The Duke of Walden, for example, had sent his town coach back for her at the end of the day, a courtesy he observed in nasty weather often but not always. Instead of spending her evening with chilly feet, her boots stuffed with old newspapers, her cloak steaming before the fire, she could curl up with a book and a bowl of good, hot soup from the chop shop.

Those luxuries were not yet to be hers, for His Most Inconvenient Grace of Elsmore had handed her into the Walden carriage and climbed in after her. She automatically took the backward-facing seat, which resulted in being seated beside him.

“A gentleman yields the forward-facing seat to a lady,” he said, rapping on the roof.

“An employee yields the higher station to nearly everybody.” Ellie reached past him to pull down the shades. Darkness had fallen and the interior lamps were lit. Anybody peering through the windows would see her seated inside with a gentleman other than her employer.

She should be in high dudgeon about that, but in her present mood, she was mostly hungry and tired.

“Do you suppose we can argue over seating for the entire journey?” Elsmore mused. “I think we could. We’ve taken each other’s measure, thrown out a few exploratory punches, and can have a proper set-to now that we’ve warmed to the challenge.”

That analogy flattered nobody. “I do battle with dirty books, Your Grace, not with peers.” Grandpapa had attempted that folly and come off much the worse for it.

“We could wager the choice of seat on a coin toss.”

“I never wager.” Ellie’s entire life was a risky bet, and she’d lately wondered if that would ever change.

“We could both take the forward-facing seat.”

“Regardless of which bench you occupy,” Ellie said, “you will be at my figurative elbow until this auditing exercise is completed.” He’d intruded into her dreams and accompanied her on her noon ramble, too, more cause for a sour mood. “Where you choose to seat yourself is of little moment, but you will not tell me where I—”

He switched seats. “I can compromise, Mrs. Hatfield. I can refrain from arguing with a lady. Your devious turn of mind will conclude that I yield this point for the sake of conserving my shot and powder. Notwithstanding your suspicions, my objective is to lighten our discourse with occasional frivolity rather than to vex you.”

The coach pulled away from the curb, the horses at a walk.

“You seek to be silly?” Ellie did have a devious turn of mind, no need to take offense at that truth when the same quality kept a roof over her head.

His Grace’s expression remained utterly serious. “Dukes are never silly.”

This duke was. “Good to know. Auditors are never frivolous.”