of my ruin."
Marcus gazed at Lady Pettigrew as though he had suddenly discovered that she were a rather curious
archaeological object herself. "TempleofVesta?"
"Surely you are acquainted with the style, my lord," Iphiginia murmured helpfully. "There is a very fine
example inTivoli. It is a lovely circular structure. The Vestal Virgins are said to have tended the sacred
flame there."
"Virgins," Marcus said, "have never been a subject that was of much interest to me."
CHAPTER FIVE
I WILL SEE MRS. BRIGHT HOME," MARCUS SAID AS HE escorted Iphiginia, Zoe, and Amelia
outside the premises of Hornby and Smith. "She and I have one or two matters to discuss in private."
Zoe and Amelia glanced at each other and then looked at Iphiginia.
"Do not concern yourselves," Iphiginia said quickly. "Take my carriage. I shall see you both later."
"You're quite certain?" Amelia gave Marcus a stony stare.
"Yes, Amelia." Iphiginia did not care for the rough edge in Marcus's voice any more than Amelia or Zoe
did. She thought it best, however, not to make an issue out of it right there in the middle ofPall Mall.
"Very well." Zoe gave Marcus one last uneasy look and then nodded at Amelia. "Let us be off."
Marcus watched Amelia and Zoe walk toward Iphiginia's small, delicate white carriage. The airy,
graceful equipage was trimmed with gilt and horsed with two white mares. The animals' braided manes
were adorned with white plumes. The gleaming harness sparkled in the spring sun. The coachman wore
white livery trimmed with gold buttons.
"Your carriage, I presume?" Marcus said to Iphiginia. "How did you guess?"
"It looks like something out of a bloody fairy tale." "I thought it appropriate. From the description I was
given of your equipage, I understood it to look like something a wicked troll might drive. I wanted to
provide a counterpoint. "
"A wicked troll, eh? What does that make you, my dear Mrs. Bright? A fairy princess?"
"I assure you, I am no fairy princess." "Thank God for that much." Marcus tightened his grasp on
Iphiginia's arm. He started to stride swiftly along the broad promenade of the fashionable shopping street.
"I have enough problems at the moment."
Iphiginia dug in the heels of her white kid half boots. "If you wish to discuss your problems with me,
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
which I presume is your intention, you'll have to slow your pace, my lord. I do not intend to gallop the
length ofPall Mallwith you."
Marcus scowled, but he shortened his stride. "Enough of this nonsense. Who are you and what the devil
do you think you're about?"
"I beg your pardon?" Iphiginia busied herself with the act of unfurling her lacy white parasol. "I do not
comprehend your tone or your meaning, my lord. I explained everything to you last night."
"Last night," Marcus said, "I believed you to be playing some clever game in order to make a place for
yourself in Society."
"Yes, I know you did." "This morning it was forcibly brought to my attention that you are involved in
something other than an amusing masquerade. I wish to know precisely what it is you are about. "
Iphiginia tried to be patient. "I told you, sir. I am attempting to discover the person who is blackmailing
my aunt. Nothing has changed. What has overset you so this morning?"
"I am not overset. You make it sound as though I were having the vapors. I am bloody furious."
“Oh.”
He shot her a frozen look. "Is that all you have to say for yourself ?"
Iphiginia thought about it. "If it would not he too much trouble, my lord, I would like to know what it is
that has, ah, outraged you."
He hesitated, as though debating how much to tell her. "I have just learned that a close friend of mine is
being blackmailed."
Iphiginia stared at him, astonished. "Good heavens. Someone other than my aunt is also being
blackmailed after all? This is very interesting news, indeed, my lord."
"Is it not?"
"Sir, I do
Marcus gazed at Lady Pettigrew as though he had suddenly discovered that she were a rather curious
archaeological object herself. "TempleofVesta?"
"Surely you are acquainted with the style, my lord," Iphiginia murmured helpfully. "There is a very fine
example inTivoli. It is a lovely circular structure. The Vestal Virgins are said to have tended the sacred
flame there."
"Virgins," Marcus said, "have never been a subject that was of much interest to me."
CHAPTER FIVE
I WILL SEE MRS. BRIGHT HOME," MARCUS SAID AS HE escorted Iphiginia, Zoe, and Amelia
outside the premises of Hornby and Smith. "She and I have one or two matters to discuss in private."
Zoe and Amelia glanced at each other and then looked at Iphiginia.
"Do not concern yourselves," Iphiginia said quickly. "Take my carriage. I shall see you both later."
"You're quite certain?" Amelia gave Marcus a stony stare.
"Yes, Amelia." Iphiginia did not care for the rough edge in Marcus's voice any more than Amelia or Zoe
did. She thought it best, however, not to make an issue out of it right there in the middle ofPall Mall.
"Very well." Zoe gave Marcus one last uneasy look and then nodded at Amelia. "Let us be off."
Marcus watched Amelia and Zoe walk toward Iphiginia's small, delicate white carriage. The airy,
graceful equipage was trimmed with gilt and horsed with two white mares. The animals' braided manes
were adorned with white plumes. The gleaming harness sparkled in the spring sun. The coachman wore
white livery trimmed with gold buttons.
"Your carriage, I presume?" Marcus said to Iphiginia. "How did you guess?"
"It looks like something out of a bloody fairy tale." "I thought it appropriate. From the description I was
given of your equipage, I understood it to look like something a wicked troll might drive. I wanted to
provide a counterpoint. "
"A wicked troll, eh? What does that make you, my dear Mrs. Bright? A fairy princess?"
"I assure you, I am no fairy princess." "Thank God for that much." Marcus tightened his grasp on
Iphiginia's arm. He started to stride swiftly along the broad promenade of the fashionable shopping street.
"I have enough problems at the moment."
Iphiginia dug in the heels of her white kid half boots. "If you wish to discuss your problems with me,
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
which I presume is your intention, you'll have to slow your pace, my lord. I do not intend to gallop the
length ofPall Mallwith you."
Marcus scowled, but he shortened his stride. "Enough of this nonsense. Who are you and what the devil
do you think you're about?"
"I beg your pardon?" Iphiginia busied herself with the act of unfurling her lacy white parasol. "I do not
comprehend your tone or your meaning, my lord. I explained everything to you last night."
"Last night," Marcus said, "I believed you to be playing some clever game in order to make a place for
yourself in Society."
"Yes, I know you did." "This morning it was forcibly brought to my attention that you are involved in
something other than an amusing masquerade. I wish to know precisely what it is you are about. "
Iphiginia tried to be patient. "I told you, sir. I am attempting to discover the person who is blackmailing
my aunt. Nothing has changed. What has overset you so this morning?"
"I am not overset. You make it sound as though I were having the vapors. I am bloody furious."
“Oh.”
He shot her a frozen look. "Is that all you have to say for yourself ?"
Iphiginia thought about it. "If it would not he too much trouble, my lord, I would like to know what it is
that has, ah, outraged you."
He hesitated, as though debating how much to tell her. "I have just learned that a close friend of mine is
being blackmailed."
Iphiginia stared at him, astonished. "Good heavens. Someone other than my aunt is also being
blackmailed after all? This is very interesting news, indeed, my lord."
"Is it not?"
"Sir, I do
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