Theo wasn’t certain he could handle any more of life’s surprises.
Virginia’s eyes sparkled. “When you said you could not visit the aviary, I felt so sorry for you—”
“Do not feel sorry for me,” he said firmly.
“—so I brought the aviary toyou.”
Theo blinked. “You what?”
She opened the lid to the basket.
With a flutter of feathers, a large bird burst free and began flapping about the parlor.
“What,” Theo asked politely, “is that supposed to be?”
“A partridge,” Virginia replied. “Note the short tail and brown plumage.”
“What is a partridge doing in my parlor?” he clarified.
“The Duke of Azureford’s parlor,” came Swinton’s inflectionless voice behind him.
At this pronouncement, the cat skidded into the drawing room, hissed at everyone present, and dashed out.
Virginia beamed at Theo in satisfaction. “Now you have a reason for an afternoon constitutional.”
“I do?” he asked with dread.
“Azureford has an outbuilding just behind the cottage. It would make a splendid temporary home for a partridge. Swinton has agreed to store Dancer there for the duration of your visit.”
Theo cast the butler a flat look over his shoulder. “Swinton is all that is kind and thoughtful.”
“All you have to do is go outside and feed him,” she continued.
He jerked his head back to Virginia. “You expect me towhat?”
She pulled a fat pouch from the basket and set it atop the tea table. “A small handful every afternoon should do. Let me know when you run out of seeds, and I’ll bring more.”
“You expect me to wheel myself outside, in the snow, to an outbuilding, which will now contain a bird I did not ask for, in order to feed it seeds from the palm of my hand?” Theo asked in disbelief.
She shook her head. “Just toss them on the ground. Dancer gets excited when he eats, and his little pecks can hurt.”
“I won’t do it,” Theo said. There was too much risk of someone spotting him in his current condition. Nor did he wish to appear weak in front of the entire staff. “I’ll send a footman.”
“I’ve already asked them not to help you,” she said. “It’s your afternoon constitutional.”
“Youdo not command the staff. Until Azureford returns, I am the one who—”
“Not according to this.” Virginia pulled a suspiciously familiar folded letter from inside the basket.
Theo glared over his shoulder at Swinton. “You showed her Azureford’s instructions?”
The butler gazed back at him impassively.
Virginia unfolded the letter. “I read very well. You are not to be molly-coddled. Azureford says so, and I concur.”
Theo held out his hand. “Give me the letter.”
Swinton swept between them and plucked the paper from Virginia’s hand before she could relinquish it to Theo. “You shall not toss my master’s correspondence into the fire.”
