Silk and Shadows(41)

After a minute he flicked the reins impatiently and continued on. He was making too much of this. Sulgrave was just a house, albeit a handsome one, and available at a bargain price. Perhaps someday, in that dim future beyond the accomplishment of his mission, he would be free to glory in pride of possession. In the meantime, buying the property was just another step toward his goal.

To his surprise, he found Lady Sara walking with reasonable ease, though her limp was much worse than usual. As he dismounted and led Siva into the stables, he said, "You recovered quickly."

"Practice improves all skills," she said dryly. "Were you able to persuade the gatekeeper to order a carriage?"

"Eventually. He was reluctant at first, until it occurred to him that I might be his next employer. Then he became most obliging." After tending the horses, Peregrine suggested, "Would you like to wait in the gardens while I go view the house?"

"I didn't come all this way to watch butterflies. I'm looking forward to seeing the inside of the manor." Taking his arm, Sara added, "Though my guess is that you will buy Sulgrave even if it is less than perfect for entertaining."

He glanced at her, not best pleased. "Am I that obvious?"

"Not usually. This time you were."

She leaned on his arm more than usual, but showed no other sign of distress. Perhaps he might achieve today's goal after all. He would let events be his guide.

The lawyer had given Peregrine a key that let them in a back door. Lady Sara pronounced the kitchens hopeless, saying that they must be completely redone with modern stoves and ovens. Even an inexperienced male eye could see that she was right.

But apart from the kitchens, the house had no drawbacks. Most of the chambers were large and well proportioned, with richly carved ceilings and moldings. The dining and drawing rooms were gracious, the library magnificent, and there were other chambers that could be used for activities such as music and billiards.

Their exploration of the ground floor ended in the hall, where exquisite antique mosaics were embedded in the floor. Peregrine knelt and brushed his fingers over the abstract floral pattern. "The lawyer told me about these mosaics. They were discovered in the ruins of the old Roman town of Silchester."

"The house is superb," Lady Sara said, her gaze lingering on the mosaic. "A great deal of cleaning and redecorating will be required, but when you are done, Sulgrave should suit your purposes exactly. Does the furniture come with it?"

He stood, brushing dust from his hands. "Yes, the heir does not want the bother of selling it separately. Am I right that many of the pieces are very good quality?"

She nodded. "Yes. Some things will need refinishing, and others are not worth keeping, but if you like the styles of the last century, you'll have a good start on furnishing the house."

"I hope that you will also lend me your advice about decorating," he said. "Are you ready to see the upstairs?"

As she gave the stairs a calculating look, Peregrine found himself very aware of her profile, the pure line of face, throat, and breast, like the ancient sibyl she had first reminded him of. Suddenly he wanted her with a fierceness that shocked him. Shaken, he took a deep breath, knowing that too much desire could play havoc with his plans. When he was sure that touching her would not make him act like a lust-crazed youth, he leaned over, scooped her up, and began climbing the carved oak stairs.

"You are a little too quick to sweep me off my feet, Your Highness," Lady Sara said rather breathlessly as she clung to his arm. "I could have climbed the stairs on my own."

"No doubt, but the price of proving it would have been too high. Show some consideration for your ill-used leg."

She tilted her head back to look at him. "Ladies don't have legs, they have limbs. 'Legs' are considered indecent."

"Indecent?" he said as he set her on her feet at the head of the stairs. Solemnly he lifted the hem of her riding habit a few inches and examined her booted ankles. "I see nothing indecent."

"Behave yourself, Your Highness." Laughing, she batted the skirt from his hand. "I didn't say that female legs were indecent, but that the word is considered indecent. It is another English absurdity."

"One of many," he said, offering his arm again. 'But do not think I am ungrateful for your efforts to educate me. One must know the rules before one can properly break them."

"You, sir, are incorrigible," she said as she took his arm.

"But never dull."

Lady Sara gave him a wry half smile. "True. But it s possible that you could give dullness a good name."

He chuckled. "May I return the compliment by saying that you accomplish the even more formidable task of making respectability seem interesting?"