He was, Megan thought, the handsomest man she had ever seen. His gaze locked on hers, and a jolt shot through her.
She had never felt anything like this sensation before. It was stunning, paralyzing, slamming through her almost like a physical blow. Her nerves hummed, her muscles tightened, and for the briefest, strangest instant she felt as if she knew the mannot in the way she knew other people, even those she had known all her life, but in a deep, visceral way.
Even as she stared at him, the man halted abruptly and stood for a moment, staring back at her. Then, a little jerkily, he started toward them.
Ah, there you are, the duchess said pleasantly, motioning him toward her. Come here, dear, I want you to meet someone.
He reached them and bent down to kiss the older woman on the cheek. His eyes strayed almost involuntarily to Megan.
Dear, this is Miss Henderson. She will be tutoring the boys, the duchess said. Miss Henderson, this is my eldest son. Theo.
3
Megan continued to stare. This? This was the man she had hated for the past ten years?
Miss Henderson. Theo sketched a polite bow to her. It is a pleasure to meet you.
Megan murmured a polite reply, not even sure what she said. She was finding it difficult to bring her scattered thoughts together.
So you are brave enough to take on the twins, he went on, his eyes twinkling. If he found it odd that a woman was being hired as a tutor for his adolescent brothers, he concealed it well.
IIm not sure that I am their tutorI mean Megan glanced toward the duchess. Had the woman actually hired her? She could scarcely believe it, but the duchesss words a few moments ago had certainly sounded as if she had given Megan the job.
I am so sorry, the duchess said. I did not give you a chance to refuse, did I? I confess, I was so eager that I was rude. Will you accept the position as their tutor, Miss Henderson?
Yes, of course. Megan could scarcely believe her good fortune. She had been certain that her fathers plan would fail. Yet here she was, ensconced in the bosom of the family.
She stole a sideways glance at Theo and found his gaze on her, subtle lines creasing his forehead. She had the sudden, frantic notion that he knew who she was and why she was there. She told herself that was impossible. Ludicrous. It was merely her nerves making her see things that were not there.
Theo looked toward his mother, a smile forming on his lips, and Megan breathed a little sigh of relief. She had to get rid of this edginess.
Perhaps Miss Henderson ought to see more of the twins before she makes her decision, Theo warned, grinning. Has she visited their menagerie?
Theo, really, the duchess said repressively. Dont scare Miss Henderson off. I have only just found her.
I like animals, Megan replied sharply, aware of a certain resentment that Theo Moreland was not at all as she had imagined him to be. And I found the twins quite polite in a difficult situation. Indeed, they are lively lads whowho doubtless need a challenge in their schoolwork.
As soon as her sharp words were out, Megan regretted them. It was not part of her plan to antagonize Theo Moreland.
To her surprise, his dark eyebrows lifted in amusement. Well done, Miss Henderson. I see the boys have a champion. He turned toward his mother, saying, Perhaps it has been a mistake to give Con and Alex male tutors all these years. Given the way Olivia, Kyria and Thisbe feel about them, as well as Miss Henderson, it is obvious that women have a soft spot for the rascals.
The duchess let out an inelegant snort. Not Lady Kempton and her daughter.
The devil take it! Are they here? Theos face assumed a hunted expression, and he glanced around, as if the women might be hiding somewhere among the trees and bushes, about to jump out at him.
Not any longer, the duchess assured him. I was quite rude to them, Im afraid. But they made me angrycriticizing Alex and Con in my own home! I hadnt even invited them. They simply came calling, hoping, no doubt, to surprise you at homethough, of course, they pretended that it was me they had come to call on. Abominable women.
Thank heavens you sent them packing, Theo remarked. I scarcely dare attend a party anymore for fear Lady Kempton will pop up with one or the other of her daughters in tow. Which did she have with her todaythe silly one or the spotty one?
Im not sure. I am afraid I didnt look at her closely, the duchess admitted.
She was definitely silly, Megan offered. As if those mice could do her any harm!
Mice? Theo asked, a smile starting. There were mice involved?
Oh, yes, and Rufus, as well, the duchess said with a resigned air.
Rufus wouldnt have snapped at her ruffles if she had not jumped up onto the bench and danced about like that, Megan said, defending the dog.
Theo threw his head back and laughed. This sounds like a scene I very much regret missing. No doubt it would have been worth even having to converse with Lady Kempton.
Well, I would rather you had been there, the duchess retorted. I am sure then she would have been all honey and courtesy. She sighed. Much as I love having you at home, dear, I must say it is easier when you are off on one of your travels. Then I dont have all these ambitious mothers trying to be friends with me.
Shall I set sail tomorrow? Theo joked.
Of course not. The duchess rose and patted her sons cheek fondly. Now, dear, if you will do me a favor and show Miss Henderson about the placeI really must get back to my correspondence. I am right in the middle of a very important point to the prime minister.
Of course. It would be my pleasure, Theo replied, and his eyes went over to Megan.
Panic fluttered through her. She didnt want to have to face Theo Moreland alone right now. Indeed, she did not want to be around him at all, even accompanied by the duchess. She was feeling much too uncertain and confused.
She could not understand the feeling that had flashed through her when she first saw Theothe visceral tug, the bizarre sensation that she knew him. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before.
But even putting that whole odd moment aside, she found Theo Morelands presence distinctly unsettling. She had expected to feel something as soon as she saw the manbut she had not expected the something she felt to be attraction!
She knew logically that it was unreasonable to expect the man to look the way she had envisioned him for years. The fact that a man was a villain did not mean that he would look like one. A handsome face and form could hide all sorts of wickedness. She had met venal, cold, selfisheven evilmen before in the course of her work, men who had appeared to be quite ordinary or pleasant looking, even handsome. She knew better than to take someone at face value.
Yet she had trouble reconciling this square-jawed, handsome, smiling stranger with the weasely-faced murderer she had always imagined. It wasnt just his looks, she knew; it was his smile, his frank and open demeanor, the charming twinkle in his eyesnone of these things seemed to suit a murderer.
Most of all, she could not deny the sensations that rushed up in her in response to this manthe flutter in her stomach when he smiled at her, the strange heat that crept through her when his gaze settled on her. It was disturbing, even a little frightening, that a man she hated could make her feel soso fizzy and unaccountably warm.