“But you make a good point.When he comes back, have him bathed before you set him to work.Oh, and get him some new clothes, not new— I suspect he’d hate wearing stiff new clothing—but clean and in good condition.As you say, he’s dirty and ragged, and we can’t have a child like that in the house, can we, Peverill?”
“No, m’lord,” Peverill said miserably.“And The Animal?May I ask what is to be done with it?”
“It belongs to Lady Hewitt and will live here while she is with us, naturally.”
Peverill sighed.“Naturally.”
“You will take care of the dog while she’s indisposed.”Marcus handed him the dog.
The butler held the squirming dog gingerly and said weakly, “Perhaps one of the footmen ...?”
Marcus hid a smile.He’d pushed his long-suffering butler far enough.“Naturally you will delegate the responsibilities as you see fit.”
“Very good m’lord,” Peverill said dryly.
#
TESSA WOKE SLOWLY.Her head ached, her body felt heavy and lethargic, and her thoughts were ...fuzzy.They made no sense to her.A series of images floated vaguely through her mind; a minister, Edgar, a ...a fight?She must have been dreaming—at least she hoped that was it.
But these sensations ...they felt unsettlingly familiar.
Her eyelids were heavy, sticky.She forced them open and found she was in a strange bed, in a strange room.The curtains were closed—blue velvet curtains.They didn’t have any blue curtains, let alone velvet ones.She looked around the room.An elegant carved wardrobe, matching dressing table, a chair upholstered in blue velvet.Paintings she’d never seen.Not a single thing was familiar.Panic started to rise in her throat.
“M’lady?”a soft voice said.
Tessa turned.Behind her, on the other side of the bed stood a young maidservant.“Who are you?”
“I am Sutton, m’lady and I’m to be your maid.”
Tessa stared at her dazedly.She had a maid?A ghastly thought knifed into her.“And who am I?”she said cautiously, dreading the answer.
The maid’s brow crumpled in concern.“You’re Lady Hewitt,” she said gently.“Don’t you remem—”
“Lady Hewitt?Still?Oh, thank God.”Tessa fell back against the pillows.She wasn’t Lady Lester.She hadn’t married Sir Henry Lester.
Or had she?The anxiety seeped back in.Perhaps the maid didn’t know her newest name.Perhaps she’d been told to lie to Tessa.
“How do you feel, m’lady?Would you like a glass of water?”The maid held out a glass.
“Where am I?”Tessa croaked, and accepted the glass from the maid.She drank thirstily and asked again where she was.
“At Alverleigh House, m’lady.”
Tessa’s brow wrinkled.Alverleigh House?For a few moments she couldn’t think of where that was.It sounded familiar, but ...She shook her head.
“Lord Alverleigh brought you here, m’lady.You were ...ill.”
“Ill?”Lord Alverleigh?It sounded familiar, but ...
The girl nodded.“He brought the doctor to you.And you’ve slept now for nearly two days.”
“Two days?”Tessa struggled to sit up.Her mind was full of dazed conjecture, terrible questions jostling in her fuzzy brain.Surely she hadn’t had another brainstorm.Not again.
“There there, m’lady, just you rest a moment.I’ll let Lord Alverleigh know you’re awake.And, would you like me to order you some breakfast?”
“Breakfast?”Tessa repeated vaguely.
“Yes, you’ll feel more the thing with some food inside you.How about a nice soft-boiled egg with some toast soldiers?”Sutton said coaxingly.“Or if you prefer, a cup of chocolate and some pastries.Lady Gosford always enjoys cook’s pastries.Or maybe you just feel like a nice cup of tea.”
