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Victoria narrowed her eyes What the devil was he up to?

"Lord Macclesfield!" Lady Hollingwood said, just a touch breathlessly "Do not tell me that you are acquainted with Miss Lyndon"

"I am well acquainted with Miss Lyndon"

Victoria wondered if anyone else could hear the doublein his voice She itched to let her tea expression "Miss Lyndon, you did not tell me you were acquainted with Lord Macclesfield"

"I did not knoas a guest, rew up together," Robert added "In Kent"

Well, Victoria conceded to herself, that much was not entirely untrue She e of seventeen, but she had certainly done so up while there Deception and betrayal had a way of doing that to a person

"Is that so?" Lady Hollingwood asked, looking terribly interested and just a little bit baffled that her governess ht have once moved in the sareat friends"

Victoria coughed so hard that she had to excuse herself to get sorandly "I can think of nothing I'd rather do"

"I can think of s I'd rather do," Victoriaon his foot would be nice, as would dulass of wine over his head She'd already done that once with a basin of water, and it had provedred

While Robert was off procuring Victoria a glass of lewood turned on her "You know Macclesfield?" she hissed "Why didn't you tell uest"

"Whether or not he is a guest is irrelevant He is beyond influential When I hired you, you should have informed me you were--Oh, hello, Lord Macclesfield"

Robert nodded as he held up two glasses "Lady Hollingwood, I took the liberty of obtaining lewood si, well aware that if she opened herunfit for polite co his wife if it was tiwood said "I merely need to introduce Miss Lyndon to Mr Hornsby"

"Perhaps I ht escort Miss Lyndon to dinner," Robert said