David almost did not disturb Rachel. He recognized her instantly despite her dishabille and despite the fact that she was more than half turned away from him. He had no wish to exchange any more bright social chatter with anyone for a while that afternoon. Certainly not with this particular beautiful little widgeon. But something held him to the spot when his mind told him to turn and make his escape before she spotted him.

She looked so amazingly out of character. He had seen her always as a creature of society. He would not have expected the girl to have an original thought in her head. She should be out on the lawn, taking dainty bites out of a sandwich, flirting discreetly with Stanford and every gentleman who glanced her way, not sitting hatless on the grass beside the stream. And with her dress above her knees, displaying very shapely legs. And toes tapping in time to the tune she hummed.

And it was the tune that intrigued him most. "A mighty fortress is our God," she hummed. "Da da da da da dum de da da." And after the flourish of the second line she resumed the humming. A hymn tune. Martin Luther, no less. Most out of character, he would guess.

Amusement finally got the better of discretion. "Da da da da dum de dum de da da," he finished with her, and grinned as she turned sharply in his direction. "Are you not afraid of getting your slippers wet, Lady Rachel?"

"Oh," she said, "you did startle me. I had quite forgotten where I was. No, I am afraid I have not spared a thought to my slippers. They are quite dry, though." She blushed hotly and edged her dress over her knees and down her legs, hoping that their bareness had not been too noticeable from where he stood.

Rachel felt immediate guilt. It seemed that she was not to win that victory over temptation after all. But, she thought determinedly, she was going to behave herself. She was not going to use her charms on Mr. Gower or chatter brightly in order to entrance him. She was going to be her own more sensible self and there would be no danger whatsoever that he would succumb to the general male tendency to worship her.