Page 25 of An Unexpected Pleasure

“Reed!” he exclaimed as he turned into the schoolroom. “I thought that was you I heard. And Anna! What a wonderful surprise. When did you get in?”

“This morning.” The man who was seated on one of the desktops, his long legs stretched casually out in front of him, rose with an easy grace and came toward them, stretching out his hand to take Theo’s in a firm shake. “I promised Anna a season.”

He cast a warm look back toward the cluster of desks, where a well-dressed, attractive woman sat between Con and Alex. She stood up and came toward them, too, smiling at Theo a little shyly.

“Hello, Theo.”

“Hello, Anna.” Theo took her hand and leaned in to lightly kiss her cheek. “You look radiant. It’s hard to believe that you have been traveling.”

Anna chuckled. “We have been up since five o’clock. We are still on country hours, you know.”

She turned toward Megan, her wide gray eyes resting on her for a long moment. “Hello,” she said, extending her hand. “I am Anna Moreland. You must be the new tutor.”

“Why, yes, I am,” Megan replied, faintly surprised.

“Anna always knows things,” Alex told Megan in explanation.

“I beg your pardon?” Megan looked at the boy in confusion.

“She sees things,” Con added matter-of-factly. “I mean, things other people don’t see.”

An icy finger ran up Megan’s spine.

“Con! Alex!” Anna scolded, casting the two boys a dark look. “Stop. You’ll make Miss Henderson think I am some sort of witch or something.” She turned back to Megan, smiling. “I’m sorry. Con and Alex sometimes exaggerate a little. They had described their new tutor to me. That is how I guessed who you were.”

“No, I am sorry,” Theo put in. “You should not have had to guess. I am lax in my introductions. You are correct, Anna. This is Miss Henderson, the newest sacrificial lamb on the altar of the twins’ education. Miss Henderson, please allow me to introduce my brother, Reed, and his wife, Anna.”

“How do you do?” Megan smiled politely at the tall man whom she thought she would have guessed was Theo’s brother even without any introduction. Though he was not quite as handsome as Theo and his eyes were gray rather than green, his square-jawed face was similar enough to Theo’s to mark him as a relative.

The woman beside him was quietly attractive, with thick golden brown hair and large, intelligent gray eyes. She was a trifle taller than Megan and slender, and there was about her an air of calm that drew one to her. Megan liked her immediately, and she sensed that if she had met this woman in any other situation, they would have become friends. As it was, she knew that she could not afford to let herself become close to anyone in this household.

“Is this your first day with these rapscallions?” Reed asked, smiling, reaching out to ruffle Alex’s hair.

“Yes, it is,” Megan replied. “I am looking forward to teaching them.” Looking forward with trepidation, if the truth be known, Megan thought, but she wasn’t about to let anyone see that fact.

“I hope you still feel that way by this evening,” Reed joked.

“Stop it. You and Theo both,” Anna scolded her husband, shooting him a fierce look. She turned toward Megan, saying earnestly, “Con and Alex are really quite wonderful boys, and I am sure that you will enjoy teaching them. Their brothers simply like to tease.”

“I am sure that I will have no problem with Con and Alex,” Megan agreed, casting a smile at the boys. “We have already worked well together, haven’t we?”

“Oh, yes,” Alex agreed emphatically. “We told Anna what you did. It was just what she would have done, wasn’t it, Anna?”

“Exactly,” Anna said, and smiled at Megan. “I think it is time that we let you get down to work with your charges, don’t you? We haven’t even visited with the duchess yet. We came straight up here when we arrived.”

“We knew these two would be the only ones in the family already up,” Reed added. His hand slipped around his wife’s waist, and he smiled down at her as he went on, “Come along, love. Mother will be very put out if she is the last to hear.”

Reed and Anna nodded goodbye to Megan and started toward the door. Reed paused, glancing back at his brother. “Coming, Theo?”

“Yes, of course.” Theo turned back to Megan. “I must take my leave, Miss Henderson.” His mouth quirked up in a smile, and Megan felt an odd warmth rush through her.

She stiffened unconsciously and straightened her shoulders. “Goodbye, Lord Raine. Thank you for showing me to the nursery. I trust in the future I will be able to find my own way.”

“No doubt you will.” His green eyes danced, and Megan was aware of a sudden traitorous urge to smile at him.

He bowed slightly toward her before he turned and followed his brother and sister-in-law out the door.

Megan watched him go, then realized what she was doing and turned quickly back to the twins. She looked at the two lads, who were gazing back at her with interest.