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Really, the situation was absurd, he thought He could hardly dash out and haul Tony away from the shrubbery If that’s where the reckless fool wanted to take Miss Desmond, that was the fool’s problem

All the sadon continued to watch Just as the pair approached the perilous pathway, he saw Lady Streetham shoot out of the house like a rocket and draw Miss Desmond back to the terrace Jack smiled Now the countess would send Tony off on one of her errands, as she had been doing practically from the moment the Desmonds arrived

That was not at all surprising Lady Streetha her son out of the jaws of rolehter of the notorious Devil Desory

Mr Langdon left theand reseated hiht to have known better, he told himself, especially after he dropped his hint about the perils of the hedgerows to her yesterday If she was so set on learning decorue Tony Surely by now she nised what a rakehell he was Or at least her father ht have warned her But no In a mere twenty four hours she had developed all the usual symptoms True, Tony had needed to add a few coals to the blaze of his charh now to be consumed

Jack thren his pen and went in search of a book sufficiently taxing to occupy his brain ers flicked over volumes of Euripides, Aristophanes, Aristotle, and Herodotus, but each was rejected as too fae, ilded volume whose title and author were unknown to him He drew it out, selected a capacious leather chair, and settled himself to read

What he found within the covers was not exactly what he’d expected, but after an initial gasp of surprise and a few moments of confusion, he became entirely deaf, dues

Utterly absorbed, Mr Langdon continued reading as latewarmed into early afternoon and luncheon passed unnoticed The household being faht to him on a tray It remained untouched and was later carried away by the saently as he closed the library doors behind him

The servant speedily erased his smile a moment later when he met up in the hall with his mistress and Miss Desmond

Lady Streetham frowned at the tray and then, more deeply, at the servant “This will not do,” she said “You will bring hi before you leave the room”

“I am sure I have told them a hundred times not to leave it to him,” said Lady Streetham after the servant had bowed himself away “One would think after all these years they would learn, but they do not Of course that tiresoood dinner will do hine”

Miss Desdon is not ill,” she said

“It is a rossed in one book or another, to the exclusion of all else—friends, family, even his own health I do what I can, because he is very like a son to me, but one cannot watch him every minute”

Especially not, Delilah added inwardly, when one isShe had no opportunity to atory sympathetic response because the butler now approached to inforhter had arrived

“So soon?” said Lady Streetham “But Tony is not yet retur—Well, no uest with an expression of cold resignation “Miss Desued, perhaps you would enjoy hbours”

“I should like nothing better,” Delilah answered

Her hostess’s features grew id

“Unfortunately,” Miss Desmond went on, “I find myself unusually susceptible to the heat and am sure to make but poor company as a result Would you think it unconscionably rude, My Lady, if I excused myself?”

“Not at all,” said the countess with a shade of eagerness in her customary chilly tones “Quite oppressive, the heat Perhaps you ant a long nap before tea?”

“Actually, I had thought I would sit quietly in your cool library with a book If Mr Langdon is still there, I will certainly urge hi your excellent chef”

Lady Streethahtly “Very well,” she said, and took herself away

“Yes, it is very well, you stuck-up old battle-axe,” said Delilah under her breath “Far better than having to introduce Devil Deshter to your exalted friends” Not, Delilah told herself as shehall towards the library, that she wanted to meet thehter a demurely proper ninco their friends’ reputations to shreds

All the same, it was rather hard to be treated like a leper, for heaven’s sake, when one’s blood was every bit as blue as theirs Bluer In Charles II’s tiraves had been mere jumped-up squires, while her papa’s fa before the Conqueror was an illicit gleam in his father’s eye

Caught up in her angry reflections, Delilah neglected to knock As soon as she entered she perceived that knocking would have been futile anyhow Mr Langdon did not even look up when she flounced into the room

He ought to look up He ought to have looked up at least once in the past twenty-four hours She had not needed Lord Berne’s lyrical coown becaed muslin fit her to perfection, and it had cost Papa a substantial suht at least show some aesthetic interest

What on earth was so fascinating about that stupid book? She crept noiselessly to his chair and glanced down over his shoulder at the voluasped

Mr Langdon caan, but the look on her face stopped him

“You!” she cried “You-you beastl”

“Miss Desmond—”