Secrets of a Proper Lady

by Victoria Alexander

  “As that is the case”—a slow, wicked grin spread across an undeniably handsome face. Good Lord, the man looked like a pirate! American or not, what kind of gentleman had a pirate in his employ?—“I am at your service.”

  Planning is imperative for any successful travel venture. A poorly planned trip is certain to result in unforeseen problems of a most distressing nature.

  An English Lady’s Traveling Companion

  Chapter 2

  If there was one thing that Daniel Sinclair had learned in business as well as personally in his thirty-one years, it was never to ignore an unexpected opportunity. This pretty brunette with the intelligent glint in her green eyes and determined set to her shoulders was definitely an unexpected opportunity.

  “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name yet I am certain we have never met.” His gaze swept over her. Her clothes were in the latest fashion and accentuated a nicely curved figure. An air of quality and confidence hung about her as palpable as the faint scent of roses that drifted from her on the morning breeze. “I would have remembered you.”

  The most becoming blush tinged her cheeks. She was obviously not accustomed to accosting strange men in the park.

  She raised her chin. “That’s very flattering, Mr. Lewis, but not at all necessary.”

  “Because you’re here on a matter of great importance?”

  She nodded in a firm manner. “Exactly. I should much prefer to get straight to the point.”

  Whatever that was. “Then, in the interest of efficiency, would you care to accompany me? I have only a limited amount of time and I hate to waste it simply standing here. I much prefer to walk.”

  “Yes, of course.” She stepped to his side and they started off down the path.

  “Now then, Miss?…”

  “Palmer,” she said quickly. “Miss Palmer.”

  “Very well then, Miss Palmer.” He glanced at her. She was shorter than he but not at all short. Really rather a convenient height. “How may I be of assistance?”

  “I need some information from you, Mr. Lewis. Confidential information.” She drew a deep breath. “About your employer. Mr. Sinclair.”

  “Do you?” She wanted to know about him? At once the slight twinge of guilt he’d felt when he’d allowed her to believe he was Warren vanished. “Before we go any further, Miss Palmer, you should know I am intensely loyal to my employer.”

  “That in itself tells me a great deal,” she said primly. “A man who commands the loyalty of his employees is usually a decent sort.”

  “Mr. Sinclair is indeed a decent sort. In fact, I would say he was more than merely decent,” Daniel said stoutly. “He is generous and kindhearted.” Perhaps that was enough. He probably shouldn’t overdo it. “A man of courage and intelligence and integrity.” Although, why not? It wasn’t every day a man had the opportunity to impress a pretty woman with his good points. “Why, those who know him consider him the salt of the earth.”

  “He must pay you exceptionally well,” she said dryly.

  “He does.” Daniel shrugged. “However, my opinion as to his character has not been purchased. I have known Daniel Sinclair since we attended school together. He is not merely my employer but my friend.”

  “I see,” she murmured.

  “Well, I do not.” He stopped and turned toward her. “See, that is. What is your business with Mr. Sinclair? This matter of great importance?”

  “It’s not really my business, it’s that of my…my employer.” Her gaze met his and again he noted that gleam of determination. “I occupy the position of companion to Lady Cordelia Bannister.”

  “Lady Cordelia…” Good Lord! That was the woman his father wanted him to marry. “That is interesting.”

  “I assume then that you’re aware of the desire of their parents that they wed.”

  “Very much aware.” His voice hardened. “Mr. Sinclair received a letter only yesterday informing him of his father’s intentions.” It was enough to infuriate even the most even tempered of men. Daniel had thought that since his father had failed in a previous attempt to marry him off to a British heiress, he would abandon the idea altogether. Apparently he had underestimated the elder Sinclair’s determination.

  Miss Palmer nodded. “Lady Cordelia learned of it all yesterday as well.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Did she send you to quiz me about Mr. Sinclair?”

  “She is, of course, curious. It’s only natural that she would be. However.” Miss Palmer paused. “The idea to approach you was entirely mine.”

