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Nanny awoke froather odds and ends into her carpetbag She took Stephen from Phoebe, who followed Justin as he bounded out

“Justin” Phoebe said uneasily, watching hih the bird, chirping little hellos She saw the faures of Devon and Kathleen Ravenel—Lord and Lady Trenear—welcouests There were her parents, and her younger sister Seraphina, their brother Ivo, and Pandora and Cassandra, and dozens of people she didn’t recognize Everyone was laughing and talking, ani ca conversation Sparkling repartee wasn’t even a possibility If only she were still dressed in protectiveher face

In the periphery of her vision, she saw Justin trotting up the front steps unacco forward, Phoebe touched her arhtly “I’ll run after him,” she murmured

“Yes, milady,” Nanny said, relieved

Phoebe was actually glad Justin had wandered inside the house—it gave her an excuse to avoid the gauntlet of guests being received

The entrance hall was busy, but it was calmer and quieter than outside Ainstructions to passing servants His hair, a shade of brown so dark it could easily have been ht moved over it The man listened closely to the housekeeper as she explained souest bedroo under-butler, who caught it with a raised hand and dashed off on so a tower of hatboxes stumbled, and the dark-hairedthe stack of boxes, he sent the boy on his way

The man radiated a crisp masculine vitality that seized Phoebe’s attention He was easily over six feet tall, with the athletic brawn and the sun-bronzed coreat deal of time outdoors But he wore a well-tailored suit of clothes How curious Perhaps he was an estate er?

Her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed her son had gone to investigate the elaborate wood carving on one side of the grand double staircase She followed hi me or Nanny”

“Look, Mama”

Her gaze followed the direction of his s of a little nest of mice at the base of the balustrades It was a playful and unexpected touch arandeur of the staircase A smile spread across her face “I like that”

“Me too”

As Justin crouched to stare at the carving lass marble dropped out of his pocket and hit the inlaid parquet floor Dismayed, Phoebe and Justin watched the little sphere roll away rapidly

But its ht to an abrupt halt as the dark-haired man pinned it with the tip of his shoe in display of perfect ti As he finished his conversation, he bent to pick up the marble The housekeeper bustled away, and the man turned his attention to Phoebe and Justin

His eyes were shockingly blue in that suntanned face, his brief s flash of white He was very handso and even, with faint, pale whisks of laugh lines radiating from the outer corners of his eyes He see, but there was also so a bit flinty As if he’d had his share of experience in the world, and had few illusions left Somehow that made him even more attractive

He ca to hielike sweetness and a hint of s near a peat fire His eyes were the darkest blue she’d ever seen, the irises ri time since a man had looked at Phoebe like this, direct and interested, and the slightest bit flirty The strangest feeling ca that ree to Henrythat shaky, e, inexplicable desire to press her body intiainst someone else’s Until now, she’d never felt it for anyone but her husband, and never anything like this fire-and-ice jolt of awareness

Feeling guilty and confused, Phoebe backed away a step, trying to pull Justin with her

But Justin resisted, evidently feeling it had fallen to hiin the introductions “I’m Justin, Lord Clare,” he announced “This is Mama Papa isn’t here with us because he’s dead”

Phoebe are of a brilliant pink flush racing from her scalp down to her toes

The man didn’t see his face level with Justin’s His low-pitched voiceacross a deep feather mattress

“I lost my father when I wasn’t much older than you,” he said to Justin

“Oh, I didn’t lose mine,” came the child’s earnest reply “I know exactly where he is Heaven”

The stranger smiled “A pleasure to meet you, Lord Clare” The two shook hands cere the tiny porcelain figure of a sheep elass marble “A fine piece,” he re up “Do you play Ring Taw?”

“Oh, yes,” the boy replied It was a coame in which players tried to knock each other’s marbles out of a circle

“Double Castle?”

Looking intrigued, Justin shook his head “I don’t know that one”

“We’ll play a ga your visit, if Malance

Phoebe was mortified by her inability to speak Her heartbeat was sta out of control

“Marown-ups,” Justin said “She likes children better”