At the same time his valet, having learned that he had come to bed after dawn had broken, had left him to sleep.
When he had reached his bedroom, it was to find that everything had been tidied and it was difficult to believe that when he had come home earlier Isobel had been lying against his pillows wearing nothing but an emerald necklace.
As he undressed and climbed back into bed, he could not help thinking with a smile how shocked many of his ancestors would have been at her behaviour and, if it came to that, at his.
Somehow he had saved himself, although now, when he thought about it, he realised that it had been a very close shave.
It had been crafty of Isobel to think out a situation whereby it would have been impossible for him to do anything but offer her marriage.
The Duke of
