She eyes him calmly. “Five hundred pounds. Half now, half when we return. I have a household to support in my absence.”
He reared his head in surprise. “Absence? Just where do you plan on going, Miss Ashton?”
“With you.”
“The devil you say!”
He rose and stared at her in astonishment. “I don’t remember extending an invitation for you to go anywhere with me. My offer was for you to translate the journal. Nothing more.”
She also rose, her expression unreadable. “Then we have nothing further to discuss. I bid you good evening, my lord.”
He held up his hands. “Wait, please.” Was she bluffing? Could she afford to turn down five hundred pounds? He wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. He walked over to the bell pull. “Allow me to ring for refreshments. Then we can discuss this.”
A look of triumph flared in her eyes. The chit thought she had won. And maybe she had. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I would appreciate your seeing to Kavi and Udaya’s needs.”
“And not your own?” he asked, amusement creeping into his voice. He rang for a tray of tea then turned his attention back to his guests. “Pardon my presumption, Miss Ashton, but you do not appear to be overly anxious to help me.”
“I’m not,” she said bluntly, meeting his gaze head on.
Frankness. A trait he admired in a person, but he was unused to it in a woman.
“Then tell me what brings you to my house in the middle of the night. Why offer your assistance if you have no desire to do so?” He stared challengingly at her. Was money her sole motivator? He found himself oddly disappointed by the notion.
India ignored his question and stared back at him. If this was a battle of wills, it was not one she intended to lose. Too much rode on her ability to sway him. “I’ll help you find the city, Lord Ridgewood. But I’m going to accompany you.” She watched him closely for his reaction.
He blinked in surprise, disbelief spreading across his face. “That’s impossible, Miss Ashton,” he began.
“Then I won’t interpret the script,” she interjected. “Quite simply, my lord, without me, you’ll go nowhere. Either we both travel to the city or we both remain in England. Which shall it be?”
Checkmate.
She watched him grapple with his irritation and prayed he wouldn’t toss her out of his house. She was counting on his intense desire to find the city for him to agree to her terms.
“Is this about greed?” he demanded, his features darkening in distaste. “Is this an effort to prevent anyone, save you, from finding the city?”
Anger flashed in his dark eyes. He leaned forward, his face twisted in a frown. A shiver crept over India’s shoulders as she watched him attempt to keep his annoyance in check. His jaw twitched with the effort. Obviously he hadn’t counted on her going with him, and he was likely contemplating the ramifications of sharing such a momentous find.
“It really doesn’t matter what it’s about. All you need to know is that unless you agree to my terms, I won’t help you.”
She finished, watching the hardness on his face. Let him think what he wanted. She had more important matters to address. She stared challengingly at him, refusing to back down under his smoldering gaze. “Whatever you may think of me, I do not suffer from greed,” she said softly, hating the need to explain herself to him. “I would not accept your money, only I have no way to provide for those under my protection any longer.”
His brown eyes assessed her, and she felt oddly discomfited by his scrutiny. They were interrupted as a servant brought in a tray of tea.
“Perhaps your servants would care for something?” he asked stiffly, glancing at the two still standing beside her.
“They are not my servants,” she corrected. “They are my family.”
He lifted one corner of his mouth in a half smile. “But of course.” He gestured for the maid to pour the tea then he looked up at Kavi and Udaya. “Please sit down. You must be weary after your travels.”
Udaya slipped over to the settee and perched on the edge, taking the cup from the maid. “Thank you,Sahib,” she murmured.
Kavi stood unmoving, his arms crossed over his chest. India shrugged and turned her attention back to Lord Ridgewood. She paused for a moment and drew in her breath before launching into her next request. “I had hoped due to the lateness of the hour that you would accommodate us for the night, my lord.”
The request felt more personal than it should, but the idea of sharing the same roof with this man suddenly seemed too intimate.
“Of course,” he said smoothly. “Whatever you may think ofme, Miss Ashton, I would not turn away a woman in the middle of the night.”
She flushed at having her words turned back on her.
