He paused, looking faintly uncertain.
‘I...’ He cleared his throat. ‘I did not realise you would prove quite so accomplished.’
‘You expected me to be dull?’
His mouth curved in spite of himself.
‘Reading aloud is not usually enough to keep that lot from their cards. I expected to reclaim them within half an hour.’
Charlotte folded her arms.
‘Well, I am sorry to disappoint you.’
A trace of amusement lingered about his mouth.
‘It would seem you attracted rather a great deal of attention this evening—from Wolverton and the good Captain alike.’
Something in his tone made her pause.
Surely it could not be jealousy.
‘Miss Pearson appears equally captivated by you, my lord,’ she returned lightly.
‘Does that trouble you, Miss Lucas?’ He scanned her face, looking for a reaction.
Charlotte scoffed.
‘Why, pray, would it bother me? You are at liberty to speak to whomever you please.’ Then she added, rather more petulantly than intended, ‘As am I.’
He cleared his throat, some of his composure slipping at last.
‘Quite.’
He looked positively annoyed.
Charlotte decided not to enjoy that quite so much as she did.
Instead, she asked, ‘Have you made any progress?’
‘I have a few theories and suspicions,’ he admitted. ‘But I am rather more interested in hearing your thoughts on how to expose them.’
His attention settled thoughtfully upon her.
To her astonishment, he actually seemed to value her opinion.
‘I suppose,’ she said slowly, ‘we might lure them out?’
‘With bait?’ he asked. ‘I tried that by offering to supply them with girls, but I do not think they were convinced.’
But Charlotte was no longer fully listening. A dangerous idea had already begun to take root. Wolverton had taken a particular interest in her—so why not encourage it?
‘You look as though you are plotting something,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Whatever it is, I forbid it.’
Charlotte arranged her expression into one of perfect innocence.
‘I do not know what you mean, my lord. Now, if that is all, I shall retire.’
He sighed, caught somewhere between exasperation and reluctant amusement.
