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discussions are for larger heads than ours. Let’s go home,” her aunt urged.
    “Yes, Aunt.” Cordelia tried to shake off her uneasiness. She was no one special, after all. She wasn’t important to the
ton
, or influential in any way. True, engineering was an odd profession for any woman. But virtually no one knew she did it, so why would anyone be watching her? Still, she was grateful that they were leaving.
    Leona led her niece through the throng, but before they could mount the great staircase to the entry hall, a cultured voice halted them.
    “My ladies, surely you are not running away!” Dunham emerged from the crowd, his twinkling eyes surveying them both.
    Leona answered, “I fear that the heat has quite overwhelmed me, and my niece is taking pity on an old woman by accompanying me home.”
    “Old?” Dunham put on a shocked expression. “Never say so! You outshine half the ladies here tonight, Mrs Wharton.”
    “You have a flattering tongue, my lord.” Leona smiled.
    “You spare me the difficulty of lying, madam. The words are sweet because the subject is.”
    “Such gallantry. You make me sad to leave, and Cordelia as well, I’m sure.” Leona frowned slightly, seeing that Cordelia was distracted, staring off into space. “Darling? Will you not bid Lord Dunham good night?”
    “What?” Cordelia suddenly recalled herself to the conversation. “Oh, yes! Lord Dunham, you are always a gentleman. And you deflected that popinjay, whatever his name was.”
    “I am always pleased to serve as your knight protector, Miss Bering.” He bowed slightly. “But now you must take your charming chaperone home. I wish you a speedy recovery, madam.”
    Leona smiled winsomely, and Cordelia thought she detected a slight blush, over and above what could be blamed on the heat. The ladies left the party, grateful to step into the cooler outside air. One of Gough’s footmen hailed them a hired coach.
    Except for the rattling of the vehicle on the London streets, the drive back to the house was a quiet one. Cordelia sat lost in thought, and her aunt was too gracious to interrupt with idle conversation. The carriage turned up the long drive to the house itself, the gravel crunching under the wheels.
    Whoever had first designed the property clearly enjoyed the idea of privacy. The drive twisted in a way that concealed the house from the street, so arriving in front of the home was always a bit of a surprise. When the horses halted at the front steps, the driver leapt down to open the carriage doors.
    They walked toward the door. As soon as Cordelia saw a grim-faced Stiles waiting there, she knew something was terribly wrong.

Chapter 6
    With the housekeeper Mrs Landry standing nearby, Stiles watched as they ascended the steps. His posture gave no hint if he was weary from waiting up until the ladies returned. Considering he’d been awake since dawn, it was likely, but he would never let such a thing show on his face. Looking at him, one would think he’d trained from the cradle for his position. The idea made Cordelia smile, since she knew that his past had been quite different.
    “I see you have endured the evening unscathed, my lady,” Stiles rumbled.
    Stiles was a perfect butler in
nearly
all respects. The only obvious deviation he made from proper address was to call the mistress of the house
Lady
Cordelia. In point of fact, she held no title, and so should properly be called Miss Cordelia Bering. Stiles ignored this rule entirely. To him, she was and always would be
Lady
Cordelia, and the rest of the household staff took their cue from him.
    “None the worse for wear,” Cordelia admitted, still concerned by the man’s expression. “But I shall retire now. Can you send a little tea up? Aunt Leona?” She looked over toward her aunt. “Do you want chocolate?”
    Chocolate was properly a morning drink, but Leona never let a thing like custom get in the way of modest enjoyments. “The day I don’t want chocolate