Page 25 of The Forbidden Lord (Lord Trilogy #2)

Chose to offer her my attentions? That was more the language of a man picking out a prize cow than the language of love. Perhaps she’d been too hasty in her assessment of Lord St. Clair’s feelings.

“Besides,” he went on, “I don’t trust the lady’s father. I think he might keep her closeted away from visitors to prevent her from making an unwise match.”

Emily’s heart pounded. His words were too near the truth to be accidental. What should she tell him? How could she get him to say more? She must be certain of him before Lord Nesfield could risk accusing him.

She tried a more direct approach. “Are you saying that matters had progressed so far between you and my cousin that her father would need to use such tactics?”

He clenched his jaw, his eyes still fixed on the statue. Goodness gracious, how could she tell anything when she couldn’t see his eyes? She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

Suddenly, he sighed wearily. “I don’t know what I’m saying. The last time I saw her, she and I came very near to discussing marriage. Then her father interrupted the discussion, and I haven’t seen her since. I don’t know what to make of it.”

Dear heavens, he had to be the one! Relief coursed through her. She would no longer need to fear exposure; she could put an end to the dreadful lies.

But maybe she was being too hasty. She needed more evidence.

“Have you approached Uncle Randolph with an offer?”

“I don’t wish to do so until I’m sure of her feelings. This silence from her makes me wonder if I was wrong about the way she felt. If she hasn’t even told you, her own cousin, about me—”

“Oh, but she has!” He mustn’t become too discouraged or she’d never find out for certain if he was the one. “We talked about you at length after my first ball.”

“What did she say?”

“Um … well, I can’t tell you that.” Thinking fast, she shot him a coy smile. “Sophie would never forgive me if I told all her secrets.”

His gaze swung to her, and in the depths of his black eyes, she saw suspicion. “Are you playing games with me, Lady Emma?”

A shiver passed over her. This was the side of him she’d suspected lay dormant.

The dangerous side. “Not at all. But if you’re not even willing to approach my uncle with an offer, I don’t see why I should tell you everything about my cousin.

It wouldn’t be fair, especially when he doesn’t approve of you. ”

He stared at her as if debating something. “I have a confession to make.” When he paused, she held her breath. “You see—”

“So there you are,” boomed a loud, feminine voice as Lady Dundee swept into the room, followed closely by Jordan. “We thought we had lost you.”

Emily cast the countess a withering glance. She’d been so close, curse it all! He’d been on the verge of telling her about the elopement—she was sure of it! And now, thanks to Lady Dundee’s over-protective instincts, Emily would have to try again. It was enough to make her cry, for goodness sakes!

Lady Dundee seemed oblivious to Emily’s distress, or to Lord St. Clair’s, for that matter.

She strode up to them, waving her arm as if to indicate the entire building.

“It’s all so fabulous, don’t you think? I’m quite pleased you invited us, St. Clair.

” She flashed a smile at Emily. “Isn’t it lovely, my dear? ”

“Yes, Mama, it is.”

Lady Dundee sighed. “But all this walking has tired me enormously.”

“Perhaps you should rest a moment before we go on,” Lord St. Clair said quickly, once more his amiable, courteous self. He offered the countess his arm. “I believe there are benches in the next room.”

Hooking her hand in his bent elbow, Lady Dundee paused to look around, then made a face. “Good Lord, I must have left my shawl in one of those other rooms. I have no idea where. Would you mind looking for it, Emma?”

“Not at all, Mama.”

“And take Lord Blackmore with you. He knows his way around here.”

With a smug smile, Jordan offered her his arm. Emily couldn’t even protest, not when her “mama” had sanctioned the encounter. Lady Dundee was certainly in great form today, managing to allow not one, but two private meetings so that Emily could do her work.

Oh, if only Lady Dundee knew what she’d done.

With a sense of impending doom, Emily allowed Jordan to lead her into the other room. What was she to do now? How was she to fool him?

As soon as the others were out of sight, she tried to take her hand from his arm, but he wouldn’t let her, clamping his other hand over it forcefully.

“I do believe I’m growing fond of your mother,” he bent to whisper in her ear.

“Clearly, she knows what’s best for you.

Or should I say, she knows who’s best for you? ”

Curse the wretch! Tossing her head back, she fixed him with a cool smile. “Don’t flatter yourself, Lord Blackmore. Mama might have set her sights on you, but I have not.”

“Haven’t you? You didn’t have to come on this outing. I almost thought you weren’t going to—that nonsense with the headache and all.”

“Oh, it wasn’t nonsense, I assure you,” she said sweetly. “The sight of you always gives me a headache.”

As they passed quickly through the room, Emily looked for the shawl. He clearly did not.

“We both know why I give you headaches,” he murmured.

“Because you’re a nuisance and an arrogant, insufferable bore?”

He laughed at the outrageous lie, then stroked her hand, beginning with the edge of her short glove before trailing his fingers down to the tips in a caress that made her catch her breath.

“I give you headaches for the same reason I made you shiver in the carriage earlier.” He paused. “Because it makes you remember.”

“Remember what?” She jerked her hand from his arm as she faced him. “The way you pawed me at the ball two nights ago?”

Their gazes met, and he held the look, his eyes darkening. “No. Not then.”

Curse him for all his suspicions and hidden meanings! She should never have allowed this! Whirling away, she stalked off toward the entrance to another of the rooms. “I shan’t stand here and listen to your nonsense. I’m going to look for Mama’s shawl!”

He caught her arm, then steered her in another direction, that infernal smile on his face again. “Then you’re headed the wrong way. Lady Dundee and I didn’t go in that room. Try this one over here.”

The doorway he steered her toward was smaller than the others, and the door to it was closed.

Perhaps if she hadn’t been so furious, she would have noticed the guard and the fact that he bowed deferentially to Jordan.

She might even have paused to wonder why he had to unlock the door as they approached.

But as soon as she stepped inside the cavernous room and the door was shut behind them, she knew she’d made an enormous error. There was no one else inside.

They were completely alone.