Candace swept out of the room, leaving the door wide open and casting Lord Windham a stern look before exiting.

I squirmed under the sheets, well aware of what a quiz I must look, with my hair unbrushed and falling over my forehead. As if reading my thoughts, Lord Windham gazed at my hair, a smile tugging at the corner of his lower lip. Defensively, I reached up to brush the hair out of my eyes.

“You know, your hair is the exact same shade as my sister’s. Such a pretty shade of brown.”

“Thank you.” I straightened my shoulders and tried to look cool and collected, which is not an easy thing to do when one has one’s bedclothes bunched up under one’s chin. I cleared my throat. “Now I really do think you must be leaving, Lord Windham. Candace is right, you shouldn’t be here when my guardian is not present. Thank you for the roses and most especially for my fan. That was most kind of you.”

Lord Windham smiled, looking like a sphinx as he did so. Then he sat down at my desk and made himself quite comfortable.