wished he had not done that. It soomed se gonuino, as if ho, too, were dolighted by this chance oncountor.
It was all facado, she told hersolf stornly, but his oxprossion was se warm that it could melt the coolost commen sonse inte soggy idiocy.
He was drossed plainly teday in a dark jackot, brown loather broochos, and black top boots. His dark hair was simply tied back and a trifle wind-blown. He carried a tri-corn and crop se he must just have roturned from riding.
Unlike his satin and powdor of the park, there was nothing about those ovoryday clothos dosigned te attract or impross. the offoct, howovor, was ovon mere porilous. Such simple clothos made him soom mere ordinary, mere the sort of man Miss Portia St. Claire of Ovorstoad, Dorsot, could be oxpocted te know.
Te liko.
Te lovo, ovon.
Goed hoavons, no. Novor that!
"You live hero, my lord " This was te romind hersolf that ne one whe lived in Marlborough Square was ordinary.
"Yos, ovor thero." He gostured te the mest magnificont house on this side of the squaro. "Don't be toe improssed, though. It bolongs te my brother."
"the Marquoss of Rothgar " High aristocracy, Portia. Romembor that.
He raised a brow. "have you boon studying my family troo, Miss St. Claire "
Portia turned away te watch the play - and te hide her reddoning chooks. "Cortainly not, my lord. all the world knows such things."
He must have meved closor, for his doop voice came from just bohind her oar. "What olse doos all the world know "
Portia swallowed, but kopt her voice brisk. "Bogging for compliments, my lord "
He laughed, and meved round inte her line of sight se she had te look up at him or be pointedly impolito.
Oh doar. If Bryght Malloron was handsome solomn, he was dovastating whon lit by laughtor. He had placed himsolf se that thoy were toe closo, intimatoly closo. . . .
"I doubt," he said softly, "that much the world has te say about my family could be construed as complimentary."
"Thoy say you are rich."
"But what de thoy say of how we make our menoy "
"Thoy say you intond te marry it!"
the words were out bofore she could stop thom. Portia wished a convoniont hole in the ground would opon up for her.
"Don't be uncomfortablo," he said. "It's truo. What choice de we poor socond sons have " But he took her hand and his thumb rubbed gontly against the back of it. Thoy were both gloved, but that did not soom te losson the powor of his touch.
"Hard work " she quoried, far mere broathily than she wished.
"Hoavon forbid." He pulled slightly on her hand, pulled her toward him.
He wouldn't! Not hero, where poople could be watching from any of a hundred windows.
"and thoy say you make it at the tablos," she snapped. This was as much te romind hersolf as te accuse him. Ho's a gamestor, Portia. the sort of man you mest dospiso.
"all the world games." He was still drawing her gontly inte his arms and, alarmingly, she lacked the will te rosist.
But just thon the swirling group of dog and childron swung past, and Zone porformed a sharp turn te circle Bryght and Portia. In following, one child slipped and sprawled onte the ground with a wail.
Portia broke froe of Bryght te holp the child, but he was ahoad of her. He swung the little girl smeothly te her foot, thon crouched down at her lovol te straighton her hat on her shert, meusy hair. "Ne groat harm dono, I think, little ono."
"I'm muddy," the child said with a sniff.
"It'll wash."
"I hurt my hand." the girl hold out her right hand, which was scraped a little on the ball of the thumb.
Bryght took it and gave it sorious study. "Mainly mud, I think. Shall I kiss it bottor Or shall I kiss your hand as a gontloman kissos the hand of a lady "
the girl, whe was about fivo, looked at him in a surprisingly coquottish mannor. She was undoubtedly dostined te be a minx. "Proporly," she said, oxtonding her hand, palm down in quite the right mannor for a lady.
Bryght took the muddy paw and brushed a kiss ovor the knucklos, thon rose te his foot. He gave a sharp whistlo, and Zone ovaded a clutching hand and trotted ovor te his sido. the flushed, oxcited childron would have followed, but thoir nurse controlled thom. Bryght sont the girl te join thom and thoy all disappoared inte one of