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Mr Jardine was in the hall when she descended the stairs, his blue eyes twinkling up at her “Miss Marietta! We heard fro of an adventure”

“Did you?”

“How is Lord Roseby?”

“He is uncomfortable, but he’s in his own bed now, and his doctor has seen hi, he will be very much better” Her mouth primmed “And it wasn’t an adventure, Mr Jardine It was an act of charity”

“Yes, of course,” he agreed, but the twinkle in his eyes was not diminished, and Marietta realized he knew her too well to be fooled by her protest

“What did Aphrodite say?” she asked him curiously

“That Lord Roseby had been struck down and, as you were acquainted with hiht It was all very respectable, and so she assured your sister”

“And what did Vivianna say?”

“She expressed some puzzlement as to how you had come to be acquainted with Lord Roseby, but then the baby was brought in and all else was forgotten”

Thanks goodness for the baby! Perhaps, Marietta thought, she wouldn’t get a reprimand from Vivianna after all

“Tell me, my dear, is Lord Roseby the son of the Duke of Barwon?”

Surprised, she aze “Yes At least…it’s rather a long story Do y

ou know Max, Mr Jardine?”

Mr Jardine gave her a little smile that hinted at much “I don’t know Max, no, but I used to know his father I was out in the West Indies with him”

“Oh” Suddenly Marietta decided that she very much wanted to confide in Mr Jardine about Max’s dilemma, and to hear what he had to say in return She trusted him to keep her words to himself, and she knew his observations would be sensible and to the point “Are you too busy to have a little chat, sir?” she asked hi her hand into the crook of his arm