Mr. Ravenscroft-"

"Just get to the point, Perriwick."

"You clearly did not want it to be made public that Miss... ah... Miss... er... shall we call her Miss Invisible-"

"Miss Trent," Caroline supplied helpfully.

"-Miss Trent is here."

"Yes, well, she's here, and that's that," Blake said irritatedly. "You needn't pretend you don't see her."

"Oh, no, Mr. Ravenscroft, she is clearly visible now."

"Perriwick, one of these days I am going to stran­gle you."

"I do not doubt it, sir. But may I be so bold as to-"

"What, Perriwick?"

"I merely wanted to inquire as to whether Miss Trent's visit to Seacrest Manor is now meant to be made public."

"No!" Caroline answered, loudly. "That is, I would prefer you keep this information to yourself. At least for the next few weeks."

"Of course," Perriwick replied with a smart bow. "Now, if you will excuse me, I will see to the mishap."

"Thank you, Perriwick," Blake said.

"If I might be so bold, Mr. Ravenscroft-"

"What is it now, Perriwick?"

"I merely wished to suggest that you and Miss Trent might be more comfortable having your tea in another room while I tidy this one."

"Oh, he's not having tea with me," Caroline said.

"Yes, I am," Blake ground out.

"I don't see why. You yourself said you didn't want to have anything to do with me."

"That's not entirely true," Blake shot back. "I very much enjoy crossing you."

"Yes, that much is clear."

Perriwick's head bobbed back and forth like a spectator at a badminton match, and then the old man actually smiled.

"You!" Blake snapped, pointing at Perriwick. "Be quiet."

Perriwick's hand went to his heart in a dramatic gesture of dismay. "If I might be so-"

"Perriwick, you're the boldest damned butler in England, and you well know it."

"I merely intended," the butler replied, looking rather smug, "to ask if you would like me to re­move the tea service to another room. I did suggest that you might be more comfortable elsewhere, if you recall."

"That is an excellent idea, Perriwick," Caroline said with a blinding smile.

"Miss Trent, you are clearly a woman of superior manners, good humor, and a fine mind."

"Oh, for the love of God," Blake muttered.

"Not to mention," Perriwick continued, "excel­lent taste and refinement. Were you responsible for the lovely rearrangement of our garden yesterday?"

"Yes, I was," she said, delighted. "Did you like the new layout?"

"Miss Trent, it clearly reflected the hand of one with a rare sense of the aesthetic, true brilliance, and just a touch of whimsy."

Blake looked as if he might happily boot his but­ler clear to London. "Perriwick, Miss Trent is not a candidate for sainthood."

"Sadly, no," Perriwick admitted. "Not, however, that I have ever considered the church to be of impeccable judgment. When I think of some of the people they've sainted, why, I-"

Caroline's laughter filled the room. "Perriwick, I think I love you. Where have you been all of my life?"

He smiled modestly. "Serving Mr. Ravenscroft, and his uncle before him."

"I do hope his uncle was a little more cheerful than he is."

"Oh, Mr. Ravenscroft wasn't always so ill-tempered. Why, when he was a young man-"

"Perriwick," Blake roared, "you are perilously close to being tossed out without a reference."

"Mr. Ravenscroft!" Caroline said reprovingly. "You cannot think to dis-"

"Oh, do not worry, Miss Trent," Perriwick inter­rupted. "He threatens to terminate my employment here nearly every day."

"This time I mean it," Blake ground out.

"He says that every day, too," Perriwick said to Caroline, who rewarded him with a giggle.

"I am not amused," Blake announced, but no one seemed to be listening to him.

"I'll just move this to the other room," Perriwick returned, piling the teacups back on the tray. "The service will be in the green room, should you desire to partake."

"I didn't even get a sip," Caroline murmured as she watched the butler disappear into the hall. "He is quite-Oh!"

Without a word, Blake scooped her up into his arms and thundered out of the room. "If you want tea," he growled, "then you'll get tea. Even if I have to follow that damned butler to Bournemouth."

"1 had no idea you could, be so agreeable," she said in a wry voice.

"Don't push me, Miss Trent. In case you hadn't noticed, my temper is hanging by a very fine thread."

"Oh, I noticed."

Blake stared at her in disbelief. "If s a wonder someone hasn't killed you before now." He strode across the hall, Caroline clutching his shoulders, and into the green room.

No sign of the tea service.

"Peniwick!" Blake bellowed.

"Oh, Mr. Ravenscroft!" came the butler's disem­bodied voice.

"Where is he?" Caroline could not help asking, twisting her head to look behind her.

"Lord only knows," Blake muttered, then yelled, "Where the devil- Oh, there you are, Perriwick."

"You do creep up on a soul," Caroline said with a smile.

"It's one of my most useful talents," Perriwick replied from the doorway. "I took the liberty of moving the tea service to the blue room. I thought Miss Trent might enjoy a view of the ocean."

"Oh, I should like that above all else," Caroline said with obvious delight. "Thank you, Perriwick. You are ever so thoughtful."

Perriwick beamed.

Blake scowled.

"Is there anything else I can do to see to your comfort, Miss Trent?" Perriwick inquired.

"She's fine," Blake growled.

"Clearly, she-"

"Perriwick, isn't the west wing on fire?"

Perriwick blinked, sniffed the air, and stared at his employer in dismay. "I do not understand, sir."

"If there is no fire that needs putting out," Blake said, "then surely you can find some other task to complete."

"Yes, of course, Mr. Ravenscroft." With a small bow, the butler left the room.

"You shouldn't be so mean to him," Caroline said.

"You shouldn't tell me how to run my house­hold."

"I wasn't doing any such thing. I was merely tell­ing you how to be a nicer person."

"That is even more impertinent."

She shrugged, trying to ignore the way she was jostled against him as he carried her through the house. "I'm often impertinent."

"One doesn't need to be in your company for very long to appreciate that fact."

Caroline remained silent. She probably should not be speaking so boldly to her host, but her mouth very often formed words with no direction what­soever from her brain. Besides, she was fairly cer­tain now that her place here at Seacrest Manor was secure for the next five weeks. Blake Ravenscroft might not want her here -he might not even like her -but he definitely felt guilty over having mis­takenly abducted her, and his sense of honor required him to provide her with a place to stay until she was safe from Oliver Prewitt.

Caroline smiled to herself. A man with a sense of honor was a very good thing, indeed.

Several hours later Caroline was still in the blue room, but the blue room no longer bore anything more than a passing resemblance to the chamber she'd entered earlier that day.

Perriwick, in his desire to make "the lovely and gracious Miss Trent" as comfortable and happy as possible, had brought in several trays of food, a se­lection of books and newspapers, a set of watercolors, and a flute. When Caroline had pointed out that she did not know how to play the flute, Perri­wick had offered to teach her.