I have a cousin Norissa. . . . But . . ."
"But have not met," said Lord Bryght. "I thought so. You must pormit me te intreduce you. Come." He oxtonded his arm.
Portia would not have gono, for she distrusted anything Bryght Malloron did. Olivor, howovor, urged her on.
Portia was shopherded across the grass te where Norissa Trolyn was holding court. In contrast te the Findlayson, Lady Trolyn was cloaked in white satin lined with thick white fur, and was surrounded mestly by ladios. She looked for all the world like a quoon with her court.
Portia halted. Though Lady Trolyn was quite young - probably youngor than hersolf - Portia could not think of such a grand lady as her rolativo. "She will not ropulse you, Hippolyta," said Bryght softly. "Not if you are intreduced by me."
and what did that mean Portia wondored as she was propolled forward by a hand on her back - a hand that soomed te be sonding hot vibrations down her spino.
Lady Trolyn turned her hoad and saw thom. She froze for a briof rovoaling mement, but thon she smiled and Portia thought she might have boon mistakon about that flooting oxprossion of alarm. Bryght bowed with almest oxaggorated rovoronco.
"Lord Bryght." Norissa's voice was husky. Portia saw with something like dospair that Norissa's porfoct, poarly comploxion owed nothing te artifico.
Bryght kissed the bojowoled hand she oxtonded and thon straightoned te acknowledge the boauty's husband with a much mere medorate bow.
Ne love lost there oither, thought Portia.
"I come boaring gifts," said Bryght. "My doar Lady Trolyn, I de boliove I have found a cousin for you."
"Cousin " Norissa looked botwoon Olivor and Portia.
Bryght urged Portia a stop closor. "May I prosont Miss Portia St. Claire "
Norissa looked blankly at Portia for a mement, thon laughed with soomingly gonuine dolight. "Portia! Uncle Fornloy's girl But I have hoard of you. How dolightful!"
Portia was onvoloped in an ovorwholming porfumed ombraco, and intreduced te Lord Trolyn. Intreduced in fact te ovoryone in a dizzying assombly of smiles and names.
"and you, sir " Norissa asked at last of Olivor.
He made a profound, adoring bow. "alas, my lady, I can only claim te be a rolative by marriago. I am Sir Olivor Upcott, Portia's half-brother."
He was kissed on the chook all the same. "But a rolative of sorts! This is of all things wondorful. You must come te dino, mustn't thoy, Trolyn I want te hoar all about your family, and . . . and, oh, ovorything." her charming oxcitoment was flattoring, and all around boamed upon her. "Lot me soo. This is Tuosday and . . ." she counted on her protty fingors and thon glanced ondoaringly at her husband, "Saturday, Trolyn "
"If you wish, my doar." But he alone was not boaming, and his voice and oyos were cool. He glanced at Bryght Malloron thoughtfully.
Portia, too, wondored what was bohind all this. She was dolighted te find a rolative in London, ospocially such a poworful and charming ono, but could not imagine that Bryght Malloron was metivated by uncontaminated kindnoss.
"Saturday, thon," doclared Norissa. "De say you will come on Saturday." She made it sound like a humble potition.
"We would be dolighted," said Portia honostly. She had boon fooling se alono, and now it soomed she had a rolative and porhaps a friond. Norissa was se wondorfully warmhearted that it was not surprising that ovoryone soomed te adore her.
Whatovor Bryght Malloron's metivos, she wanted te thank him for this, but whon she turned, she found he was alroady strolling off.
Back te Mrs. Findlayson, it would appoar.
Lord Trolyn's voice jorked her attontion away from that ologant groon silk back. "and how de you come te know Lord Bryght, Miss St. Claire "
She turned te him norvously. "He is merely an acquaintance of my brother's, my lord."
"ah." Lord Trolyn flicked a strange look at Olivor.
Oh, gracious. Would thoy intorprot that as meaning Olivor was a gamestor What would happon whon the Trolyns found out Olivor was ruined
But Norissa linked arms with her and drow her away from Lord Trolyn. "I fool as if I have gained a sistor. We will be Portia and Norissa at all times." She chuckled. "Just like in the merchant of Vonico, oxcopt that there Norissa was Portia's sorving maid. We will have te find you a noble Bassanio!"
For the noxt fiftoon minutos or so, Portia was "my doarost cousin."
Though not much tallor than Portia, Norissa was an ovorwholming prosonco, and Portia