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after the entrance she'd made. The butler was never going to forgive her. Looking up, she said, "Do you mind if I sit down?"
    "Of course not. How rude of me." He motioned to the sofa, and she took a seat. "Would you care for tea?" Charles asked.
    "Yes, that would be lovely." Ellie reached for the tray and began to pour. It somehow seemed a sinfully intimate act, pouring tea for this man in his own home. "Milk?"
    "Please. No sugar."
    She smiled. "I take mine the same way."
    Charles took a sip and assessed her over the rim of his cup. She was nervous. He couldn't blame her. It was a most uncommon situation, and he had to admire her for facing it with such fortitude. He watched as she drained her teacup and then said, "By the way, your hair isn't red."
    Ellie choked on her tea.
    "What is it they call it?" he mused, lifting his hand and rubbing his fingers together in the air as if that would prompt his brain. "Ah yes, strawberry blond. Although that seems rather inadequate to me."
    "It's red," Ellie said baldly.
    "No, no, it really isn't. It's—"
    "Red."
    His lips spread into a lazy smile. "Red, then, if you insist."
    Ellie found herself oddly disappointed that he'd given in. She'd always wanted her hair to be something more exotic than just plain red. It was an unexpected gift from some long-forgotten Irish ancestor. The only good thing about it had been that it was a constant source of irritation to her father, who had been known to develop nausea at the merest intimation that there might be a Catholic somewhere in his background.
    Ellie had always rather liked the idea of a rogue Catholic hiding out in her family tree. She had always liked the idea of anything out of the ordinary, anything to break up the monotony of her humdrum life. She looked up at Billington, who sprawled elegantly in a chair opposite her.
    This man, she decided, definitely qualified as extraordinary. As did the situation in which he'd recently placed her. She smiled weakly, thinking that she ought to be made of sterner stuff. His was a remarkably handsome face, and his charm—well, there was no arguing that it wasn't lethal. Still, she needed to conduct this interview like the sensible woman she was.
    She cleared her throat. "I believe we were discussing ..." She frowned. What the devil had they been discussing?
    "Your hair, actually," he drawled.
    Ellie felt a blush creeping along her cheeks. "Right. Well. Hmmm."
    Charles took pity on her and said, "I don't suppose you want to tell me what prompted you to consider my proposal."
    She looked up sharply. "What makes you think there was a specific incident?"
    "You have the look of desperation in your eyes."
    Ellie couldn't even pretend to be affronted by his statement, for she knew it was true. "My father is remarrying next month," she said after taking a long sigh. "His fiancee is a witch."
    His lips twitched. "As bad as that?"
    Ellie had a feeling he thought she was exaggerating. "I am not jesting. Yesterday she presented me with two lists. The first consisted of chores I must perform in addition to those I already do."
    "What, did she have you cleaning out the chimney?" Charles teased.
    "Yes!" Ellie burst out. "Yes, and it was not a joke! And then she had the effrontery to tell me I eat too much when I pointed out that I would not fit."
    "I think you're just the right size," he murmured. She didn't hear him, though, which was probably for the best. He didn't need to scare her away. Not when he was this close to having her name on that blessed marriage certificate. "What was the other list?" he inquired.
    "Marriage prospects," she said in a disgusted voice.
    "Was I on it?"
    "Most assuredly not. She only listed men whom she thought I might have a chance at catching."
    "Oh, dear."
    Ellie scowled. "Her opinion of me is quite low."
    "I shudder to think who was on the list."
    "Several men over sixty, one under sixteen, and one who is simpleminded."
    Charles couldn't help it. He laughed.
    "This isn't funny!"