The Mistress' House by Leigh Michaels

Author:Leigh Michaels
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2010-06-17T16:00:00+00:00

Five

The Earl Meets His Ward

As the butler opened the door of the Hawthorne town house to admit the two gentlemen, Thorne heard a shriek echoing through the entrance hall from the small reception room nearest the front door. An angry shriek. A feminine shriek.

“I thought Lady Hawthorne went home to Surrey,” Lord Colford said.

“She did. And Anne never in her life sounded like that anyway. What’s happening, Carson?”

Before the butler could answer, Perkins came out of the reception room and closed the door firmly behind him. His face was the deep purple of a ripe plum, and Thorne wouldn’t have been surprised to see steam rising from his head.

“Are you in some difficulty, Perkins?” Thorne asked cheerfully.

“No, my lord. At least not personally.”

“That sounded quite personal to me,” Colford commented.

Perkins ignored him. “The young… lady… says her business is with you, my lord,” he told Thorne. “She says, in fact, that she is your ward.” Doubt dripped from Perkins’ voice.

“Ward,” Thorne said thoughtfully. “My ward? No, nothing comes to mind. What’s the young lady’s name?”

“She seems to have none. At least, she has refused to confide in me with that information, my lord.”

“One of your indiscretions coming home to roost, Thorne?” Colford asked jovially.

Just then the door opened again and a small whirlwind came out—a very young woman dressed in frilly pale-pink muslin that made her curly red hair look like a wildfire. She marched up to Perkins and put her small face right into his. “You can’t keep me locked up in here. I must see Lord Hawthorne right now. I am his ward, and I have every right…” Belatedly, she seemed to notice the newcomers. “Oh. That’s all right then. I forgive you.”

“I live to serve,” Perkins said under his breath.

The whirlwind paused. “I do tend to ride roughshod, don’t I? My apologies, Perkins.” She bestowed a smile on him. Suddenly her eyes sparkled, her elfin face shifted from striking to uncommonly beautiful, and warmth swept over the group. Even her hair seemed to stop bristling.

Thorne noticed that Colford had rocked back on his heels. Even Perkins looked quite dazed—for a moment.

The whirlwind turned to Thorne and Colford. “My lord…” Doubt sprang into her eyes. “Er… which of you is Lord Hawthorne?”

Thorne bowed. “At your service, Miss…”

“Baxter. Georgiana Baxter. I’m your ward.”

“Now I remember,” Thorne said. “But actually—no, you’re not.”

Perkins nodded as if to say, I knew it. Then, as a myriad of other possible relationships—each one more scandalous than the last—obviously occurred to him, he drew himself up even straighter.

“I’m the trustee of your property, Miss Baxter,” Thorne said, “but not the guardian of your person. That would be—if I remember correctly—Sir Rufus Baxter.”

“That is true,” the whirlwind, now somewhat muted, said. “But my Uncle Rufus has proven completely incompetent, which is why I’ve come to you. You must save me, my lord!”

“From what?” Thorne eyed her warily. “Where is your maid?” He didn’t wait for an answer. Without taking his eyes off her, he said, “Perkins, go over to Number 5 Upper Seymour Street, and requestMrs.

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