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“And didn’t we have a lovely time!” Liliane trilled, unmoved by her husband’s bad temper. “The Ormonds were so kind and gracious. I vow, I never thought I’d see the day when we would become dear friends with a duke.”

“We aren’t dear friends, we were merely invited to a ball,” Georgie pointed out unfortunately. “And it was just because of Norah.”

But Liliane was not to be chastened. “I see a fond friendship springing up between us. Who knows, we may be so bold as to call them family one day.” She turned. “What was that, Rafferty?”

“Nothing, ma’am,” he said. “I’ll go fetch the young master.”

“Poor Neddy,” Georgie said, hovering near him. “Let me help. I’m good with him when he gets like this.”

“No need,” Rafferty said briskly. “I have plenty of experience.”

“So you do. I wonder where you got that experience from,” Norah said in her silken voice. “Perhaps you worked for one of the families in the area.”

“No, Miss Manning,” he said, trying to move away from Georgie. Georgie followed. “I’ve never worked in service before.”

“But then, how do you know so well what a butler ought to do?” Liliane asked in amazement.

“Rafferty can do anything,” Georgie declared.

“Mother, are you going to let her continue to make a fool of herself and our whole family?” Norah’s whine was far less pretty than her face. “If people knew we’d hired a criminal from the streets to be a butler, we would become the laughingstock of society! He needs to go!”

“Certainly not,” Liliane said. “I fail to see anything improper in Georgie’s affection for her protégé.”

“You wouldn’t,” Norah said under her breath.

“And I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. Georgie has done surprisingly well for herself in only three public outings. She already has a most devoted suitor, and I count myself much shocked if he did not request an interview with your father in the near future.”

“Georgie is not getting married before I am!” Norah’s voice was shrill.

“Well, then, choose someone,” Sir Elston broke in. “Enough of this shilly-shallying. You could be a duchess in the end! What’s that, Rafferty?”

Georgie was still staring up at him with rapt eyes and an expression that had been notably missing from her dance with Andrew Salton, and Rafferty wanted to sigh in frustration.

“Nothing, Sir Elston. I’ll fetch Mr. Edward.”

“And just who is this devoted swain I have yet to hear about?” Norah was demanding as he reached the door.

“Andrew Salton,” Liliane provided triumphantly. “He sent her flowers.”

Jesus, did everyone in the household know that? He should have thrown them out, not just disposed of the card.

He was unprepared for Norah’s shriek of fury. “Don’t be ridiculous! Mr. Salton is much more interested in me than my frumpy little sister. They all are.”

“Oh, dearest, you can spare one or two,” Liliane said airily. “And both you girls belong in bed—you don’t want these late nights interfering with your beauty sleep. Georgie, move away from Rafferty, there’s a good girl. You really can’t spend your time mooning over the man.”

“You see!” Norah blared triumphantly.

“I’m not mooning,” Georgie said at the same time, reluctantly moving away from him.

“To bed, all of you!” Sir Elston thundered. “And Rafferty, bring me my whiskey after you dispose of my son and heir.”

“Yes, sir.” He escaped before he could be dragged into another uncomfortable conversation.

Neddy was blessedly cooperative that night, and he waited until he was in the water closet before he cast up his accounts. By the time he was sleeping it off and Sir Elston had been well-lubricated, Rafferty was finished for the night, off to his rooms off the kitchen.

Butlers lived relatively well in the hierarchy of household servants, and his quarters were spacious.

The bed was narrow but comfortable, there was a chair and a table and a faded Persian rug on the dusty floor.

He considered getting the girls in there to clean, but there were more important places where their help was needed.

Stripping off his still-damp jacket and tie, he sank back into the comfortable chair, wishing he’d helped himself to one of Sir Elston’s bottles.

He’d cocked things up that night, sentimental fool that he was, and he needed to be prepared to make a hasty exit if old Clem Robinson decided to do some talking.

Still, the man had to be ancient—no one was likely to believe him if he started talking about ghosts in the rose garden. He didn’t need to worry.

Leaning back in the chair, he closed his eyes and considered the mess he’d made of things.

Life would be a great deal simpler if he’d never given in to Georgie’s beseeching and become a butler, of all things!

He shouldn’t have rescued them, he shouldn’t hang around while Georgie was so obviously suffering from an adolescent crush.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but the longer he stayed there, the more likely that was to happen.

The smartest thing he could have done was simply disappear, leaving Billy Stiles alone in his quest for the judge’s money. But then, that would leave the Mannings with no recourse, and Stiles was a bit too handy with his knife. If he’d never met her, he simply wouldn’t care.

But he had met her, curse it. And whether he liked it or not, she was far too tempting, no matter how hard he tried to resist. There was something about Georgie’s sweetness that touched a part of him he thought long dead.

That part of him needed to remain dead. He’d been a fool to show up at the Ormonds, an even bigger fool to give in to temptation and spy from that old tree.

The thought of how much hell would break out if someone other than old Clem saw him was enough to make his blood run cold.

The Dowager Duchess was no fool—if she caught wind of it, she wouldn’t let go until she found him, and he’d turned from that life long ago. There was no going back.

There was nothing keeping him in London. Italy was warm and sunny in the south—he could buy a place by the sea and forget about this unlikely sojourn, leave Belding’s long-lost funds to Billy Stiles.

And die of boredom. Still, an escape was relatively easy, and it was exactly what he should do.

Once he made sure Georgie had found someone suitable to love, not this stupid crush she had.

If he went now, she might wind up married to a man who loved her sister, and Georgie had spent enough of her life being second best.

No, if he put his mind to it, he’d find a decent man for her and then take off, and she’d be too much in love to even notice his leaving. All he had to do was focus.

And keep the hell away from the Ormonds.