"Alicia, my dear," Viscount Lindow said, seemingly oblivious to the charged silence that had fallen between his daughter and myself. "Allow me to present Harold, Lady Isadora's protégé. He will be joining our household staff while attending the Royal Academy."
Lady Alicia—for clearly she deserved such formal address—stepped forward with fluid grace, her movements carrying the unconscious elegance of someone born to privilege but not spoiled by it. When she spoke, her voice carried the cultured tones of excellent education tempered by what seemed to be genuine warmth.
"Welcome to Lindow House, Harold," she said, offering me a smile that transformed her already lovely features into something approaching radiance. "I hope you will find your time with us both educational and pleasant."
