Hope soared within her, but she said nothing and looked away again.
“Why were you talking to that man?” Race asked.
“Lord Martin just wanted to know why I was in Town,” she fibbed, not wanting Race to know her former beau expected her to pick up with him where they had left off.
“Not Lord Martin. Mr. Harold Winston. Why were you talking to him?”
“I will talk to anyone who I think might have the pearls.”
“All right. Why did you ask Gibby’s help concerning these men?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation for anything I do. I will talk to anyone who I think can help me accomplish my goal.”
His eyes turned stormy and his hands tightened on her. “It’s my fault the pearls were stolen, Susannah, and it is my responsibility to find them. I don’t know what meanness these men might be capable of. You must stay out of this and allow me to handle this.”
“I think you have forgotten that I want the pearls as badly as you do. Perhaps more so.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything about you. We were lovers, Susannah.”
She glanced around them to see if any of the other couples on the dance floor might have been close enough to hear what he said. Thankfully no one was, so she whispered, “Don’t remind me.”
“I don’t have to,” he offered. “You’ve been thinking about it all evening, as have I. What you do, whom you see, is important to me. I will not let you play games with these dangerous men.”
“You will not let me?” she answered, swift and sharp. “First, you have no proof these men are dangerous. Second, how dare you think you can keep me from doing anything I want to do?”
“When you challenge me like that, Susannah, it only makes me eager to prove you wrong.”
“I am not challenging you. I’m simply telling the truth.”
Susannah realized the music had stopped and the dancers were leaving; a couple of curious people looked at them.
“Race, we can stop dancing now. The music has finished.”
His gaze darted around. He stopped and let go of her but hung back from the other dancers as they left the floor. “What did you find out from talking to Winston?”
“Why would I tell you anything?”
“I have a runner from Bow Street working on finding the pearls, Susannah. He is a professional and knows how to do certain things. There is no need for you to become involved in this intrigue.”
Susannah tensed. “You may hire whomever you wish and do whatever you wish, but do not try to tell me what I can and cannot do.”
He hesitated before answering, “Susannah, I think you want to drive me to madness, and much as it pains me to admit it to you, you are succeeding.”
She felt her eyes grow misty, and that angered her. She did not want this man to reduce her to tears. “I don’t care enough about you to drive you mad. I want only to find the pearls and return them to my mother.”
She saw by the quick blink of his lashes that her words stung him, but he recovered quickly. “You don’t care about me? That’s another challenge, Susannah, that begs me to prove you wrong.”
“No. I want you to leave me alone.” The words were almost a plea.
“I have not been able to get thoughts of you out of my mind. I can’t get the taste of you off my lips, I can’t…”
“Stop,” she whispered.
“I know you have been thinking about me, as well.”
“You flatter yourself, Race.” Their eyes locked together. “You thought I had the necklace.”
Sorrow filled his eyes. “I was wrong about that.”
