Miss Prudhomme to Lady Bristol after being rudely ignored by Rupert Elliot while taking air in Hyde Park

Grandpapa lifted the curtain and peered out the carriage window. “It will be nice to be in the country. The earl’s lands are supposedly some of the most carefully kept.”

Anna’s gaze caught something white on Grandpapa’s collar. She reached over and touched a finger to the smudge. “Rice powder.”

Grandpapa appeared mildly surprised. “Wonder how that got there?”

“You know how that got there! You wanted me to think you were ill.” She pulled her handkerchief from her front pocket and placed it in his hand. “Wipe your face. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“No, you should be ashamed that I had to go to such lengths.” He wiped the last of rice powder from his cheeks and said sadly, “It’s as if you don’t like having me about.”

“Nonsense. Grandpapa, I’ve enough on my plate with Greyley’s charges.”

“Oh, you won’t have to worry about me,” he said quickly. “I plan to help you every step of the way.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she muttered. She eyed her badly behaved Grandpapa for some moments. “Will you promise me one thing?”

“Anything, my dear. Just name it.”

“Promise you will not attempt to embroil Lord Greyley in any of your projects.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” He tucked her handkerchief into his front pocket, leaving a broad white smear on the dark cloth. “Besides, I already asked and he said no.”

She suddenly remembered the earl’s comment about the French sheaths. Anna fell back against the squabs and groaned. “You didn’t.”

“Just once. He wasn’t interested.” Grandpapa smiled as if at some inner, tranquil image. “Or at least, he didn’t think he was interested. But I think he will change his mind.”

Anna silently conjugated the Latin word for “cease.”

He reached over and patted her knee. “There, there. I vow I will not say another word to him. Greyley will become an ardent supporter of Thraxton interests without any persuasion from me.”

“You are mistaken; the Earl of Greyley isn’t a charitable sort of man.”

Grandpapa pursed his lips. “I wouldn’t say that. He is the head of the Elliot family.”

“I’ve never heard anything good about the Elliots.”

“Ah, but I’ve never heard anything bad about Greyley.” Grandpapa nodded wisely, as if he were a sage. “It must be difficult to remain basically good when one is surrounded by a whole family determined to be bad. And so successful at it that they consider it a birthright. It is all the more amazing when you realize how young Greyley was when he took over the family reins. Not even eighteen from what I heard.”

It always amazed Anna how much Grandpapa knew. If only the Home Office had such connections. “I daresay the Elliots were happy to see Greyley arrive.” Her fingers brushed over the plush velvet carriage seats.

“They were ecstatic at first. He was young, and they thought him a pigeon ripe for plucking.”