  He stared down at her and smiled slowly. “How very clever of you, Miss Palmer.”

  “I thought so,” she said under her breath.

  “You seem somewhat uncertain.”

  “No, not at all.” She shook her head. “At least not about the cleverness of the idea. I am proud to have thought of it. It’s simply easier to devise a plan than to carry it through.”

  “Is it?”

  She cast him a disapproving look. “Approaching a stranger is not an easy task.”

  “And yet…”

  “One summons one’s courage when necessary,” she said in a staunch manner.

  He resisted the urge to laugh. She was so very earnest, he suspected she would see no humor in this at all. Of course, she had no idea she was speaking to the subject of her inquiry. “Then shall we continue?”

  She grimaced. “It wouldn’t be at all proper to accompany you farther.”

  “More improper than approaching me in the first place?” He raised a brow. “Come now, Miss Palmer, I believe that ship has sailed.”

  “Excellent point, Mr. Lewis.” She wrinkled her nose, a nice nose, just pert enough to be charming.

  “I assure you, Miss Palmer, I am not the type of man to take advantage of a woman in a public park in the light of day.”

  She met his gaze directly. “That’s very good to know, Mr. Lewis, although that was not my concern.”

  “If you are worried about the two of us being seen together, I have noted on my early morning strolls that only the most robust of London residents frequent the park at this time of day.”

  “I daresay, my acquaintances for the most part do not fall into that category.”

  “And if you wish to know more about Mr. Sinclair…”

  “You are most persuasive, Mr. Lewis. Very well then.” She drew a deep breath. “Why not indeed?”

  They started off again and he glanced down at her. “However, I do think I should warn you that I consider turnabout to be fair play.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If I am to tell you Mr. Sinclair’s secrets, I should expect to learn some of Lady’s Cordelia’s in return.”

  “He has secrets then?”

  “We all have secrets, Miss Palmer.” He bit back a smile. “I suspect even you have any number of secrets.”

  “Me?” Surprise sounded in her voice. “Why would you think I have secrets? There is nothing the least bit secretive about me. No, no, I have no secrets whatsoever. I am precisely as I appear. Nothing to hide, not a thing. I am very much an open book sort of person.”

  “For an open book sort of person, you do protest a great deal.”

  “Yes, well.” She laughed lightly. “We open-book people are like that.”

  “Then tell me about yourself.”

  “I am not here to talk about myself. I am”—she paused to find the right words—“irrelevant in all this. Simply an observer. I am the narrator of the story as it were, nothing more than that.”

  “Nonsense, Miss Palmer. At the moment you are squarely at the center of the story and very much a central character.”

  She stopped short and frowned at him. “Well, I certainly did not intend to be.”

  “Nonetheless you are. Such things are inevitable when one has a clever idea and acts upon it. Especially a clever idea that requires courage.” He nodded, and again started off.

  It was entirely possible she wouldn’
t follow. She was right, of course, their walking together without any kind of chaperone probably wasn’t proper. Then again, she was the chaperone when it came to Lady Cordelia, although she seemed both too young and too pretty for the position. Still, as much as he wasn’t entirely certain as to the rules of proper behavior here in London he suspected that, as a woman who earned her own way in the world, the rules for her were less restrictive than for the virginal daughter of a noble family. He heard her hurry after him and bit back a satisfied smile. He wasn’t at all sure what he thought of Lady Cordelia, but her companion was certainly intriguing. Daniel waited for her to catch up. “Now then, Miss Palmer, tell me about yourself.”

  “It wouldn’t do any harm, I suppose. Very well.” She huffed, obviously not at all pleased. “My name is Sarah Elizabeth Palmer. My mother was a very distant cousin by marriage of Lady Cordelia’s mother. When I was left orphaned, Lord and Lady Marsham took me in.”

  Daniel’s brows pulled together. “And now you are made to earn your own way?”

