“Very beautiful,” Carina said aloud as she looked round her, speaking more to herself than to the footman.

“A bit chilly for my taste,” he said. “And I was never one to like all them naked figures with their fig leaves and what ’ave you. Me old Ma would ’ave ’ad a fit if she could ’ave seen ’em!”

Carina laughed, she could not help it.

“You’re all right, miss,” the footman said, with an impertinent twinkle in his eye. “Not like some of them snotty stuck-up Governesses.”

“Thank you,” Carina answered, amused by the compliment.

“I expect ’is Lordship will be ’ere by now,” the footman said, opening the high mahogany door.

Carina had a fleeting moment of wondering why Lord Lynche had sent for her to come to the library if he was not there himself, but then the door was open and the footman was announcing her, apparently to an empty room.

“Miss Warner, my Lord,” he said and closed the door behind her.

Carina looked round.

It was a beautiful room with shelves of books rising from floor to ceiling, and there were curtains of deep red velvet to match the comfortable armchairs around the hearth.

Then, as she moved a little further into the room, a figure detached itself from the shadows at the far end.

A man came towards her, and she saw that it was not Lord Lynche as she had expected, but Sir Percy Rockley.

Chapter 6

Carina turned towards the door.

“I am sorry,” she murmured, “I thought Lord Lynche was here.”

“Wait!” The word was a command and not a request from Sir Percy. “I sent for you.”

“You?”

Carina could not help the ejaculation of surprise sounding rude.

“Yes, Miss Warner,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you and I had the feeling that you might make excuses if I made the request in my own name.”

There was a smile on Sir Percy’s thick lips and she hated the look in his eyes, feeling, as she always did, that he was mentally undressing her even while he talked platitudes.

“I am sorry if I appear impolite,” Carina said, “but Dipa will be wanting me. I only came because I understood that Lord Lynche had particularly requested me to do so.”

“Lord Lynche is fortunately out at the moment,” Sir Percy said, “and I want to have a talk with you.”

“That is impossible,” Carina replied hastily.

“Still running away?” he asked with his horrible smile.

And, although she knew he meant to taunt her, she could not help replying proudly.

“It is not a question of running away, Sir Percy. I am employed to look after a child and I have left him alone,”

“He will be all right for a few minutes,” Sir Percy answered. “Now come and sit down like a sensible girl and let me tell you why I want to see you,”