“My brother? But I don’t have—”

“He has been so worried about you. Why, he has been going to every house looking for you. But there, when he returns, you’ll be here all nice and safe.”

“Ma’am?” Serena set down her tea. “What did this— brother—tell you?”

This time Mrs. Holmes did look at Charles. “Why, that you’d eloped with a fortune hunter, of course.”

THREE

“What!” Serena exclaimed, as Charles let out a laugh. “It isn’t funny.” She rounded furiously on him. “Who do you think this supposed brother is?”

His face had grown serious. “Mrs. Holmes, my brother is Viscount—”

“I don’t care two pins who your brother is!” Mrs. Holmes glared at him. “You are a villain, sir, to treat an innocent young girl as you have.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with such meekness that Serena looked at him suspiciously, to see his eyes still gleaming with humor.

“Yes, he is wicked,” she agreed, and saw him start in surprise. “Although not as you might expect. Please, ma’am, if you will let me explain—”

“Your brother explained all to me, my dear.”

“He’s not my brother.” She looked at Charles. “It must be Guv, don’t you think?”

“Of course it’s Guv,” he said crisply.

“Nonsense.” Mrs. Holmes set down her cup with a thump. “It was Mr. Fairchild who came here.”

“Ma’am, there is no Mr. Fairchild,” Serena interrupted. “All you need do is look at Debrett’s to know that.”

“Of course there is.” Mrs. Holmes’s expression was mulish. “Wasn’t he just here, saying he’d return tonight?”

Serena jumped to her feet. “What?” she said in unison with Charles, and turned to him in appeal. “Oh, please. I cannot let myself be caught again.”

He strode across the room and grasped her hand. “I won’t let you be. Come.”

“You don’t mean to leave,” Mrs. Holmes exclaimed in alarm as she rose.

“Yes,” Charles said grimly as he continued out of the room. Serena was grateful for the grip of his hand, a veritable lifeline, on hers.

“You cannot Oh, Potter.” She looked past him to the butler. “They must be stopped.”

Not by a blink of an eye did Potter, aged and stooped though he was, show any surprise.