from beneath Roseneau’s nose was a masterful coup. Considering.”
Claire’s breath caught while she tried to absorb what he was saying. What he was implying. “Considering what, Major? Are you assuming I withheld my love so my husband would lavish me with gifts? Is that what you think?”
“Perhaps. Or he was afraid he’d already lost your love and wanted to buy it back.”
“You can’t believe that.”
“Can’t I?” The major leveled her a harsher glare. “What if I told you I witnessed the display of affection you and Roseneau shared in the darkened corridor the night of his ball?”
Her heart stuttered in her chest. He’d seen her and thought . . . “That wasn’t—”
“I know what I saw, Lady Huntingdon.”
An ominous silence nearly choked her.
“Well, my conscience is clear, Major Bennett,” Claire answered angrily. Why couldn’t he just go away and leave her alone? “I’m surprised, given your opinion of me, you didn’t let me die.”
“I could hardly risk you dying before I had the necklace.”
Claire fought the pounding in her head. What kind of person did he think she was? She saw the muscles in his jaw clench in anger. Watched as he rose menacingly from his chair and towered over her. She wanted to look away but couldn’t. Wanted to be anywhere but in the same room with him, in the same city. In the same world. His next words frightened her.
“Roseneau will not give up until he has the necklace. You will never be safe as long as you have it.”
“How foolish of me, then, not to give it to his henchman when he came for it.”
The glare in the major’s eyes was swift, his anger unmistakable.
“I see,” she said, watching him through pain-clouded eyes. “You’re trying to tell me I’d be safer if I gave it to you instead.”
“That would be best for everyone.”
She wanted to laugh. “It would have been best if my husband hadn’t taken it in the first place.”
She saw regret in his eyes even though the rest of his face revealed nothing.
“Why did you wait until now to come for the necklace?” She sighed through the pain. “Hunt’s been dead for four months.”
He hesitated. “I was detained.”
He avoided any further explanation and busied himself by placing another cool cloth against her burning skin. His touch was gentle, but the tight clench of his jaw hinted at another emotion. When he spoke, his words caught her off guard.
“I know about your involvement with Roseneau, my lady. You may have fooled your husband, but I’m not so blind as Hunt.”
“I don’t know what display of affection you believe you saw,” she said, unable to control her anger. “Nor am I involved with Roseneau in any manner. I do not know the man. Nor do I even like the man. He came upon me the night of the ball and tried to force his attentions on me. If you would have watched, as you say you did, you would have seen me push him away, then leave him.” She stopped to catch her breath. “But you are obviously more interested in believing the worst of me.”
The look on his face told her he didn’t believe her.
“Roseneau’s not going to win,” he said. “I don’t intend to leave your side until I have the necklace.”
She sighed. “And if I refuse to give it to you?”
His hand lifted from the cut at her shoulder, and he leveled her a look so blinding it sent chills down her spine.
“I won’t allow you to keep it,” he said, his voice soft, deadly. “Representatives from Her Majesty will meet with French and Russian emissaries in in less than a month. I intend to see our government has the crown jewels.”
“And the papers?”
“The papers will reveal the traitor. They’ll give us the identity of the man receiving the jewels for military secrets, lead us to the British citizen who would trade our soldiers’ lives for his own gain.”
His gaze burned through her, his unrelenting hostility and determination a formidable force. She refused to be cowed
Claire’s breath caught while she tried to absorb what he was saying. What he was implying. “Considering what, Major? Are you assuming I withheld my love so my husband would lavish me with gifts? Is that what you think?”
“Perhaps. Or he was afraid he’d already lost your love and wanted to buy it back.”
“You can’t believe that.”
“Can’t I?” The major leveled her a harsher glare. “What if I told you I witnessed the display of affection you and Roseneau shared in the darkened corridor the night of his ball?”
Her heart stuttered in her chest. He’d seen her and thought . . . “That wasn’t—”
“I know what I saw, Lady Huntingdon.”
An ominous silence nearly choked her.
“Well, my conscience is clear, Major Bennett,” Claire answered angrily. Why couldn’t he just go away and leave her alone? “I’m surprised, given your opinion of me, you didn’t let me die.”
“I could hardly risk you dying before I had the necklace.”
Claire fought the pounding in her head. What kind of person did he think she was? She saw the muscles in his jaw clench in anger. Watched as he rose menacingly from his chair and towered over her. She wanted to look away but couldn’t. Wanted to be anywhere but in the same room with him, in the same city. In the same world. His next words frightened her.
“Roseneau will not give up until he has the necklace. You will never be safe as long as you have it.”
“How foolish of me, then, not to give it to his henchman when he came for it.”
The glare in the major’s eyes was swift, his anger unmistakable.
“I see,” she said, watching him through pain-clouded eyes. “You’re trying to tell me I’d be safer if I gave it to you instead.”
“That would be best for everyone.”
She wanted to laugh. “It would have been best if my husband hadn’t taken it in the first place.”
She saw regret in his eyes even though the rest of his face revealed nothing.
“Why did you wait until now to come for the necklace?” She sighed through the pain. “Hunt’s been dead for four months.”
He hesitated. “I was detained.”
He avoided any further explanation and busied himself by placing another cool cloth against her burning skin. His touch was gentle, but the tight clench of his jaw hinted at another emotion. When he spoke, his words caught her off guard.
“I know about your involvement with Roseneau, my lady. You may have fooled your husband, but I’m not so blind as Hunt.”
“I don’t know what display of affection you believe you saw,” she said, unable to control her anger. “Nor am I involved with Roseneau in any manner. I do not know the man. Nor do I even like the man. He came upon me the night of the ball and tried to force his attentions on me. If you would have watched, as you say you did, you would have seen me push him away, then leave him.” She stopped to catch her breath. “But you are obviously more interested in believing the worst of me.”
The look on his face told her he didn’t believe her.
“Roseneau’s not going to win,” he said. “I don’t intend to leave your side until I have the necklace.”
She sighed. “And if I refuse to give it to you?”
His hand lifted from the cut at her shoulder, and he leveled her a look so blinding it sent chills down her spine.
“I won’t allow you to keep it,” he said, his voice soft, deadly. “Representatives from Her Majesty will meet with French and Russian emissaries in in less than a month. I intend to see our government has the crown jewels.”
“And the papers?”
“The papers will reveal the traitor. They’ll give us the identity of the man receiving the jewels for military secrets, lead us to the British citizen who would trade our soldiers’ lives for his own gain.”
His gaze burned through her, his unrelenting hostility and determination a formidable force. She refused to be cowed
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