Crossed Quills by Carola Dunn Page B

helping him, and she was incapable of hiding her amusement. Laughing eyes and a half-concealed smile at the wrong moment could easily lead her brother to the truth.
     “Forgive me, Bina, I must not.”
     “No, of course it is not your secret. I shall not press you, though I assure you I am very safe. Why, Wynn does not even know that I know...But that is his secret.” Her eyes sparkled with glee, just as Pippa had imagined they would in her own case. “Ah, here is our tea.”
     While one footman set up a small table in front of the fireplace and the other unloaded his tray onto it, Pippa wondered about the skeleton in Lord Selworth’s closet. Unless he had more than one, his sister must have found out how he helped support his family before he inherited the viscountcy.
     Bina obviously did not regard it as disgraceful. No doubt it was something dull and unromantic in the way of trade, anathema to the Ton, but perfectly acceptable to ordinary people. Pippa felt slightly hurt that he had not trusted her family not to despise him for it.
     “Do you still take your tea without milk?” Bina asked.
     “Yes, please. Lemon! What a treat!”
     “You see, I remember. And ginger snaps, but do not eat too many. I have ordered all your favourites for dinner, the things we only had at parties: salmon in aspic, escalopes of veal, apricot-almond tarts—do you recall how we sent our partners back for more?”
     “Oh yes!” said Pippa, blinking back tears. How could she have doubted her welcome?
     “And,” said Bina triumphantly, “from George’s father’s succession houses, a pineapple!”
     They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
     Into this scene of merriment intruded Lord Selworth. He was wearing evening dress, and despite the tears of mirth in her eyes Pippa noticed the pristine newness of his black coat, fawn Inexpressibles, white marcella waistcoat and neat cravat.
     “Excuse me, ladies,” he said with a grin, “I did knock but I daresay you didn’t hear. May I share the joke?”
     Bina dabbed at her eyes with a tiny lace-edged handkerchief. “You are early, Wynn. Come in, do, and ring for another cup if you would like tea. As for the joke, whether we share it is Pippa’s choice.”
     Pippa hesitated, suddenly shy of this elegant stranger. She and Bina had laughed at the absurd figures they had cut on that evening four years ago. She was not at all sure she wanted Lord Selworth to see her in so ridiculous a light.
     Then he smiled at her, and it was the same heart-stopping smile as when he had been a shabby stranger. “Have mercy, Miss Lisle,” he said. “You must know the agonies suffered by those who hear laughter and are not permitted to know the cause.”
     After all, if he thought her a ninnyhammer, he would be the less likely to guess she was Prometheus. “Bina told me she has provided a pineapple for dinner, sir, which reminded us of an occasion on which we both made cakes of ourselves. Pineapple was served at a supper at a ball we both attended.”
     “Neither of us had ever eaten it before,” Bina put in. “We were sitting together, and our partners each brought us a slice.”
     “I had been chewing away for some time at the little round piece in the middle,” Pippa went on, “when I looked up and saw Bina sawing away at hers with her knife. Our escorts were too embarrassed to tell us the core was too tough to be edible.”
     “They never stood up with us again.”
     “At least you were able to abandon yours. I had to swallow mine whole!”
     Lord Selworth chuckled. “That reminds me of the first time I was served an artichoke, and choked half to death trying to eat the whole leaf. No ladies present, fortunately, or I’d never have been able to face them again.”
     “No artichokes tonight,” said Bina. “Wynn, dinner is at eight, as usual. You are much too early. Pippa and I have not changed yet, and George has not even come home. You will have to entertain