A Proper Mistress by Shannon Donnelly

horses' heads, but Theo sat for a moment, staring up at the house.
    It's not too late. Molly thought, and tried to will the idea from her head to Theo's, hoping he might indeed turn away. To throw away this as his inheritance—oh, he must indeed be a little unbalanced to do such a thing. Or perhaps he had good reasons. Perhaps his father was indeed unbearable. And perhaps she had been blessed in never having had close kin.
    Turning in his seat, the curricle rocked as he shifted his weight, and he asked, his tone a touch uncertain now, "You ready?"
    She nodded and realized he might not see such a gesture. She put up her chin. "Ready as I'll ever be, ducks. Besides, anything that gets me to a hot cup of tea within the hour is good enough by me."
    His grin flashed in the gathering twilight. "You were a good choice," he said. His finger flicked under her chin before he jumped down and held up his arms to help her.
    With her feet on the ground again, Molly could swear she still felt the sway of the carriage. Her heart also picked up a sickening pace as she glanced at the house.
    Theo's voice, now strong and set, gave her courage. "Walk 'em Burke. We won't be long."
    "I hope not," Molly muttered. The shorter the better.
    "This is where you earn your money," he said, and offered his arm. "Shall we beard the lion in his den?"
    She put her hand on his arm. "The only lions I've ever seen are at the Tower, and they're toothless, old mangy things."
    He grinned again. "This one isn't toothless or mangy, but let's hope he gets his roaring done fast."
    Leading the way, he ran up the steps. Molly kept pace with him. He didn't bother to knock, but reached to open the door only to have it swing open before him.
    "Hallo, Simpson," he said, his tone brazen now.
    The older servant fell back a step. "Master Theo? We hadn't expected you!" His stare traveled to Molly. He held a lamp in one hand and had opened the door with the other. The light cascaded across Molly, and Theo glanced at her.
    The ostrich feathers on her bonnet might be wilting, but she had pasted a smile in place and those green eyes of hers sparkled with a militant challenge. Admiration for her rose in him. By all, he had seen some real luck in finding her.
    As Simpson—his father's butler—stepped back, startled enough that he had allowed the shock to register with a slack jaw and glassy eyes, Molly swept into the house.
    She paused in the hallway and started looking about as if pricing every item, from the tapestries on the walls, to the tables, to the chairs that had been around since the Crusades.
    Theo fought down a grin at that, and turned to Simpson. "This is Molly Sweet. She's to have the Queen's Bedchamber."
    At that Molly swung around, her eyes wide. But she seemed to recover for she offered up a smile and said, "Lordy, ducks. You said you'd treat me right proper like a queen."
    London Cockney now dripped from her voice, and Theo had to resist another smile. Blazes, but she would give his father an apoplexy! Grim satisfaction settled into him. About time his father learned that he had two grown sons—not puppets he could make dance to any whim!
    Simpson had recovered his customary wooden face. The man never aged, Theo thought. He had been in the squire's service for as long as Theo could recall and had always had that lantern jaw, silver-streaked thinning black hair and narrow shoulders that were stooped with age. Nothing got under Simpson's skin—not years, and not even a strumpet in a green and yellow stripped dress who was expecting to sleep in the same bedchamber that had once housed Queen Elizabeth.
    Well, he'd soon see about that. He glanced around him. "And you can tell my father, Simpson, that we have a guest."
    "Beg pardon, but I cannot, sir."
    Theo stared at the man. "Cannot? Why in blazes not?"
    Simpson blinked and said, his tone perfectly bland, "The squire is not at home."

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Eyes narrowed, Theo stared at Simpson, trying to see behind the