“Really?” Caroline said, trying to sound like she was asking just out of polite interest. She'd bet her life that food had been meant for her.

“Well, to be truthful it wasn't exactly near my room. It was actually closer to your room, Blake, except I knew that you were already up and about. I thought the servants must have not wanted to come so close to my door for fear of waking me up.”

Blake shot her a look of such disbelief that Penelope was forced to lift her hands in an accommodating gesture and say, “I didn't know what else to think.”

“I think that perhaps my breakfast was on that tray, as well,” he said.

“Oh. Yes, that would make sense. I thought there was rather a lot of food there, but I was so hungry after last night's meal, I truly didn't stop to think.”

“No harm done,” Blake said. Then his stomach proved him a liar by grumbling quite loudly. He winced. “I'll just see to that tea. And…ah…the extra biscuits.”

Caroline coughed.

Blake halted in his tracks and turned around. “Miss Dent, are you also hungry?”

She smiled prettily. “Famished. We had a bit of a mishap in our kitchen at home and I have had nothing at all today.”

“Oh dear!” Penelope cried out, clasping her hands over Caroline's. “How awful for you. Blake, why don't you see if your cook can prepare something a bit more substantial than biscuits? If you think she's up to it, that is.”

Caroline thought she ought to say something polite like, “You shouldn't go to the trouble,” but she was terrified that Penelope might actually take her seriously.

“Oh, and Blake!” Penelope called out.

He halted in the doorway and turned around slowly, clearly irritated that he'd been detained yet again.

“No soup.”

He didn't even dignify that with an answer.

“My brother can be a bit grumpy,” Penelope said, once he'd disappeared from view.

“Brothers can,” Caroline agreed.

“Oh, then you have a brother?”

“No,” she said wistfully, “but I know people who do.”

“Blake really isn't a bad sort,” Penelope continued, motioning for Caroline to sit down as she herself did so, “and even I must admit he's quite devilishly handsome.”

Caroline's lips parted in surprise. Was Penelope trying to play matchmaker? Oh, dear. How impossibly ironic.

“Don't you think?”

Caroline blinked and sat. “I beg your pardon?”

“Don't you think that Blake is handsome?”

“Well, yes, of course. Anyone would.”

Penelope frowned, clearly not satisfied with that answer.

Caroline was saved from having to say anything more by a small commotion in the hall. She and Penelope looked up to see Mrs. Mickle in the doorway, joined by a scowling Blake.

“Are you satisfied now?” he grumbled.

Mrs. Mickle looked straight at Caroline before saying, “I just wanted to be sure.”

Penelope turned to Caroline and whispered, “My brother has the oddest servants.”

The housekeeper scurried away, and Blake said, “She wanted to be certain that we have guests.”