himself on the gray velvet squabs across from Mrs. Brown for the carriage ride back to the Bradford town house, shadows of twilight were darkening the sky. After signaling the driver to depart, he smiled at his companion. To his immense satisfaction, her lips curved partially upward in return.

"Did you enjoy your afternoon?"

"Very much. Indeed, I'd be hard-pressed to choose what I liked more-the delicious confections you very generously purchased for us all-"

"Only a cad would buy just enough for himself."

"-the divine tea, or the stimulating conversation."

"The baroness is quite talkative."

"Yes. But you well knew that when you asked her to join us and regale you with stories of her travels. You knew it would please her immensely to tell you." She gave him a look he couldn't decipher, then she added softly, "And I suspect you would have sat there without complaint until midnight listening to her."

He felt an odd urge to squirm under her steady regard, as if he were a green boy and she'd caught him at a falsehood. "As I enjoy traveling myself, I like hearing about such adventures."

"As do I. However, I do believe that my favorite part of the afternoon was seeing you with all those pigeons perched upon you." Her lips twitched. "It is an image I shall never forget."

"As I shall never forget the sight of you, weak with laughter, with a pigeon on your bonnet."

Their gazes held for several seconds, and his heart performed a crazy roll. Such lovely eyes. Their deep, golden-brown depths reminded him of fine brandy: warm and intoxicating. Indeed, he could almost feel himself growing befuddled just looking at her.

"I realize," she said softly, "that the only reason you made such sport of yourself was to amuse me. It was a very kind gesture." Her gaze fell to her lap. "It felt good to laugh. Thank you."

His fingers twitched with the desire to lift her chin, but he clenched his hands, resisting. Damn it all, did she have any idea how expressive her eyes were? How they glowed when she smiled? Or how they so heartbreakingly reflected the sadness she clearly felt? Did she know that the painfully obvious fact she harbored secrets was shadowed in them?

God help him, every time their eyes had met during tea, his heart had pounded in a way that indicated he'd just run a mile, as opposed to sitting in a chair. And her lips… his gaze riveted on them and he swallowed a groan. Her lovely, full lips had curved upward in a smile four times during tea. He'd counted. And all four times his pulse had raced.