look as radiant and sincere as Alex did at that moment.
"My pleasure." And to his surprise, he found that he meant it.
A comfortable silence reigned once more as Alex seemed lost once more in thoughts on the gardens and Branford remained intrigued by her reaction regarding being on the shelf. Why, he had always thought it ridiculous that young girls were meant to marry before they had a chance to become interesting, but somehow he didn't think that was what Miss Chilton meant. He wondered exactly what she did mean.
"My lord... " Alex spoke softly, barely audible above the clatter of the phaeton's wheels.
Branford was roused from his thoughts and turned his head expectantly.
"I was wondering if I might ask a favor of you. That is, another one, since I regard your driving me to Kew Gardens as a rather large one as well, but..." She faltered.
Branford's eyebrows shot up. "Tis the first time I've seen you at a loss for words, Miss Chilton. Come now, don't you females practice this sort of thing? It certainly seems most of you have it down to a fine art. I do believe, however, that you are supposed to lower your lashes demurely and flutter them a few times when making the request."
Alex stiffened and her face colored. "Forgive me, sir. You are right to ridicule me. I am well aware I have no feminine charms. And I have no right to ask..."
"It wasn't meant as ridicule, Miss Chilton. I was merely teasing you."
Her eyes remained locked on the road ahead. The silence was now filled with tension. Branford swore to himself. She was difficult to figure out. He pulled the horses to an easy walk so he could turn his full attention to her.
"Miss Chilton, I apologize if I have offended you. Now please continue and ask me what you intended."
"It is of no import."
"Don't be a peagoose."
"I am not acting like..." She stopped. "I am, aren't I. I'm sorry." Her chin came up as she turned to face him. "I have little practice in asking a gentleman — or anyone for that matter — for his aid. You embarrassed me."
"It was badly done of me." Lord, she had as much damnable pride as a man! "It is I who am sorry."
Alex took a deep breath. "What I was wondering is, well, during the Peninsula campaign, you were credited for saving Wellington from ambush?" It was phrased as a question.
He nodded.
"You deciphered a code?"
He nodded again, intrigued as to where things were headed. Certainly in no direction he had ever explored with a female before.
"Are you an expert in cryptology?"
Would Miss Chilton never cease to surprise him? "I am fairly conversant with the principles from my work in the army."
"Well, I have been struggling for an age but I can't make heads or tails of it — I seem to have no aptitude for the principles of logic underlying cryptology, and I can't find a decent book on the subject..."
"I take it, Miss Chilton, you have a code you wish to decipher?"
It was Alex's turn to nod."
"And just how did you come by it?"
"It was tucked into one of my father's books, one of the ones he had with him the night he was driving home and had his accident." A puzzled look passed over her face. "He had never written in such a manner before. It is the oddest piece of paper. The letters are jumbled together in the most nonsensical way, and there are little symbols that look like axes or some such things..."
"Would you like me to take a look at it?"
Alex let out a rush of air. "Oh, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. I keep thinking, it must mean something important. Father was not one to do anything... frivolous or whimsical. It is as if he were trying to... hide something, or tell us something important that he wished no one else to see."
Branford could not help noticing that the straightforward appeal in her eyes was infinitely more persuasive than any fluttering of eyelashes or coy looks — she was quite wrong about