Page 20 of The Lady Glass
“What is it, Rolland? See a mouse?” Lewis came over, and it was too late to try to hide his discovery.
“Out,” he ordered, like the woman was one of his subordinates.
“Me?” Lewis said.
“No. Her.” He reached under the bed and took the woman’s hand, giving it a tug.
There was a soft shriek, but when her head emerged, Lewis’scry was much louder.
“Why are you keeping a woman under your bed, Rolland?” Lewis asked.
“What? Rolland has a woman?” Marcus jumped to his feet and crossed around the bed.
Rolland helped the bashful violinist to her feet. “I am not keeping a woman under my bed. She put herself there.”
“Only because I heard voices besides your own.” She sounded perfectly justified, like there was nothing wrong at all in returning to his bedchamber uninvited. Her naivety might be endearing under different circumstances, but it was going to be her undoing. “Are these two sailors you know, Captain?” She stepped closer to him and smiled.
He rubbed his forehead. Must she act like she was his lover? “Not sailors, no.”
“Oh, let me guess. You must be Marcus.” She pointed to the duke. “You’re the one who can tell whether people are lying.”
Marcus’s jaw went slack.
“And you must be Lewis, the one who is good with codes and puzzles. Now I have only to meet the intimidating panther, Cadogen.”
Lewis hit Rolland’s good arm. “Who is she? How does she know all this?”
“She knows this because she overheard everything you said.” Rolland pointed at Marcus. “This is His Grace, the Duke of Westmorland, and this is Mr. Evan Lewis.”
“His Grace?” The amber eyes he couldn’t help but admire grew wide like sunflowers, and she dipped into a deep curtsy. “This is terribly embarrassing.”
Marcus chuckled. “It is a little awkward, especially since Rolland did not finish the introduction and give usyourname.”
Rolland opened his mouth to admit that he did not know her name, but the little minx beat him to it.
“Miss . . . Miss Theresia . . . Miss Theresia . . . Smith.”
Rolland glanced at Marcus’s raised brow; he had also caught the obvious lie. Smith was the first name people went to when making up a name. Theresia, though, was different—too different for someone to make up in the moment. It didn’t sound English, but it fit as a Roma’s name. He could not make sense of her, no matter how he looked at it. Finally shaking his head, he said, “I thought I told you to return that dress and write to me if you needed anything.”
Theresia sighed and looked at the others. “I am not really a maid, as you might have gathered.”
Not a maid, but she was quite the actress.
She looked at him. “What? His Grace can tell whether someone is lying. I did not want him to think you’d gifted me this dress for a disguise... to see you.” She paused for emphasis. “And why mail you a letter when I could deliver it myself? I wouldn’t wantmy feelingsfalling into the wrong hands.” She held up a crumpled missive.
Rolland scowled and spoke through gritted teeth. “Risk aside, I would have preferred you to post it or leave it with the butler. And why would His Grace think I had gifted you a dress?” Her implications were starting to annoy him.
“Because you asked me to return it. Besides, a gift is not so unusual coming from a man who cares for a woman.” Her voice was so matter-of-fact that she could have fooled the archbishop himself.
“When he cares for a woman?” he sputtered and turned to his friends for help.
She reached up and patted his cheek with more familiarity than his grandmother. “Is he always so self-conscious when he speaks of his heart’s tendre?”
“Self-conscious?” Heat rushed to his face.“Heart’s tendre?”He pulled at his cravat. He could not believe how effectively thiswoman had painted him into a corner.
She giggled, but it was anything but girlish. Her voice was deeper, her laugh alluring. “And I am sure you have both noticed that he repeats words when he is flustered. Very well. I shall bid you farewell, Captain.” She dipped another curtsy, her elegance exceeding the grace of any maid’s capabilities.
“Wait,” Lewis said. “You cannot leave now. I have too many unanswered questions.”
