“Very good, my Lord.”
The butler, with a disdainful expression on his face, beckoned to the sweep.
“Come this way, my man,” he said, “and be careful how you do so.”
The sweep looked at the Marquis as if he was about to challenge the order, but the expression on his Lordship’s face made him know that he would be wise to keep his mouth shut.
He gave, however, one furious glance at Valeta before he followed the butler from the salon and the door closed behind them.
“Now,” the Marquis began, “perhaps you will explain what you are doing here and what you expect me to do about that extremely dirty boy who is not improving the rug that he is sitting on.”
“The rug can be cleaned,” Valeta replied, looking down at the piles of soot that had fallen from the boy’s clothes.
As if she felt that t
