“Accomplished?” he asked, astounded.
Savage watched Lord Lamb closely to see if he was being condescending.
Tony was most sincere. “Your first language cannot be English, yet you have mastered it to perfection.”
John Bull glowed.
“And your wife is one of the loveliest ladies I’ve ever seen.”
John Bull glowered.
Savage gave a bark of laughter. “Both of your observations are extremely wide of the mark.”
John Bull ignored Savage’s remark and launched into a reprimand. “We were not expecting you, Excellency. The food I prepared is adequate for you, but unfit for the Lord of the Realm. Moreover, we do not have enough beds.”
“Christ, John Bull, you’re stiff as a starched shirt. Tony and I don’t give a shit about food or beds. We’ll sleep on the floor. Tony is to be treated as one of the family. Where is Jeffrey Sloane?”
“Your secretary is very busy with his papers. He is working upstairs in the library. I do not wish to cast my shadow upon his character, Excellency, but I must tell you that he pays whatever price a merchant asks for his goods.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me, John Bull. Tony, make yourself at home. I’ll just go up and speak with Sloane, then we’ll have the grand tour.”
“You must forgive the master. He has a great disliking for formality, but I have met your mother and think the memsahib would be outrageous if she knew the Leopard expected you to sleep on the floor.”
“I haven’t seen my mother for over ten years. What is she like?” Tony asked rather wistfully.
“Ah, very very beautiful. Like an English queen.”
Tony smiled. Obviously John Bull hadn’t seen the Queen. She realized, however, that her mother’s legendary beauty was real.
“Why do you call him the Leopard?”
“It is what his people in Ceylon call him. His plantation is named Leopard’s Leap.”
“How fascinating! Will you tell me all about it, John?”
“I will try, Lordship, but it is your country which is fascinating.”
“We will exchange information. I have some books at Curzon Street you’ll enjoy.”
John Bull rolled his eyes. “I made a very bad impression at Curzon Street. I called your Mrs. Hogg, pig woman.”
Tony laughed delightedly. “Now that you mention it, she does have rather porcine features and manners to match. People do sometimes resemble their names, like Lotus Blossom. I’m sorry that I assumed she was your wife.”
“A lotus is a common water lily,” he disparaged. “She is the master’s body servant.”
Tony blushed at her own ignorance. What a cod’s head she was. The exotic creature was Adam Savage’s concubine! She felt an inexplicable stab of jealousy. Her eyes were drawn up the elegant staircase. Clearly here was another who resembled his name.
As Savage descended she knew why his people called him the Leopard. Suddenly she felt shy. She turned to John Bull instinctively. “For what it’s worth, I offer you my friendship.”
“Ah, Lordship, that would be worthless to me!”
“He means priceless,” Adam said quietly, most grateful that young Lamb was tolerant and unbiased.
Tony laughed outright. “I never realized how ridiculous the English language was. Priceless and worthless ought to be synonyms.”
“There’s just enough light left to take a look at the grounds. I’ll postpone the grand tour of the house until daylight. I don’t want to miss a detail.”
Savage led the way into the gardens, where paths and flower beds had been carefully laid out. They strolled across daisy-strewn grass that would soon be turned into manicured lawns. They came upon a natural stand of yews that had been thinned to create a yew walk.