One Thing Leads to a Lover (Love and Let Spy #2) - Susanna Craig Page 0,41

wear them, though, for they brought distinction to an already distinguished face. She felt as if she were seeing him, the real him, for the first time.

And she knew when he leveled his gaze on her, he was seeing her clearly too.

She swallowed hard.

“And how long will this professional assessment take?” George asked.

Major Stanhope once more dipped his head, this time in her direction. “As the matter concerns Lady Kingston’s sons, as it was she who hired me to the post, and as this is her house—until young Lord Kingston comes of age, of course—I must defer my answer. I am entirely at her ladyship’s disposal.”

That little speech was all very proper and very polite, and yet she did not wonder that George shifted his weight between his feet before taking an almost imperceptible step back from Major Stanhope. “You mean to live in, then?” Some of the bite had gone out of his voice.

“Of course, my lord.” Oh, but she hoped it was the correct answer to give. “I’ve already put the maids to work making ready the chamber off the schoolroom,” she lied.

“I’m sure I shall be most comfortably accommodated there,” Major Stanhope said.

George gave a skeptical “Harrumph!”

She very nearly echoed it. In her mind’s eye she pictured the cramped, dusty chamber adjoining the schoolroom. The narrow bed. Mightn’t even a soldier balk at such quarters?

But she had no business imagining alternative beds in which he might lie.

“Should you like to go up now and meet your charges, Mr. Stanhope?” she offered, turning toward the door.

Lord Dulsworthy had other ideas. “Our conversation here is not finished, Amanda.”

Oh, how dare he! To address her so familiarly before another, to act as if she welcomed his address, to make it seem as if his claim had already been staked. For the first time in all the years of their acquaintance, her palm itched to slap him, and she might have done if she had not at just that moment glimpsed Major Stanhope’s hand, hanging loosely at his side, curl into fist.

She shook her head, both amused and bemused by the two men’s posturing. What on earth had got into Lord Dulsworthy? And why should Major Stanhope care? They were worse than Jamie and Philip, spoiling for a fight.

“The rest of what we have to discuss can surely be deferred until Mr. Stanhope has something to report,” she said. “Good morning, my lord.”

She did not wait to see how he accepted his dismissal, but marched through the doorway and toward the stairs, praying the Magpie followed.

Chapter 8

Langley had been impressed—

Reluctantly impressed—

Well, by all rights his response ought to be reluctant where Lady Kingston was concerned—

He gave a vigorous shake of his head, then straightened his spectacles. Good God. His thoughts were in danger of becoming as fragmented and jumbled as hers.

Though he could not help but notice that she fumbled and rambled less when speaking to Dulsworthy. Oddly, he doubted it was a mark of her comfort in the other man’s presence. She had conducted herself well in the library, to be sure, and had managed the fellow with aplomb. But whatever Dulsworthy inspired in her, it was not confidence.

And then Langley found himself wondering what it might mean that she was so willing to speak freely, to be herself, in front of him.…

“You are to have use of any of the books in the library, of course, Mr. Stanhope,” she was saying, her voice echoing slightly as she crossed the high-ceilinged, marble-tiled hall. “Now, if you’ll follow me upstairs…”

He did as he was bid, hustling to catch up, as she seemed in a great hurry to be off. Dulsworthy grumbled as Langley nearly collided with him, the other man striding purposefully, even angrily, for the door. A footman, the same one who’d admitted Langley a few days past, bowed Dulsworthy out, and Langley could have sworn he glimpsed a twitch of a smile on the servant’s face.

Now Langley had to trot up the steps, for Lady Kingston had already reached the turning and was saying something he couldn’t quite catch about the dining room on the first floor. “The family apartments are on the second and third floors,” she explained as they reached the landing but did not pause.

He was still a step or two behind her, enough to give himself a chance to look at her without being observed. Without his spectacles, he had been confident in his assessment of her beauty, but equally certain that she benefitted from