He narrowed his stare. “Why do you say that?”
“You couldn’t…” she stammered. “It’s not…”
“I assure you, it is,” he replied, his voice steady and earnest.
“But how could you…” She paused to gather herself, fearful she might be revealing something she shouldn’t in her reaction. “How did you imagine such an elaborate design?”
“I didn’t have to imagine it.”
“You mean you copied someone else’s rendering of the necklace.”
There was a long pause as his eyes continued to bore into her. Then he replied quietly. “No. That is not what I mean.”
Fearful that she may have been wrong in suspecting he’d been lying and what that could possibly mean, Eleanor glanced around before asking, “You’ve actually seen it…with your own eyes?”
“I have.”
Shock rippled along her nerves and an odd breathlessness came over her as she stared wide-eyed back at him. “That’s not possible.”
He lowered his chin to mutter in earnest. “I assure you, it is. But why do you think it isn’t? What do you know about it?”
Several thoughts flew rapidly through her mind in that moment. One was that this man was much more than he seemed on the surface. The devil-may-care rogue had become a man of purpose and fierce intent. She could see he was eager to hear how she’d recognized the necklace and what information she had on it.
She very quickly made a decision not to tell him anything.
The history of the necklace belonged to her family. She couldn’t imagine how he’d gotten his hands on a fair likeness of something that had been lost for generations. It didn’t matter. The truth was, it didn’t belong to him. The necklace’s story didn’t belong to him.
“Nothing. Nothing at all,” she finally replied.
The frustrated disbelief that flickered through his stare was surprisingly satisfying.
He took a breath and slid a brief glance to the side before shoving a hand through his hair. When he brought his focus back to her face, she could see that he wanted to argue with her, convince her, or perhaps…manipulate her into acquiescing. No doubt that was what his teasing seduction had been about all along.
The thought triggered a pang of disappointment, but she held herself firm, staring back at him with a steady gaze.
Finally, he lowered his chin and gave a short nod.
“Perhaps that is best,” he muttered then.
The words confused her, but before she could think on them further, he gave a bow of his head. “I shall bother you no further.” One of his roguish smiles slid across his lips. “Onthatmatter, anyway.”
Before she could reply, the man walked away from her yet again. This time, however, she couldn’t keep from watching him with an odd feeling settling in her stomach. And she couldn’t help but feel like she’d made some massive mistake.
Chapter Nine
“What on earthwas that all about?”
The question came flying from Bridget’s mouth the moment the three women were alone in Eleanor’s bedroom.
Eleanor rolled her eyes with a sigh. She’d known it was coming. Her cousins had been sending her probing, curious glances throughout their remaining stroll through Hyde Park and the entire drive back to the house. Forced to ignore them completely lest she inspire more speculation from her brother, who’d also been watching her carefully, Eleanor was prepared for a barrage of questions now that they were alone.
“It was no—”
“Don’t you dare try to say it was nothing,” Lydia interrupted firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. “We saw it!Somethingis going on between you and the viscount and we’re not budging from this room until you tell us everything.”
Bridget and Lydia both dropped onto Eleanor’s bed to stare back at her with stern expressions.
She knew she’d tell them. The three of them had never kept secrets. At least, not about something like this. But she felt some responsibility to ensure they didn’t get the wrong idea about Waring’s interest in her. This was not a courtship situation.
