Free Indiscreet by Mary Balogh

barbed tongue, ma’am. It seems I owe you an apology—again.”
    â€œYes, thank you,” she said.
    At which moment, just when he was thinking of bowing himself out of her presence and licking at this new humiliation, the door opened and Clarissa sailed in.

5

    A LL that had been able to sustain her was the determination not to show any discomposure. Not to blush. Not to appear embarrassed. Not to lower her eyes before his. Not to allow him the last word.
    None of what had happened had been her fault. She had to believe that. She had
not
issued any invitations and he might have guessed that at first she had mistaken him for Mr. Adams. Surely it was not the first time that had happened.
    She had been alarmed when she had started to play the pianoforte only to find that her fingers were all thumbs and that her brain was humming with all sorts of thoughts that had nothing to do with music. With an enormous effort of will, she had pulled herself together and played more to her usual standard. Indeed, she had forgotten all else but the music once she had got started.
    She had done rather well after that, she believed. Even so, it was an enormous relief when the door opened. Except that it was Mrs. Adams, and she stopped abruptly and looked sharply from one to the other of them. It was obvious she was not at all pleased with what she saw. Catherine realized the impropriety of being alone with Viscount Rawleigh. But again it was
not her fault.
    â€œMrs. Winters.” The tone was icy, that of mistress to servant. “I believed you were using this time to teach my children music?” Just as if she were being paid a vast fortune to do so, Catherine thought.
    â€œTheir lessons are over, ma’am,” she said. She would not add more details to try to exonerate herself from whatever crime she was being suspected of. She always treated Mrs. Adams with courteous respect, but she never groveled. She would never be obsequious as the Reverend Lovering was. But then, his living depended upon the patronage of Mr. Adams.
    â€œDaphne and I disturbed them before they were quite finished, Clarissa,” Lord Rawleigh said, sounding enormously toplofty and bored. “They played their party pieces for us—at least Juliana did. I am not sure William has a party piece yet or ever will have. Daphne took them up to the nursery. I remained to discuss the weather with Mrs. Winters. But it was very wicked of me. I believe Claude has encouraged her to play for a while after she has finished teaching. I have been interfering with that. My apologies, ma’am.” He made Catherine an elegant bow.
    Catherine could see the steely glint in Mrs. Adams’s eyes, though she smiled graciously and linked arms with her brother-in-law.
    â€œI am sure Mrs. Winters is gratified by your attentions, Rawleigh,” she said. “Ellen wishes to see the new puppies out in the stable block. Most of the other men are occupied in the billiard room and I do not like her going out alone among the grooms. You will give her your escort?”
    â€œIt would be my pleasure, Clarissa,” he said, his lips twitching, but whether with amusement or annoyance Catherine could not tell. But she remembered his saying just a short while ago that he was expected to pay court to someone he did not wish to court.
    Good. She was glad he was being forced into doing something he did not want to do. Let him enjoy the feeling of being trapped and helpless.
    â€œGood day, Mrs. Winters.” Mrs. Adams nodded at her with gracious dismissal.
    â€œWe will leave you to your playing, ma’am,” Lord Rawleigh said with another bow—and a look that swept her from the crown of her head to the soles of her shoes—before turning to leave the room.
    It was impossible to continue playing. Her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding just as if she had been caught in the performance of some dreadful indiscretion. She deeply resented