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smart.”
    â€œYes, she is. But what I really want to know,” the older man continued, “is what happened to make you think you need to marry the girl?”
    He’d assumed Sir Thomas was part of the whole blasted plan, but by the sound of the man’s perplexed questioning, he was beginning to suspect the idea of a “convenient” marriage had manifested itself in Charlotte’s mind alone.
    He turned around to face his superior again, noting how Sir Thomas’s features had changed into hard lines, his lips had thinned. He didn’t look mad, exactly, just…irritated, as if he still had trouble grasping the gravity of the situation Colin was undoubtedly explaining badly.
    Suddenly he felt drained. Pulling his arms from his topcoat, he removed it, then returned to the chair he’d sat in momentarily, tossing his coat over the wooden back before lowering his body into the seat, slumping into it this time.
    â€œI did as you asked and paid a visit to the Earl of Brixham Friday last,” he began, “and offered quite a decent sum for his pianoforte. The man agreed and sold it to me. While I was there, I had the good fortuneof meeting the wily Lady Charlotte, who, as I later came to realize, recognized me as the man who met her the previous weekend when she sang upon the stage as Lottie English. Of course I had no idea they were one and the same person.”
    His voice had risen during his diatribe, and he forced himself to control his annoyance. Sir Thomas just watched him, nodding, and so he continued.
    â€œThe following day, she had the temerity to come and visit me with a proposition of marriage. Marriage, for God’s sake.” He shook his head. “The woman certainly has nerve.”
    â€œI think you mean, the lady ?”
    Of course he knew she was a lady. “What’s your point?”
    Sir Thomas sat up a little, adjusting his stout frame in the chair that looked scarcely able to support his weight. “It sounds like a very good match to me,” he said with a shrug.
    â€œ That is certainly irrelevant,” he growled.
    The older man leaned back again, eyeing him speculatively. “Why did you come here, your grace, if not to get my thoughts on the matter?”
    Colin stared the man down. “I want to know if her brother is indeed in debt, and a problem for which you truly need my skills.” He paused, then lowered his voice to add, “Was the job you assigned me a complete fabrication, Thomas?”
    It took a long moment for the man to answer, he mused, and Colin hoped he wasn’t using the time to contrive a reasonable response. He needed honesty now.
    Sir Thomas drew in a long breath at last, then blewit out slowly through puffed lips. “He is in debt; that part is quite true.” He waited, then thoughtfully conceded, “But I admit I sent you there, primarily, to give you an opportunity to meet the Lady Charlotte.”
    â€œBecause you knew she was Lottie English,” he stated blandly, though feeling his muscles tensing uncomfortably beneath his clothes.
    Sir Thomas nodded. “Yes.”
    He supposed he expected more than a simple acknowledgment, and yet despite this, he’d gotten the honesty he wanted. Exasperated, he asked, “Why didn’t you just tell me who she was? At least I could have been prepared for her impudent intrusion into my home.”
    Sir Thomas scoffed. “Nonsense. Besides, it wasn’t my place, Colin. She didn’t—doesn’t—want anyone to know.”
    â€œAnd how did you find out?” he asked a bit sarcastically.
    The man shrugged. “I’m employed by the Crown to know these things.”
    â€œThat’s absurd.”
    Sir Thomas patted his oiled hair down atop his head. “Let’s just say I guessed.”
    Colin stood abruptly. “You know the family.”
    â€œYes, and I knew her father quite well. I don’t, however, trust