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It wasn’t unheard-of, a female canter, but she didn’t strike him as one. And he should know a thief when he saw one.
So who was the little she-dragon trying so hard to ignore him?
One needn’t be a London native to know the address she had given him was prime. But why would a woman of her apparent stature walk about London completely unattended with a box full of silverware in tow?
Were the silver a new purchase, the box would have been delivered by the dealer. No upstanding merchant would allow a gentlewoman to risk herself so stupidly.
He studied her while she continued to snub him. Her dark gray gown was neatly pressed, though the cut and material would hardly turn the heads of most women of means. It was as modest as the dresses his mother’s nurse often wore, and God knows Chloe couldn’t afford extravagant purchases on the meager salary Glen Abbey Manor afforded her.
So, then, was his reluctant passenger merely someone’s abigail?
Whatever the case, the lovely little poser was the most intriguing female he’d ever laid eyes upon.
Though he knew better, Ian couldn’t keep himself from baiting her. “Most reputable merchants deliver their wares,” he suggested, and waited for her to respond.
She caught his meaning at once, smart little bird.
Her gaze snapped up, eyes flashing with a brilliance an emerald would envy. Her scraped chin lifted. “Are you implying, sirrah, that I would do business disreputably?”
Like a cornered fox, she was quick to defend herself.
Ian assessed her, taking advantage of the directness of her stare. Her green eyes were striking, with glittering gold flecks that caught the outside light.
Mesmerizing.
Under his scrutiny, her cheeks stained a deeper rose, but she didn’t kowtow to him; nor did she seem moved to explain her possessions, even when he narrowed his eyes. Instead, she straightened her spine, bringing his attention to the lovely shape of her breasts. They strained against the bodice of her gown and he couldn’t help but note the pebbling of her nipples.
An unexpected surge of desire bolted through him, the sensation so keen it made him shudder.
She was waiting for him to respond, he realized, and it took him another befuddled instant to remember what it was they were speaking of.
Acutely aware of his unwanted arousal, Ian forced his attention to her face. It was the first time in his life that he’d ever felt discomfited by his reaction to a woman. And certainly, it was the first time since he had been just a lad that he had blushed over it.
“I…wasn’t…suggesting anything,” he lied, and shifted in his seat to hide his indecent evidence. Devil hang him if it didn’t suddenly feel as though he’d erected the Tower of London in his trousers.
She lifted a lovely brow, seeming oblivious to his predicament. “Oh, but I believe you were!” she countered. “And I assure you that it was quite rude.”
Like a good lady, her eyes never wandered south of his face.
But, heaven save him, that mouth was thoroughly kissable, managing to further distract him despite his resolve.
Damnation. Ian willed her focus to remain steady upon his face. In fact, he dared not blink, lest he lose her attention.
He smiled uncomfortably. “I meant to say only that it isn’t safe for a lovely lady to be carrying such a valuable package. It’s quite remiss of your…merchant…to send you home without proper escort.”
She ignored his veiled compliment. “What you meant to say is hardly what you implied. It would appear, my lord, that you require an education in the art of social discourse. Furthermore,” she added, “why I happen to be carrying any package—valuable or not—is hardly any of your concern!”
But her temper did him the greatest of favors. His erection diminished at once.
Bloody shrew.
It was clear from the fire in her eyes that she wasn’t quite through with him.
“First, you run me down,” she pointed out with cool disdain, “then you impugn my character. What next?”
Her lucid green eyes flashed as she tapped her box. “Will you now rob me?” she asked, clearly quite certain of his answer.
Ian choked back startled laughter.
She hadn’t a clue how close she was to the truth of his nature. That box would likely feed and clothe a family of four for a lifetime.
Both her brows lifted as she prompted, “Well? Shall I hand over my silverware now and save us both the trouble?”
If only his victims were all so accommodating.
So many quips might have tumbled from his lips just then, if this had been any other time and she had been any other woman. But he was too weary to voice them.
She made no move to hand him the box, he noticed with some amusement. Instead, she drew it closer, looking for the entire world as though she would shred him to tatters if he so much as made an advance toward her.
He half expected her to demand that he halt the carriage at once, no matter what his response.
Despite his reputation with the ladies, it had been some time since a woman had turned his head, much less warmed his bed. But, bloody hell, no woman had ever made him blush then burn, only to dash him so coldly.
He studied her stiff posture and wondered if she were a virgin. It was hardly a proper notion to entertain, but then, he’d long ago divested himself of pretensions. One could not engage in highway robbery, after all—no matter how noble the motive—and walk away a perfect gentleman.
Still, he could be quite charming, he’d been told. So he affected his most disarming tone, hoping for a truce, at least.
He extended his hand, realizing it was presumptuous but needing to know if her skin was as electric as the air surrounding her. “Madam, it seems I am perpetually apologizing.”
She eyed his hand as though it were a viper.
Ian persisted. “Let us begin anew, Miss…”
She said nothing, merely glowered at him, and continued hugging her box.
“How is it that your friends address you?” he was bold enough to ask.
Her hand remained planted upon her battered box and she tipped him a smug glance. “If you were a friend, then you would know, wouldn’t you, sirrah?” She followed that announcement with an haute little nod.
Whatever response Ian had expected from her, it certainly wasn’t that one.
He lifted his brows, withdrawing his proffered hand. Clearly, she hadn’t the least interest in furthering their acquaintance.
Damn it all to hell.
Apparently, only Ian perceived any attraction between them. She was as frosty as a Scotsman’s arse in winter.
He tried to remember—and couldn’t—the last time a woman had so thoroughly rebuffed him.
