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He swung round and presented her with his back.
    She laughed again. “I have come to request a few hours of your time, Mr. Standish. You have been highly recommended to me.”
    The muscles along the top of his shoulders tensed. She was approaching him? But she could choose anybody for what she wanted—
    “What about Edward?” he said hoarsely.
    “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Celine moved close to his back and ran her fingers lightly across his waist. “I promise I will make it worth your while,” she whispered.
    Bill shivered. “When do you want to start?”
    “How about now?”
    “I… I can’t. I need to meet a friend.”
    “Nonsense, Mr. Standish. You would have left already if you needed to do so.”
    Bill sighed resignedly and Celine giggled. “Where would you like me?”
    “Make yourself comfortable on the sofa.” Bill’s waistcoat had begun to feel like a strait jacket. Unbuttoning it, he turned. Celine had already draped herself languidly across the end of the low chair, her dress revealing a tantalizing glimpse of finely turned ankle. Forcing a smile to his face, he crossed to sit next to her. He took her hand in his and looked into her face.
    ***
    “I enjoyed that.” Celine rose from the sofa, adjusting her bodice. “I look forward to our next meeting, Mr. Standish, or may I call you Bill?”
    “Mr. Standish is fine.” Bill pulled on his waistcoat, fumbling with the buttons. The fire had burnt low in the grate, and the sounds of the ball had receded. It sounded as if many guests had already left.
    “I didn’t mean to mention Edward’s name—”
    Bill glanced round his room, searching for his coat. “Don’t worry about it.” His eyes caught on the low table by the door where he had left it when he had entered the room with Victoria. Crossing to the table, he shrugged the coat on and left the buttons undone. Waistcoats were one thing, coats never fitted properly.
    Bill pushed open the door, but before he could leave, Celine gave a tinkling laugh and caught hold of his arm.
    “I thought you meant to leave me behind, Mr. Standish,” she said gaily. “That would have been most ungallant of you. Oh, hello, Lady Colchester.”
    Bill froze, his mouth open to reply, but no words would form themselves. Victoria stood primly in the hall next to her brother Henry, their golden hair and patrician features marking them out as brother and sister. Both stared down their noses at him.
    “Celine,” Victoria said, in a voice that could ice water. “Will I be seeing you at Lady Anglethorpe’s salon next week?”
    “Of course. There is nothing I look forward to more. Would you please excuse me?” Celine nodded at Lord Anglethorpe. “Henry, a pleasure.”
    Lord Henry Anglethorpe nodded, but his gaze was fixed unwaveringly on Bill.
    “Darling Mr. Standish, thank you ever so much. I look forward to our next meeting.” Celine patted him on the arm.
    “As do I,” Bill murmured, not taking his eyes off Victoria. She looked back at him, as inscrutably as ever. He didn’t want to meet Henry’s glare, even though his actions were none of the man’s business, apart from when it came to Pedro Moreno.
    “I heard you were asking for me?” Henry said pointedly as Celine left down the hallway with a wriggle of her hips.
    “Yes. I asked your sister but she professed not to know where you were.”
    Henry glanced down at his sister. “If I might recall, Victoria, I told you that I would be here this evening, but not until later on.”
    Bill watched curiously as Victoria brushed a golden curl from her face, and yet her expression did not change. “If I might recall, dear brother,” Victoria said, her voice as deadpan as ever, “Mr. Standish asked me where you were earlier in the evening, at which point in time I did not know where you were.”
    “Although you knew I would be here later.”
    Victoria shrugged, obviously unrepentant. “I do believe it is time to leave. Most of the guests