  “I am not made to do anything,” she said sharply. “My position is entirely of my own choosing. The family has always treated me as one of their own. And as for becoming Lady Cordelia’s companion, that was my idea and my decision.”

  “Why?” He studied her out of the corner of his eye. Her chin was set in a stubborn and resolute manner.

  “Because I would rather be an employee than a poor relation.”

  “How very independent of you.”

  “I am an independent sort, Mr. Lewis,” she said firmly.

  “Then I gather your position in the household has changed?”

  “Oddly enough, it hasn’t. Not really.” She thought for a moment. “Lord and Lady Marsham were not in favor of my decision but Uncle Philip—Lord Marsham—did seem to understand, even though he has very definite opinions about the position of women in this world. He can be most annoying in that respect.”

  “Particularly to an independent sort.”

  “Indeed.” She blew a long breath. “As much as I love him, he can be quite stubborn. My rooms remain in the family quarters. I am still treated like a member of the family and Aunt Emma—Lady Marsham—is still as determined to see me married as she is her daughter. I was given a first season alongside Lady Cordelia and I continue to accompany her to social events as a family member.”

  “So, when you were unable to find a husband, you became an employee?”

  “What makes you think I was unable to find a husband?” Irritation sounded in her voice.

  “Well, Miss Palmer, companions are rarely married,” he said mildly. “Therefore it’s only logical to assume you were unable to find a husband.”

  “Nonsense. I found any number of suitable husbands.”

  “Then it’s the word unable that you object to?”

  “It implies a failure on my part that I am unwilling to accept. As I have yet to meet a gentleman I wished to spend the rest of my days with, I would say the failure was on their part rather than mine.” Her brow furrowed. “I’m not at all sure I wish to marry if I am doing so simply to be provided for. Besides, Lady Cordelia is quite an avid traveler—”

  At once the image of a sturdy woman clad in practical, sturdy clothing and equally sturdy shoes with a walking stick in one hand and a compass in the other popped into his head. God help him.

  “—and has begun writing about her travels, about the adventure and excitement and history of foreign places. Articles for ladies’ magazines. I do wonder if a husband, for either of us, wouldn’t muck that up.”

  “Then Lady Cordelia does not wish to marry?” Daniel said hopefully. It would certainly make his life less complicated.

  “Oh no, she does indeed wish to marry. Very much so. But her tastes are even more discriminating than mine.”

  So much for hope. Daniel was not the least bit modest when it came to evaluating his own appeal as a suitable husband. He was wealthy in his own right with ambition and plans that would make his fortune grow. His mirror and the admiring glances frequently cast by the fairer sex confirmed that he was an attractive specimen. The fact that he was American as well was a strike against him in the rarified world of London society, but then since he was not actively seeking a wife, that was not a concern. Still, he had no doubt Lady Cordelia would find him more than acceptable. “Tell me about her.”

  Miss Palmer raised a brow. “This then is the turnabout you mentioned?”

  “It does seem only fair.”

  She sighed. “What do you wish to know?”

  “What should I know? Or rather,” he said quickly, “what should Mr. Sinclair know?”

  “Well.” Her brows drew together. “I should think a man in his position would like to know about her character. She’s very clever and extremely well read. Did I mention she’s writing a book of her own?”

  “No.”

  “It’s a book of advice for travelers.” Excitement far out of proportion to the topic at hand sounded in Miss Palmer’s voice. “Specifically for lady travelers.”

  “How very…intelligent of her,” he said weakly. Spectacles appeared on the image of the sturdy woman in his head.

  “Yes, it is.” Miss Palmer nodded eagerly. “I suspect it will do very well too as more and more women are traveling on their own these days.”

  “It sounds to me as if Lady Cordelia is as independent as you are.”

  “Oh, she is. She quite prides herself on her independence.”

  The vision of lady Cordelia now grew to Amazonian proportions. “And yet she still wishes to marry?”

