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“You can say that again,” he told her, sounding grumpy now.

That was Eve’s cue to fly down the stairs, grateful that the footman saw her coming and opened the door before her.

But once she was out on the steps and the door closed behind her, she had to pause to gain a semblance of control over her emotions. She should have known he had some fiancée—or near-fiancée—waiting in the wings. He was “not getting any younger,” as his mother said.

She was half tempted to march back inside and tell him what he could do with his kisses and his kindness to her brother and his offers to “help” her and her family. But she thought better of it. This was about Jimmy. And Maman.

And her, too, curse it! At last she had a chance to move into a better sphere, to teach lessons in embroidery perhaps, or even force her uncle to acknowledge that she deserved whatever funds Papa might have left for her. She could endure Noel’s—no, Lord Cokesbury’s—presence if that was what it took to improve her and her family’s situation.

She would merely have to protect her heart in the meantime.

CHAPTER 5

Noel scowled as he wandered his study while little Jimmy wrote down the rules they’d been going over.

Three days. That was how long Eve had succeeded in ignoring him, and he couldn’t stand it. Had he insulted her again somehow? Hurt her feelings? Because he would have sworn they’d parted on good terms after their dinner. Yet she was in his house and right under his nose all day, and somehow managed to be busy or absent whenever he came near her.

Not that he got many chances for that, thanks to his many obligations, one of which was young James. How the hell the lad had become so uncouth was anyone’s guess, especially when his half sister was quite the opposite.

Eve had remained a lady through and through, despite the circumstances that had brought her family low. No wonder she despaired over her half brother. Still, at least the lad was finally starting to make progress.

He amended that opinion when he turned to find James slyly slipping the pencil into his pocket. “Master Archer!” Noel ground out. “What is the one thing you must never do in public or in private?”

James thrust out his lower lip, apparently realizing he’d been caught. “Steal. But I wasn’t stealing the pencil! I was only borrowing it.”

“For what reason?”

“Eve uses charcoal to sketch because it comes free from the dyeworks. But she’d rather use a pencil, and this is a fine one.” When Noel sighed, James said, “I’ll bring it back when she’s done with it, I swear!”

“Give it here,” Noel said with a snap of his fingers. After a sullen James put it in Noel’s hand, Noel muttered, “I’ll give it to your sister myself. And next time, if you want something—for her or for you—ask for it, do you understand?”

James bobbed his head.

“Why do you steal things, James?” he couldn’t resist asking.

The boy shrugged. “I’m good at it.”

“Obviously not that good, given that I caught you,” he said dryly. “Twice, I might add.”

“My friends say—”

“Your so-called friends are entertaining themselves by trying to corrupt you. They don’t care if you’re caught or if you shame your family.” He stared hard at James. “If you’re ever caught by a constable, you could be hanged. Think how your mother and sister would feel about that. I daresay Eve would rather have you alive than have a pencil to draw with.”

“Yes, sir,” James mumbled.

Not sure he’d made enough of an impact, he went on. “I happen to be good at shooting. But you don’t see me leaning out the window and shooting at anyone who walks down the street, do you?”

James’s eyes widened. “No, sir.”

“That’s because it’s wrong to shoot people who aren’t shooting at you. Just as it is wrong to steal from people who have stolen nothing from you. We all have to get along with one another, and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you is the primary tenet of a civilized society. That’s why it’s called the Golden Rule.”

James seemed to ponder that.

Noel could only hope it made an impression on the lad. “Now, let’s return to our lesson on language. What words do we refrain from using around young ladies?”

“‘Refrain’ means ‘not’?” James asked.

Noel nodded. “It wouldn’t hurt you to read a book now and then.”