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discuss it, smiling at her with a look of fond amusement that set Juliana’s teeth on edge.
    “There may be a way out of our troubles, Henry,” Juliana said to him when he joined her off to one side. “If only his lordship likes what he sees in the rest of the house. Barbara can enchant him out of any doldrums into which he might fall. Perhaps I should have her come along? She will distract him from all those changes I made.”
    She exchanged a look with Henry, then turned to study her patron. She was in trouble, all right, and she feared it was not going to be a simple matter to solve.

 
    Chapter Three
    A ctually, the tour through the upper regions of the house went far better than Juliana had hoped, much less expected. Each time Lord Barry paused to examine a bit of some architectural detail, Barbara would offer an enchanting smile and a small comment, then draw him on to the next room or point of interest. Her laughter bubbled out—pleasing and delightful. She clearly amused his lordship, who gazed upon her with a most tolerant eye.
    Juliana had never been jealous of her younger sister in the past, counting it wonderful that Barbara would easily find an excellent match when she went to London for her Season. Now Juliana gave her sister a thoughtful frown. Was it quite necessary for her to smile at his lordship in quite that way? Or must she be quite so engaging?
    He indulged the sparkling minx with a lenient smile, as was the wont of every gentleman who encountered the second of Lady Hamilton’s three daughters. Yes, Barbara would undoubtedly be a diamond of the first water when she went to London for her come-out next Season, with a highly suitable marriage to an eligible peer following.
    However, Juliana felt that Lord Barry would not be the right one for her sister. There was something about the man that set pulses to racing, and whimsical Barbara would never be a match for him. For while she didn’t want for sense, she was a trifle featherheaded. Most men might not give a fig about that, given a pretty bride. Juliana felt Lord Barry would find her bird-witted ways a trifle wearing.
    Juliana made a rueful moue, thinking of how she had given up her Season to finish this house, afraid Sir Phineas might do great harm while she was gone. And to think the patron would never know, much less appreciate her efforts on his behalf. Well, her father had often commented on the subject of patrons, so she had been prepared. Only, the reality was more hurtful than she had expected.
    Lord Barry would most likely return later full of unanswered questions. But for the time being, she and Henry had a reprieve. She could query her assistant while Lord Barry’s attention was fixed on the size and arrangement of his dressing room—a neat room off his bedchamber fitted with shelves and compartments Juliana had considered very clever and his own water-closet.
    “Henry, what is this about the stables?” Juliana asked in an undertone. “The walls are too short? I found a slightly foxed carpenter about to saw a long and expensive piece of lumber so the walls could be raised to a proper height. What happened? And why didn’t the chap use wood from the pile of odds and ends left over during construction?”
    “The carpenters claim it was all a mistake, that the plans were unclear and they had misread your notations. Since they had no problem reading the house plans, I give leave to doubt their lame excuses. I would fire them if I could. However, I need their labor and cannot easily replace them at the moment.” Henry gave her a look that plainly reflected his anger at the man he felt responsible.
    “I have never known such a feeling of frustration,” Juliana said quietly. “I thought that all my drawings were sufficiently detailed so as to prevent precisely that sort of confusion.”
    “They are, indeed.” Henry looked at her, understanding and sympathy in his eyes. “I would give anything to be able to force Sir Phineas to