Page 6

“Very well, thank you, my lady. The bed, the bedchamber, everything is lovely.”

Lady Millward’s smile widened, and Emily made the interesting observation that the many lines on the lady’s face suggested that smiling was something she engaged in rather often.

“How very kind of you,” Lady Millward said. She gestured toward a sideboard laden with dishes, from which emanated the glorious smells of sausages and freshly baked bread. “Please help yourself to some food and join us. Your brother has just begun telling me about the latest developments in the Dunsbourne Manor orchards.”

“You are in for a rather long conversation, I fear,” Emily said. “The list of improvements Adam has implemented over the last year is extensive.”

Lady Millward looked to Adam, humor in her eyes. “Either your sister is exceptionally proud of what you have accomplished, Lord Dunsbourne, or else she is attempting to warn me of impending boredom.”

Adam chuckled. “I daresay she might own to a little of both.”

The tension in Emily’s shoulders eased a fraction. If Adam was comfortable with Lady Millward’s teasing, perhaps the older lady was not quite so formidable as Emily had feared.

“How is Phoebe this morning?” Emily asked.

Adam’s expression softened. “She rested well and intends to join us shortly.”

“I am glad to hear it.”

Mindful that Adam would remain standing until she had taken her seat, Emily moved to the sideboard and quickly filled a plate. As she approached the table, a footman appeared to withdraw a chair for her. She sat, and Adam did the same.

“If you are fond of drinking chocolate, Miss Norton, I would recommend you try some this morning,” Lady Millward said. “I have yet to ascertain exactly what my cook does to make it froth so well, but I have told her she must keep doing it.”

“I should be happy to taste it,” Emily said.

Lady Millward directed a nod at the footman, who promptly fetched a large floral teapot from the sideboard and began filling a matching teacup with the chocolatey brew. Emily’s surprise must have shown on her face because Lady Millward offered her a knowing smile.

“A lesson in not judging by appearance, Miss Norton,” she said. “Rather important as you enter London Society for the first time, I think. Not all teapots contain tea. Not all ladies behave benevolently. And not all gentlemen embrace the virtues they are purported to uphold.”

Phoebe had already warned Emily of the same. Hearing Lady Millward repeat the counsel did little to assuage Emily’s anxiety over what lay ahead.

“How does one navigate Society if it is so full of counterfeits?” she asked.

“You place great confidence in the opinion of your distrustful brother,” Adam said.

“That is certainly one way,” Lady Millward agreed. “A protective glowering baron standing at your side can do much to ward off undesirables.”

“As a matter of fact, I have already experienced that phenomenon,” Emily said, offering Adam a stern look. “Unfortunately, said baron tends to dissuade every gentleman from approaching, not merely the undesirables.”

Lady Millward raised her teacup to her lips but was not able to completely hide her smile. She took a sip of her drinking chocolate before lowering the cup again. “If I may be so bold,” she said, “might I suggest that although an elderly viscountess is not nearly so forbidding as a young baron, she can be similarly helpful.”

“So, I believe,” Adam said. “In fact, I did hear rumor that you were a rather valuable ally to Lord Bloxley during his and Lady Bloxley’s courtship.”

Emily caught the glint of humor in his eyes and sensed a story behind his words. “What did you do?” she asked.

Lady Millward brushed off her question with a wave of her hand. “That is a tale for another day, my dear. Today, we must focus on your situation.”

Her situation. Emily forced down the piece of bread roll she’d just placed in her mouth. She was an orphan, who, up until two years ago, had had no experience in Society whatsoever. When she’d reached the age of sixteen, Adam had taken her to her very first dinner party, but it had only been after Phoebe had entered their lives that Emily had begun to develop the skills necessary to navigate the turbulent waters of Society. Unfortunately, she knew full well that a mastery of basic dance steps and an awareness of today’s fashions hardly meant she was ready to face the ton.

“I scarcely know where to begin,” she said. “I think it likely that I will need assistance with everything that lies ahead.”

“Do not sell yourself short, Miss Norton,” Lady Millward said. “Already, I can tell that you are a delight. You shall be a welcome addition to the assemblies of London.”

“I own that I am somewhat biased,” Adam said, “but you have the right of it, Lady Millward. Emily is uncommonly intelligent and yet never considers herself above anyone else.”

“A rare quality, indeed,” Lady Millward said. “Tell me, my dear, what is it that consumes most of your time and attention? Where do your interests lie?”

“My interests?” How could Emily possibly narrow down her varied interests to only one or two?