“They were worth every penny of what you paid for them, whatever that might be.”

“That is what I thought,” Sir Harry answered.

“Beautiful horses for a beautiful lady, eh, Harry?” Lord Wroxhall asked and now his heavy-lidded hateful eyes were on Gretna.

She wanted to shrink away from him and to hide her face and then pride made her look at him squarely, her chin held high.

“Will you not present me?” Lord Wroxhall asked, his eyes flickering over her in a way which made her feel as if she stood naked before him.

“But, of course,” Sir Harry answered. “I thought you knew each other. Gretna, may I present Lord Wroxhall? Miss Gretna Hayden.”

“My Lord.”

Gretna’s inclination of the head was imperious and perfunctory. In reply Lord Wroxhall swept his beaver hat from his head, staring at her as he did so for a few seconds before he said,

“I think we have indeed met before, Miss Hayden.”

“I am afraid you are mistaken, my Lord. I have not been long in London and had we met at any of the parties I have enjoyed with my friend, Mistress Fitzherbert, I should remember.”

“So, it is you who are staying with Mistress Fitzherbert,” Lord Wroxhall remarked. “I had heard that she had one of her childhood friends with her in St. James’s Square.”

It was obvious, Gretna thought, that until this moment he had not known where she was staying, although he had recognised her in Sir Harry’s phaeton.

She said nothing but merely inclined her head and after a moment he asked,

“May I have the honour of calling on you?”

“We are very engaged, my Lord.” She turned from him to Sir Harry. “Pray let us drive on. We appear to be holding up the traffic.”

It was a snub and Lord Wroxhall knew it. He pulled his horses to the side to let them pass, but, as they drove away at a sharp pace, the look he gave Gretna was not angry but rather amused.

“Setting him down a peg, weren’t you?” Sir Harry asked enquiringly as soon as they were out of earshot.

“He is a bad evil man,” Gretna stormed. “Promise me that you will never leave me alone in his company.”

“I promise you and I will take good care to leave you alone in nobody’s company if I can help it. But what do you know of him?”

“Enough to know that he is wicked,” Gretna stressed. “Don’t press me, Harry, for I have no intention of relating to you what I know of Lord Wroxhall. But I dislike him and he frightens me.”