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"I’ his atte to suppress a grin "Not at all," he said lanced at Annabelle and Evie They all waited for Lillian to ly "This is Mr Swift," sheher hand in his direction "Mrs Simon Hunt and Lady St Vincent"

Swift bent deftly over Annabelle’s hand He would have done the sarunts and whi and would soon beco was done about it

"That is etically "She’s teething"

That should get rid of hi babies

"Ah" Swift reached into his coat and ru collection of articles What on earth did he have in there? She watched as he pulled out his pen-knife, a bit of fishing line and a clean white handkerchief

"Mr Swift, what are you doing?" Evie asked with a quizzical s" He spooned soathered the fabric tightly around it, and tied it off with fishing line After replacing the knife in his pocket, he reached for the baby without one trace of self-consciusness

Wide-eyed, Evie surrendered the infant The four woainst his shoulder with practiced ease He gave the baby the ice-filled handkerchief, which she proceeded to gnawoblivious to the fascinated stares of everyone in the room, Sandered to theandher a story of some kind After a minute or two the child quieted

When Swift returned to the table Isabelle was half-drowsing and sighing, her mouth clamped firmly on the ratefully, taking the baby back in her ar to her?" Lillian deht I would distract her long enough for the ice to nuave her a detailed explanation of the Buttonwood agreement of 1792"

Daisy spoke to hilanced at her then, his face smooth and polite, and for a second Daisy half-believed that she had drea But her skin and nerves still retained the sensation of hireee Board," Swift said "I thought I was quite informative, but it seemed Miss Isabelle lost interest when I started on the fee-structuring compromise"

"I see," Daisy said "You bored the poor baby to sleep"

"You should hearto the crash of ‘37," Swift said "I’ve been told it’s better than laudanu blue eyes, Daisy chuckled reluctantly, and he gave her another one of those brief, dazzling smiles Her face turned unaccountably war, as if he were fascinated by soaze froain "I will leave your to enjoy your tea A pleasure, ladies" Glancing at Annabelle, he added gravely, "You have a lovely daughter, madam I will overlook her lack of appreciation for my business lecture"

"That is very kind of you, sir," Annabelle replied, her eyes dancing

Swift returned to the other side of the roo unnecessary spoonfuls of sugar into their tea, s their napkins on their laps

Evie was the first to speak "You were right," she said to Lillian "He’s absolutely horrid"

"Yes," Annabelle agreed emphatically "When one looks at him, the first words that come to mind are ‘wilted spinach’"

"Shut up, the both of you," Lillian said in response to their sarcasm, and sank her teeth into a piece of toast

Lillian insisted on dragging Daisy out to the east lawn in the afternoon, wherebowls Ordinarily Daisy wouldn’t havepart in a new novel about a governess nahost in the attic "Who are you?" Honoria had quavered, staring at the ghost who looked rehost had been about to anshen Lillian had decisively torn the book from Daisy’s hands and pulled her from the library

"Blast," Daisy cootten to the best part!"

"As we speak there are at least a half-dozen eligibleoutside," her sister said crisply "And playing ga by yourself"

"I don’t know anything about bowls"

"Good Ask the every "

They approached the bowling lahere chairs and tables had been set out for onlookers A group of players were busy rolling large round wooden balls along the green, laughing as one player’s ball, or bowl, dropped into the narrow ditch dug at the side of the green

"H "We have conized the three wohton, Lady Miranda Dowden, and Elspeth Higginson "I would have preferred not to invite any unmarried women to Hampshire," Lillian said, "but Westcliff said that would be too obvious Fortunately you’re prettier than all of them Even if you are short"

"I’m not short," Daisy protested

"Petite, then"

"I don’t like that word any better It makes me sound trivial"

"It’s better than stunted," Lillian said, "which is the only other word I can corinned at Daisy’s scowl "Don’tyou to a buffet of bachelors and you can pick any--oh, hell"

"What? What?"

"He’s playing"

There was no need to ask who he was…the annoyance in Lillian’s voice roup, Daisy saw Mattheift standing at the end of the lane with a few other younght-colored trousers, a white shirt, and a sleeveless waistcoat He was lean and fit, his relaxed posture i He appeared to be taking the game seriously Mattheas a man who could never do less than his best, even in a casual lawn ga every day of his life And that didn’t quite fit with her experience of the privileged young men of Old Boston, or Old New York, the pampered scions ere always aware that they didn’t have to work if they didn’t wish to She wondered if Swift ever did so to deter the shot," Lillian said "That ed to roll their bowls closest to the white ball at the end"

"How do you know so aht ood at bowls that he usually sits out because no one else ever hen he plays"