formality when he calls upon you."
"He never did stand on it," Lavinia muttered. "If you will recall, he was busily smashing the statuary in our little shop in Rome the first time he introduced himself. His social graces have not improved a great deal since that first meeting, in my opinion."
Emeline smiled and took a dainty bite of her biscuit.
Lavinia listened warily to the sound of bootsteps coming down the hall. "You may be right in that he seems to be getting worse, however. This is the second time this week that he has paid a call at breakfast."
Emeline's eyes brightened. "Mayhap Anthony will have accompanied him."
"Do not go to any trouble, Mrs. Chilton." Tobias's voice reverberated through the paneling of the breakfast room. "Some of the eggs and your excellent potatoes will do nicely."
In spite of her irritation, Lavinia found herself listening intently, as she always did, to the slight hitch in his stride as he approached. Some part of her relaxed when she noted that he did not appear to be favoring his left leg unduly today. That was no doubt because the morning had dawned clear. She knew that the wound bothered him most when it rained or when a damp fog clung to the city.
Tobias appeared in the doorway and came to a halt. "Good day to you, ladies."
"Mr. March." Emeline beamed. "How lovely to see you. Is Mr. Sinclair with you?"
"No. He wanted to accompany me, but I dispatched him on some business." Tobias looked at Lavinia, a determined glint in his eyes. "I vow, you are looking lovely today, madam. The very incarnation of Venus rising from the sea. Indeed, the sight of you aglow in the morning light elevates my spirits, clarifies my thoughts, and inspires me to metaphysical contemplation."
"Incarnation of Venus?" Lavinia paused, her cup halfway to her mouth, and frowned in concern. "Are you feeling ill, Tobias? You do not sound yourself."
"I am in excellent health, thank you." He glanced expectantly at the enameled pot. "Any coffee left?"
Emeline responded before Lavinia could question his uncharacteristic greeting further.
"Of course." Emeline picked up the pot. "Please sit down. I shall be delighted to pour some for you. Perhaps Mr. Sinclair will pay us a call after he has finished with his business affairs?"
"I doubt it. He will be occupied for most of the day." Tobias took a chair without further ado and helped himself to the last biscuit.
Emeline poured coffee. "Mr. Sinclair did not mention that he had plans for today."
"Very likely because he did not have any plans until he took a notion to engage himself as my assistant."
Emeline looked up sharply and set down the pot with a small thud. "Assistant?"
Tobias shrugged and reached for the butter and the jam pot. "He tells me that he wishes to embark upon a career as an investigator. Says he wants me to teach him the business."
Emeline was riveted. "Indeed. That is amazing."
"Personally, I found it decidedly depressing." Tobias finished spreading butter and jam on his biscuit and took a large bite out of it. "As you know, I have been urging him toward a more stable profession. I envisioned him becoming a man of business. But according to Anthony, the only other career that interests him is that of professional gamester."
"What a coincidence," Emeline said.
Tobias regarded her with dry disbelief. "I hope you are not going to say that you are also inclined in that direction, Miss Emeline."
"I have no interest in becoming a gamester, of course." Emeline cast a quick look at Lavinia and delicately cleared her throat. "But I was just explaining to Aunt Lavinia that I have decided to embark upon a career myself. I would like to begin training for my new profession immediately."
"And I was just telling Emeline that she need not even consider such a course of action." Lavinia refolded her newspaper. "Her social calendar is quite full these days. She has no time to study a profession."
"That is not true," Emeline said. "I intend to follow in your
"He never did stand on it," Lavinia muttered. "If you will recall, he was busily smashing the statuary in our little shop in Rome the first time he introduced himself. His social graces have not improved a great deal since that first meeting, in my opinion."
Emeline smiled and took a dainty bite of her biscuit.
Lavinia listened warily to the sound of bootsteps coming down the hall. "You may be right in that he seems to be getting worse, however. This is the second time this week that he has paid a call at breakfast."
Emeline's eyes brightened. "Mayhap Anthony will have accompanied him."
"Do not go to any trouble, Mrs. Chilton." Tobias's voice reverberated through the paneling of the breakfast room. "Some of the eggs and your excellent potatoes will do nicely."
In spite of her irritation, Lavinia found herself listening intently, as she always did, to the slight hitch in his stride as he approached. Some part of her relaxed when she noted that he did not appear to be favoring his left leg unduly today. That was no doubt because the morning had dawned clear. She knew that the wound bothered him most when it rained or when a damp fog clung to the city.
Tobias appeared in the doorway and came to a halt. "Good day to you, ladies."
"Mr. March." Emeline beamed. "How lovely to see you. Is Mr. Sinclair with you?"
"No. He wanted to accompany me, but I dispatched him on some business." Tobias looked at Lavinia, a determined glint in his eyes. "I vow, you are looking lovely today, madam. The very incarnation of Venus rising from the sea. Indeed, the sight of you aglow in the morning light elevates my spirits, clarifies my thoughts, and inspires me to metaphysical contemplation."
"Incarnation of Venus?" Lavinia paused, her cup halfway to her mouth, and frowned in concern. "Are you feeling ill, Tobias? You do not sound yourself."
"I am in excellent health, thank you." He glanced expectantly at the enameled pot. "Any coffee left?"
Emeline responded before Lavinia could question his uncharacteristic greeting further.
"Of course." Emeline picked up the pot. "Please sit down. I shall be delighted to pour some for you. Perhaps Mr. Sinclair will pay us a call after he has finished with his business affairs?"
"I doubt it. He will be occupied for most of the day." Tobias took a chair without further ado and helped himself to the last biscuit.
Emeline poured coffee. "Mr. Sinclair did not mention that he had plans for today."
"Very likely because he did not have any plans until he took a notion to engage himself as my assistant."
Emeline looked up sharply and set down the pot with a small thud. "Assistant?"
Tobias shrugged and reached for the butter and the jam pot. "He tells me that he wishes to embark upon a career as an investigator. Says he wants me to teach him the business."
Emeline was riveted. "Indeed. That is amazing."
"Personally, I found it decidedly depressing." Tobias finished spreading butter and jam on his biscuit and took a large bite out of it. "As you know, I have been urging him toward a more stable profession. I envisioned him becoming a man of business. But according to Anthony, the only other career that interests him is that of professional gamester."
"What a coincidence," Emeline said.
Tobias regarded her with dry disbelief. "I hope you are not going to say that you are also inclined in that direction, Miss Emeline."
"I have no interest in becoming a gamester, of course." Emeline cast a quick look at Lavinia and delicately cleared her throat. "But I was just explaining to Aunt Lavinia that I have decided to embark upon a career myself. I would like to begin training for my new profession immediately."
"And I was just telling Emeline that she need not even consider such a course of action." Lavinia refolded her newspaper. "Her social calendar is quite full these days. She has no time to study a profession."
"That is not true," Emeline said. "I intend to follow in your
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