There was a pause as Patience took in what he’d said. Then, ‘I’ll be shunned,’ she breathed, her sudden smile of realisation like a kick to his teeth. ‘You will not have to propose marriage,’ she continued. ‘You will not even need to confirm my despicable conduct. The servants will do it for us.’ She shook her head and laughed. ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’
‘We have to hope, however, that the rumour takes at least a little time to work its way to the ears of the most prolific gossip mongers,’ he countered. ‘Although we have not yet had the opportunity to discuss your success or failure last evening.’
‘The diamond,’ gasped Patience, impulsively gripping his arm in apology for forgetting.
Max felt the heat of her fingers as though she’d touched his bare flesh, and he drew in his breath to avoid acting like a deuced schoolboy in the throes of calf love.
‘Did you discover anything?’ he asked steadily to lessen his ridiculous response to her touch.
‘Indeed, I did,’ she enthused. ‘Bamford has your gem. I saw it with my own eyes.’
‘You were not harmed in any way?’ Patience opened her mouth, then shook her head, confused by his first question. ‘He has it in his study,’ she continued. ‘Unfortunately, I was unable to ascertain where exactly because I couldn’t see through the gap in the curtains.’
‘You were hiding behind some curtains?’ he quizzed in disbelief. ‘Where was your father?’
‘Hiding beside me, naturally,’ she clarified with a frown. ‘Where else would he have been?’
‘God’s teeth,’ Max murmured, his heart slamming against his ribs at the thought of what could have happened.
‘Are you entirely addled?’ he fumed in a low voice, furious at the risk she’d taken. ‘I had no notion you would be foolish enough to take such chances. I merely wished you to have a look around Bamford’s establishment. Had I suspected you would be so totty-headed, I would never have enlisted your help.’
‘Well, it’s a good job you did,’ she retorted, not at all offended by his words. ‘Otherwise you’d still have been scratching your deuced head and running around in circles.’
‘I was not running around in circles,’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘Of course not, you clearly had it all under control,’ was her scathing rejoinder before she stopped to take a deep breath.
‘It is of no import,’ she continued. ‘Both my father and I are without injury. We were not seen entering Bamford’s study, neither were we observed whilst there.’ She looked up at him persuasively. ‘As you say my lord, we do not have much time. We must recover the diamond before my poor conduct becomes common knowledge and you must needs give me the cut direct.’
‘I’m not sure I could ever do that,’ he murmured, staring down at her, his eyes strangely intense.
Patience’s heart gave a dull thud. ‘You do not have to feel sorry for me,’ she whispered. ‘I do not have the same need for companionship professed by most people.’
She stepped backwards, breaking the strange intimacy and looked over to Felicity who was standing a few yards away determinedly watching her younger siblings. Reassured that their chaperone had not observed their interaction, Patience turned back to the Marquess, fighting a sudden ridiculous urge to throw herself in his arms.
‘My lord Guildford, what a delightful surprise.’
Startled, both Patience and Max looked behind them. Directly into the eyes of the Earl of Bamford.
Chapter Thirteen
‘Imust own I did not expect our paths to cross again so soon.’
‘Bath is a small town,’ Max managed to respond with an impassive shrug. If the Earl had eavesdropped on their conversation, all was lost.
Bamford gave no indication that he’d heard anything untoward. Instead, he turned his scrutiny towards Patience, eying her with unmistakeable distaste just as he had done at the soiree. ‘I see you have not been dragging your feet Guildford,’ he sneered. ‘Though I have to say your taste is most unexpected. I was not aware you were acquainted with Blackmore’s … more … rustic relatives.’
For a stunned second, Max wondered if he’d misheard, but the expression of disgust on the Earl’s face could not be mistaken. Truly the man was a snake. His earlier veneer of politeness was just that, a very thin coating of honey concealing a venomous core.
And no matter whether his words resulted in the gem being lost forever, the Marquess could not allow such a slur to remain unchallenged.
‘You may count yourself amongst the Regent’s friends,’ he bit out, ‘but your manners say otherwise. It would…’
‘Lord Bamford.’ The low cultured tones of Felicity Beaumont interrupted Max’s set down as the Earl turned his unblinking eyes on her. ‘Ah, the poor relation,’ he drawled, ‘or should I say, hired help.’
‘I would say it’s a pleasure,’ the matron responded evenly, ‘but clearly, I would be lying.’
The Earl’s eyes glittered now with malice. Patience looked between them, bewildered at the way the conversation had progressed from civility to barely disguised animosity within the space of a few seconds. Clearly Felicity knew Bamford, but Patience had no idea how, despite the older woman’s few barely veiled hints earlier.
