“You’ll be all right,” Tad assured her manfully. And then he was on his way back up the stairs, covering a yawn with one hand.

Maggie took a moment to straighten her shoulders and draw a deep breath, then she lifted her hand and knocked softly at one of the study doors. There was always the chance that Mr. Kirk had forgotten about the intended lecture and left the house on business.

There was no such luck. “Come in, Miss Chamberlin,” called a somewhat weary male voice from the other side of those towering doors.

Maggie dragged in another restorative breath and turned one of the brass knobs, stepping into a spacious room graced with Oriental rugs, brass fixtures, bookshelves, and a desk. Mr. Kirk leaned against that massive, ornately carved desk, his arms folded across his chest.

“Sit down, Miss Chamberlin,” he said peremptorily, and before Maggie could rebel, she found herself obediently sinking into a leather chair.

His face expressionless, Mr. Kirk drew a folded paper from the inside pocket of his suit coat and held it out. “Do you know what this is?” he asked.

Maggie took the paper and unfolded it, recognizing it as a certificate of the sort so highly touted at Lady Cosgrove’s establishment. If properly signed and witnessed, the document assured a young woman of future employment. The flowery certificate was, of course, completely blank.

Her throat suddenly too tight to permit speech, Maggie merely nodded her head.

“Good,” Mr. Kirk answered in a clipped tone, taking back the paper, refolding it, and slipping it back into his pocket. “From this day forward, Miss Chamberlin, your behavior will be exemplary, I trust. There will be no more dalliances with Reeve McKenna or any other man, and when I give you instructions, you will follow them.”

Maggie’s face went bright pink. How on earth could Mr. Kirk know that she’d been with Reeve at Parramatta? He must have had spies there. At that instant Maggie remembered seeing Loretta Craig get out of a carriage one night, remembered eavesdropping on a part of the conversation Miss Craig and Mr. Kirk had shared. Maggie went rigid in her chair.

“Tomorrow night,” Mr. Kirk went on, his arms still folded, his gaze locked with Maggie’s, “you and I will dine at Government House. I shall expect you to be dressed properly, Miss Chamberlin.”

Maggie swallowed hard. She had no idea what a lady would wear for such an occasion, and she opened her mouth to say so.

Mr. Kirk stopped her with a brusque, “I have arranged for one of my friends to accompany you to the shops this afternoon. You will buy as she instructs you to buy, Miss Chamberlin. Is that clear?”