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would be so distressed to see you reduced to dealing with such matters as your son’s discipline on your own,” Fothergill said. “Only a man can be expected to undertake such a task.”
    A further deathly silence ensued. Felix held his breath. It seemed that he was about to discover the true nature of Fothergill’s residence in this house, and his relationship with Barker’s daughter, rather sooner than he could reasonably have expected to be the case.
    “What do you know of my father?” she asked quietly.
    “Only that you had some kind of stupid quarrel and are too proud to apologise. But I’m sure he would welcome you and your children back, if only you would admit that you were wrong, and behave in future as a dutiful daughter ought. Everyone around these parts knows what a good and forgiving gentleman Mr. Samuel Barker is.”
    Mrs. Eden, in command of herself once more, sounded imperiously detached; Felix could only imagine the haughty tilt of her chin and the anger blazing in those remarkable eyes of hers. “My relationship with my family is not your concern. The education of my children, however, is.” She paused, before issuing her next warning in a frosty tone. “At least for the time being. I give you due notice, however, Mr. Fothergill, and you would do well to heed my words: one more example of the cruelty you exhibited today and you will be out of this house before the end of the day. I trust you understand me, sir?”
    The door flew open, but Felix hardly needed to conceal himself. She swept out, her eyes glinting with a mixture of suppressed fury and unshed tears, and marched away from Fothergill’s room, looking neither left nor right.

Chapter Five
    M RS. E DEN D IDN’T A PPEAR in the drawing room until shortly before dinner was announced. Composed, with no sign of the tears that had been so close when she left the school room, she apologised for her tardiness but offered no explanation for it. A short time later she paused beside Felix and thanked him in an undertone for pointing out Josh’s injury.
    “I’m relieved that he confided in you,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s so hard to know…”
    It was the closest she’d come to speaking to him of personal matters. Appearing to realise it, she blushed and abruptly stopped whatever she’d been about to say.
    “He didn’t exactly confide,” Felix said, keen to prolong their interaction.
    “Then how did you know?”
    “The twins were subdued this afternoon. When I noticed Josh’s hand I realized how he must have sustained the injury.” Felix offered her a puerile grin. “I received a ruler across my knuckles during my school days often enough to recognize the signs. But not,” he added, scowling, “when I was six years old, and certainly not anything like as severely.”
    “Indeed, sir, we are of one mind on the matter, but I’ve dealt with it and am confident that it won’t recur.”
    “I’m relieved to hear you say so.”
    “I understand, Mr. Beaumont, that I also have you to thank for assisting the twins with their French verbs.”
    He smiled at her, his most intimately engaging smile, willing her to lower her guard and offer some sort of response. “Not at all. I enjoy conjugating verbs,” he said in a velvety smooth purr.
    This time she returned his smile and held his gaze for a second or two, before moving away and conversing with others. Her manner was less reserved than the previous day, but there was still a cautiousness about her which discouraged intimacy. He observed her as she moved about the room, putting her guests at their ease with her gracious manners. She was wearing a lavender-coloured muslin gown that was ill-fitting and dated, but that was insufficient to prevent Felix’s mind from dwelling upon the body beneath the garment, which it made such poor work of disguising.
    Damn it, this wouldn’t do! He was here to prove the woman’s culpability in her father’s illegal activities, not to entertain