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spirited brother; and who had been completely, utterly alive.
    Could it be that I have been wrong about the children? he asked himself. Could my ideas be misguided, no matter how well-intentioned?
    He swirled the brandy round his glass. As he did so his thoughts drifted back to his confrontation with Miss Davenport earlier that morning. He remembered her telling him that the children must be given more freedom if their spirits were not to be crushed; that they must be allowed to play. He had not known what she meant at the time, but he knew now. It seemed she was an even better governess than he had supposed.
    It must have taken courage for her to stand up to him like that, he thought. And to defend her beliefs. He remembered the spark in her eye when she had openly defied him... the shape of her mouth, the arch of her neck...
    He turned his thoughts away. He had no intention of allowing himself to be attracted to her. Those feelings would complicate things.
    Complicate, but not change them. Because no matter how attractive he found her he did not intend to let a governess tell him what he could and could not do.
    Except —
    'James! James!' Maud's insistent voice broke in on his thoughts. T)o come over here and stop Percy murdering the piano!'
    With a sigh he turned away from the window, and reluctantly gave his attention to his guests.

Chapter Four
    Sarah was in her small private sitting room a few days later, preparing a nature lesson for Lucy. The sitting-room was connected to her bedroom by a door, and the two rooms formed the small suite she had been given on her arrival at the Grange. It was furnished in similar style to the bedroom, with oddly assorted furniture of good quality, for it was Lord Randall's custom to have good pieces of furniture moved into the upper servants' quarters when he replaced them with something better. There was a padded armchair, a slipper chair, a shield-backed chair and a chaise longue. There was also a small desk. Sarah was sitting at the desk, and had been sitting there for almost half an hour, but she was still no nearer to thinking up a lesson for Lucy. She had wanted the little girl to make a collection of plants, but there were a number of specimens around the Grange that Sarah did not recognise herself. She would have to think of something else. Unless... Unless there were any botany books in the library which may help her find out what she wanted to know.
    She set down her quill, but at that moment a knock came at the door and a minute later Nelly, one of the housemaids, entered the room.
    There's a letter for you, miss,' said Nelly, bobbing a curtsey. It got mixed up with the master's letters. You should have had it this morning, miss. But better late than never, they do say.'
    Yes, Nelly. Thank you,' said Sarah, taking the precious letter. And then, as Nelly seemed inclined to linger, she said, 'Thank you, Nelly. That will be all.'
    The girl bobbed a curtsey and left the room.
    Sarah looked at the letter. She recognised the handwriting at once. It was from her younger brother, Nicholas. Abandoning her work she took the letter over to the window seat and, settling herself comfortably against the cushions, she began to read.
    The letter was full of news, and as Sarah read it she felt she was almost with Nicholas in her uncle's home in Bath. Nicholas had bought a new phaeton, she discovered - she suppressed a sisterly pang as she hoped he would not drive it too fast - and had taken Geoffrey, their younger brother, for a jaunt around Bath. Geoffrey was doing well at university, and had passed all his summer exams. Uncle Hugh was as drunk as ever, and Aunt Claire was gossiping her time away.
    Imagine Geoffrey doing so well at university! thought Sarah, as she finally folded the letter and put it away in her desk with the others. He had never been interested in studying as a boy, but to her surprise he had taken to Cambridge like a duck to water. She gave a sigh as she thought how proud