Supervising Sally Read Free Page A

safe?’
    â€˜It’s been safe for six months, since that monster abdicated. You need not worry about Phoebe. She would be well taken care of. Sally will have a maid to accompany her, an older woman who has known her all her life. My brother will be in charge of the party, but first, I was intending to take both girls to London immediately after Christmas to buy clothes. Sally will have nothing suitable, as she has lived all her life in the country. And I will buy whatever Phoebe needs. We intend to pay her a good salary, too.’
    The amount she mentioned made Phoebe gasp again. It was far more than they had told her to expect at the registries.
    â€˜Phoebe can escort you to Yorkshire, spend Christmas with you, and I will send a carriage for her so that we can travel to London together and pick up Sally on the way. Her home is in Oxfordshire. Well, Phoebe, will you oblige me by helping me with my niece?’

    There were very few people in London, Zachary discovered, when he dined at his club on the evening he reached town. Most had retreated to their country estates for Christmas or were guests at houses of friends. Only those whose business kept them in London, or who detested the country, remained. One of the latter was Hester, Lady Mickleton. He had found a scented note from her when he arrived at his rooms, and
spent the dinner hour wondering whether to accept the invitation enclosed. If he did, she might take it as encouragement, and he did not wish to permit their dalliance to develop into an affair.
    Lady Mickleton had, he was well aware, had several lovers previously. She was a petite blonde, twenty-eight years old but with the aid of cosmetics pretending to be eighteen. Married to a man more than twice her age, she had produced the required heir within a year of her marriage, but the boy was kept in seclusion in their Northumberland castle, where Sir George also spent much of his time.
    Zachary had enjoyed their light-hearted flirtation, but two considerations gave him pause before he allowed it to progress. He suspected Hester could become an intense and demanding mistress, and he had great admiration for Sir George, who had been a most successful soldier before being badly wounded at Vimeiro. He did not want to deceive an honourable man. If Sir George had himself taken mistresses, the situation would be different, but Zachary had never heard a word about any infidelities.
    In the end, knowing there would be several other people at the card party, he decided to go. He would be able to judge whether Hester was becoming impatient, and if so, he would distance himself from her. It would be a pity, but he would not lack female companionship. There were always bored wives and widows willing to flirt with personable men.
    Lady Mickleton lived in Mount Street, and he was soon being admitted to the drawing-room, where he found a dozen or so people chatting. Lady Mickleton came forward to greet him, clasping his hands in hers, and enveloping him in a cloud of eau de nil.
    â€˜You naughty man! You left town without telling me you were going to be away! I’ve been pining for you. But now you are back, for a long time, I hope.’

    â€˜I’m afraid not. I’m promised to my sister in Yorkshire for Christmas,’ he said, smiling down at her, then disengaged his hands and turned away to greet the other guests.
    They were soon occupied at the card tables, but when there was a break for supper, Lady Mickleton came and sat beside Zachary.
    â€˜I’m going home for Christmas too,’ she said. ‘It’s so long since I’ve seen little George, and I really must keep an eye on his new tutor. Sir George doesn’t know how to tell whether he is doing his job adequately. Perhaps you could escort me as far as Ridgeway Park? And I haven’t seen dear Beatrice for years. I detest travelling alone, innkeepers are never as helpful as when there is a man to take charge.’
    Zachary