Considering her refusal to share her name, he didn’t bother to introduce himself; it was a moot point, anyway. He wasn’t who he was pretending to be. And he wouldn’t be in London long enough to make new friends, even though the vixen sitting before him was the most annoying, beautiful fishwife he’d ever encountered. He didn’t need complications. He was here to find answers, not to fill his bed.
He smiled curtly, resigned to their mutual discord. She returned an equally false smile—one that indicated she was out of patience with him—then turned to stare out the carriage window.
They continued in silence until they neared Grosvenor Square.
Ian recognized the stately mansions lining the street. His passenger leaned forward, as though prepared to leap out the door the instant the carriage stopped. He couldn’t blame her. The tension between them now was thicker than a lowland fog.
Still, he had to accept some measure of responsibility for his actions. He had nearly run her down and he had, in fact, questioned her honor.
Reaching into his coat pocket, he withdrew a handkerchief, offering it to her. No matter that he thought her a shrew, he couldn’t let her face her employer with a bloodied, dirtied face.
Like a white flag of surrender, the hanky caught her attention.
She lifted those deep green eyes, narrowing them at the offering. “Do I appear to be weeping?” she asked, making no move to take it.
Ian arched a brow at her.
She lifted her chin higher. “Simply because I am a woman does not mean that I must sob at the first sign of distress. I am quite all right, thank you very much.”
Although he tried to keep his amusement at bay, the curve returned to Ian’s lips. “Your chin is bleeding,” he said, and tried not to feel smug at the immediate change in her expression.
Her eyes widened. “Oh!” She snatched the handkerchief from his hand and said, sounding just a little chagrined, “Thank you. I didn’t realize.”
The look she gave him was, for the briefest second, entirely too vulnerable. For the first time in his life, Ian hadn’t an inkling how to respond.
The carriage came to a halt, and just as quickly as the look had appeared, it vanished. She snatched up her box and shoved open the door before Ryo or Ian could assist her.
“Thank you!” she said, stepping down to the street. “No need to see me to the door.” She slammed the carriage door as he rose to follow her.
Had he moved forward a single inch more, it would have earned him a broken nose. As it was, she left him staring eye-to-eye with blue velvet.
As the carriage lurched forward, the interior seemed emptier than it had before.
Outside, thunder flared and rain began to pelt the rooftop.
Or maybe it had been storming all along, because it occurred to him in that instant that, in her presence, he hadn’t been aware of anything but her.
Chapter Four
C lutching the battered box of silver, Claire waited until the carriage was gone and then hurried to her front door, closing it quickly against the rain and the prying eyes of neighbors.
From outside, the Grosvenor Square residence might appear as venerable as ever, but inside it was little more than an empty shell. Room by room, Highbury Hall had been stripped of its dignity—pictures removed from the walls, vases and furnishings diminished.
Only the drawing room remained intact, a facade for the benefit of guests Claire no longer received. She would be too ashamed for anyone to witness the decline of their home since their father’s death. Their good name was sure to follow.
No one greeted her at the door as she entered the once-grand foyer. Many of the servants had abandoned them. Jasper, bless his ancient soul, had remained, despite the fact that she couldn’t pay him. The old steward and his wife had been with the family as long as Claire could recall, but even Jasper and Mrs. Tandy couldn’t revive the spirit of their dying abode.
Claire made her way to the dining room and set the box of silverware on the table, patting it once, lovingly, before turning and leaving it to collect dust.
In the drawing room, she slumped into her father’s favorite chair, easing into the familiar mold his body had etched into its worn fabric.
She took comfort in the sweet scent of his pipe that lingered, even after so many months. It was hardly ladylike to forget her posture, but she didn’t care—not today.
“Did everything go as planned, madam?”
Claire peered up to find Jasper standing in the doorway. She shook her head.
“I am sorry, madam.”
“Have we any news?” Claire asked, though she dreaded the answer.
“No, madam. It has been quiet today.”
It was always quiet.
No more male laughter rang through the halls.
No more giggling maids.
Claire sighed.
Well, no news was good news, she supposed. At least, it wasn’t bad news.
Jasper came into the room, retrieved a folded blanket from the settee and brought it to her, settling it over her lap. “You’ll catch a cold,” he admonished her.
Claire took comfort in his solicitude but didn’t move or acknowledge his complaint. She had truly never felt so bone weary.
“I don’t know what we’ll do,” she worried aloud.
Jasper didn’t reply. He’d never been one to dwell on negativity and there was certainly little positive to say. He retrieved The Times from the desk across the room and returned, offering it to her. Claire took it and he patted her shoulder.
“I shall have Mrs. Tandy fetch you some tea,” he offered.
It still amused Claire that he spoke of his wife so formally.
She wanted to tell him not to bother. Both Jasper and his sweet wife worked hard enough as it was and it was late. And yet, she would, indeed, love a spot of tea. “Thank you,” she relented.
He left her to peruse the paper.
Though it was an empty-headed thing to do, Claire ignored the front-page headlines, unable to bear the thought of adding more discord to her life. She turned to the society page and rolled her eyes at the frivolous headlines plastered there.
Lord Burton had eloped with Emma Percy, a mere merchant’s daughter. Everyone was up in arms about it. Claire could think of far worse things, such as losing a father, then a brother.
Her eyes stung as she recalled the tears in her father’s eyes during his final moments. He hadn’t wished to die so soon, but he’d known it was his time and he’d held her hand tightly as he’d said his goodbyes. Even some four months later, some nights as she drifted to sleep, the memory of his final breaths haunted her. There had been nothing peaceful about his parting. Riddled with pain, his every breath had been labored and his last had frozen in an openmouthed gasp.
She pushed the images away, searching the paper for something frivolous.
She found her distraction in another headline.