  “Of course she wishes to marry. An independence of spirit does not negate that. Marriage is expected of her and it is as well what she expects. She has been trained from childhood for the position. I have no doubt Lady Cordelia will make an excellent mistress of a household, a perfect hostess, and an exemplary mother.” She cast him a superior glance, as if he were too dim to understand the basic principles of life. “I don’t know how young ladies are brought up in your country, but in England a young woman of good family understands there are responsibilities that go hand in hand with her position in life. Primary among them is the making of a good match.”

  “Is she confident Mr. Sinclair is a good match?” he said coolly, as if the answer were of no real importance.

  “Don’t be absurd.” She snorted in disdain. “She is nowhere near confident of any such thing. All she really knows about Mr. Sinclair is that he has a respectable fortune, a father as interfering as her own, and that he’s American.”

  “He is the salt of the earth,” Daniel murmured.

  “So you’ve mentioned,” she said dryly. “However, as you are his friend, the veracity of your opinion is in question.”

  “Perhaps, Lady Cordelia should look elsewhere for her perfect match.”

  “It doesn’t appear as if she has much choice in the matter.” Miss Palmer stopped and looked at him. “Are you aware of all the details of this proposed arrangement?”

  “I thought I was. I am completely in Mr. Sinclair’s confidence,” Daniel said slowly. Was there something else here that he should know? “But I could be mistaken.”

  “Then you do understand this marriage is as much a businesses arrangement as a personal match?”

  “I vaguely recall something of that nature,” he said under his breath. In truth, Daniel had been so annoyed by his father’s actions regarding his life, he had failed to read much of the letter beyond Lady Cordelia’s name and age. “Admittedly, as the details were personal I might not have given it my full attention.”

  “Give it your full attention now, Mr. Lewis.” Miss Palmer’s green eyes flashed in the morning sun. What besides annoyance might also make them flash? He pushed the thought away. Now was obviously not the time for lascivious musings about the delectable Miss Palmer.

  He nodded a bow. “You have my complete and undivided attention, Miss Palmer.”

  “Excellent.” She drew a deep breath. “Mr. Sinclair’
s father has extremely successful steamships. My fa—my Uncle Philip has a shipping line that is not particularly successful at the moment. But family fortunes can be salvaged if Uncle Philip’s business is joined with the elder Mr. Sinclair’s. The condition for such a business arrangement is the marriage of their children.”

  “Yes, of course, now I remember,” he murmured. Damnation, how had he missed this?

  She crossed her arms over her chest and studied him. “You’re not very good at your job, are you?”

  “I’m very good at my job.” He huffed and glared at her.

  “Then why didn’t you know about this condition?”

  “I did know. It simply slipped my mind. After all, it is a private matter of Mr. Sinclair’s, the younger Mr. Sinclair that is.”

  She raised a skeptical brow. “I thought you were his friend as well?”

  “As much as I do consider Mr. Sinclair a friend, there are boundaries I do not overstep,” he said in a lofty manner. Although the real Warren certainly acknowledged no such limits when it came to Daniel’s personal life.

  “Why do I doubt that, Mr. Lewis?”

  “I have no idea, Miss Palmer. Perhaps it’s my forthright, charming manner.” He flashed her a wicked grin.

  “Yes, I’m certain that’s it.” She glanced back the way they had come. “My carriage is waiting for me, I should be off.” She nodded and turned. “Good day.”

  “Wait, Miss Palmer.” He stepped toward her. She was far too interesting to let her walk out of his life. “Do you think you’ve learned what you need to know about Mr. Sinclair?”

  She paused.

  “It seems to me, since our futures, as employees as well as friends, are tied to Mr. Sinclair and Lady Cordelia, it is in our best interest to continue this exchange of information.” Or it might well be simply in his best interest. He would very much like to see her again.

  She thought for a moment then nodded slowly. “I agree. There are any number of things I should still like to know about Mr. Sinclair.”

  “Then we should meet again.”

  “Yes, I suppose we should.”