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had opened before he finished, and a portly butler was giving a slight bow and a “Welcome home, m’lord,” and was carefully keeping his eyes averted from Kelsey.
    “Won’t be staying, Hanly,” Derek informed the servant. “Just dropping off a guest who needs putting up for the night. So if you’ll fetch Mrs. Hershal to take care of the girl, I’d appreciate it.”
    “A guest for above stairs—or below?”
    Kelsey was amazed to watch Derek blush at that impertinent, though necessary, question. She might have donned her spencer to cover a good portion of the god-awful gown she was wearing, but enough of it was still showing to proclaim what profession she had embraced.
    “Below stairs will do,” Derek answered curtly. “I did say I’m not staying.”
    And now Kelsey was blushing again at what that insinuated. The butler, however, merely nodded and walked off to fetch the housekeeper.
    Derek mumbled at his back, “Comes fromkeeping servants around so long they knew you when you was in knickers. Gives ’em airs, by God.”
    Kelsey might have laughed if she wasn’t so embarrassed. Handsome as he was, Derek looked very funny disgruntled as he was just now. He wouldn’t have appreciated her humor, however, even if she’d managed to find it. So she just stared at the floor and waited for him to depart.
    And ready to do just that, he said, “Well, then, get a good night’s sleep. You will be traveling most of the day tomorrow. Can wear a body out if they aren’t rested.”
    And before she could ask where she would be traveling to, he’d closed the door behind him and was gone.
    Kelsey sighed. And then a new dose of relief set in. She was actually going to be spending the night alone; what she had been avoiding thinking about was to be delayed—for another day at least. Perversely, now that it was put off, she couldn’t get it to retreat back into the recesses of her mind.
    For her, starting her mistressing was going to be like a wedding night, though lacking a certificate of marriage and lacking any tender regard between the two participants. She knew that, historically, marriage between strangers was a frequent occurrence. The pairings were arranged by parents or by kingdoms, with mere days for couples to become acquainted—or even less time, depending on circumstances. But such marriages were very,very rare in this modern age. Today, if the partners didn’t do the choosing themselves, they were at least given an abundance of time before the nuptials.
    How much time would Kelsey have? This reprieve had been unexpected. She had assumed she would not be spending the night alone. And tomorrow there would be traveling. Might that constitute another delay?
    She could hope. But delays weren’t going to do her much good if they didn’t give her an opportunity to get to know Jeremy somewhat better. And so far, come to think of it, she hadn’t said one word to that young man, nor he to her. How the deuce was she supposed to develop a relationship with him if they had no conversations?
    She supposed she would find out tomorrow. Right now, she should be setting her mind to deciding how to deal with the housekeeper here. In her usual manner? Or in a manner more suited to her new status?
    As it happened, the decision wasn’t hers to make. Mrs. Hershal showed up just then and, taking one long look at Kelsey, humphed and headed back into the recesses of the house, leaving Kelsey to meekly follow or not. So be it. She would have to get used to such treatment henceforth. She just hoped the scalding embarrassment that went hand in hand with it would get easier to bear.

6
    Derek should have known his bosom companions wouldn’t leave it alone. He’d no sooner stepped back into his carriage than Jeremy said, “I bloody well don’t believe it. You’re still going to that ball? Damn me if I would.”
    “And why wouldn’t I?” Derek asked, raising a golden brow. “The chit isn’t going anywhere, and our cousin