what?”
Reggie sighed. “I came to offer you one of my footmen. Billings returned from his leave of absence. Have to have him back, of course. He’s like family. But that new man who took his place has worked out splendidly, too. But I don’t need three foot-men, only two, so I was hoping you could take the new man. But you don’t need two, one will do you fine. And—”
“Hell’s bells, Reggie, don’t write a book about it. Spit it out.”
She gave him a reproachful look. “I was getting to the point. This fellow here is too young to be a butler, so it’s obvious you’ve just hired your footman. Which is perfectly—”
Danny interrupted her this time. “I’ve taken the maid’s job, ma’am. Decided footman would be too easy.”
Reggie blinked at her, then rolled her eyes at Jeremy. “Very funny. I see why you’ve hired him. He’ll amuse you endlessly with drollery like that. Now I must run. I’ve hundreds of things to do today. And don’t forget you’re coming to dinner.”
“I am?”
“You did forget!” she said, appalled.
He grinned at her. “No, I’d say you did. This is the first I’m hearing about it.”
“But Nicholas was going to stop by to—famous, I suppose he forgot. Well, never mind. Now you do know, so don’t be late. Uncle Tony and Ros will be there. And Drew. Derek and Kelsey, too. I’ve even invited Percy.”
“Drew is back in town?” Jeremy asked in surprise.
She nodded. “His ship docked this morning. And since your father and George are visiting Uncle Jason at Haverston, I imagine Drew will be at loose ends. Though I also expect George will be rushing back to London as soon as she knows her brother is here.”
“So you thought to entertain him?”
“Of course. Your father might still hate his brothers-in-law, but the rest of us like them well enough.”
Jeremy chuckled. “You know he doesn’t hate them. He just— well, doesn’t like them. Principle, don’t you know.”
“Yes, just like he doesn’t like my husband,” she grouched.
Jeremy laughed. “Well, old Nick did try to get him hanged.”
“So did George’s brothers, but who’s counting,” she huffed on her way out the door.
Jeremy almost felt out of breath after that brief visit. But Reggie was like that, a whirlwind of chatter. He glanced back at Danny to find her looking a bit dazed as well. He imagined all that rapid chatter hadn’t made a bit of sense to her.
Considering the conclusion Reggie had drawn, Percy as well, for that matter, Jeremy asked her curiously, “Am I the only one who sees the woman in you?”
Her lips twisted in disgust. “Aye, you are. It’s the pants. They usually serve me well, but didn’t fool you none.”
He took a step closer, but he only had to glance down a few inches to meet her eyes. “No, I’d guess it’s the height. You’re taller than many men. That’s very rare.”
She broadened the space between them again before she spat out, “Like I can bleedin’ well ’elp that.”
“Don’t get defensive. It’s not a bad thing to be tall. Though come to think of it, Mrs. Robertson will probably have trouble finding you any ready-made clothes. Having you making the beds wearing your—”
He stopped that thought abruptly. Thinking of her near a bed quite undid him.
“Was that yer sister?”
A safe subject, thank God. “No, m’cousin Regina Eden. She and her husband, Nicholas, have a town house just down the street from here, though they are more often at Silverley, his country estate.”
“It were easy to tell ye were related. Yer whole family like that?”
“No, most of the Malorys are big and blond like m’father. There’s just a few of us who took after my great-grandmother’s side, m’self included. Why, I look so much like my uncle Tony that most people who meet us think he’s m’father.”
“Ye look like ye find that amusing.”
“But it is.”
“I’ll bet yer father don’t think so.”
He chuckled. “Course
Reggie sighed. “I came to offer you one of my footmen. Billings returned from his leave of absence. Have to have him back, of course. He’s like family. But that new man who took his place has worked out splendidly, too. But I don’t need three foot-men, only two, so I was hoping you could take the new man. But you don’t need two, one will do you fine. And—”
“Hell’s bells, Reggie, don’t write a book about it. Spit it out.”
She gave him a reproachful look. “I was getting to the point. This fellow here is too young to be a butler, so it’s obvious you’ve just hired your footman. Which is perfectly—”
Danny interrupted her this time. “I’ve taken the maid’s job, ma’am. Decided footman would be too easy.”
Reggie blinked at her, then rolled her eyes at Jeremy. “Very funny. I see why you’ve hired him. He’ll amuse you endlessly with drollery like that. Now I must run. I’ve hundreds of things to do today. And don’t forget you’re coming to dinner.”
“I am?”
“You did forget!” she said, appalled.
He grinned at her. “No, I’d say you did. This is the first I’m hearing about it.”
“But Nicholas was going to stop by to—famous, I suppose he forgot. Well, never mind. Now you do know, so don’t be late. Uncle Tony and Ros will be there. And Drew. Derek and Kelsey, too. I’ve even invited Percy.”
“Drew is back in town?” Jeremy asked in surprise.
She nodded. “His ship docked this morning. And since your father and George are visiting Uncle Jason at Haverston, I imagine Drew will be at loose ends. Though I also expect George will be rushing back to London as soon as she knows her brother is here.”
“So you thought to entertain him?”
“Of course. Your father might still hate his brothers-in-law, but the rest of us like them well enough.”
Jeremy chuckled. “You know he doesn’t hate them. He just— well, doesn’t like them. Principle, don’t you know.”
“Yes, just like he doesn’t like my husband,” she grouched.
Jeremy laughed. “Well, old Nick did try to get him hanged.”
“So did George’s brothers, but who’s counting,” she huffed on her way out the door.
Jeremy almost felt out of breath after that brief visit. But Reggie was like that, a whirlwind of chatter. He glanced back at Danny to find her looking a bit dazed as well. He imagined all that rapid chatter hadn’t made a bit of sense to her.
Considering the conclusion Reggie had drawn, Percy as well, for that matter, Jeremy asked her curiously, “Am I the only one who sees the woman in you?”
Her lips twisted in disgust. “Aye, you are. It’s the pants. They usually serve me well, but didn’t fool you none.”
He took a step closer, but he only had to glance down a few inches to meet her eyes. “No, I’d guess it’s the height. You’re taller than many men. That’s very rare.”
She broadened the space between them again before she spat out, “Like I can bleedin’ well ’elp that.”
“Don’t get defensive. It’s not a bad thing to be tall. Though come to think of it, Mrs. Robertson will probably have trouble finding you any ready-made clothes. Having you making the beds wearing your—”
He stopped that thought abruptly. Thinking of her near a bed quite undid him.
“Was that yer sister?”
A safe subject, thank God. “No, m’cousin Regina Eden. She and her husband, Nicholas, have a town house just down the street from here, though they are more often at Silverley, his country estate.”
“It were easy to tell ye were related. Yer whole family like that?”
“No, most of the Malorys are big and blond like m’father. There’s just a few of us who took after my great-grandmother’s side, m’self included. Why, I look so much like my uncle Tony that most people who meet us think he’s m’father.”
“Ye look like ye find that amusing.”
“But it is.”
“I’ll bet yer father don’t think so.”
He chuckled. “Course
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