He stared at her in astonishment.
Then, as she looked at him and he expected she would retreat immediately with a murmured apology for intruding, she came into the bedroom and pulled the door shut behind her.
“Please,” she said, “would you – mind very much if I – stayed here with you for – a minute or two?”
She saw the surprise on the Duke’s face and added quickly,
“It is just that I – think a man is – going to try to get into my bedroom and I don’t – know what else to – do.”
“What man?” the Duke asked automatically. “Do you mean a traveller?”
The girl, for she was little more, moved towards him until she was standing beside him in front of the fire.
Then she said in a low voice,
“He spoke to me downstairs and – although I tried to be very cold and – haughty, he sat down at my tabl
