“I did get cornered by Lady Summerton,” Emma laughed.

Belle joined in. “Lady Summerton is the only person I know who can corner five people at once.”

“What a silly woman,” Sophie commented. “I think she means well, but she does prattle on.”

Emma and Belle both shot Sophie looks of mock accusation. Sophie’s eyes opened wide and then she laughed. “Oh, I know that I go on almost as much as she does, but at least I’m usually interesting!” With that all three women dissolved into spasms of laughter.

As their laughter began to die down, their cozy threesome was interrupted by a very loud and very angry male voice. “For Christ’s sake, Graves, I swear to God I am going to hang you on that coat rack if you don’t let me through.”

“Oh dear,” Sophie murmured. “I really must scold Graves, but I just haven’t the heart. He so loves to interrogate.”

“No, I will not give my calling card to a butler who has received me at least five hundred times!” Emma didn’t think it was possible, but Alex’s voice had actually grown louder.

Sophie looked a little sheepish. “I suppose I ought to go out there, but I do so enjoy it when Alex gets annoyed.”

Emma was quick to agree.

“Graves, if you value your life, you will get out of my way immediately!” Alex’s voice had suddenly taken on a dangerously low tone.

Emma, Belle, and Sophie winced as they saw Graves practically fly by the doorway of the yellow salon in his eagerness to escape Alex’s wrath. When Alex walked in, he was looking over his shoulder at the fast-disappearing butler and didn’t even notice that Sophie had guests. “For God’s sake, Soph, I’m your brother. Don’t you think you can call off your attack dog?”

“He’s a little overprotective now that Oliver is away, you know.”

“I’ll say.” Alex finally turned around and noticed that there were three women in the room. He quickly swept his eyes over them, taking in their comfortable position. As his gaze settled on Emma, she lifted her teacup to her lips and took a sip. “My, my,” he drawled, “aren’t we the best of friends?”

All three women shot him irritated glances. Alex looked a trifle disgruntled at their collective unfavorable response to his presence.

“Don’t be tedious, Alex,” Sophie said flatly. “I’m entertaining guests. If you’re going to be insulting, you can come back later.”

“What a welcome,” he grumbled as he flopped down inelegantly into a chair opposite Emma and Belle.

“I stopped by to return your sister’s earrings, your grace,” Emma said.

“I thought I told you to stop ‘your grace-ing’ me, Emma.” Both Belle and Sophie raised their eyebrows at his bold use of Emma’s first name.

“Oh, very well,” Emma retorted. “I shan’t call you anything, then.”

Sophie watched the telltale clench of her brother’s jaw and somehow managed to stifle what would have been a rather boisterous laugh. “Tea, Alex?” she said sweetly.

“I don’t drink tea,” he responded sharply.

“Right, of course. I forgot that men such as you don’t drink such a silly beverage as tea.”

“I would love another cup,” Emma said with a smile.

“I wouldn’t mind some more either,” Belle added.

Alex wondered when the women of the world had united against him.

“I suppose we’ll have to ring for another pot,” Sophie decided. “Would you like some coffee, Alex?”

“I’d prefer whiskey.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little early for that?”

Alex looked from his sister to Emma to Belle. All three looked back at him with deceptively serene expressions. “Actually,” he commented, “I don’t think there has ever been a better time for whiskey.”

“As you wish.”

Alex rose and walked across the room to the cabinet where his sister stored liquor. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a large glass. “Sophie, I had come to inform you of the true identity of our mysterious ‘Meg’ but I see that she has already beaten me to the task.” He fixed his gaze on Emma. “What, I wonder, can your cousin think of your frolics?”

“Her cousin was a part of her frolics,” Belle piped up.

Alex turned to give Belle his fiercest scowl. Emma took advantage of his distraction to surreptitiously examine him. As he leaned lazily against the wall, swirling his whiskey, he seemed unusually large and unbearably masculine in Sophie’s delicately decorated parlor. His superbly tailored clothes barely contained the raw power of the man. How, she wondered, could one man simultaneously provoke such desire and antagonism in her? At least she assumed it was desire. She’d certainly never before felt anything like the strange fluttering in her abdomen and the wild beating of her heart. Yet even as his mere presence sent her traitorous body reeling into confused longing, his insolence and domineering attitude enraged her, and she ached to let him know just what she thought of him.

Unfortunately, right then what she thought of him was that he was terribly good-looking. Emma grimaced and decided she’d better keep her eyes on Sophie and Belle. Her cousin was doing her best to ignore Alex’s scowl, turning to Sophie and asking, “Are you planning to hide yourself from the ton for the duration of your husband’s trip to the West Indies or will we see you tonight at the Southburys’ ball?”

“I had been contemplating retiring to the country, but I find that I’ve changed my mind. Town life suddenly promises to be terribly interesting this season. Although I don’t imagine I’ll be able to go out in another few months.” Sophie smiled shyly.