Staring, Morris said feebly, “Take him? Take him—where?”
“What the devil do I care? Just get the beastly fellow out of my house! And for the love of God, stop gaping at me like a landed trout!”
Closing his sagging jaw with an effort, but still severely shocked, Morris gasped, “Do you say that Gideon Rossiterstayswith you? Why, if ever I heard of such a thing! You’re engaged tofighthim day after tomorrow!”
“I know that, you looby!”
“Well,” said Morris, taking on a judicial air. “It’s dashed improper, is what it is! I cannot expectyouto mind the conventions, but—”
“Why?” jeered Falcon. “Because I’m a half-breed?”
“Because you’re a hot-at-hand knock-in-the-cradle,” Morris answered equably. “With not the least notion of how to go on.”
Falcon uttered a sound somewhere between a howl and a snort and sprang at him.
Coming into the room Rossiter was in time to see Morris reel back, and steady himself against a reference table.
Feeling his jaw apprehensively, the lieutenant muttered, “You’ll meet me for that, Falcon.”
“Try if your feeble wits can recall that I already challenged you.”
“Besides which,” said Rossiter, closing the door, “you must wait your turn, Jamie. What are you doing here?”
“More to the point, dear boy,” said Morris, straightening, “what areyoudoing here? Ain’t at all proper, y’know.”
Falcon said sneeringly, “We have offended his sense of propriety.”
“I’m not surprised,” said Rossiter. “And I don’t really know what I’m doing here, to say truth. I remember riding in last evening, but—”
“But having damned near caused Lady Lutonville to be killed, you had the confounded gall to fall asleep in the saddle.” Falcon gave an irate snort. “When we tried to pry you loose, you simply fell off and since we couldn’t wake you, I was damned well obliged to let you rack up here for the night. A fine laughingstock I shall be an the word gets out!”
“Lord, yes,” agreed Rossiter, embarrassed. “I do beg your pardon. And thank you for your hospitality. What Naomi must think of me, I dare not guess. I was to have taken her back to the ball.”
Falcon scowled at him. “I took her. And if there is one thing I abominate, ’tis being obliged to get up and put on ball dress after I am settled into my bed!” He turned on Morris, who had uttered a shout of laughter. “How typical that you would find that amusing.”
“Well, I do,” admitted Morris gleefully. “Does my heart good to see you put out. Blest if ever I saw such a quarrelsome fellow. I vow were you alone on a desert island, Falcon, you’d fightyourself!”
“How fortunate that in the meantime I’ve Rossiter to fight. And then”—Falcon’s smile was unpleasant—“you. To which end, Morris, the sooner we sort out these inchoate matters—”
“In—what?” echoed Morris, curious.
Falcon groaned. “In-choate, you clod! Would you wish that I spell it?”
“No I would not! Never use such jawbreakers. Damme, Falcon, I don’t hold nothing ’gainst you because of your face, but you might make an effort at least to speak the language! ‘Inchoate,’ indeed! If ever I heard such a cockaleery word! And speaking of cockaleery, that dressing gown…”
Grinning, Rossiter slipped into the hall. He noted absently that it was truly a splendid house, beautifully appointed, but he was more aware that his time was very limited.
A lackey eyed him woodenly. Rossiter said he had a message for Lady Lutonville, and asked for her whereabouts. The lackey conducted him to a large dining room with doors opening to the terrace.
Naomi was busied with her sketchbook in a little summer house at the far side of the garden. Her great skirts billowed about her, and sunbeams slanted through the trellised roof to paint a sheen on her powdered curls. It was a charming picture, and having crossed the lawn Rossiter paused with one foot on the step, to commit it to memory.
Still slightly breathless from her scramble to set this scene, Naomi glanced up, convincingly surprised, only to become even more breathless. Why must his dark hair curl so charmingly? Why must that wistful look in the deeply lashed grey eyes wreak such havoc with her pulses? Why was it so difficult to summon the anger and resentment she should feel for him?
He moved nearer and stood looking down at her.
“I hope you are recovered,” she said coolly. “I should have realized last night that you were close to exhaustion, and—”
“Stop it,” he interrupted, his voice stern. “We’ve more important things to say to each other.”
