“As she will not know that you are deceiving her,” the Earl said, “I cannot feel that there is any very great damage and, if we are going to have a pleasant evening. Miss Carver, I suggest that we omit any recriminations, which invariably bore me.”

“I was not aware that my duty this evening is to prevent you from being bored or to keep you entertained, my Lord.”

“You are doing that already,” the Earl said, “by not telling me as effusively as I would expect, how much you are looking forward to being in my company.”

“As I have already said, I try always to tell the truth,” Thalia replied, “and you know without my saying so that I have no wish for your company, but would much rather be at home in bed with a good book.”

“Is that what you do every night?”

“Yes.”

“That is certainly extremely wasteful of your youth and, of course, your looks.”

“But not my brain?”

“You consider that of more importance than your more obvious assets?”

“Naturally. And more lasting.”

The Earl laughed.

“You are certainly original in that contention, if it is indeed the truth, but perhaps spending your time with women who think only of their outward appearance has caused you personally to concentrate on something different.”

“I feel sorry for many of them.”

“Why?” the Earl enquired.

“Because they have been brought up to believe that the only thing that matters is to attract men. That is why they buy bonnets, why they spend hours choosing materials, ribbons, face creams, shoes, stockings and sunshades. There is no end to what they believe will be the bait to catch a fish.”

“Like myself?” the Earl asked.

“But of course!” Thalia agreed. “The Earl of Hellington would be a very large catch if they could land him!”

“I can assure you I fight ferociously never to be netted.”

“That I can well believe,” Thalia said, “but shall I be prophetic and tell your Lordship that you will be caught in the end and once you are in the net there will be no escape?”

“That is exactly what I am afraid of. At the same time perhaps you are right. It is nature’s way that a man should be caught and captured and made a fool of by some determined woman. Think how Adam suffered through Eve!”

“And from all I have heard he has never stopped whining about it ever since!” Thalia added.

She spoke with a little stringent note in her voice that made the Earl laugh.

“When you take off your grey disguise, Miss Carver, I see that you are very different from the demure creature who spoke softly and almost ingratiatingly to your client.”

“Do I sound like that?” Thalia asked. “That is interesting.”

“Why?”

“Because the Egyptians believed in the power of the voice and I have often wondered how much a voice counts in the modern world.”