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completely plain. And her full, red-ripe lips were sin itself.
    Rayne shifted uncomfortably in his seat, remembering the taste of those sensual lips and her ardent response. From outward appearances he never would have guessed such a colorless-looking creature would have such a passionate nature.
    He regretted his own lustful physical response to her, however. In the interest of distracting his mind, Rayne decided he might as well occupy the hour-long journey learning more about her.
    “Your mother was French, I understand?”
    A soft smile curved her lips. “Yes.
Maman’s
parents fled the Revolution and settled near Chelmsford in Essex, a district that is heavily populated with émigrés. She met my father there when he was on leave from the Army, and they were married a fortnight later. It was a case of love at first sight, yet the haste was also necessary since he had to return to his post.”
    “I thought your father owned a farm.”
    “He did … an inheritance from his late uncle, which was passed down to my brother. But it is neither very large nor very profitable. I lived there until I was eighteen, when my father died, but with Gerard to supportand his schooling to fund, I decided to seek outside employment in order to make ends meet. And Lady Talwin’s estate was only three miles away.”
    “Can you not return now to your farm to live?”
    “I could, but Gerard has—” She paused suddenly, as if reconsidering what she was about to say.
    “He has what?” Rayne prodded.
    Miss Ellis shrugged. “He has his own future to see to. And I don’t want to burden him when I am perfectly capable of earning my own living.”
    “Ah, yes,” Rayne said lightly. “Your vaunted independence.” When she gave him a quelling glance, he added, “It cannot be easy for a lady to make her way in the world alone, which is why I assumed marriage would seem a preferable alternative for you.”
    That amused gleam returned to her eyes. “How singular that a bachelor such as yourself would be so interested in my marital prospects, Lord Haviland.”
    In point of fact, he had indeed been thinking of matrimony a great deal of late, since he’d promised his grandmother he would settle down and produce heirs. “Most women of your age are interested in marriage,” Rayne replied, keeping the focus of the conversation on her.
    “In my position as companion, I had little opportunity to meet any eligible gentlemen. At least not any I would want for my husband. And a good marriage is not readily made if you have neither rank nor fortune to recommend you. It is even more difficult if you lack beauty.”
    She seemed to hold a pragmatic attitude about her looks and her fortune as well. Miss Ellis ran her gloved hand admiringly over the plush velvet squabs. “I confess I am not accustomed to such luxury. Lady Talwin’s carriagewas nearly an antique, since she rarely left the house during her last years.”
    His mouth curved wryly. “It is one advantage of having a wealthy family. My grandmother was an heiress.”
    Her brow furrowed. “If I may ask, how did a wealthy nobleman’s son end up serving in the Foreign Office?”
    “I suppose you could say I was the black sheep of my family.”
    He neglected to mention the boyhood incident that had utterly changed his life, when he’d saved a young thief from arrest and probable hanging. As a consequence, Rayne had received a unique education in the lower classes and the London stews—including the squalor and the criminal elements who resided there—and thus had developed any manner of skills that had served him well later in his chosen profession.
    “Did your family approve of your avocation?” she asked when he was silent.
    Rayne’s mouth twisted with humor. “Not in the least. Spying is not a particularly honorable profession.”
    “I know. Papa was barely considered a gentleman, even though he was an officer.”
    “My family preferred to pretend I was off traveling the world,