“Oh.” Blushing at being caught in her nightgown and robe, Lisa managed a weak smile and murmured, “I just wanted to have a word with Chrissy.”

“Of course,” Richard said as they passed each other. He then continued to the door to his room. Once there, he glanced over his shoulder and—seeing Lisa by her own door, biting her lip as she watched him—he forced a smile and turned the knob . . . only the knob didn’t turn.

“Oh! We forgot to unlock it,” Lisa said softly and scurried up the hall toward him. She patted her pockets as she came as if the key might be in her robe.

Halfway to him, she paused with dismay. “Suzie has the key.”

She whirled back as if to rush to Suzette’s door to get the key from her sister, but Richard forestalled her by saying, “ ’Tis all right. Let her sleep. I will go through Christiana’s room. We can unlock the door on the morrow.”

Lisa paused and glanced back, then merely stood there looking uncertain. Afraid she might still go to Suzette and catch Daniel inside, he quickly moved to the door of Christiana’s room. Richard paused there briefly, but finally murmured good night, opened the door and slipped into Christiana’s room.

He had known she would be awake, of course. After all, Lisa had just left. Perhaps it was because of that he’d expected to find her still fully clothed and up, perhaps chatting with her maid. However, a quick glance around the room revealed no maid, and he wondered when the servant had left.

When a soft gasp sounded from his left, Richard turned to spot Christiana in the bed. She popped up into a sitting position at once, and gaped at him with a combination of horror and surprise similar to the expression she’d had on her face at the ball. It seemed obvious he was the last person she’d expect to see here in her room which seemed odd since she thought him her husband. Before he could consider that too deeply, his attention turned to the fact that her bed coverings had slipped to reveal the bodice of her nightgown, a lovely lacy, rose confection that made her slim figure seem fuller. All thought pretty much stopped right then and it wasn’t until she grabbed the blanket and yanked it up to cover herself that his brain began to function again, although his thoughts were a little slow, as if moving through molasses.

Finding himself unable to turn away from the vision she made, he began to move sideways in the direction of the door to the master bedroom, murmuring a pained, “Ah.”

When she raised her eyebrows, he realized a little more than “Ah” was required here, and managed, “Sorry, just passing through. My door is locked.

The other one I mean, the one that leads to the hall. So I’m using this one.”

“Oh.” Christiana’s eyes widened slightly, and then she began to push the linens and blankets aside. “Shuzie has the key to your door. I’ll get it.”