She bit her lip, but replied with dignity. “I am as yet wholly unacquainted with London, sir. I should prefer to wait until I can decide for myself where I desire to live.”
“While you are making up your mind,” said Worth, “you may lodge in Brook Street.” He put the lease back into its pigeonhole, and closed the secretaire. “The task of engaging your servants can be left to my secretary. I have instructed him to attend to this.”
“I prefer to engage my own servants,” said Miss Taverner, goaded.
“Certainly,” replied Worth suavely. “I will instruct Blackader to direct those he considers the most suitable to call on you at your hotel. Where are you putting up?”
“At Grillon’s,” said Miss Taverner in a hollow voice. A vision of butlers, footmen, housekeepers, serving-maids, grooms, all streaming into Grillon’s hotel to be interviewed, most forcibly struck her mind’s eye. She began to perceive that the Earl of Worth was a foe well worthy of her steel.
The Earl lowered his sword—or so it seemed to her. “Unless you would prefer to see Blackader himself, and give him your commands?”
Miss Taverner, with a chilly haughtiness that concealed her inward gratitude, accepted this offer.
Peregrine looked over his shoulder, and said belligerently: “I shall be sending to Yorkshire, for certain of my horses, but we shall be needing others, and a carriage for my sister.”
“Surely you can buy a carriage without my assistance?” said Worth in a weary voice. “You will probably be cheated in buying your horses, but the experience won’t harm you.”
Peregrine choked. “I did not mean that! For sure, I don’t need your assistance! All I meant was—what I wished to make plain—”