“I am familiar with the countess’s pearls, my lord. Her ropes consisted of five strands of perfectly matched pearls as well, but I believe her ropes were much longer than the Talbot pearls. And she bought them for herself, one pearl at a time, as I believe those who have preserved her account books have authenticated. Last I heard, it was assumed that one of her daughters pawned her pearls for twenty-thousand pounds after her death, and they have not been seen since.”
“You do know your pearls,” he said with no real appreciation in his tone for her knowledge of the subject.
“Obviously, so do you.”
For some reason, Susannah couldn’t let this man get away with his unwavering arrogance. Not yet. Before leaving, she had to try one more time to get him to look at her proof. She would have to use a different approach, though. Obviously, something as simple as the plain truth and facts were not going to win him over. Perhaps she had been too bold and too outspoken in how she first broached the issue.
Trying to be more affable, she renewed her self-confidence with a deep breath and said, “I believe your grandmother, Lady Elder, left Valleydale to your cousin, the Earl of Morgandale. It borders the Morgandale lands, is that correct?”
A suspicious expression narrowed his eyes once again, and he shifted his stance. His black, fine wool coat stretched perfectly over his broad shoulders and chest. His sky-blue waistcoat with its gold-colored buttons fit seamlessly over a flat stomach and enhanced his slim hips. She didn’t know why she noticed everything about him.
“That’s right,” he said cautiously.
“I had occasion to visit her at Valleydale shortly after my marriage.”
He continued to eye her warily. His brow furrowed. “You met my grandmother?”
“Yes. Lady Elder was quite famous for her house parties.”
“My grandmother was famous for many reasons.”
Keeping her tone casual and her body relaxed, Susannah said, “Perhaps she was most noted for her long-standing friendship with Lord Chesterfield.”
His expression softened, and he gave her a genuine smile. For some reason, it pleased her that he enjoyed talking about his grandmother. Susannah felt a little hope rising inside her that she might have found a chink in his armor. She had to be careful and not overplay her hand.
“No doubt she regaled you with many stories about the pompous man. She worshiped him and considered him the grand master of teaching a man how to be a gentleman.”
“When I was with her, there was no doubt she was fond of Lord Chesterfield. She quoted him often. It was clear she missed him after his death.”
“You don’t know the half of it, Duchess,” he said on a whispery breath.
“It is because of her that I am so familiar with Lord Chesterfield’s letters to his son.”
Lord Raceworth’s expression turned quizzical. “You read them?”
She nodded. “Most of them, I believe. Though my thoughts are that if his son had still been living when they were first published, the poor man would be horrified to know that everything his father had written to him all those many years was available for anyone to read.”
The marquis folded his arms across his chest and appeared to be studying her once again. “I agree concerning the son, but I think Lord Chesterfield would be pleased to know he lives beyond the grave through his egotistical, posturing letters to his son.”
Susannah smiled at him and realized how wonderful it was to converse with him when they were on a neutral subject. In this composed atmosphere, she found him utterly charming. She considered it a good sign that the marquis was continuing to talk to her and had not yet dismissed her from his home.
“Your other cousin, the Duke of Blakewell, recently married. I read in theTimesthat his duchess is a lovely young lady, new to London, I believe.”
The marquis stepped closer to her again. His head dipped lower, bringing his lips almost to the point of touching hers.
A tempting, roguish grin lifted the corners of his lips. Her breathing became shallow, and her heart thudded wildly in her chest as he whispered, “All true, Your Grace, but telling me how much you know about my grandmother and my cousins and even Lord Chesterfield and his letters does not tell me anything about you.”
If possible, Susannah planned to keep it that way, but looking at him now she knew it wouldn’t be easy. His brownish-green eyes turned dark and dreamy. Susannah’s stomach tightened. Somehow, she must fight her immense attraction to him.
Perhaps this was the time to leave. He probably wanted time to look into this matter about the pearls for himself. She had no doubt that he would inquire about her before they met again. And they would meet again. Something told her he was not a man to let a claim such as hers hang in the air unresolved for too long.
She had learned a lot in the years since her husband had died. Other than independence, the main thing she had mastered was when to back away from an argument and return another day, refreshed.
Susannah stepped away from the marquis and turned to the chair where Mrs. Princeton had been sitting among the stacked furniture and picked up her bonnet, cape, gloves, and the documents.
“I’ve kept you too long from your guests, and there is no more for me to say today except to tell you that I’ve leased a house not far from here.”
He cast a curious glance her way. “Really?”
