Her stance changed from relaxed to rigid. She didn’t care for what he said any more than he had liked what she had said. “I wasn’t aware I had the capability to be so humorous, my lord,” she said.
“Then allow me to enlighten you.”
A couple of steps took him close enough to her that he could have touched her if he’d lifted his hands. He caught the scent of freshly washed hair and lightly perfumed skin. His body reacted strongly to her feminine draw.
He expected her to move away from him, but she stood her ground without flinching, and that impressed him all the more. He heard her labored breathing and for a moment he watched the rise and fall of her chest. She was so fascinating he found it difficult to concentrate on the matter at hand.
Yet he couldn’t let her accusation that he had something that belonged to her family go unchallenged. That went against his easygoing nature.
His gaze swept up and down her face before settling on her gorgeous green eyes. Her breaths evened out, and he said, “First, you are certainly bold to walk in here and make such a claim. Second, I’m amused that you were so blunt. If you truly thought I had something that belonged to you, there are nicer ways to say it than ‘It’s mine and I want it back.’ And third, Duchess, I don’t have anything that belongs to your family. And even if I did have something of yours, I wouldn’t turn it over to you simply because you demanded it.”
He bent his head closer so that his nose almost touched hers. Only a couple of inches separated their mouths. The fragrant scent of mint tea lingered in the air. With great effort, he resisted the impulse to press his lips against hers and feel their softness.
In a husky voice he said, “And finally, Your Grace, just who the hell do you think you are to imply that I have stolen anything from your family?”
A light blush tinted her cheeks, but she didn’t shrink from his nearness. Rather than his forward advancement intimidating her, she relaxed a little. Just enough to hint that he might have caused her a flash of compunction before she summoned an inner strength to carry her forward.
Her face remained dangerously close to his, but her courage didn’t waver. “Your points are well-taken, and perhaps I should apologize once again. It wasn’t my intention for you to feel I was accusing you of stealing anything from my family. I assure you that is not the case. I merely said you have it in your possession.”
He heard sincerity in her voice, and that gave him some measure of assurance that she wasn’t a madwoman or just trying to trick him. Whoever came up with this scheme had her convinced she spoke the truth.
“What is it that you think I have?”
Her eyes sparkled and softened. “Oh, I know you have them. The Talbot pearls.”
Race’s mouth tightened as his eyes narrowed. His grandmother, Lady Elder, had left him the priceless and coveted necklace in her will. Five perfectly matched strands of pearls, each strand measuring thirty-two inches.
His gaze scanned her face once again, looking for deception. “My grandmother’s necklace?”
“Mygrandmother’s pearls,” she insisted.
Her courage was impressive, her beauty undeniable, but her assertion was troubling. Her bold gaze stayed locked on his. He appreciated the fact she looked him in the eyes and didn’t cower under his nearness. She obviously wasn’t lying. She actually believed what she was saying.
“Your audacity is almost as priceless as the pearls, but stand in line. You are the fourth person this month to approach me about the pearls. Though I admit none have come forward with as creative a claim as you.”
Concern flared in her dark-lashed eyes. “What do you mean?” She reached down and picked up some folded sheets of paper from the table beside her and extended them to him. “I have with me documents proving the necklace belongs to my family.”
Race didn’t offer to take the folded sheets of aged parchment from her. “Interestingly enough, the gentlemen who have come before you are not as clever as you. They are not claiming ownership of the pearls. They are offering to buy them.”
Her brow furrowed, and alarm etched across her face as she took a hesitant step toward him. “Who are these men?”
For the first time, Race sensed anger inside her, and it was seductive. Desire for her filled him once again. He wanted to pull her into his arms, crush her against his chest, and feel her soft, pliant lips beneath his in an eager kiss. He wanted to take her to his bed and unleash the passion he sensed inside her. That thought brought him up short.
He returned his thoughts to the matter at hand and said, “The first person to approach me was Mr. Albert Smith, a one-armed antiquities dealer, who wants them for an unnamed buyer. Does that unnamed person happen to be you, Duchess?”
She scoffed. “Absolutely not. I would never pay for what already rightfully belongs to my family.”
“Then perhaps you are acquainted with Mr. Harold Winston. He is employed by the Prince himself. It seems that Prinny has long had his sights on the Talbot pearls. He wants to add the collar to His Majesty’s Crown Jewels.”
“That’s absurd. The Crown already has more pearls, diamonds, and gems than all other countries put together, including Rome and the Catholic Church.”
“Ah, then that leaves only the mysterious buccaneer, Captain Spyglass, who recently sailed into London on his extravagant ship, theGolden Pearl.” Race tilted his head in puzzled consideration as his gaze settled on her green eyes once again. “I’m told he has mesmerized most of the ladies in Town. Perhaps you have formed an alliance with him?”
“I have read about the man, but know this, my lord, I have formed no alliance with anyone. Moreover, from what I have heard, Captain Spyglass is nothing but an unrepentant pirate.”
“So some say,” Race admitted.
“What does he want with the pearls?”
